Modern D vs Pianoteq vs The People

RIP · 2024-10-05T13:59:24+00:00

As a Sunday clacker (note1) here are my impressions: Modern D may be very good, perhaps even "the ultimate" VST, but it's not for me because it does not have a demo and because I'm fed up with both Mac and Windows computers and I would accept only a Linux version or a tablet (don't say they don't have enough storage or CPU, since some of them have more storage or CPU than my desktop). And by the way, I wonder how this compares with @dore_m Experience pianos rather than the others you mentioned. @David Lai you might tell them this feedback (Linux/Tablet and giving demo) if you care. WRT the demo, some people would say "you can't download 18GB for a demo", so let me pre-emtively respond: a) my download speed allows that pretty easily, and I'm on the cheaper/slower tier of my internet provider, and the vendor could put it on a peer-to-peer network if they can't afford the extra load on their servers b) I would be happy to entertain a demo with say only half the keys working for 9GB, even more "crippled" than the pianoteq demo. Some people love, some people hate Pianoteq. A few (or maybe a lot, but they "look like" they are a few simply because they are just not vocal?) like it for what it is or at least can live with it. I am in the latter category. I agree with what most (or are they just the most vocal?) people on this forum say, i.e. that the sound is unsatisfactory. But then everything else that I could try with a demo or soundcloud recordings (excluding Modern D which I did not have time to listen to) has an unsatisfactory sound too. Each one sound is unsatisfactory in a different way, so I picked the one that I could live with, and which I like for other characteristics (I like its user interface a lot, again, not perfect but much better than others that I tried, it runs on Linux, both Intel and ARM) and policies (I love that they have a demo, which I used to make my mind before deciding to buy it). If you can't live (and let live) with the previous bullet, I'm very sorry for you and I'm not going to engage in a live and let die thread Speaking of which, I'm really appalled to see hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of messages on the Modern D and Pianoteq so devoid of useful content (heck, even devoid of useful opinions!). Well, I'm sure there is some useful content in there, but it's so buried in repeated and repeated and repeated attacks to each other's point of view that makes me really wonder if you guys have a life. I mean we somewhat drove off the site KFB and SP because they flooded the forum with lots of repetitive comments and then we do it ourselves? What a shame! I think this is just a self-feeding trolling, from which we have no way out until "the world will explode" as somewhat I said already so I won't repeat myself (note2) (note1): in Italian, a very common derogatory way of addressing people that do something at a very low level only when they have time, the dictionary says it's the same in English, but I've never heard it in 20 years - so note that I am purposefully insulting myself (note2): that conversation was about an off-topic politics discussion and this is on-topic, but I see the same attitude and it sadden me in the same way, and mutatis mutande I feel about these new threads exactly I expressed at the time, e.g. at the link below. https://pianoclack.com/forum/d/1021-thats-called-whoopin-your-ass/36

pianow

David B Maybe he works for Pianoteq

imagine modartt hired someone to make their product look better and after a year or so, most people (who've been neutral about their product) hate it with passion 😂 firing him now won't do em any good, they should melt him and send the remains to the bottom of the ocean.
excellent job you fat troll.

David B

David Lai if one day his reeducation happens, that would be quite the news.

Someday you'll see a discussion started by Pete, "Which Steinway D Sampled Piano Should I Get?" Followed by, "which external SSD's are best for running sampled libraries?" Followed by, "When is VI Labs going to have their next sale?"

Then he'll finally have the confidence to upload his rendition of "Fir" Elise. 😀

God Bless,
David

David Lai

David B Then he'll finally have the confidence to upload his rendition of "Fir" Elise.

Haha, I had to say your play on the German "fur" is rather interesting. That said, you don't need too much external SSD space for a VI Labs library. Modern D is 18 GB, which even works on my 512 GB SSD.

David B

David Lai Haha, I had to say your play on the German "fur" is rather interesting.

