The VSL Syncrhon piano libraries are the best out there from my years of recording pianos and testing and using many of the piano libraries. The full versions of the Syncrhon pianos are in the 250GB per piano file size. That’s a lot of samples to compete with. The flexibility of many mic positions allows the producer to combine mic positions for what seems like an infinite variety of piano sounds depending on your need. The main flaw in all of this is tuning is impossible to make perfect so the user has to have realistic expectations to tuning. All piano samples, while getting better, are challenged just like real pianos with tuning. Many layers of stacked samples. So even if you have some layers in tune the same note may not be in tune at different velocities played. I can imagine the challenge to keep the sample recording sessions in tune. The piano tuner has to stand by and often retune to make the sample creation process as in tune as possible. As for the Syncrhon pianos my favorites are the Steinway, followed by the Bosendorfer followed by the Yamaha. They are all useful in different styles of music and pieces within those styles. My Fav to play is the Steinway as I think it is the easiest to play of the 3 in that in responds more immediate to the trained pianists touch. The next easiest to play and almost the same response is the Yamaha. The Bosendorfer is a little trickier to play but it has a very sustaining and beautiful tone. If you can only buy one, but the Yamaha or Steinway. If you can buy two, add the Bosendorfer next. You will find you use all 3 of these VSL pianos almost equally. Perhaps I favor the Steinway as best overall if you had to buy just one. You can’t go wrong with the Steinway. The PianoTeq model has improved over the years and has done a great job with this development. The plus is it is easy to play and small in file size of course. It is useful within a mix of instruments but will show its modeled nature compared to a piano sample in solo recordings. While you can tune individual notes of the VSL pianos this doesn’t solve the issue as sometimes it’s the color of the note that is out of tune. Meaning only 1 string of the 3 strings that create the note that is out. So tuning the note does not correct the issue. I’ve tried and it is sort of a rabbit hole and not very productive in results. I do recommend the Kawaii VPC as a controller keyboard. Kawaii has even manufactured the keybed for the very pricey top of the line Nord pianos so many of the pro community must agree that Kawaii has something here. It’s the triple strike key sensor I believe tech. You get a very good control over the velocity which gives the player the feeling of a real piano in touch. Setting are also critical and should be edited to taste for the Synchron pianos player. (Dynamics, volume, velocity. Each piano is slightly different and each controller will require their own edits to those Syncrhon piano settings. Once set, save it and name it for easy recall).

In my opinion, these pianos are so good, that the quality and setup of youtube transmission, local amp, speakers, you name it, have so much influence, that it is very difficult to judge based on such a video. You have to test yourself in your personal setup. I, personally have never heard anything electronically generated which was as good as Pianoteq.

I know it's an old video and there is a newer version of Pianoteq out now. But I appreciate comparing various VST's to Pianoteq. What I am seeing is that every single piano sound, whether modeled or VST is different. There are no two acoustic pianos that are 100% identical even in the same brand let along a dozen or so manufacturers who have quite different sounds but all striving to be "the best." And the recordings of those wonderful real life pianos? Yup, all different. What you have done, intentional or otherwise, is to convince me that I really would like to try out Pianoteq, not as a "throw-away" to get acquainted with something other than the stock sounds in my keyboards, but as a real and useful piano sound that stands up on its own as a legitimate piano voice in a world of many piano voices. I find myself very attracted to the huge number of parameters that are adjustable in ways that just are not available in a sampled sound. And Pianoteq continues to get better while sampling continues to be recordings, even great recordings, of a piano. Honest question, how much farther can that go? How much farther can modeling go? I've played piano for over 50 years. I actually find that some of the sounds you've demoed for either of these have my ear more inclined towards Pianoteq. Is if perfect? No. Is it pleasant? I think so.

