Oh yes... I knew the pianos were not quite pianos! I had reservations though about saying anything. Fore one the playing was just to mechanical, the tone was unreliable and seemed to change to much depending on the velocity. I thought it was possible that I was wrong, but me? Never, I'm wrong about far more important things! I also thought it was not fare for me to say anything, just because of my previous experience as a recording engineer. I must admit I have used midi controllers a time or two, never liked it but... Shawn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kent Swafford" <kswafford at gmail.com> To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org>; "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org> Sent: Friday, June 06, 2008 10:30 PM Subject: Re: [CAUT] Compare, contrast, critique, anyone? > Decades ago Rachmaninov recorded his arrangement of Flight of the > Bumblebee on a reproducer. Years ago Wayne Stahnke converted the roll and > others for a Telarc CD, Window in Time. As a part of promoting the > project, the Flight of the Bumblebee was distributed on the internet as a > Disklavier file. The files I sent are made from this Rachmaninov > performance; the tempo is correct, or at least agrees with the CD. The CD > track is at the following link: > > http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00150I7HM/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk3 > > So, the 3 MP3 files that I sent are all of the same Rachmaninov > performance, each playing a different software piano. > > bbgs = Garritan Steinway Virtual Grand, samples of a Steinway D > prepared with the cooperation and active participation of Steinway. > > bbig = Synthogy Ivory Italian Grand, samples of a 10' Fazioli > > bbpt = Modartt Pianoteq 2, modeled piano, no real piano involved > > These software pianos, in the hands of real recording engineers, are the > state of the art in digital pianos. > > Those who are accustomed to listening to software pianos can usually spot > them when they hear them. There is something not quite right when a > software piano tries to play the sound of an already-vibrating string > being struck again by a hammer; this is quite noticeable in fast repeated > notes, and IMO this is why this performance might not have sounded > "real". > > That said, these software pianos are quite good and are very playable in > that they respond well to dynamics. > > As is clear from everyone's comments, these software pianos also have > difficulty maintaining correct timbre and balance through the scale and > through the dynamic range. I thought that the high treble of the Pianoteq > would be a dead giveaway -- not a real piano. I guess even pianos have a > relatively large range of timbres that may be recognized as _piano_. > > Thanks everyone. Listen again and say what you think _now_, if you like. > > > Kent > > > > > On Jun 5, 2008, at 9:25 PM, Kent Swafford wrote: > >> Anyone care to listen to 3 Flights of the Bumblebee, and say what you >> think of each? >> >> >> http://www.kentswafford.com/mp3/bbgs.mp3 >> >> http://www.kentswafford.com/mp3/bbig.mp3 >> >> http://www.kentswafford.com/mp3/bbpt.mp3 >> >> >> >> >> >> Kent >> >
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