Actually, I think he jokingly said "For" Elise in his post. Either way, piano sampling will become the Golden Ticket for Pete when his reeducation is complete. I will feel sorry for PianoTeq aficionados once Pete is on our side. 🥊

God Bless,
David

David Lai

David B I hope Pete at least knows the beauty that is sampled VSTs.

Thanks to sampling, I can get access to a concert grand experience others could only dream of!!! I can put myself in a hall when I'm practicing. That's the cool thing about a VST plus digital setup.

HeartKeys

I just drafted a super long post for this thread, but deleted it, since it got verbose.

In short: I read all the hype; thus bought it; am very satisfied with its dynamics and realism.

For jazzy stuff I'll probably still go to the VSL Bosendorfer 280VC.
For piercing through as an accompanist to modern music, I'll use Garritan CFX.
For "just give me a quick piano with quick load time" I'll stick with Pianoteq.

For solo classical type of playing, I'm currently very inclined towards the Modern D.

David Lai

HeartKeys Happy for you! I would encourage you to explore the tone knob, or different presets like the bright punch or big pop grand. These are very good for modern pop music.

Have fun! You will find that Modern D is very versatile. And it's not that the software package is versatile, it certainly has a part to play. But to begin with, the New York D used for sampling is a versatiley voiced piano.

pianow

HeartKeys
that's quite a list you got there
I'm glad there's at least someone around who doesn't pretend we can do it all with just one piano
you always make me smile friend🤍
btw my list is way bigger then yours😂💪

HeartKeys

David Lai tone knob, or different presets like the bright punch or big pop grand

Good point! I’ll keep that in mind, as today was just Day 2 🙂

HeartKeys

pianow I'm glad there's at least someone around who doesn't pretend we can do it all with just one piano

Yep, true with VSTs as well as acoustics. There’s times I’m in love with a Yamaha CF6, then a Bluthner Model One, other times an upright Steingraeber, other times the two acoustics o have a home.

Of course, if I owned more pianos than now, I’d be both broke and dealing with clutter lol, oh and paradox of choice etc

pianow

HeartKeys
i wanted to ask you something since you're one of the very few people here who love the vsl 280 the way i do, how do you compare it to the modern d?

HZPiano

HeartKeys

Finally! A refreshing breeze of pragmatism.

🍃

Pete14

pianow I'm glad there's at least someone around who doesn't pretend we can do it all with just one piano

Oh, but we can……do it all with one piano!

But once a person becomes addicted to getting the “newest” thing in town, all sorts of conjectures start to pop up in order to justify yet another purchase……”the VSL-D is good for Chopin, but not so much for Schoenberg, so I’ll get me Imperfect Samples’ bunch of recordings for that…”

And the proof is in the pudding: Sofia!

Yes, a name once beloved ‘round here, yet not so much anymore; after she proved a massive point: it’s all in your head!

For those in the dark, Sofia pretended to go ‘round Italy sampling all sorts of pianos, and many in this community not only bought it (figuratively), but also made similar claims to the above: “oh, Sofia, piano A is just perfect for Jazz, but piano B is my to-go for classical.” This is real, by the way; this actually happened here and at PW!

I bet you that if I came out with my own VST, “Pete’s Huge D,” there will be many who claim, “I don’t know, but there’s a transparency to Pete’s Huge D that’s just perfect for Bach, but for Liszt I’ll stick to the Modern D….”

Heck, I’m gonna get to sampling that D right now, and I’ll sell it to you addicts for $100, and make me some easy money!

P.S.

I will not respond to insults, so, if you want to engage me, do it respectfully and with decor, you know, like you did with Sofia!

QuasiUnaFantasia

If we have the possibility to choose different tools for different tasks, then that is just great! You want to fix everything with a Swiss army knife? Ok, go ahead, no one is stopping you. But for those of us who like to get the best tools for the tasks at hand, the one-digital solution-to cover everything is not all that enticing. As for myself, as long as I can't call an acoustic instrument mine, I will continue to enjoy swapping between virtual instruments, accordingly as my mood changes.

P.S.:

Pete14 And the proof is in the pudding: Sofia!