Another great review of two complex plugins that pianists might be contemplating in a world beyond acoustic pianos. The reality for so many budding musicians is that it is unlikely that many of us will have the physical space to house the piano of our dreams, let alone the means of purchasing such a beautiful object. Instruments like these will probably become the standard in tomorrow's socioeconomic reality. Mr. Harrison is a great personality to offer this sort of content. Many of us watching would probably enjoy befriending this guy. Thoughtful, thorough, seriously capable, and yet down to earth in his sensitive approach to playing a virtual instrument. I own several of the plugins that he reviews. Videos like this encourage me to push beyond the presets to get the sound I used to have when I was studying at a conservatory with top level pianos. Instruments that I cant establish a long term relationship with. Really appreciate content like this. Cheers!

The real first difference between the two sounds in my viewpoint occurs right at the moment hammers hit the strings. In Pianoteq you hear, (so to speak), a "cun cun" more than a "Tum tum". It's what I hear in the high-end Rolands as well. There are sequences in the video where the Pianoteq sounds harpy. No doubt a great VST but Sincron D from VSL brings the authenticity on a level perhaps no one can surpass. Thanks Stu for such great comparison and playing!

Thankyou for taking the time to make this comparison. I have owned Pianoteq Professional version since v5 and own quite a few sample libraries! Whilst Pianoteq had great playability, the earlier versions were quite a long way of sample libraries for realistic sound. For final productions I always used sample libraries and in recent years these have been either NI Noire or Embertones Walker Concert D. However, in the past couple of years Pianoteq has been steadily catching up with the realism of sample libraries and with the latest Pianoteq 8 I have started to use this over my sample libraries on my latest projects. I am becoming more and more tempted to purely use Pianoteq from now on and invest into their ecosystem with a few more addon's because all of the sounds are constantly being updated and improved along with new features being added. Many of the updates are free and continue to improve the sound of the pianos and also add new features. Even the major updates only cost $29 (or even less from some dealers!!). I my opinion, this makes Pianoteq a great investment that offers excellent value for money!

The velocity curve makes a big difference on Pianoteq and you can adjust the preset curves, you can even calibrate the curve to suit the piano you're playing. Also the 'wear' slider also brings more warmth to it when taken off 'mint.' Also Pianoteq is being upgraded all the time whereas sampled pianos don't have that facility.

Thanks so much for all you reviews and the massive amount of time you contribute in preparing them! I would love to see a video on tweaks you do to each software package to make them play better using the RD2000. Things like adjusting the velocity curve and mike adjustments you use, etc. Maybe sharing some saved presets from your VSL, Ravenscroft 275, Keyscape, and any other virtual pianos! Maybe it would turn into a series!

I'm just here to enjoy your lovely playing.

I love the responsiveness of Pianoteq so much, I don't really mind the fact its not quite as realistic tone-wise as the very best piano libraries. I like the Mint-Worn slider too, I adjust that exactly to fit with each individual song. The dynamics slider too is great for easily adjusting the range of your playing.

The first thing I noticed was that the Pianoteq was much louder and I had to turn the volume up on the VST sample based piano in order to compare the two. Once I did get them at the same level, wow! There was a fair bit of difference between the two. The Pianoteq in comparison sounded thinner and not as authentic (especially in the mid-lower chording), whereas the VST sampled piano didn't have any thinness to it and sounded more like a real Steinway grand... Virtual modeling has a long ways to go yet before they can capture a more realistic, full piano sound!

I love the Pianoteq. It has something in the tone that I can describe as "wood-warmth" while the Piano VST sounds cold and metallic to me. Unfortunately I don't have a good vocabulary to explain it but I can hear this difference so clearly that I had to comment :) I have always studied and played on real pianos (baby grand), that's where I come from.

The best comparison of the 2 ultimate virtual pianos. The war of Titans.

I would buy a VSL piano if it ran natively on Linux. I love it in your comparison recording. I can only express it as more warmth and brilliance compared to Pianoteq. However Pianoteq is always being improved. The piano I'm playing at home is quite satisfying so I really don't have much to wish for.

Very much appreciate this comparison and everything Stu does!

