Piano Script Problems

[crazyox]

I have had trouble rendering audio with Cubase when Using the Kornel Script for the Bardstown Bossendorpher (which is a great piano library, by the way!). The piano sounds as though certain keys/notes are sticking and or/stopping, even though cubase rendering should not be affected by processor usage (other than taking a long time to render). Also, I have been very disappointed wiht the Pianos included in the Kontakt 2 Library, despite my anxious anticipation for the much hyped convolutions and scripts. I love Kontakt 2 and it's scripting capacity, but these pianos and these particular scripts don't sound as good to me as the Bosendorpher without scripts or convolutions. Do I just have bad tate or do others feel this way?

[Laurent]

Hi,

You should try to run K2 in "offline bounce" mode during rendering.

Pianos included in K2 lib are not groundbreaking, but I find de August Forster quite nice (even if it can't compete with the best). The steinway is a (too much) reduced version of PMI Old Lady (another good piano... before it was reduced).

Anyway, the programming included in some August Forster patches can easily be reused in other libraries with good results.

You know, if you don't like the sound of a particular piano, there is very little chance that scripts will change that. If you want to know if scripts/conv stuff make any difference for you, it's better to compare the same piano with and without programming improvement.

[crazyox]

Thanks. In actual fact, I was using offline rendering and, as I tried to explain, that should make the audio sound exactly the same each time rendered, but it does not when using the Kornel Script. I think it is a good idea if it works, but for the subtlety of a difference I noticed in sound quailty, I don't think its worth the bother to spend any more time tweaking out the bugs. Hopefully no one else will have the same trouble I'm having as many have really like the script. As for the Scripts in AF being used for other pianos, I am trying that but I am a little confused as to what it does when used with the other pianos. I have successfully used the full+half pedal script for half pedaling and it is awesome (half pedalling capacity provides more realistic piano playing than any other enhancement, INHO) but I don't understand how the hammer sound and release sounds can work with a different sample set. Does the script create these effects from the alternate sample library, synthetically add them, or just not work at all for the alternate piano?

[Laurent]

Thanks. In actual fact, I was using offline rendering and, as I tried to explain, that should make the audio sound exactly the same each time rendered, but it does not when using the Kornel Script.

I had the same pb (under sonar), offline rendering was keeping "stuck" res. notes. Enabling the "offline bounce" option in Kontakt (not in the sequencer) has solved the pb.

I have successfully used the full+half pedal script for half pedaling and it is awesome (half pedalling capacity provides more realistic piano playing than any other enhancement, INHO) but I don't understand how the hammer sound and release sounds can work with a different sample set. Does the script create these effects from the alternate sample library, synthetically add them, or just not work at all for the alternate piano?

You're right, the half pedal script is the most important improvement you can use in another piano. Then, using convolution to emulate pedal down and/or release resonance is more questionable and depend on the piano (and your taste).

The other nice script in K2 AF is the one managing the PD convolution (avoiding unatural resonance retrigering). This is not piano specific, and you can load any piano res. impulse you want the convolution engine (many lib. come with their own impulses, but using alternate impulses could work well too).

Noises (hammer sound) are also sample based (but not piano specific)

IMO there is no "general rules". The best is to try. Sometimes I prefer staying with actual PD and releases samples, sometimes I prefer convolution (PMI pianos mostly), sometimes a blend of both do the trick.