All user reviews of 5/5 for the Steinberg The Grand 2

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]

I use this piano for a year dj I must say that the sound is gorgeous, ideal for expression. In addition the agreement is excellent. I compared the rival NI Akoustik Piano, and for someone who has on his machine that 1GB of ram there is no picture!
the Akoustik piano requires at least 2GB of ram to run without cracking; eco mode can be played with a go but sometimes LGERS crackles are heard.
Steinberg has trs fort for the price! T have the sounds and modliss ism is striking. I use it in concert ("Triphot" trio jazz songs (dept 79); tribute Claude Nougaro) and I can not get enough. A sign that does not deceive: the Ides musical come individually; vritablement is a musical instrument and not just a sample player as many pianos numriques.
I play the keyboard from Fatar SL 990 XP ... happiness!

Regards.

I use it for about 1 year
I compare Ivory
I compare a real tail pleyel

Most:
. economy on the cpu
. sound
. the vlocitbr />. the sound of pedals (literally
. ...

the -:
. possibly too stunning to the point that one wonders if it's a really raliste ...

For + / - 250 euros, I think that is not driven. I first bought Ivory eyes closed while reading the reviews on this site.

I would have to test other in front and then I got my pride.
In this sense, made the gaffe phnomne super psycho-acoustic! which we can love one's times and another time another ...
I VCU this: Ivory j'achte without testing. I'm from. I then tested two Grand. It is irrsistible achte and I (yes, 2 vsti is expensive for a piano sound). I spent the night playing on the G2. At one point I pass on to convince me that Ivory G2 suprieur and l. .. weird, I redcouvre Ivory and I also finished the apprcier ... but I find Ivory bcp cooler (may be more in the sense raliste)

As said in another view, the G2 sounds so good that he pushes to find new ides. It really leaves the felling expression composed especially for potatoes. I use Ivory ides for more jazz.

A remake I Rasht primarily the big two, without hsiter. I even made it easier than my real piano (Pleyel 3 / 4 tail) and I'm certainly much fun.
NB: I drive my vsti with a keyboard keys CME weights (heavy if you prfrez + 88 notes) what (I think) adds to the impression ism.