Really excellent comparison! The Pianoteq is a truly exceptional simulation (not synthesis; simulation). Quite amazing, in fact! However, there’s a certain milkshakey richness in the sound that the sample reproduces better. The Pianoteq has just a shade more plinky, Rhodes-like sound. You beautifully illustrated one aspect of that at time 19:20. Now that particular concern might be addressable by increasing the hardness of the hammer felt slightly, and simply hitting the strings harder. What’s curious though, is that in your head-to-head comparison at the end, the difference in the overall effect was smaller than I expected. I think that, ultimately, the main choice here is versatility and precision of control (Pianoteq) vs. exact accuracy (sample). Sampled pianos usually have to control dynamics by cross-fading between a soft sample and a loud sample, and that’s just not how a real piano works or sounds! Pianoteq can, conceptually at least, reproduce dynamics more true to the real instrument!

I don't even play piano, but I couldn't stop watching this - so well presented, lovely playing/demonstration, no frills/fascinating. Have the Pianoteq Pro VST for DAW music creation, so was interested to see what a bona fide player could actually do with it; and now I know. Wow. For what it's worth (and I have no doubt there's a little bias involved), I found the Pianoteq to be more rounded/warmer sounding in this demonstration, whereas the Vienna sounded tighter/brighter and maybe a bit more realistic (albeit less intimate/involving). Just my ears/impression. Much enjoyed the demo, and last but by no means least, your playing.

For me, the sad aspect of the VSL Synchron pianos is that they do not include real una corda samples. They have a fake soft pedal that has very little effect. For someone who only plays classical music, not having a good una corda is a detriment. In a post on their forum, they call una corda a "little used" item. (They later softened that comment). And another VSL person suggested: "We are currently evaluating your feature request regarding una corda. Just a thought for an immediate solution: Use the Vienna Ensemble Pro 7 Standalone as host and insert an EQ to shape the una corda sound. Then set automation up to control the EQ's bypass via the soft pedal." Seems like a lot of work to have to do on what's probably the most expensive sampled piano library.

They are both very good. Something about the Vienna just sounds more real and present. I hear a little bit of a mid tone in the PianoTeq that seems not quite as pleasing. Reminds me a little bit of the Kurzweil keyboards that I have played over the years. There is just something in there that doesn't sound terrible, but strikes a little bit of a nerve if that makes sense. Great job on the video as usual. Thanks for the hard work.

Pianoteq is by far much easier to install and use that Synchron. It is a very well thought out and I would say elegant software package. All I can say is that I had nothing but problems when installing and trying to use Synchron. I already have Pianoteq and Garritan CFX (no problem installing or using them with the exception of CFX that I cannot reduce key return noise to 0). First of all, Synchron piano installation is unnecessarily complicated (I tried both free Soft Imperial and Bosendorfer Upright - both relatively small as far as library size). Secondly, no matter what file installation defaults I set, I had installation spread between two disks: numerous directories on my slower disk C: and some (library in particular) on dedicated, faster drive H: (I only want to have this drive used for VSTs). Finally, I had big lag between pressing the key and getting the sound. I have a specific setup. I use FP-90X connected with USB MIDI to my computer and I use USB Digital Interface option Roland has to send the digital signal over the same USB cable to FP-90X (Roland’s DAC, amp and speakers are used). It worked perfectly with Pianoteq and Garritan but no matter what parameters I set, I have this unacceptable delay. I have to use Roland as output for Synchron piano and Roland appears on the list of audio output options (only one option!). Their support did not get back to me. My experience witch VSL is bad (to say the least). I have no idea why no reviewer ever mentions the installation issues and the need for iLock hardware key.

I have both but obviously it's just my opinion: I find Pianoteq with its modeling still a little bit unreal, you can hear the vibration of the strings as plucked instead of hammered. However it is very popular because it does not cost a lot, it is not expensive on hardware resources and it offers a good dynamic response (quite rare among VST). The Stainway VSL also has a great dynamic response (I find it the one with the best of the VSL pianos).

