Topic: Bechstein rocks

I was out jamming (drums, bass, 5 guitars, me) last night and tried the Bechstein preset. It worked beautifully, especially for that The Band sort of piano sound. It blends really well with the guitars and the sharp attack gives it a nice rhythmic aspect at higher velocities. Its relatively weak bass is a strength in this context as it doesn't interfere with the electric bass.

This was a bit of a surprise, because I'd been trying the new pianos out solo and favored the Erard for blues and boogie sorts of thing. I thought that the Bechstein was good for moody ethereal stuff, though it wasn't that great at exposing inner voices; more of a 'everything blends together' sort of sound. But in a band (especially one with five guitars) that sort of transparency is irrelevant and the blended sound was perfect.

Re: Bechstein rocks

Wow. 5 guitars. Sounds like you just gloriously returned from a honorable battle to defend the good against a massive army of evil

I have to agree. While I haven't tried it in a band context yet, I can say this model has the "silver" and sort of dirty "twang" I was missing in the C models.

I am never satisfied, though (PTQ please read):

What about a morphing feature? It would be great to have something in between the silvery, rather individualistic Bechstein and the smooth and neutral C2. From my layman's perspective, I picture that morphing might not be that difficult to implement in a mathematical model (opposed to the sampling world).

I ask this because many real world pianos have more or less of those properties the Bechstein model has, but they are more even and smooth than it.

Anyway, to anyone who deems the C presets unrealistically clean, balanced and smooth, the Bechstein comes across much more like a "real world" instrument with much character of its own and even certain flaws like the slightly inharmonic (and, as Doug said, thin) bass and "boxy" properties here and there. Many thanks for this, PTQ!

The Erard is a great-to-have model too. A BIG advantage of these models is that you can train yourself to get along with different sounding pianos. It is really interesting to play classical literature on a (then) contemporary model. Oops--less bass than I am used to, so I have to balance everything else differently.

Re: Bechstein rocks

What about a morphing feature?

By the sound of it you mean "tweening", i.e. interpolation between two distinct data-sets? Pianoteq does not use samples as the basis of sound generation, so waveform interpolation between them is alien to it - and unnecessary. (If it does any, that would be only as a private internal computing optimization, and not as an essential part of transitioning either between waveforms at different loudness or between different models of piano - but I guess it doesn't). OTOH if there is the demand, I'm sure the Pianoteq team can come up with variations of the type of sound demonstrated by this Bechstein preset. It might be said of piano sounds that they are like faces - the ones we judge most pleasing in symmetry and proportion are not necessarily the ones we feel are interesting or comfortable with.

Re: Bechstein rocks

Certainly, morphing or "tweening" as you call it is possible not only with samples. Logic's Sculpture modeling synth can morph between lots of parameters -- like material, pickup position, EQ types etc. In fact, that should be easier with models than with samples since it is, strongly simplified, just one value in a flexible equation that is set to another position.

Actually, pianoteq already offers such features, albeit on a smaller scale. You can actually morph, in realtime, between a piano with a tight soundboard and one with a broken one (impedance slider). Or alter the virtual lentgh of the piano.

The same might be possible between a model that is more decent and an "excentric" one like the new Bechstein preset.

Whereas I have tried the Bechstein in some arrangements today, and I can say it sits very well in the mix

Re: Bechstein rocks

Given that Pianoteq instruments are basically tables of parameters (I assume this, what else would they be?) it would be possible to take the median (or whatever) of all parameters for two instruments and generate a third. Whether that would return anything useful, I couldn't begin to guess.

And, of course, everything is always harder than it seems.

Re: Bechstein rocks

I agree about the Bechstein. Great sound for rock and blues. Probably not it's intended purpose...

Re: Bechstein rocks

not surprising as the original instrument belongs to Gilbert O’Sullivan who wanted us to make a virtual copy as close as possible to the real piano which he loves and uses... for rock Its story - the way it was played, tuned and voiced during years,  is in the "body" of the piano.