On Friday, June 13, 2003, at 04:40 AM, David H. Bailey wrote:
Well, the proof is in the listening. I like the piano sounds, you don't. That's cool.
The demos are well done mp3s. They are the actual demos which come with the unit and aren't that far off from the actual sounds, so you are hearing a good representation of the unit.
But if you are listening to them through a set of small computer speakers you are definitely not hearing them at their best.
No, my computer is hooked up to my stereo, so I'm listening to them through a nice pair of B&W speakers. I appreciate your comments, though, and I think you're right, I just don't like the Kurzweil piano. (If it's any consolation, I have totally unrealistic expectations.)
I didn't realize you were just wanting piano sounds, so if that's all you want, you're right, $950 is quite pricey. But then so would buying a notebook computer, a good soft-synth and a good piano patch be quite pricey, and a lot more than $950.
I need a new PowerBook anyway, so that's not really an issue. The piano sample library (I think) I want is $245 -- it's the Post Bosendorfer 290 I linked to in an earlier post. (There's also a nice MP3 of John Grant doing the Moonlight with this sampled piano: <http://stkitts.globat.com/~postpiano.com/demo/bos/JohnGrant.mp3>).
As far as the software sampler goes, I'm kind of at a loss. I've been reading up on the various products out there, but I have no idea what 90% of all the features even are. All I want is maximum polyphony (at least 64-note stereo, ideally 128-note stereo), minimum lag, and nice integration with whichever sample library I decide to get. Post Musical Instruments' website recommends either GigaStudio or Kontakt. GigaStudio is PC only, and Kontakt is OS 9 only, so both of those are out, for now. The other one they mention is HALion, but I have no idea how HALion compares to Kontakt, or how either of them compare to the EXS24 sampler (which I believe you can only use from within logic). I don't care about sequencing or anything like that, so I probably don't want to get Logic just so I can get EXS24 as well -- I just want something that will allow me to trigger these massive piano samples live with a maximum of quality and a minimum of fuss.
I suppose I will also need some kind FireWire or USB digital audio box in order to get the sound from the PowerBook to an amplifier or a set of speakers.
Check out some of Roland's modules at the rolandus.com website. From what I hear, it seems that people who don't like Roland's piano sounds like Kurzweil's and vice versa, so you might find just what you want at Roland.
Unfortunately, I don't really like Roland's either. The only piano sample I've found so far that's even reasonably good is that Post Musical Instruments one. Of course, I'm still open to suggestions!
Thanks,
- Darcy
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