Well. A lot to think about. Though I am a "Modelling" fan, I have to go with the V.S.L. . The Lustre coming off that initial "Sample" is, for me, very engaging even though at lower levels the flavour of the tone is more "One Note" if you will. To my ear, the Pianoteq comes off as a very "Canned" sound. Thanks for showing the partials difference too. Love your skill.

Thank you so much for ALL your very helpful KZfaq videos. They are informative and literate and very musical--just what we need to help make big decisions.

Amazingly detailed review !!! Thank you so much, it will be the Pianoteq for me, sounds much more tri-dimentional to me; and I have great reverbs to make up for the room ambiance !!

Just for whatever it’s worth, I’ve found that changing Pianoteq’s settings can be something of a slippery slope: _Seemingly-tiny_ changes can have bigger effects than we’d imagine. For example, on both the Hamburg and New-York Steinways, I voiced in more fundamental, and EQed up the low end. _However_ I quickly discovered that even just 1dB of fundamental boost quickly sounded like an unnatural cartoon! I was able to get away with a little more boost in the EQ - about 3dB without it sounding unnatural. Generally speaking, I’ve found that I can get away with _somewhat_ larger tweaks to the _model_ parameters, like hammer hardness, for example.

The VSL sounds nice & bright but also a bit flat & thin ....as Pianoteq sounds round & full with additional stuff as Hammer/damper noise , the wear slider among other stuff u can adjust to make it sound even more authentic to the real thing......also more easier to install & dont hog your cpu like sampled baesd piano vsts.

great review and comparison. amazingly, i liked more the pianoteq. the vienna symphonic sounded too "brassy" for me. on the other hand, in another of your videos, i much preferred the keyscape yamaha (beautiful rich nuanced tone) over the pianoteq.

Thanks for this video, I really enjoyed it, I keep coming back for your excellent playing has well has your presentation.

Thank you very much for that video, I was waiting.

Excellent review Stu, thank you. I fully agree with the magic and air of the VSL Synchron that you describe around 24:00. I was fortunate to play a D a few times in a large concert hall; "player position" is quite amazing - and memorable - in this setting. I've been intrigued by Pianoteq but not taken the leap yet. There is an animated digital quality that doesn't quite work for me in comparison with a well-sampled VST. My current go-to is the Synthogy American Concert D, which imho has some nice qualities of a sampled grand plus a few manageable warts. With this said, synthetic instruments can be quite inspiring because they are so responsive. Years ago I played a Roland MKS20 Structured Adaptive piano module that was satisfying despite sounding nothing like a real piano. I think Pianoteq would be excellent for recording in a band mix and also live performance. Being math-based, it may collapse to mono better than most sampled instruments due to more controlled phasing. I also like how dynamics and tone can be shaped to place the instrument precisely where it needs to fit in a complex mix. My Synthogy D is a wonderful solo instrument, but in a mix I tend to process a bit - i.e. mono-ize frequencies below ~200 Hz to anchor the instrument, and perhaps gate the decay to clean up overtones. This can tame the instrument to sound a bit more like Garritan CFX which has been one of my options for full-band productions. I may take the leap and try Pianoteq. It's certainly versatile enough to find many uses in production.

I agree that Pianoteq's reference to specific brands and models of pianos is suspect. It seems more marketing to me than anything else. That said, one issue that you are dealing with is that you only have the "Standard" level of Pianoteq, not the "Pro" version which gives much more nuance in the control of the settings. I only recommend purchasing the Pro version as that's what you will end up wanting, and it costs more to step up each time. While, I'm a Pianoteq owner and player, I really like the sound of the VSL pianos. There is a thickness there that is missing in the Pianoteq. What I've been saying since my DGX arrived is that when the DGX CFX is added as support under a Pianoteq voice, the end result is astounding. Everyday that I play my setup, I'm knocked out by how beautiful it sounds. It doesn't matter much which Yamaha piano voice you use, but the Pianoteq voice changes the tonal realism significantly. It's the Pianoteq that adds realism, but it's the Yamaha that adds richness and thickness to the tone. I think the Yamaha perhaps thickens out the fundamental. I say it all the time that the two voices playing together are much better than either one by itself. Obviously the VSL libraries are much more sophisticated than the Yamaha DGX voices. One problem with Pianoteq is that it's really hard to comprehend exactly what each setting changes. For example I find their voicing concept weird and not my experience with actually voicing acoustic hammers. I don't have a computerized oscilloscope which I believe would be helpful. As always your playing is absolutely lovely. Please share some of your MIDI's so we could experiment with our instruments under the control of your hands.

