Roland EARTH Piano - Pianoteq alternative?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnUmjnSgVjU

For more than 50 years, Roland has pioneered digital piano technology. Our innovative EARTH Piano packs this extensive history of research and development into a modern software instrument. With multiple piano types and the ability to customize and shape each one, EARTH Piano covers a wealth of sonic territory and brings the evocative sound of this vital instrument to your productions.

• Premier Roland piano software instrument for production and performance

• Advanced piano sound technology for the ultimate in realism and expression

• Seven piano types, including concert grand, upright, felt, toy, and more

• Freely adjustable piano lid position

• Control string, cabinet, key off, and sympathetic resonances for lifelike sound

• Adjust key off and pedal noise to inject natural characteristics

• Eight temperament types and single-note control over tuning, volume, and character

• Explore over 100 expertly crafted presets covering everything from classical and jazz to rock and ambient

• Venue space simulator, studio-grade EQ and dynamics, and over 90 multi-effects presets

• Support for VST3, AU, and AAX plug-in formats

https://rolandcloud.com/news/Introducing-EARTH-Piano

Yeas, it’s interesting that Roland entering the piano VI marked without requiring a Roland hardware, imagine Yamaha doing the same.😊 I think the competition is good for us consumers. We had an earlier discussion about the Roland Earth piano here:
#1640

Montage M software version has already ported CFX samples into VST, those that are heard from YAM digital pianos. It is only available for the registered hardware owners. There is vacancy for Kawai counterpart. Korg has long joined software world since 2004. Many Korg VSTs, and they recently made an EP-1 the same as that from the master keyboard. Korg has some nice piano packs. We might see them in VST form in the future.

pipAT what I find potentially interesting about the hardware makers entering the VI marked is that they have for long made piano sounds which main purpose is for playing rather than recording. I would love to see a VST version of the latest and greatest Yamaha binaural samples without any requirements of any hardware.

I tried getting started with it, but the Roland Cloud Manager is very hard to work with, sluggish and not what I'd call accessible / screen reader friendly. That's giving me some alarm bells. If their Roland Cloud Manager interface is like this, then what will the plugin UI be like?

Sorry, but from provided recordings by Roland it just sounds like 61 Casio Keyboard for 200$. Pianoteq is few levels higher. It's quite interesting though, as Roland sound engine in their pianos in live playing sound fantastic (especially through their speaker system on higher-end models)

David Lai I tried getting started with it, but the Roland Cloud Manager is very hard to work with, sluggish and not what I'd call accessible / screen reader friendly. That's giving me some alarm bells. If their Roland Cloud Manager interface is like this, then what will the plugin UI be like?

Not sure why you should be spending time on this, I am not in the absence of a convenient free demo (sample recordings are NOT enough). Noone is expecting these to be top VSTs, 50 bucks may be a good deal for someone who has an el cheapo DP and is likely more useful for learning than free piano VSTs that lack string resonance etc. I find the FP90 (SNM) built-in Roland sound very playable but not the most pleasant among built-in DP sounds.

Talking about Roland and convenience, I was curious regarding their Zen Core add-on sounds, and the installation procedure for one supported DP was kind of awkward for this century.

_sem_ well, no money was ever spent in getting started with it. I just registered a new account, and tried getting set up with it. But I can’t even access the download and installing procedure for this library. So that’s the end of that. I was talking about it from my perspective as a blind Windows computer user.

David Lai

Curiosity got me as well this morning, however, when I read that the trial would only be accessible through a trial period of their most expensive "cloud" subscription, I went no further. I really dislike such systems and sales strategies and didn't want any part of that.

Besides, from playing most of Roland's pianos in stores, I knew beforehand that I wouldn't buy this Earth virtual instrument anyway.

I'm glad I was the wiser for not spending any more time on it. As were you, and as well said by @_sem_ .

Cheers and happy playing,

HZ

HZPiano Wise, HZ. 🙂

if the software version is as good as the german concert grand from rd 2000, then i will give it a try.

klausi6 if the software version is as good as the german concert grand from rd 2000

Has somebody found out how this Earth relates to their RD2000EX German grand or the recent PRM engine?

Bought it for $50 tonight. I didn't care that much for the YT demos but at the current sale price I thought I'd just get it and try it out. I've never owned a Roland DP (just the original A88 MIDI controller years back which was replaced with a Kawai NV10S which I currently use as a MIDI controller) so it's my first time hearing Roland modeled instruments.

Although it's modeled, it's not at all similar to Piantoeq, which simulates specific instruments and is frankly superior in every way. That said, you get a bunch of grand and upright pianos, including a toy piano which is actually a lot of fun to play real music on, with multiple presets for each piano and a number knobs to tweak. I set all of them up in Cantabile Performer so I can instantly switch around and save settings. I picked a preset for each and found them all to be quite playable and worthwhile, though it won't probably get much play time in my bulging VST library.

As an aside, I also play guitar and have a Roland GR-55 guitar synthesizer which is amazing.

I do wish Roland would be a little more clear on their current modeling offerings. I have the Earth Piano, it's decent, not quite to Pianoteq for me, but at the discounted introductory price I have no regrets and am hoping it receives updates over time to make it even better. But I enjoy the German Grand expansion on the RD2000 V-Piano better, or at least it seemed I am able to dial in a sound I really like. That makes me wonder what differences/similarities are there between the three: V-Piano (German Expansion), Earth Piano, and the newer Piano Reality Modeling in the home digital pianos? Are they just different names/settings for the same basic modeling tech? Or are they fundamentally different in some ways? Curious to know more.