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Super-Tracks are an interesting surprise for 12.5 - with thanks as ever to PG.
I can't seem to get the mute function to work though. eg with a Super-Track selected in the piano channel, muting the piano using f5 'Edit settings for current bar' appears to have no effect - unlike for midi or a piano RT. Is this a bug - or am I doing something wrong... ?
On a related point: which VST soft-synth do people think gets the most authentic Grand Piano sound ?
Thanks again to PG and all. Best - Andy
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Andy,
For your jazz stylings, I reckon the Steinway Jazz Grand in Garritan Jazz And Big Band 3 would be superb. I have the software and I really like the warmth of the tone. You can hear this piano in Peter G's demos of the Supertracks.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2025
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Quote:
On a related point: which VST soft-synth do people think gets the most authentic Grand Piano sound ?
Definitely check out -> Pianoteq
Martin
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The Coyote Forte is pretty good. If you want to look at soundfonts, there are several very good ones out there at no cost. http://zenvoid.org/audio/http://www.pianosounds.com/ (It says site is down for a few days)
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Quote:
I can't seem to get the mute function to work though. eg with a Super-Track selected in the piano channel, muting the piano using f5 'Edit settings for current bar' appears to have no effect - unlike for midi or a piano RT. Is this a bug - or am I doing something wrong... ?
Can't get it muted either via F5 ...
Martin
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Yep, Garritan jazz grand sounds very good.
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Wow1, very good sounding piano and vibes, a little pricey though.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Thanks to all for your kind replies. It's re-assuring that Martin can't get f5-mute to work with ST's either.
Maybe PG could take a look at that for an update?
And thanks for the soft-piano suggestions.
Rachael, Have you tried Pianoteq 4 as Martin suggests? It's in a different league from Forte, I think - if twice the price (for just the cut down 'Stage' version).
Thanks again - Best - Andy
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One to try on free 40 day demo is TruePiano
Win 11 64, Asus Rog Strix z390 mobo, 64 gig RAM, 8700k
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Thanks ZeroZero.
You're right, True Piano is excellent - up there with PianoTeq for sure, and so much easier to test with the 40-day demo.
Pianoteq seems superb - but it's a pain to test because of their daft 20-minute rule on the demo. It is a tad cheaper though.
TruePiano responds to the BIAB volume control too (tho not to the BIAB panning function), whereas the Pianoteq test version does not seem to talk to the BIAB volume control at all.
To my ear, they're both in a different league from Forte and CVPiano. (I haven't tried Garritan yet Noel) - and make the new Super-Tracks a real competitor to Piano Real Tracks.
I was hoping PG-support might comment on the f5-mute-SuperTrack issue?
Best to All - Andy
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>>> I was hoping PG-support might comment on the f5-mute-SuperTrack issue?
Yes, will be added to the next free patch.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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Its an ear thing, subjective and depends on what you are looking for, but for a pure grand I believe TruePianos diamond module blows Pianoteq away. I worked with both for a while. IMO
Win 11 64, Asus Rog Strix z390 mobo, 64 gig RAM, 8700k
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Speaking of Piano modules, I've tried many but for work other than classical, I think one of the best for cutting through the mix is Native Instruments Alicia's Keys. Highly tweakable, several mic directions, various reverbs, 12 velocity layers. Check out the demos here: http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/producer/powered-by-kontakt/alicias-keys/
Win11, Intel i7 7700K 4.2Ghz, 32Gb RAM, 2x1Tb HD, 500Gb NVMe, BIAB/RB 2025, MOTU 828MK3 audio, MOTU Midi Express, Yamaha Montage 7, DX7II, TX802, Motif XS Rack, Roland Fantom XR Rack, Oberheim Matrix 1000, VoiceLive3 Extreme, Kontakt 6, SampleTank 4.3
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A big part of this discussion is how are you planning to use a piano part? Is it solo'd or strictly small band like a trio or 4 piece? Style of music too, is it a lot of guitar based rock or country or is it jazz based with the piano out front?
There's a very interesting thread about this on the Sonikmatter Kurzweil PC3 forum. The question was which of the PC3 pianos is your favorite on stage? There's a bunch of killer grands like the Horowitz, the Standard Grand Studio, The New York Jazz and others but the favorite according to the pol and my favorite also is the 1974 Ken Burns Upright Blues piano. Solo'd it definitely is not as rich as the dedicated studio grands but it just fits in a mix or on stage very well. I find myself playing it a lot. Many times that killer solo grand piano that a lot of piano specific synths use is simply too much for a good mix. It overpowers everything or muddies up your mix. They sound great for a solo recital though. With that in mind I find the Forte DXi piano fits very well in a mix.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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- Peter G: Many Thanks - that's great!
- ZeroZero: well that's interesting. The TruePiano demo only has the Alantis module, and that's pretty impressive. So TP's pulling ahead of PianoTeq on the back straight... But maybe I'm watching too much olympics...
- Mountainside: From the NI site, I have a sense that Alicia Keys is brighter and more rock-oriented...?
- JazzMammal - great that Forte works for you - it's a lot less $'s than the others! But in my little test here, it well behind the TP & PT medalists....
Oh dear, there I go again... But we did just have the two Brownlee brothers get gold and bronze in the men's triathlon - so maybe you'll forgive me. Brits just aren't used to winning anything much nowadays...
Best - Andy
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Andy, take a listen to the Alica's Keys demo on the NI site. The demos are very classical and jazz oriented not rock. As I said, I tried True Pianos and Pianotek and found Alicia's Keys to sound much truer if your looking for a full grand sound.
Win11, Intel i7 7700K 4.2Ghz, 32Gb RAM, 2x1Tb HD, 500Gb NVMe, BIAB/RB 2025, MOTU 828MK3 audio, MOTU Midi Express, Yamaha Montage 7, DX7II, TX802, Motif XS Rack, Roland Fantom XR Rack, Oberheim Matrix 1000, VoiceLive3 Extreme, Kontakt 6, SampleTank 4.3
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The NI Alicia's Keys VSTi are just gorgeous piano sounds, IMO.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 2x2TB, 1x4TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 2x1.5TB, 2x2TB, 1x4TB SATA BB2025/UMC404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/MixBus/Notion/Finale/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com
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First: All thanks to PG for sorting the Super-Track f5-mute issue so quickly in Build 356. That's such excellent service.
Second: my research for the best-sounding piano VSTi to use with ST's continues. Some say that Synthogy's Ivory II Grand & Italian pianos are the best. They're not exactly cheap though! Anyone here have any experience of Ivory?
Third: I'm wondering why ST's are released in the same tempo's as RTs (eg Jazz Swing at 85, 110, 140 & 190 bpm - exactly as for RT's). Afaik, midi doesn't have the same stretching constraints as RT WAV files. I've experimented with using all four swing STs at tempos up to 200, and I can hear little difference between them in terms of quality or 'fit'. Grateful for comments on that one....
Best to All - Andy
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Well, the suggested Tempo ranges are just suggestions, no?
"If it sounds good, it IS good." Duke Ellington said that.
Have Fun,
--Mac
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Quote:
.... On a related point: which VST soft-synth do people think gets the most authentic Grand Piano sound ? ...
Here is an interesting comparison. The list is not quite up to date but it gives you an idea of how different piano VSTi's can sound. (click on DETAILS - one can listen to the same MIDI File played by all pianos).
http://www.purgatorycreek.com/documents/25.html
Last edited by deltagolf; 08/10/12 01:01 AM.
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New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2025!
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
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These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
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This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
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We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
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- Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana
- Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano
- Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7
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In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
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Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 9 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
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Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins
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