Utterly brilliant review. I have the Pianotech VST and Ravenscroft 275 VST. I find the sampled Ravenscroft VST ever so slightly warmer. Possibly (as you say) due to the sampling process like the mics used and recording space. However, it is very close.

Hi Stu, Don't know if you noticed: you forgot to change the opening title as it's still showing Roland vs Kawai ...

Wonderfully informative and illuminating comparison, thank you! This really helps understand the issues when comparing VSTs. In the final comparison both plugins sound very good, but isn't there a significant difference between the “out of the box” sound of the Synchron and the Pianoteq? Is the Pianoteq perhaps better suited to someone who is able and willing to expertly tweak the plugin to get the piano sound she's after at any given time, whereas the Synchron might be better for someone who wants precisely and always the Steinway D sound, without having to do too much tweaking? So the choice would still be primarily between sampled and modeled, which, oversimplifying, would seem analogous to the choice between acoustic and digital!

Thank you so much for this video. It is an amazing tutorial for both VSL and Pianotek, topped with very inspired demo performances. But I would like to ask if you could address Roger's comment from 9 months ago regarding the set-up of the controller you use and the changes applied to the velocity curve. I also have a Roland RD 2000 and I can't get some of my vst's to sound right, probably because of the velocity curve adjustment, even though they are very interesting plugins: Galaxy II, Ravenscroft and True Keys American have been the most frustrating.

I have both and i can say that the vsl have something that no other sampled piano can offer, it's sound super realistic, and has all the dynamics that a real d274 can offer The pianoteq on the other hand has lots of tuning and voicing features, and the resonance engine that they used on it is top notch, but the actual sound is anything but a real piano, sometimes at the mid to low velocities it sounds real, but as soon as you go up in velocity or down in the bass, it sounds super artificial, playing fortissimos on the bass would make you cry (at least i cried for my 230£ when i heard it😁

Love your reviews!

OMG, that throaty sound, which almost sounds like a whipping koo koo (like in the word wood) sound in pianoteq around the midrange and starting bass range really bugs me. I really wanted to like pianoteq, because in some ways I see it as a step up from the Roland sound on the HP605. I just can't get past that koo koo sound, which becomes really apperant in some songs. Still, I hope they keep improving because it is such a cool piece of software and technology. In the meantime, I'm going to try to check out all the VSL pianos and put the time into editing the velocity, note volume, etc. Thanks for these videos, I love the channel.

This review is done using a 2-channel stereo setup. But the pianist Stefan Mendl (Vienna Piano Trio), who was in charge of choosing the actual Steinway D-274 used for the Synchron Stage Vienna, has played this virtual piano with 5 high-end studio monitors: one center channel, left, right, and 2 ambient side/rear speakers. When the guy tweaking the virtual piano for him started adding all those extra microphones (there are 11 microphones), Stefan exclaimed, "Wow!" and started laughing. Real pianos don't make sound left and right. Even the bass strings on a piano don't sound "left", since they run diagonally across the soundboard. In any case, I would say that the bass in a real grand piano sounds sort of in the middle of the soundboard, not left. Collapsing the sound of a piano to left and right is an oversimplification.

Good review, both sounded really good. The VSL sounded brighter, but what was the velocity curve comparison?

In a first impressions I hear better the Pianoteq. But being honest prefer a little bit more the VSL sound.

