Searching For The Perfect Piano

[sjoens]

Pianissimo on it's own sounds great. But when layered with VSCO2 Piano it really brings it up a notch.

"http://www.vst4free.com/free_vst.php?plugin=VSCO2_Piano&id=2729"
"https://github.com/sgossner/VSCO-2-CE/tree/SFZ"

Usually layered piano vst's compete more than compliment but these 2 seem to be made for each other making a more realistic sound.

I use the "Canyon Piano" preset w/full Sympathetic Resonance and pipe the VSCO2 thru BREVERB2's 1.Hall-7.Cathedral preset.

[Thomas]

Usually layered piano vst's compete more than compliment but these 2 seem to be made for each other making a more realistic sound.

How do you go about layering them? Also, When I opened up a reverb effect, it was connected to the pianissimo no matter how I arranged them, not the VSCO2.

[sjoens]

Hi Thomas,

Layering instruments is simply having 2 instruments playing off the same MIDI track. In MC8 I copy the Pianissimo MIDI track and reassign it to the VSCO2 Piano. Each piano can have it's own reverb/effect or you can load the reverb onto a Send track and route the pianos to it dialing as much reverb as you want. I prefer the 1st way as I don't use any effects on the Pianissimo track, and sometimes not at all.

BREVERB2 is a plugin from Overloud. https://overloud.com/products/breverb-2, though any reverb can be used.

Although you can assign any reverb or effect you want,"sound" is subjective to the listener as to what sounds good or realistic.

[Thomas]

Hi sjoens,

It sounds like you're using 2 tracks. 1 track with Pianissimo and VSCO2 Piano with no effects. Then a 2nd track with VSCO2 Piano and the BREVERB2 preset. I tried to replicate your setup (with Mixcraft's reverb) by using the duplicate function to create a 2nd track. Is this correct? And what's the difference between duplicating a track and just adding another virtual instrument track? I've watched some of the MC university videos recently, but I still have a ways to go. Thanks for your response.

Tom

[sjoens]

Almost. I use one track for each instrument. Then copy or duplicate the midi notes so they are the same on each track. Do this by Alt-dragging the MIDI clip in track 1 to track 2 or by double clicking the MIDI clip, Copy, then Paste to track 2.

Add whatever effects you want to each track or Send track for common effects shared by all tracks.

In Mixcraft you can also add effects at the bottom of the instrument selection window but this leaves you with no visual clue it has an effect applied to it.

This also works for layering different instruments playing the same notes, such as piano and string pads.

[Thomas]

ok then, I think I was able to duplicate what you did. I was originally trying to make it all happen live while playing the keyboard. But it seems you played and recorded some notes through one of the pianos and copied the track (or is it clip?) to the other piano. Then season with effects as desired. This leads me to ask why some here say Mixcraft cannot record VSTi directly. I was able to lay down a track. Perhaps this is a question for the thread on VSTs.

[sjoens]

In MC8 you can record the MIDI notes into the track as you play or manually enter each note in the Piano Roll.
You can arm an audio track and simultaneously record the audio as well.

You can also open Pianissimo and Kontakt standalones, load your desired presets (VSCO2, etc.), and trigger them both with your keyboard for live performances and record the performance to a wave recorder or DAW track.

By the way, VSCO2 Piano can use it's own built in effects and/or Kontakt's built in effects. I don't know if you can load outside effects into Kontakt as I've never tried that.

[starise]

One other thing that has helped me is using Gregg Wells piano plugin by Waves. I can't see what's happening under the hood but I suspect it pans the L/R and balances things a bit. It adds some special sauce to the mix.

[dpaterson]

Hi.

I don't usually hang around these parts (this thread) but couldn't help but notice the title of the thread which I found interesting.

Nobody mentions free VST or other (my input is other i.e. paid for):

As somebody who has been playing REAL pianos for w-a-y many many years I am of the opinion that the Philharmonik Grand that comes with Miroslav Philharmonik 2 from IK Multimedia (SampleTank 3) is the closest thing you're going to get to the real thing (with a decent MIDI keyboard of course).

Regards,

Dale.

[sjoens]

As to layering 2 or more VST's in stand alone mode, 1st I open Pianissimo stand alone.

Then open Kontakt stand alone and load the VSCO2 Piano from the Files menu and assign Options > MIDI to the same channel as Pianissimo.

Now I can control them both with one outboard synth/controller.

[dpaterson]

Good morning.

I received an email (one of the many HOURLY plugin marketing emails) from Waves over the weekend but remembered this thread when I saw the "Grand Rhapsody Piano" on sale:

https://www.waves.com/plugins/grand-rhapsody-piano

I don't own it but I post it here because given the quality of the Waves stuff it's bound to be excellent (and there's a demo available).

Regards,

Dale.

[shayneoneill]

I don't own it but I post it here because given the quality of the Waves stuff it's bound to be excellent (and there's a demo available).

Definately try the demo first. Personally its been the least useful piano plugin I I own. Its really CPU hungry, takes forever to load its samples in and honestly...... its just not waves strong point

[dpaterson]

Hmmmnnn...

Fair enough. I should be more careful about making blanket statements and generalizations and without having at least tested the products. With hindsight: it cannot be worse than their VU Meter surely??? LOL!!! Of all the thousands of $$$ I've spent on software thus far: that is the purchase I begrudge the most to this day!!! LOL!!! (But the rest of the stuff is excellent I have to say).

Regards,

Dale.