All in all, do you reccomend the Garritan Steinway?

[ethereal]

There's been a lot of talk, and a lot of cluttered up threads regarding certain issues, so I'd just like to hear in a simple description if you're happy with your purchases.

I recently got a little bit of birthday money, and although I've been holding off patiently for the basic version, I think I should just go ahead and buy the $199 version. Being a fairly serious pianist, I think that's a better decision.

I've tried Ivory, which was pretty nice, but I was never blown away by it. The demos sounded a lot better than I could ever get it to sound....

Anyways. I'd love to know if you're happy with it, and if you would recommend it to others, namely, me.

[jjloving]

Yes.

simple enough?!:p;)

no regrets - I picked it up sound-unheard (that's terrible :D) in the Go-Round last year, but if I hadn't I'd have no problems paying full price. Being piano-challenged, I'm amazed at what I'm able to get out of it - and a quick trip to the listening room shows what someone who knows what they're doing can do with it!

there are some minor bugs - but with the exception of one problem I ran into, nothing that absolutely cripples the software minor things. And in the case of the big issue I ran into, David had it fixed in a matter of days. I think it speaks very strongly of the ARIA engine and the attention to detail put into the product that a "Version 1" performs so solidly.

So anyways, to summarize:
Yes.:p

Jon

so to summarize

[electone2007]

YES!

Don't mind those talks. They're very very minor issues. I've had the Steinway for over a month and my wife says I'm obsessed with it. Really, I go to it before leaving for work. When I come back in the evening, I go straight to it. No sampled piano has ever done that to me, and I have a lot of sampled pianos, including the one you mentioned.

[Houston Haynes]

I've been scoring a film with the basic version, and have been impressed with how good it sounds - over all of the sampled pianos that I have in my kit. I just got the Professional version in *today* and am amazed at the depth that that other perspectives are capable of. This thing is the Holy Grail of virtual pianos. The only reason you might hesitate to get it is if you're running on an older machine that *only* has enough horsepower to play back samples. If you're machine has enough "umph" to do the necessary convolution, you'll be in ebony-and-ivory heaven.

[robmuc05]

Hallo Ethereal,

if you just have problems with the IVORY, i afraid , you will be dissapointed by the GarrtianSTeinway.

Not because the GARRITAN isn´t better than the IVORY - the reaeson perhaps would be your keyboard and/or Soundsystem.

In the IVORY Software you can change in a very free way the VelocityCurve. You have to find a Sound which sounds good on your AudioEquipment. Some Sounds - depending on your Speakers - can produce a nasty sound , or a drone . ON my soundsystem for example sounds very well the "Session D 10" Patch of the Steinway.
But the most importing thing is, can you achieve with your Keyboard all VelocityLayers of the piano? If you play piano(p) - you can play different and with enogh feeling parts between pp and mezzoforte?? And can you on the other hand play very expressive - that means, with stronger playing you really achieve the same Power, as you get, if you play with your mouse directly in the software the pianokeys ?? Touch one time with the mouse in the Programm one of the Keyboard Keys on the bottom line. Can you achieve the same Power also live played on your real Masterkeyboard (Or Digipiano connectet to your pc) ?
IF not....that is the reason you not get the Dynamik, Power and Beauty of the whole instrument.

The Aria-player of the Garritan - at the moment - has not a lot of possibilitys to adapt the velocitylayers to your Keyboard. It has only 5 predefined curves, and you can not change independent the lower parts from the louder/stronger parts. So it´s very hard , to make the full Dynamikrange useable. Also the basically loudness is very low.....you need a strong and more powerfull reciever.

My advice would be: Invest 99Euro for the basicversion. Try to find a solution for playing the whole Dynamik of this . You can try that on your keyboard - because some keyboards have a powerfull function for changing the Velocitycurves. Or try this simple Velocity-function of the Garritan itself...perhaps you are content.

In the worst case, you have to buy a better Keyboard - in this case 99Euro for testing you could perhaps accept.....because - with a good Keyboard, good Soundsystem with a powerfull reciever - and the StandardVersion of the Garritan you really get a very nice and realistic Samplerpiano.
If you prefer to buy at once the StandardVersion - ok - you safe 99Euro, because you not have to buy 2 times.....but be prepared, to have to play on the adjustments....and also it could be possible, that you need annother keyboard.
Don´t be dissapointed , if you hear the first time the weak and not powerfull sound.
First with the right adjustments, and the proper equipment you will get the real and powerfull sound from the garritan.

If you are interested - you can read my Thread "The authorized Steinway for a beginner"

Greetings,
robmuc

[ethereal]

I appreciate your replies. I do have a very respectable keyboard (Korg Triton Extreme 88) and a nice audio interface / monitors for my computer. I'm not saying Ivory didn't have a great sound, it just never quite responded pianistically as well as I would have imagined.

[Houston Haynes]

I'm not saying Ivory didn't have a great sound, it just never quite responded pianistically as well as I would have imagined.

Bingo. With proportional pedaling, resonance/convolution and some really elegant release triggers, you'll be as close as it gets in the virtual world with the Garritan Steinway.

[Gregory Shaw]

I have a question that ethereal here might be interested in too:
If you purchase the basic download version, can you later obtain the full version at some discount? Sorry, Im sure this has been covered, but this looks like a good place to ask again.

Houston, with proportional pedalling, are you saying you can 'half-pedal"? Will a normal sustain pedal suffice for this?

[Jaybee]

I have a question that ethereal here might be interested in too:
If you purchase the basic download version, can you later obtain the full version at some discount? Sorry, Im sure this has been covered, but this looks like a good place to ask again.

Gary has indicated that there are plans to allow for an upgrade path. Right now I believe they have not yet determined what would be a fair price markup for both the customer and the company.

Houston, with proportional pedalling, are you saying you can 'half-pedal"? Will a normal sustain pedal suffice for this?No, it needs to be a proportional pedal. Right now, I believe the only one out there is the CME and they are quite scarce. Gary has also indicated a willingness to work with CME to support a group buy for customers of the Authorized Steinway but I haven't heard anything about that in a few months.

As to the original question, there are a few people who are quite picky and seem to be more interested in finding faults rather than enjoying the magnificence of the Authorized Steinway. I have Akoustik Piano and (thought) I was very happy. And, I was. Until I heard and purchased the Steinway. If you just want to make beautiful piano music with a software piano then this is absolutely what you want. Do not wait. Support our failing economy. Enjoy the Steinway. )(~

[Gregory Shaw]

Thanks Jerry!

[ethereal]

I went ahead and ordered the Standard version, and after only about an hour or two of messing around with it it seems great. Will post some audio demos later.