Steinway Wish List

[Ranger]

Maybe this thread will serve our needs

1) Volume Control
2) Full control on Velocity curve (as used with pianoteq)

[RickD]

Maybe this thread will serve our needs

1) Volume Control
2) Full control on Velocity curve (as used with painoteq)

What do you mean by "Full control of Velocity curve?" I'm not familiar with pianoteq.

[jjloving]

Not familiar with Pianoteq either, but I think Ranger is asking for velocity curve not to be limited to 4 preset values, but customizable fully from top to bottom. For example, to raise the curve on the lower velocities, but lessen it on the higher velocities.

Am I close?!

I agree this would be a nice feature - I wouldn't get rid of the presets as they are a good starting point, but it would be nice to be able to tweak them more on a per-user basis.

Jon

[Ranger]

yes your right on . I find this feature extremely useful since we all have different controllers and we all play with a different touch the volume control would be needed here to adjust for the loss. Aside this I have no complaints its a wonderful product

[electone2007]

As far as velocity curve, I don't have a problem using third party software such as Velocity Curve Changer: http://www.trombettworks.com/velocity.php

along with MIDI Yoke.


Also, the DRY slider works for me as a volume control slider.

What I would really want in the update would be for the sostenuto and proportional pedalling to work properly. With that, I would be a happy man. :)

[halvor]

As far as velocity curve, I don't have a problem using third party software such as Velocity Curve Changer: http://www.trombettworks.com/velocity.php

along with MIDI Yoke.

:)

I have tried it and it works great!

[Ranger]

looks good but I use a mac for this product

[jonlehman]

Here's another one:

I think I read somewhere that the dynamic range of the recordings was reduced for the final product.

I'd like the full dynamic range, please...maybe include a limiter on the interface that users can adjust themselves.

Thanks!

[Jeff Hurchalla]

Actually the Steinway has full dynamic range - you might be confusing this with us reducing the default output volume to accommodate the full dynamic range without clipping.
By the way thanks everyone for the suggestions.

[jonlehman]

It has full dynamic range? I thought I read that somewhere...Ok, that's great. Maybe its my system that needs some tweaking.

[Skysaw]

I would like the ability to press a key without sounding (to engage the sympathetic resonance). I've written a recent work that uses this technique, but I had to jump through a few hoops to fake the effect.

Also the reason the "dry" slider does not make a good volume control is:
1. It is connected to the ambiance module, which may be turned off
2. It has very limited range and granularity
3. There is no visual number value, making it hard to undo adjustments or match levels between instances and songs.

[electone2007]

Also the reason the "dry" slider does not make a good volume control is:
1. It is connected to the ambiance module, which may be turned off


The dry slider works even if the ambience module is off. It's counter-intuitive, I know.

[Skysaw]

The dry slider works even if the ambience module is off. It's counter-intuitive, I know.
Ok. I suppose I should change number one to read "Its location is counter-intuitive." :)

[maticomp]

I would love to see a simple limiter/compressor built in into Steinway. Right now it is a wonderful instrument for mastering great recordings, but the dynamic range is to great for my amp and speakers to bear. When I hear beautiful quiet pianissimo, I can't strike really hard because it gives harsh sound due to too much attack power for my system.

I know it may not be a best place to include - there are free VST hosts and free VST compressors to stack with Garritan, but I just thought it might be a great addon for playing the instrument live.


M.

[mrkeyboard]

It would be great if we could control parameters like decay and attack, not like global parameters, but individually or per group of notes like in Kontakt. The decay in certains notes and dynamic in the mid range i feel it poor for my taste.

[David Ferris]

A "Producer" perspective - very dry.

People who score could use it - perhaps layered with another perspective - and it would be much simpler to construct, because the programming is already in place (at least I think it is) and the mic'ig could be chosen in house.

Would leave Steinway Corp's preferences untouched.

Full disclosure: I play and write at home; wouldn't use this perspective on a bet;-)

[rbowser-]

--I don't understand the request for a volume control. Volume is always relative to whatever we're using to play any instrument - So, when I'm using the Steinway in Sonar, just as with any virtual instrument, I set the volume I want with the mixer's slider.