When I play the VSL and the Pianoteq, the VSL sounds a little bit smoother but also less live than the Pianoteq. I get a better dynamic response with the Pianoteq played with a Roland RD2000 that sounds like the Piano is in front of me and that response is bad when I play bad (dynamic wise). However the harmonics of both are great, and even dissonances that are resolved sound real and not harsh on both. The fine reflections on the strings that are not played are perfectly felt on the Pianoteq with the resonance calming down super realistic when I keep the sustain pressed that is different on the VSL.

Very nice playing. Two fundamentally different pianos, I would say. The PT sounds more tinny in the midrange. Fixing this in a real life piano, by the way, may just be a matter of voicing the felt on the hammers. I'd also say that the presentation of the VSL in the soundstage is better.

The VSL sound more like a real piano with lots of resonance.

Nothing plays as well as pianoteq lol, VSL basic sample sound is richer and more authentic than PT but PT is infinitely more fun to play around with, you just sit and play music and feel it, it’s all organic. I struggle to play any sampled pianos anymore.

Plz review Roland rp 30 it's a good digital piano....I will be glad if u make a video on it..☺️☺️

Are you using the standard or full libraries for the VSL? Either way you are comparing a $60 piano model to a $300 to $550 library that takes up 118 to 266 gigs of disk space? For the hard core concert pianists the nuances are probably real. But to most home audio producers who will never even see or smell one of these real instruments, either represent an amazing step up from the factory samples of most keyboards. Pianoteq wins hands down on value. It certainly is very very very good, and for the price of one VSL library, you can buy four pianos from Pianoteq. The Pianoteq bundle which includes every sound package they make is under $1000. Wow! Whats a D cost - $15,000+?

The FFT spectum of a piano shows higher amplitude in the low freqs and a soft steep slope to higher values. High pitch nores are above the backgroung of wood resonance curve while low pitch notes are barely distinct. I wonder if VST can overcome this phenomenon of wood not resonating in the higher freqs, and provide an extended richness in that range. High octave notes should also cause resonance in if not wood, a pure or composite material, and lead to a new piano. In the past wood was the only chioce, now, possibilities are infinite

The perspective "fake" vs "real" is not relevant. It is all about how it sounds playing, mixing, and within your track. PianoTeq is amazing and extremely versatile. It is more like "raw" footage off a camera; you get way more headroom. You can really tweak the sound to fit your creative needs within the mix.

I might object about something: you improvise, which makes you unconsciously try to get the best sound of each VST, but makes a real comparison difficult. Another thing is that a jazzy style would not mind the slightly artificial attack profile of the Pianoteq sound (sounds like a pure sine wave to me), while in classical piano music it sounds too "electronic". Some of the "dirtyer" spectrum of the VSL might be because of the fact that the real strings, especially the bass ones) are composite, coiled, which adds a specific tone colour that is missing in Pianoteq (more harmonics). This can be somehow changed by modifying the "unison width" but I still find it not satisfactory. Playing a single note, without pedal, still does not sound natural enough for me, even in Pianoteq 8. (classical piano player here 🙂)

No comparison. A modeled piano can't compete with a meticulously sampled grand. I love your playing but the PianoTeq demo at the end got so annoying in its timbre at the end I had to FF to the VSL. I own 5 of the 7 VSL pianos and I still believe they can be tweaked to be better because there is something about the Synchron Hall that is hard. I believe the answer is less room mics and adding a convolution reverb. I'd like to hear the ribbon and tube mics being sent to the Teldex IR.

Are you going to test Pianoteq 8? I wonder what you think of it.

I know stu doesn't do vst reviews anymore, but i really wish he do a compHarrison video between the vsl imperial and Steinway d

The feel was much better in Pianoteq with lot of dynamics, although VSL sounds a bit richer but eventually what matters after some time is the feel and connect. I had tried many sampled VST's now uninstalled all of them, Pianoteq is the way to go for sure. When you are so close with a 50MB software then why need 250GB installation ?