Yes, a name once beloved ‘round here

It really was not that broadly loved, and some of us could hear that all was not right with the sound of those VI's.

Pete14

QuasiUnaFantasia If we have the possibility to choose different tools for different tasks, then that is just great! You want to fix everything with a Swiss army knife? Ok, go ahead, no one is stopping you.

I’m not so sure I’d call it “different tools for different tasks” when we’re talking about VSTs; because these VSTs are almost all based on (D) concert grands, and I maintain that there are more similarities than differences between these pianos……

Now, needing a hammer for nails, and a drill for screws, yes, that makes sense; because we can’t screw a nail, nor shan’t we hammer a screw (although some do it)……

If you have money to spare, by all means go and get the iPhone 16, but for those struggling to make ends meet, I assure you that the iPhone 8 is still a powerhouse, and, in a way, a Swiss army knife (if an old one)…..

David B

Pete14 But once a person becomes addicted to getting the “newest” thing in town, all sorts of conjectures start to pop up in order to justify yet another purchase……”the VSL-D is good for Chopin, but not so much for Schoenberg, so I’ll get me Imperfect Samples’ bunch of recordings for that…”

I don't play sophisticated classical music on the piano - although it is a genre in my iTunes library that works its way into my life - and I don't feel one piano is better suited for the simple hymns I play while another piano is better suited for others. My justification for buying virtual pianos is simply birthed out of a natural curiosity and desire to tinker with sounds in my chosen hobby of piano. It adds to the enjoyment of my experience. I've had this same pattern in every hobby I've had.

Some virtual pianos I like and some I don't. I've sold some VSL and VI Labs licenses because I didn't find them inspiring to play. Maybe if I started playing piano as a child my desires would be different now as an adult and I wouldn't have felt the need to try so many digital pianos and virtual pianos. 🤷‍♂️

God Bless,
David

Pete14

David B My justification for buying virtual pianos is simply birthed out of a natural curiosity and desire to tinker with sounds in my chosen hobby of piano….

This is a valid point, but the notion that piano A is better-suited for Jazz, and Piano B is better for classical, I don’t agree with……

To play devil’s advocate, imagine a classical pianist refusing to play a concert on a CFX because “that instrument is better-suited for Jazzers,” and having the production team running out in a haste to find an actual, physical D to haul up into the concert stage and move the already-there CFX out; now, that would be illogical, but you know what? knowing how full of themselves “classical” artists are, I wouldn’t doubt it if Yujas Wang has actually done this:

“I’m not playing Rach’s third on that thing (CFX); get me a huge D, or I quit right here and now; don’t you know who I am, I’m Yujas Wang, god damn it”! 😁

CyberGene

AFAIK, the only regular member (who otherwise hates Pianoteq) and said he liked Sofia’s pianos (samples from Pianoteq) is Mac. I needed 5 seconds to hear it was Pianoteq, for instance 🙂

All others were newly registered users on the forum. Maybe puppets used by Sofia to make her point because very early on people discovered it was Pianoteq sampled. It was a failed experiment and the insistence with which Pete is misrepresenting the story tells me he might be behind the hoax? 😉

Pete14

Okay, CG, I’ll give you this, Sofia was more prominent with the gullible crowd over at PW, and she did get a few people to buy (figuratively) what she was selling……

No, I’m not Sofia, but I wonder if Mac believes I am; because that would explain a lot!

P.S.

Sofia hinted that some people even asked to help her ‘round Italy; you know, to sample them pianos real good! 😆

David B

Pete14 This is a valid point, but the notion that piano A is better-suited for Jazz, and Piano B is better for classical, I don’t agree with……

I was fully committed to the Christian worldview by age 22, and since then I've only been inspired to play music - whether on guitar or piano - that speaks from the spiritual reservoir of my experiences. Therefore, I've not had to consider the notion of one piano being better suited for one genre and another piano for something else.

Since we are not dealing with size and geometry variants like with guitars, and we're dealing mostly with sound - provided the actions on concert grands are similar - then it seems like a subjective preference to me. Are you saying you disagree with an individual musician's preference?

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