Instruments should always be set to their maximum possible volume output and then adjusted for balance inside the application being used. As it is, the Steinway is pre-set to a nice healthy volume, as it should be.

If I was using the Steinway as a stand-alone instrument, it would be playing through a sound system with volume controls - why would I want to limit the potential volume by setting it lower inside the instrument itself? - ??

Randy B.

[jjloving]

--I don't understand the request for a volume control. Volume is always relative to whatever we're using to play any instrument - So, when I'm using the Steinway in Sonar, just as with any virtual instrument, I set the volume I want with the mixer's slider.

Instruments should always be set to their maximum possible volume output and then adjusted for balance inside the application being used. As it is, the Steinway is pre-set to a nice healthy volume, as it should be.

If I was using the Steinway as a stand-alone instrument, it would be playing through a sound system with volume controls - why would I want to limit the potential volume by setting it lower inside the instrument itself? - ??

Randy B.

Hey Randy - In regard to volume as has been noted in scattered places around the forum by David and Jeff, the overall volume of the steinway was reduced to accommodate the full dynamic range. The thought from users is we'd like to have a dedicated volume control in order to increase the volume, as with any other instrument. Right now, the only way to do that on the instrument is by using the Dry Slider - which effectively acts as a volume control if Ambience is disabled

Now I agree that volume is best controlled within the host program, but I've found on more than one occasion I need to 'crank' the Dry slider, in order to have a decent starting level for host automation. It seems if I don't, the associated track in Sonar is set to +6dB, and the Steinway is still covered. As you say - raise the isntruments volume, and then lower or raise from there within the host.

Just seems a bit limiting to not have a master volume on the instrument - even though it's understandable decision on the part of Garritan/Plogue/other smarter-than-me people who made it :p.

Jon

[rbowser-]

Hiya, Jon - Thanks for the reply.

I don't know why, but I'm still dense about this, I guess. The over all volume was lowered to maintain the full dynamic range, which on a piano is big. That means the loudest possible note (velocity value=127) was set at the max before peaking out, and then of course the rest of the velocity values fell into their place. --All of that is at it should be.

Back to square one with this question for me is that I've never had a problem with the Steinway's volume. Seems plenty loud to me. Setting its fader in Sonar's mixer to the basic zero DB gets me all the volume I need. And I've never needed to use the dry/wet slider as a quasi-volume control- Hence--the reason I still don't get why it's a problem to not have a volume control.

I have a number of soft synths with no volume controls - And back when I was still using hardware synths exclusively, volumes were always at the full maximum coming from the synth, so that the volume levels were controlled where they should be, in the mixer. - My work now on computer is analogous to that--everything going in at it's full potential volume, then tailored in the mixer for the purposes of each project.

I guess my main ?? is because, as I said above, the Steinway comes out a good healthy volume for me. - Adding a volume control would just be redundant for me, since, as I think I've made pretty clear now, the only volume controls I have Ever used are on mixers--not on instruments. - Pretty sure a lot of people work that way. Leaving an instrument at less than full volume is inviting noise - well, it was back in the days when hardware synths ruled.

SO--Hmmm. Interesting.

Randy B.

[jjloving]

hardware? you're showing your age, Randy ;)

Who's to say that I'm not dense too - in fact, I can pretty confidently say that I am quite dense :D. Really all I can offer is that if I load the Steinway into Sonar, and don't touch anything on the Steinway or Sonar's meters - the output is not clearly audible, and compensating by raising the track volume in Sonar removes some flexibility because I'm stuck with that fader at 6dB. I could always push the interface, or monitor levels up, but then I'm pulling faders all the way down on the other instruments to save my ears...

I don't know - maybe I'm missing something, too...believe it or not it's happened before, lol

Jon

[DPDAN]

The dry fader in Steinway's ARIA graphic user interface is the volume control.
After I load the perspective and adjust the settings to my liking, I slam the dry fader all the way up unless the piano midi track has pretty high velocities.
Without making this adjustment, the volume level in the recorded audio track will be way too low, and as Jon said, you won't have any flexibility to mix the piano, since the volume fader of the piano audio track in the DAW's mixer would likely already be full tilt.

Dan