nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Making The Grandeur realistic

Anatoliy

Greetings,

I create solo piano tracks. I do it for just 2 months. I already can hear improvement, but I understand that there are many things that I don't know about, so I don't pay attention to them, but should. Would those of you who already mastered this art be so kind to push me a little bit toward the right way of achiving a sound of a good sounding (and realisticly sounding) grand piano? I mean when it sounds like a record from TV show and not as "bedroom noob production". )

I wright notes in Musescore, export as midi, Import into Logic. I use The Grandeur. I apply Humanize, change notes velocity manually to shape music phrases, create sustain pedal automapion (cc64). Then with EQ find frequencies that sounds bad when + 10dn and make them -3 db. Add reverb and delay (slapback). And limiter (Maximizer from Ozone).

Here is my latest track that I just finished.

https://youtu.be/LbrI-AcfFrc

Thanks in advance. I will be thankful for any help.

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

Vocalpoint

"Would those of you who already mastered this art be so kind to push me a little bit toward the right way of achiving a sound of a good sounding (and realisticly sounding) grand piano? I mean when it sounds like a record from TV show and not as "bedroom noob production". )"

I am not a pianist in any sense of the word but if you are expecting an instance of the Grandeur to rival that of a piano on a record or a TV show - that is not realistic.

A trained pianist with 30 years experience can get results from anything if given enough time. That same pianist on a record or TV show - is almost always using a real (and most likely very expensive) piano that will forever go beyond anything that can be done on a virtual instrument like the Grandeur.

In the end - if you are not a trained pianist and not using a well tuned physical instrument - you will most likely have to be happy with "close enough".

The Grandeur is an excellent choice but it is not the real thing. If it were me - I would focus on my skills and less on the instrument if you really want to see improvement.

Anatoliy

Thanks!

I'm reading my post and understanding that I formulated not very clear what I want. Sorry about that. Yes, I understand that midi will never sound as a real piano player performance. Also I don't play piano, so it's not like a have many choices. What I wanted to ask is this - at some point I discovered what a big improvement makes adding sustaun pedal automation (cc64)). And adding dynamics (notes velocity).

And I wonder if there are other things like that that will also make it less midi-sh.

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/262800#Comment_262800

You can find a number of articles on the subject on the internet , e.g. 6 Ways to Humanize Your Tracks , and there is a number of discussions about using plugins to do the job including plugins such as "MidiHumanizer by Kafka Studios" (picked completely by random !) , and including a discussion such as this , that mentions off the beaten track products such as these : "Cableguys MidiShaper" and Analog Obsession FREE Realizer Plugin (which works on Audio) (Analog Obsession Realizer download from here)

Anatoliy

Thanks! I will read.

BIF

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/262800#Comment_262800

"Also I don't play piano, so it's not like a have many choices."

This is 100% going to be the source of your problem.

There are a million-million (that's a trillion) different ways to play the piano. By painting, dragging, dropping, and using a mouse to enter your notes, you will never be able to find YOUR way of playing the piano. And your personal stamp is what will make your performances YOURS.

Besides that, when it comes to piano, I'd rather listen to even a BAD performance by a human than I would a "perfect" performance made by somebody painting notes into a MIDI piano roll.

I don't care if it's a one-handed performance accompanied by drums or bird-tweeting sounds. Or two one-handed performances that you recorded onto two different tracks in your DAW, and then mixed together to make it sound like a full piano part played with two hands. At least with those examples, you will have actually PLAYED the instrument.

I think you are completely wrong when you say you don't "have many choices." Unless you have no hands or fingers, you actually have the very BEST choice available to you.

Learn. To. Play. Piano.

Get an inexpensive MIDI keyboard controller if you don't have one already. Or get a cheap Casio; those have good sounds in them, and they can be decent MIDI controllers too.

I knew a girl who used to teach lessons in a spare bedroom in her house. There was the Casio just sitting there on a stand, and plugged into the wall, not to a computer. Piano lessons worked just fine from the built-in speakers. Then on weekends, she would haul the Casio to her gigs at coffee shops and cafes. For that, she'd plug it into a small amplifier that could also take a microphone, so it was her and her Casio. With a small mixer or a 3-channel amplifier, she could even mic up her violin, and with basic automation on the Casio, she could pre-record or loop a piano part while accompanying herself with the violin and sound AMAZING doing it.

You have choices. Please reconsider! 😁

Anatoliy

Yeah, it makes sense.

Except the girl from your example had years ahead. I don't. I'm 58, live in Ukraine, and every night could be the last one. So I need it right now and right here. )

Quick links

Unanswered questions