Steinberg The Grand 2

I used this program for a few months a while back. I don't really have great things to say about it. Firstly, you need to have a dongle with this software. The registration process is very overly complicated, and I had to spend hours figuring out how to get this thing to even run on my computer. After conversations with tech support, I finally got it going even though I had to use an annoying dongle. The installation also took a while - the samples are very big in this program. Usually that's a good thing if you have the space for it, you would think that the piano sounds of a higher quality. I have used a bunch of other piano softwares, and this one doesn't really stack up to the others. Maybe you can get it to sound natural if you are a MIDI wizard, but if you're just an average person with a home studio this program will probably scream Fake Piano. It seems to respond in a weird way to velocity changes coming from your midi keyboard where other programs don't. You are also fairly limited in the piano sound you get. A bunch of other competitors offer you options to change the sound of the piano a lot, but not so much here. I also wish you could change the distance of the "microphones", because that is very important to be able to control in a recording. This also adds to the piano sticking out like a sore thumb. I feel this is overpriced and disappointing. I would probably try a different one like Native Instruments Akoustik Piano, I had good results with that one. I would not buy it again, I sold it to a friend after using it for a while.

I use it for years. Before him I used the piano Reason 2.5 is to say ....

I tested Akoustik piano and ivory (1), the large 2 has a whole lot better, much better defined, larger, it is difficult to explain but I think even now it has its place in the virtual piano. I find it hard to replace because the newer apps like ivory II seem cold beside the big two.

The sound is really the look I prefer. It fits easily in a mix.

Against it by lack of power. I realize when I make songs piano voice or piano sound should "wrap", "occupy" space sound ..... It's a bit too much to ask, it is best in solos fast enough, or chord progressions that keep coming. On a slow or piano pieces must be very "harmonic", the sound will be a bit poor.

I would do this either with the experience because even though he is older, I can not really find her replacement.

I give here a novice point of view. I played on a piano up the Yamaha CLP-170 and I wondered for a long time if the virtual PC pianos brought a real bonus. Reading the forums (including Audiofanzine), opinion is fairly divided. The "pros" criticize easily, and certainly rightly, the virtual piano. And another ct pianos are numriques lous for their simplicity of use. Difficult to form an opinion when you're an amateur.

In short, everything to say that I passed the course and that I got "The Big 2". I play for about two weeks and frankly, the Difference of quality is standard. My CPL-170 REPRESENTATIVES high-end piano numrique in 2004, and the last CLP did not appear to have gained in quality normment over it; Yet the pleasure of playing on "The Big 2" is incomparable.

To give an ide: before, I spent about half hour a day playing. Since I have the virtual piano, I spend easily an hour without realizing it. I have not tried other virtual pianos, Steinway outside the "Garritan Jazz and Big Band", which is much worse.

Retailer for a bit:
- Piano 1: the bass is superb, the mdiums mild and acute.
- Piano 2: it is a bit dcevant: the bass is real, the highs are crystal clear ... mdium sound but oddly enough mtalliques, not clear trs. It's a shame. So, I use virtually the first model.

The graphical interface is very well, and the curves for rglages VLOC really can adapt his playing the piano

The rverb included in the software is nothing special. There is no prrglages, we must find ourselves even custom settings that go well. I set the minimum so that the sound is not too "dry".

Finally, here are some notes for those who move to hsitent virtual pianos:

- The difficulty of installing the PC. It sr, better connatre. I mount my even my PC. But nothing prevents you to go through an assembly that will make you a PC with onions.

- The noise of the PC: I have chosen a relatively silent PC (case + power supply + hard drive noise). When we play, it is true that we can not hear the PC, but it's even more enjoyable not to hear his breath ds we shall adopt. Therefore this really STUDY before buying. But if you make the right choice, it is no longer a problem.

- The sound card: just a card with good driver ASIO. I chose a Creative X-FI Platinum and I play without cracking with a latency of 5ms. Headphones, sound and much better than the output of my Yamaha. For cons, I thought I could bnficier the 3D headset (CMS 3D), but does not work with the asio sound. Another advantage: you can register directly in MP3, it's really nice.

- Optimization software: it clearly on this point you leave the field "general public". We must turn up service windows, choose to optimize for rear services plan, and configure custom settings ASIO. I chose to launch "The Big 2" SAVIHost (freeware which allows Local Accommodations The Grand as a VSTi), because my paramtres systmatiquement are restored, which is not the case with the standalone application provided by default (a peak).

- Performance: good surprise, "The Grand 2" does not mobilize many resources. As I have only one hard drive, I thought that was going to ask problem (often one reads that a disk for virtual pianos ddi). In fact, even with all custom settings to maximum quality trs was going well.

- Rapid start: you have 1 minute shows in hand to Get You Started the PC and launch "The Big 2" (placed in the "boot" to start IMMEDIATE). Nothing rdibitoire.

- The stability: as long as you do not play in concert, the risks are real limits (the hard drive which is the pice risk, but it's rare that even al che).

I close with my config, for those that have INTERESTED.
- Case Artic Cooling Silentium
- Pentium 630 3 GHz
- Asus motherboard P5SD2X
- 1 GB of RAM (the no-name, a well-functioning trs)
- Golden Orb Fan + Zalman rhostat Fanmate 2 (so that the fan is running 900 laps, otherwise it's too noisy)
- SoundBlaster XFI Platinum
- Hard Drive Samsung 160 GB (rput for his silence, with honorable performance). I do not hear scratching.

Assets:
- The sound is much better than THE FIRST version: Missing artifacts, a place his own net, enjoyable ...
- The choice of two pianos, with many CHARACTERISTICS diffrent always with 4 variants piano ...
- The stand-alone mode
- The new engine (about 130 MB of RAM memory used in stand-alone!)
- Interface simple and enjoyable
-I agree with Herve C on rverb: it is nothing special (although I did not test surround) but to play it more than adequate and enjoyable .. .

Minimum:
Co-Mode brings artifacts to the sound, trsdsagrable and useless!
[my config: Athlon 64 3000 +, 2x512Mo, EMU 1820m, keyboard XBoard 49]