Old Dog New Tricks

Erin James · 2025-05-23T19:16:04+00:00

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Hi, I am a pianist but haven had a piano in 5 years. As a true starving artist, I bought a cheap keyboard thinking even bad pizza is better than no pizza at all. I was so wrong. I hate sounds so much I don't even want to play it. So I started looking into get better piano sounds online. I figured out how to get my keyboard to play a beautiful grand piano sound through an app on my iphone. Unfortunately, it didn't fit into my broker as a joke budget. I am not technologically inept, but this particular technology is completely new to me and I don't exactly know how all the dots are connectd. I think I found something affordable on here. It's an upright piano sound for like $40. Can someone please explain to me if I purchase it, how can I connect it to my keyboard through my phone?

Thanks in advance,
Erin James
Up to 11 Piano

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Uwe303

Hello,

native instruments does not make instruments/software for phones, so you can't use them with your phone. Native Instruments kontakt where you load a piano instrument in, needs windows or mac os.

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/45401/old-dog-new-tricks

I think I found something affordable on here. It's an upright piano sound for like $40.

We can not help you unless we know exactly what you are writing about.

how can I connect it to my keyboard through my phone?

That's generally not how it works.

There exist keyboards that can connect to your phone such as this but I honestly do not know much about that and I honestly would not recommend taking that avenue if can be avoided as that will box you in software wise since you will come to rely on phone specialized music software.

But generally then the keyboards I know and that people generally use here are of a type that require a computer to work . And so does all the software sold by N.I. (require a computer).

If you have an at least semi modern computer computer then get a cheap Midi controller keyboard such as KOMPLETE KONTROL M32 or KOMPLETE KONTROL A25 or larger (always check section Specifications prior to any purchase !). While the N.I. sale is on then both these keyboards comes with a software bundle called Komplete 15 Select that comes in three flavors of which the "Band" flavor comes with a piano library called The Gentleman as part of the software bundle. The Above keyboards are the economy class and there are better such as the S49 MK3 but the above mentioned ought to be plenty good for you to get your feet wet - and more.

Please notice though that Midi controllers can not make sounds by themselves , they rely on computers running software to make the sounds.

Incidentally then if you have a PC computer then a software such as this should enable you to make sounds just using your computer keyboard : Free Piano

If you do not want to attach the keyboard to a computer then there also exists stand alone keyboards such as these , of which most of them at least can play by themselves and have sounds builtin. Of course price and quality normally goes together and many?/some? of these can not even connect to a computer.

DunedinDragon

I would assume if the piano you bought can connect to the phone (assuming through a USB connection) you may very well be able to connect it to your computer the same way and use any number of different types of piano/keyboard sounds (upright, concert grand, honky tonk, electronic pianos, organs, synths, etc) using Kontakt.

This is all just guess work without knowing the specific piano model you purchased and what, if any, type of computer you might have and if it has some good speakers connected to it. The results would certainly be much more realistic than what you would get from a phone and it's tiny speakers.

LostInFoundation

Depending on which piano you have (one that allows to be used also as a midi controller? Maybe with usb midi connection?) you can definitely use your iPhone as a sound module.

There are plenty of good piano apps on iOS (free ones, complex ones, basic ones…) and even the most expensive apps on iOS are way cheaper than the ones on computers (but even there you can find free ones).

Korg Module, Pure Piano, Ravenscroft,… Even Pianoteq is on iPhone…and it’s free (of course you’ll have access only to some pianos, while others are available to buy). And many of those apps will give you access also to other sounds, not a single one.

Another possibility (available both on computers or iOS) is SoundFonts. There are plenty of sampled pianos, many for free. Many of very good quality. A good app able to load SoundFonts will give you access to an army of free instruments.

To resume: the point you have to focus on is if the piano you already have can be used with an iPhone (if it has midi, it can). The choice of virtual pianos (even free ones) is not the issue.

The era where people could say “pianos on computer are way better” is long gone, even if some (unaware) continue saying so

Paul B

If you have a decent computer—should not have to be anything fancy to play a software piano—and your keyboard can connect to one, there are free options which might suit you. Or something reasonably priced like whichever Native Instruments piano you are looking at if none of the free ones has what you are looking for.

A brief Google search gets me suggestions of Decent Sampler, which is a free software sampler, and sample libraries from Pianobook in a format it can use. You can filter on their site for compatible downloads, and ignore anything that isn't a piano. If you're on a really tight budget, it can't hurt to check these out and see if you find anything you like.

This lists a few—all but the last one, I think—which work with the free version of Kontakt: https://blog.native-instruments.com/free-piano-libraries-kontakt/

There may be others out there.

Free doesn't mean inferior, though it may take some searching to find one you like.

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