Best Piano as UVI Workstation based - and non iLok - and Pianoteq too?

[lfm]

Never used anything based on UVI - but seems to be something like Kontakt player or something.

Anything that works well?

And if you happend to have/know a piano product based on that to recommend would be swell.

Possibly recorded in smaller studio that will work well in mixes. Looked at the new Garritan CFX and it was recorded in the larges Abbey Road studio One, will probably not work so well.

I let go of Kontakt some years back, and don't like iLok or Syncrosoft stuff for protection.

I love the sound of Addivtive keys upright piano - but it is single sampled and have not managed to get a good emulation of soft touched keys.

Thanks for any input.

[EvilDragon]

UVI uses iLok.

[lfm]

Thanks.

But the player does not seem to by itself - at least it says "None" about protection at their KVR entry.
http://www.kvraudio.com/product/uvi-wor ... vi/details

Their own products though seem to require iLok account, even if the soft one.
And some I found among 3rd party the use UVI engine that also use iLok.

If possible I would not have these protection softwares on my machine.
I might have to fold on that eventually, I don't know.

[EvilDragon]

The player itself doesn't, but most of libraries for it do.

I would suggest you to check out Pianoteq demo... it doesn't use any kind of dongle-based authorization, and Modartt is quite lenient regarding number of activations. Their support is top-notch.

[dwozzle]

While most UVI libs do require an iLok account, they don't need a hardware dongle, if that's your concern, as it is for me (laptop with limited USB ports, and I don't want to pay for it). I have a small number of iLok-ed products, including the UVI Piano Collection, and iLok has never been a problem for me. It's no different in principle than Waves or NI copy protection, except that iLok allows the possibility of storing your licenses on a hardware key. If you're a freelancer or someone else who works on a lot of different computer systems, that's a convenient option.

The UVI Piano Collection is pretty good IMO, especially the Fazioli, which is pretty great. EvilDrgon's Pianoteq recommendation is right on too. Their base level Pianoteq Stage is very good, and reasonably priced. (Best price I know of at the moment is JRR Shop, with coupon 'group'.) if you need more flexibility and control, they have fancier options, for significantly more money.

[dwozzle]

Forgot to say that the UVI player itself is pretty good. There are nowhere as many libraries available for it as for Kontakt, more from UVI than other developers I think, but it's a quality piece. It's the engine behind MOTU's Mach 5 player, which is quite well respected.

[lfm]

The player itself doesn't, but most of libraries for it do.

I would suggest you to check out Pianoteq demo... it doesn't use any kind of dongle-based authorization, and Modartt is quite lenient regarding number of activations. Their support is top-notch.

Demo is a good idea. Guess that there should not be a problem making all dry sounds since algorithmic emulation stuff. Might extend budget a bit and get a standard or pro.

Maintenance is important - many fail there.

I look at this place having a real shootout on pianos - but a bit outdated now I think.

http://www.purgatorycreek.com/documents/25.html

Go on top tabs to select another category.

[EvilDragon]

Yes, you can completely disable the reverb, but more importantly - if you stretch for Standard version, you can POSITION THE MICS wherever you want. You can get a really close mic'd sound this way. Here's an audio example of that, IMHO an excellent showcase for Pianoteq being used in something other than classical music context:

https://pianoteq.com/audio/d4/Jan%20Fra ... huizen.mp3


Yep, Purgatory Creek is quite outdated, it's missing two last Pianoteq versions, and then some.

[lfm]

I listened to the demo Natural and the sound is magnificent.

But this is probably something for the €650 version custom custom.

Burned my fingers a bit on buying these emulators from Wallander Orchestral Brass - and even standard version was so limited, and manual did not separate what was in which version - so suprise after surprice finding all restrictions in there. Demo is usually on most expensive product and that is what you find you have to spend another $300 from the $400 already spent. Only one instrument output on standard version, no saxophones in brass setup, but demo had brass, you have to get woodwinds selection for yet another $300 etc.

So you are at $1000 before being done - and you feel tricked.

If demo here really show what you get would be nice. But it's bit pricey, really. I know I want control. Mike setup are minimum. $519 for Pro at AudioDeluxe.

[ImNotDedYet]

I listened to the demo Natural and the sound is magnificent.

But this is probably something for the €650 version custom custom.

Burned my fingers a bit on buying these emulators from Wallander Orchestral Brass - and even standard version was so limited, and manual did not separate what was in which version - so suprise after surprice finding all restrictions in there. Demo is usually on most expensive product and that is what you find you have to spend another $300 from the $400 already spent. Only one instrument output on standard version, no saxophones in brass setup, but demo had brass, you have to get woodwinds selection for yet another $300 etc.

So you are at $1000 before being done - and you feel tricked.

If demo here really show what you get would be nice. But it's bit pricey, really. I know I want control. Mike setup are minimum. $519 for Pro at AudioDeluxe.

You'd likely be fine with the standard version at $319 USD. Not a whole lot of difference between Standard and Pro (up to 192kHz audio and note per note edit where you can modify 28 parameters per note which seemed like overkill to me) Plus, if you buy now, you get an additional piano sound add on. Mic setup, external verb, and piano model tweaking are all included in standard. Sound is fantastic on this. Definitely recommended. I don't touch anything else piano-wise anymore.

