The virtual acoustic piano models

The Grand Help

Product
The Grand
Version
3.0
ft:locale
en-US
Document type
Webhelp
ft:openMode
fluidtopics

By selecting the piano model, you choose the basic character and sound of your piano. The virtual acoustic pianos are available in two recording perspectives: Close and Player, see The models.

Note

If you change the piano model, only the samples are exchanged. All other settings, e.g. on the Equalizer and Ambience pages, remain unchanged.

To select the piano model, proceed as follows:

  1. In the Editor view, click the Model button to open the Model page.

    If the Player view is active, click the “e” button in the upper left corner to open the Editor view.

  2. Click on the picture of the piano model.

    The five available piano models are displayed above the picture.

  3. Select the desired piano model and recording perspective.

During the recording of the acoustic pianos not only the notes were recorded, but also every sound produced by the piano, e.g. by damping vibrating strings, releasing the hammer, the sound of the pedals when stepping them. On the Model page you can activate or deactivate these “additional” sounds by clicking the corresponding buttons and set their volume with the knobs. The following parameters are available:

Sustain Resonance

When you press a key on an acoustic piano, only the damper of that key is raised. All other strings are damped and only the sound of the string hammered by that key is audible.

When you step on the sustain pedal, all the dampers of all keys are lifted from all strings. Now when you hit a key, the vibration of its string causes surrounding strings and the housing to resonate. The sound produced by this could be described as something similar to a reverb. This effect is only audible when the sustain pedal is used.

String Release

When a key on a piano is released, the felt damper falls on a string that is still vibrating. It doesn’t stop vibrating abruptly, but continues to travel to complete that last oscillation thus producing a sound that we call String Release.

Note that when you deactivate this option, the response of the instrument will sound a little less natural.

Hammer Release (Yamaha C7, Model D and Bösendorfer only)

When a key is released, the hammer returns to its initial position and generates a sound best described as low and woody. We call this effect Hammer Release. The pianist seated at the grand piano hears this sound very clearly, though, depending on the position of the microphones, it may not be audible in recordings.

When this option is activated, you get the pianist’s sonic perspective: The Grand sounds as if you were seated in front of a real concert grand. When it is disabled, The Grand sounds like what the audience hears.

Key Sound (Yamaha C7, Model D and Bösendorfer only)

When you press a key on a real piano, the sound is also shaped by a subliminal noise that is produced by moving the key and its mechanics. This noise can be described as wooden, soft and unobtrusive. Use this feature to emulate a listener’s position close to the piano.

Damper Pedal Sound (Yamaha C7, Model D and Bösendorfer only)

This sound is produced when you step on one of the pedals.