Pianoteq software piano

[g_s_223]

If you're looking for piano sound synthesis software for your PC/Mac its worth taking a look at Pianoteq: https://www.pianoteq.com . This software uses mathematical modelling rather than a large bank of samples, and so it is amazingly customisable. I've been looking for a PC piano solution for some time, and this looks and sounds pretty promising.

There's a free download of an evaluation versions (8 notes disabled) which runs with most sequencers. If you don't have a sequencer, and are on PC, you can use VSTHost: https://www.hermannseib.com/english/vsthost.htm to run it. The initial tweaks I've made are to select Grand C1/mellow and Reverb/concert player.

Opinions of it (and what other software is better) before I buy are welcome. 

[leahcim]

Opinions of it (and what other software is better) before I buy are welcome. 

For modelling, there's not a great deal around afaict. I searched once, hoping to even find something that wasn't necessarily real time [graphics can be "rendered" why not a midi] - or some students thesis project, but the end result was finding Gem and their promegas, not a lot else. A few pages with single notes.

So, the next versions will be better but these are probably unique, especially as a finished product and it's obviously the way forward for digital pianos.

Gem do it, but not for a PC [they'll soon have modules if you've got a midi keyboard though] and their modelling is sample-based, i.e it's not completely modelled from scratch because they start with a sample of a Steinway, so although most of the stuff is there, things like altering the hammers can't be done.

So this is the next big thing afaict.

Its a bit over hyped on their pages though it'll still sound like a piano coming out of speakers, even with the physical modelling, so this "It will feel like you had a real piano in front of you... as if you could just lean over and touch the strings!" I'd take with a pinch of salt - unless you feel like that when listening to a recording of someone playing a piece on a grand piano which will have all the symp res.

But for me, it's difficult to get excited about these - even some of the celebrated sample based software pianos have arguably been better than a dedicated stage piano, but they've still not really been "an instrument" IMO - I've not been tempted yet to think "I won't get a digital piano, I'll get a big "£$""£ off PC, a midi keyboard and decent speakers...." but some go that route.

This might change that view - if someone started to sell a real piano action that you can add your own module / laptop + speakers to.