My pianos *DEBUNKED*

@David B I've downloaded those pianos to check what's all the fuss about and the moment I've tried it I felt something is wrong. I downloaded Pianoteq 8 demo to remind myself how it sounds and the character of those 'Sofia pianos' is very, very similar. This 'synth' vibe is so recognizable. Also:

• Isn't it suspicious that those "samples" are super clean, basically zero noise floor? Companies like VSL using really expensive equipment cannot achieve that level of noise. It's just not possible.
• To rent a piano, tune it, rent all the equipment, setup - it takes a lot of knowledge, time and money. And here we have Bosendorfer, Bechstein, Fazioli, Steinway - all recorded by one person 😉
• Look at the specs: the number of samples for each "piano" is exactly the same.

I think it's a freud. Someone "sampled" Pianoteq.

CeDur Someone "sampled" Pianoteq.

Pianoteq does not have a Bösendorfer, nor an Estonia.

EDIT:

I have not fallen completely for Sofia's piano's, because I hear a distortion which, once heard, I cannot unhear. My guess is that this has come about through a very heavy-duty noise-removal procedure which removed more than just noise. It is certainly possible to remove high-pitched noise through algorithmic means, so having a very low noise-floor is not indicative of the sound being artificial in its origin.

Neither it has Fazioli, but you can find custom .fxp to download on their website, where users tried to simulate that instrument.

Well, I might be 'deaf', but for me those "samples" sound like Pianoteq.

Hmm, interesting theory that this is Pianoteq sampled. If it's true, it doesn't matter whether there's an existing model with the same name, because how you name a piano is completely meaningless, you can call any piano sound a Fazioli or a Беларусь, and nobody can prove or disprove that's the case 🙂

BTW, you made me curious whether this might indeed be some joke to make people say "wow, how good that piano is, so well sampled" and then uncover they sampled various Pianoteq models/settings. I will try to find some time testing those samples because my nose for Pianoteq has never misled me, I can sniff the fake synthetic pianoteqishness from one km 😀

CyberGene

Let me suggest to listen to audio examples for 5 libraries (uploaded by our forum member jdg78) before downloading and installing anything:

https://vi-control.net/community/threads/ultimate-piano-comparison-thread.115615/post-5437356

fishker Ohh, that's Pianoteq, I am 10 seconds into the so called "Fazioli" Waltz for Debby and already 100% sure it's Pianoteq 🙂

CeDur I think it's a freud. Someone "sampled" Pianoteq.

Are you implying this is a “Freudian Slip”? (a slip of the tongue, a memory mistake linked to the unconscious mind).

Or, are you simply referencing “The Oedipus Complex”?

If the latter, you are sick; if the former, please, mansplain yourself……

Maybe, as a study in sound preference, we should have a poll on liking versus disliking the sound of the Sofia piano's vs. that of Pianoteq. A) mostly like both, B) mostly dislike both, C) mostly like Sofia's, but dislike Pianoteq, and D) mostly like Pianoteq, but dislike Sofia's.

Of course, this only makes sense if there is a good deal of participation, otherwise the statistics become meaningless.

Surely, we need to further investigate the matter; however, if it turns out that “Sofia’s” sampled masterpieces are no more than re-sampled Pianoteq instruments, it’ll be the cosmic joke of all cosmic jokes!

Here (a crowd of Pianoteq haters), an Italian “chick” shows up with a bunch of “sampled” pianos that have made some so excited that they’ve even questioned the need for an expensive VSL; not to mention that the same crowd has collectively fallen in love with “Sofia,” to the point of exchanging some enchanting Italian amongst, you know, to impress “Sofia.”

Please, do keep me informed!🤣

Well, expectation bias is a real thing.

@QuasiUnaFantasia I'm not against the poll, but it would have to be a blind test poll. And I think the matter here is not whether one likes Pianoteq or not, but rather whether it's an original sampled piano or a rip-off.

@Pete14 About 'freud'. What I'm always telling my friends when they're in doubt: "choose the option that's more convenient for yourself" 😉

Pete14

Freudian Fraud, may be?) Don't forget, (s)he is not only Sofia_MZ, but Luciphercode!

CyberGene

Exactly the same! Thanks God, I was sitting at that very moment, not being warned.

fishker not only Sofia_MZ, but Luciphercode

I noticed this since the very beginning and found it a bit odd. Besides, if I remember correctly, she's a schoolgirl (because she mentioned doing her homework), yet she's allowed to go sample various pianos around the country. And also, wasn't one of these pianos belonging to the nobility, some deceased baroness or the likes? Unless Sofia is the really talented daughter of an Italian aristocratic family who is allowed to do that project, it all smells fishy.

CyberGene

To be exact, "psychology student, 22 y.o.":

https://luciphercode.wixsite.com/sofia-mz/faq

Do you know the idiom "развесистая клюква"?

CeDur Concerning details about Sofia's recording technique, have a look at the FAQ section of her website.
https://luciphercode.wixsite.com/sofia-mz/faq

CeDur I think the matter here is not whether one likes Pianoteq or not, but rather whether it's an original sampled piano or a rip-off.

I consider that too difficult to answer for the average participant; that is why I think it would be interesting to see whether there is a correlation between liking Pianoteq, and liking Sofia's piano's. These are questions that any participant would be likely to answer with ease.

Average participant would be biased by that "Sofia" persona and sentiments towards Pianoteq when voting in a non-blind poll. Also people who got cheated tend to have difficulties admitting it happened - there's a lot literature about 'denial' in psychology.

Once some of the skeptical comments began appearing I recalled her interest in Linux. She has posted some details about the process, noise floor, etc on the linuxmusicians forum. It raises more questions than it provides answers. For you fellow sleuthers, page 2 has the details:

https://linuxmusicians.com/viewtopic.php?t=26314

Also, correct me if I'm wrong since I am myself a non-native English speaker (and excuse me for what is probably a stereotype of the typical Italian) but isn't her English way too perfect (and British?) for an Italian?

CyberGene

I don't think Sofia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_(robot) would have any issue speaking pefect English 😉