Thanks for your usual excellent presentation. I’m enjoying using my Kawai VPC (nee Merriam Music..thanks Patrick). I wonder if you’ve had a chance to audition the latest version of Cinesample’s Piano in Blue? This version can run on the free Kontact player. The sampled piano is the legendary Steinway D at Columbia NY studio. The one that Gould recorded the WTC on as well as Bill Evans with Miles et al. That Steinway has a incredible sound captured by Cinesamples. I wonder where that piano is today?

Pianoteq is les than 200 mb , against of How much gigas? Pianoteq is the future not only for pianos

This was a really-helpful review, thanks again! As I think I mentioned in an earlier reply, I went with Pianoteq, in part because I’m big on Microtonality (using Lumatone), which Pianoteq makes really easy. 7:09 - “none of Pianoteq’s sounds come from an actual piano”: I’m pretty sure that’s “only” 99.5% true; there are some subtle, secondary or tertiary sounds that are highly-likely recorded. They would gobble up a lot of CPU processing power to simulate, where a simple recording would be equally effective. For example, applying the pedal itself produces a subtle, quiet sound, and I suspect that sound is recorded for a slight added-realism boost. Similarly, their classical-guitar sound has a guide-finger position-change “neck-squeak” sound that is highly-likely recorded.

Hey, I found Pianoteq 8 was terrific. But recently I just realized that an other modeling software was as good if not better. It's Arturia Piano V3. I loaded a midi file for Arturia and Pianoteq and was able to reproduce almost exactly the sound of Pianoteq, so I guess no huge difference except for the price. You get 12 pianos for 249 euros with Arturia (I would say 6 are for very common usage). It's 349 euros for 4 with Pianoteq ... Could you do a review of this software ? I think it's way underrated.

Im considering one of these... I have the RD2000 and I love its V-Pianos for live use in a band context. for solo playing at home its not as nice or dynamic. I have Addictive Keys that came from with something but Ive never really liked that - certainly not enough to make me play it over the RD. I have "The Grandeur" that I do really like for home use. ive Demo'd Pianoteq ever evolution since 4 and its never really done it for me - But following some of your tweeks it is sounding better - though not sure its any better than Grandeur (or even quite as nice). Garittan and Ravenscroft are also on my mind but again - not sure there THAT much better than what I have. the VSL stuff seems REALLY good 9though I cant justify the Pro level - would need to be the standard which isnt much more than Ravenscroft or Garitttan). Not sure If the Steinway D or the Yamaha would be the better compliment to The Grandeur though - but Im erring towards one of those. They just seem to pop out as being really good and just right without tweeks. Id also say, for me its far more about the dynamics and how it plays than the actual tone it produces.

Stu: have you tried the Ivory 3? any thoughts? Happy new Year to you and your family. Cheers!

Hi Merriam Music! if you can buy the standard version of Pianoteq which of the pianos would be best to choose? Because you can then choose only 4 pianos.

I am looking for advice on speakers. What is a good size that will fill the room with the sound of a Grand Piano. I have a Kawai VPC, Apple M1, Ravencroft and Pianotec software, Volt One interface and Yamaha HS5 speakers. This setup sounds really good from my playing position. But is a small sound and only really good close. When you are playing back in these comparisons, what speakers and amp are you using? Would 8 or 10 inch work better to entertain in my home?

I hear the VSL truer to a large Steinway grand.

Do you think we can use per note EQ in the synchrons to do the voicing? I mean we can cut or boost the partials but the thing is "is that gonna effect the sound in the same way?"

Why Steinway is soooo good😌 ,

for me, VSL steinway sounds realistic. while the pianoteq one doesn't even sound like a steinway

I am probably asking a silly question here since I am a newbie in the world of VST so I would appreciate your answer: is it possible to get the VST sound through the digital keyboard's speakers when you are playing? I do know how to save a midi file and use VST to merge it with a performance video and thus produce a good videoclip. But if my laptop is connected to the istrument could I completely replace its sound with a VST on the go and enjoy the VST while practicing for example?