[lfm]

You'd likely be fine with the standard version at $319 USD. Not a whole lot of difference between Standard and Pro (up to 192kHz audio and note per note edit where you can modify 28 parameters per note which seemed like overkill to me) Plus, if you buy now, you get an additional piano sound add on. Mic setup, external verb, and piano model tweaking are all included in standard. Sound is fantastic on this. Definitely recommended. I don't touch anything else piano-wise anymore.

Thanks.
Good to hear that standard is pretty good tweakingwise.
I will check manual still - not to get burned again.

This kind of setup really push you towards Pro-version.
The extra models(addons) must be presets really, isn't it?
Pro version can tweak anything into these models as well, or?
And $60 for each preset you soon payed for Pro anyway.

But really lovely sounding, if standard model can do that too. It said U4 preset and custom stuff on the demo of Natural. Have to check manual what that means.

[kbaccki]

While most UVI libs do require an iLok account, they don't need a hardware dongle,

And just to reiterate/clarify... Pace protection now includes both iLok physical dongle and computer-based authorization... I believe pace gives u 3 simultaneous computer authorizations ( though this number may be vendor specific), and I'm not sure whether or not you can mix and match computer auth w/ physical dongle auth... IOW, to auth a computer, may have to remove license from dongle first, now sure. Also, whether or not a product allows dongle+computer is up to the vendor. The 3 UVI content vendors I use do allow both, Slate for example only allows dongle.

On the UVI engine front, I've been using much of its sample/synth/effects capabilities recently w/ Gospel Musicians' "Pure Synth Platinum", which is a UVI-based hybrid workstation product... Impressed with the UVI features and performance, most definitely. BTW, mach5 engine is a version or so behind UVI Workstation engine.

RE: pianos... Lots of good options... For UVI specifically, take a look at AcousticSamples... Particularly the Kawai EX Pro and Old Black Grand. The new C7 is decent as well, and I still use AcademicGrand, which is one of their original products. AcousticSamples does a bunch of the factory content for mach5, BTW. Unfortunately you just missed their summer sale (ended yesterday?).. But they'll have another 'round holiday season. Certainly no reason to rush into these products given the $$$, so maybe good u didn't catch a sale in the last few hours...

[EvilDragon]

The extra models(addons) must be presets really, isn't it?
Pro version can tweak anything into these models as well, or?

No, you cannot. Extra models (of which some are free) are really different in the back-end of things, you cannot get from one model to another just by tweaking the available Pianoteq parameters.

The good thing is that the pricing is well thought out and staged. To upgrade from Standard to Pro, you only need to pay the price difference between them. I think that's fair.

But really lovely sounding, if standard model can do that too. It said U4 preset and custom stuff on the demo of Natural. Have to check manual what that means.

That just means that whoever played the demo used the U4 model (which is a separate purchase, but you get a demo version of ALL add-ons when you install Pianoteq - they time out after 15 minutes and 8 keys are silent, which is I think a fair trial mode), and some custom plugins for effects (reverb, compression, EQ, whatever).

[lfm]

That just means that whoever played the demo used the U4 model (which is a separate purchase

Thanks again for support.
I really thought I would be able to choose anything, but U4 was not part of standard compulsory(is that the word) pack.

I checked the store at Pianoteq and see if I could choose the U4 as the extra pack, and I could.

Store showed "store is down" most of the time, but eventually I came through.

Also looked at AudioDeluxe and it was €10 more expensive having to buy the U4 separately there - not part of this campaign out at retailers it seems.

So there is no rush really to go with Sept 15th campaign.

Studied manual and info
- and some things I don't like - policy that Stage version does not load part of presets bought fully. Only parameters supported to be tweak in that version which is close to none.

Something is wrong with this picture regarding policy against customers. That engine on Stage version is not loading and sound worse.

Less tweaking is enough punishedment as I see it. You buy an addon for same price as anybody else but don't get all parameters into your engine.


- some I do like, like std version can load presets made with Pro version without limitation. So if there is some sharing going on one could benefit fully from that. I don't know how that works - I hope with same licensed instrument one can share share presets for it.


Some things I do not understand - why is standard version able to tweak something like unison width and string length - but you cannot on note by note basis. What good is that? I read that as you can make instrument overall adjustments only.

Some odd thinking fellows at Pianoteq as I see it. But liking the product, the licensing policy and I want to support them since you also shared they are good people to deal with.

Maybe I should change title of this thread to Pianoteq something,

[ImNotDedYet]

Keep in mind with the purchase, you get your choice of one of three packs, but if you purchase now you also get another pack. So, as part of the purchase, you could get the Acoustic piano which contains the D4 and K2. I also picked up the electric pianos for the Wurlitzer and Rhodes emulations which are fantastic as well as the Bluthner.

If you're looking for straight pianos, I'd go with the Acoustic piano package with the purchase (D4 and K2) and pick up the Blutner as your freebie for buying now.

And as EvilDragon mentioned, there are also a number of freebies as well as demos of all the sounds available.