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How do I get the best 'presence' of true grand piano sound?


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I will preface with the fact that I think the Logic Pro X Steinway or Boesendorfer piano sounds is the best starting point, I don't find that 'after-market' pianos offer any more to work with than Logic Pro X.

 

I want input from you who 'fiddle' with achieving the best piano sound, and I realize that there is something that comes after Logic Pro X and that is 'speakers' and amplifiers... which I don't want to get into in this discussion as it adds too much complexity to an already complex subject. Here is the comment from another thread that prompts me to make my request for help:

 

They probably used a real piano in the original recording.

So with your sampled piano you can EQ and use slight compression. The only way.

 

And here is what I am looking for: Is 'triplets' response all that should be considered to keep the 'simple approach' for how to achieve the best piano sound.'

 

TIA,

 

Ken

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If you go to a restaurant and they serve you a steak, should you further season it? Should you use salt? Pepper? Hot sauce? Should you further cook it? Once you've done those things, will the steak taste good? If you enjoy food, you'll understand those questions don't make sense until you've actually sat at the restaurant and tasted the steak. Only then can you decide wether or not the steak is under seasoned, or undercooked, and wether or not fixing any of those will help that particular taste ending up tasting good. On top of that, you and I may have different opinions on what is required on that steak, because you like a well done steak without too much salt while I prefer mine rare but well seasoned.

 

So first, you need to set goals (what kind of steak do you like?) then you need to taste what's in front of you, using your palate to make observations, then make decisions on what's the best way to reach your goals with what's in front of you and the tools at your disposal.

 

No recipe such as "use subtle compression and EQ" can be a substitute for using your ears to determine what is needed (or not) to transform the raw sound of an instrument into the sound you want for your mix. You need to listen to the instrument, decide what your goal is (do you want a dry piano? a far-away ethereal piano? Is it for a busy 142 track pop-song mix? a 3 track live sounding jazz mix? etc...), then determine what tools to use to reach your goal. For all you know, the piano won't need any EQ, any compression, but reverb instead!

 

Don't fall into the trap of doing the same thing everybody else does. Listen, listen, listen. Determine where you want to go. Then grab your toolbox and start sculpting your sound.

 

One thing I can guarantee is that if you don't know why you're grabbing that EQ and compressor, you may sit there tweaking the two plug-ins 'till the end of time without knowing which setting sounds best. That's because they may all sound very good, only at some point you need to make a CHOICE.

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If you go to a restaurant...

 

Excellent advice David. I'm looking to do away with the 'garbled' sound I get with many notes played at once. Advantage I have is years behind 'real' pianos and in many environments and know that a real piano can withstand 'note crunch' is the best I can describe several notes played at once still is a 'real' sound and not the 'smear' that electronic sounds tend to gravitate to. I'm finding right now that indeed, the compressor, and in particular the 'make up' knob (I don't know what 'make up' means) does indeed tend to lessen the 'garbled crunch' sound and just let the individual notes contribute to a more acoustic piano sound. I wanted to narrow down to a few simple controls to start with, I already want to steer away from 'reverb' or modifying sounds anywhere away from a single acoustic grand piano in a studio room setting... rare, flame grilled with just a dash of salt and crushed pepper... :-)

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I like the "Steak" analogy, and as I get into this now, for my purpose at least, the EQ and Compressor are like the salt and pepper. These plug-ins both give me a world of 'sculpting' capabilities to get the piano sound I want.

 

Thanks for the original inspiration for this thread triplets, and to David for chiming in with the added good sense and analogy.

 

Have a Great Day,

 

Ken

 

PS: If I ever want to add Creole or other seasoning... that will be another story for another time.

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