The vsl's sound more Natural... Pianoteq is somewhat midrange focused (not the same feel as when you sit in front of a real Steinway D)

Pianoteq sounds clearly electronical .i prefer vsl

Stu I appreciate this but your F1 key is stuck down on Pianoteq and is going to affect all of this

is this standard or full synchron?

Could you explain how this is connected? For example, is the sound from external amplifiers or from the sound system in your digital piano? Iam interested in doing this with my Roland LX7.

Stew, My ears hurt when I see your velocity curve on pianoteq.. I have the feeling you can’t make pianoteq act “right” just because of that. It seems you can’t fully enjoy it. Have tried lowering that curve a bit..? Thanks! Excellent videos..!!!

THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!! +1 Like +1 Subscribe I'm relatively new to all of this. However I just got the VSL MIR Pro & Venues. Would you PLEASE place the PianoTeq into MIR and set up a "Multi-Mic" from pianoteq instrument into the MIR space? It'd be WONDERFUL to learn : "if" it is possible "How" to set it up "Which" venues may provide some of the best characteristics for certain pianoteq instruments. Edit*:P.S. As I continue to watch, and considering my above request... I am wondering how your comparison would fare, if you positioned the Pianoteq version within the VSL "Synchron Stage" venue of their "MIR" collection... Considering that the spatial ambience is not reflecting the same/similar environment between them.

"Any kind of tone from the pianoteq"? You didn't get the ton of the VSL , if it would been possible we allready had presets

In my opinion, Pianoteq cannot even be compared to other sample libraries, let alone VSL. An acoustic piano has a soul. You feel it when it plays. They have to catch him first. As if it were very good, they also added tons of settings. When they really fix the realism problem in future versions, then they can break new ground. Until then, pass from me.

Sizewise the sampled library is a computer memory hog. It is not worth the tiny details in "authenticity" of the sound compared to Pianoteq 7 Modeler.

At first listening (only part way through the video) I'm surprised to find so many similarities. One difference is that there seems to be more tonal uniformity across the upper keyboard notes with the Pianoteq. In fact they could be more exciting. That reduces the Steinway illusion slightly. And is it possible/probable that the harmonics or sympathetic reasonance are working differently in each case?

Personally i never got pianoteq and I'm surprised by all the people say it is even close 🤔

Pianoteq....stop searching...

VSL had more personality

seriously pianoteq vs vsl ? :D seriously? like 1978 estonia vs 2021 fazioli :D goodjob.. actually this is important video because I feel many pianists still are confused :D

I'll never understand why Pianoteq is all the rage, but to each their own, I suppose. To me, it just sounds as fake as a virtual instrument can be. The only thing it seems to have going for itself is the fact that it's not CPU/memory-intensive, but given that it's $149 for the cheapest bundle on their site, I'd much rather go for a Garritan CFX or Ravenscroft, both similarly expensive VSTs. I think even Garritan CFX lite is a much better investment at ~$60. To be honest, I clicked on the video for more listening samples of the VSL as opposed to the comparison, haha.

IMO the Pianoteq in the mid-range sounds like an acoustic piano has been blended with a Fender Rhodes. Awful!

Pianoteq sounds like cheap synth. I don't understand why pianists are buying it.

So what hides behind you're words is that the modeled pianos are shit! And doesn't sound like real piano at all, And that's it. So Roland's "modeled" pianos sounds even shitier then even the fake pianoteq pianos sounds that's all i always claiming. Thanks 👍

Boring comparison and presentation unfortunately!

There is a « je ne sais quoi » in your title, who goes wrong….😉 Maybe because you’ve done 2 videos this week-end. Except this I find pianoteq more « électronic » than VSL, which I found more realistic. But it’s my point of view

This is Very impressive! Btw how you mix the plugins to make it loud without losing the dynamics? I spent a week on this but still can’t find a solution 🥲, there is really not much videos about mixing the piano plugins only talks about how to record.

Pianoteq sound like u play a Casio in restroom , sometime it even sound not like a piano , more like a synth pluck preset