Software Eighty-Eights

Oct 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Charlie Otwell, Marshall Otwell, and Len Sasso

Steinway to Steinway

In order to compare the three Steinway Concert Ds, we inserted them simultaneously as plug-ins in Ableton Live 5 and switched back and forth as needed. Marshall noted that the Akoustik Steinway was in the best tune of all the pianos we tried. The Ivory Steinway seems to have some breaks and is not quite as playable as the Akoustik. Charlie chimed in that the Ivory is not as smooth, calling it “a little too touchy.” Setting the Ivory's Velocity curve to the Hard 1 preset, which is slightly concave, and dialing the Hardness knob to -20 percent made it smoother and easier to play. But in the end, the nod goes to the Akoustik, which was our favorite of all the pianos we tested.

Not surprisingly, the Galaxy Steinway doesn't have the resonance and definition of the other two. But it is playable and even across the note range. It is well sampled and nicely regulated but just not a great sound. It does mellow out nicely for soft playing, and the Velocity zones do capture the timbral changes you want. The absence of sustain-pedal-down samples is noticeable, especially in contrast to the other two Steinways. But this is definitely a playable piano; it's the only 5.1 surround version available; and at about $200, it's not overpriced.

Bösendorfer to Bösendorfer

The Ivory Bösendorfer was our favorite of the three, with the Akoustik Bösendorfer coming in a close second. The Akoustik seemed a little brittle or thin at times, but it was not a glaring problem and might even be preferable for early classical material.

The Ivory, on the other hand, had a huge sound and would certainly be the pick to cut through a heavy orchestration as well as for percussive material and more modern classical. The EastWest also fits well in an orchestral setting, but it might be out of place in a small group or solo context.

The MIDI Session

We finished up with a session listening to short MIDI clips we'd made: a little stride; a little gospel; an excerpt from the Chopin Fantasy in F Minor, op. 49; a Latin montuno; and a series of cluster chords. This gave us an opportunity to sit back and listen to each piano and to more precisely compare them. The Web Clips accompanying this article were made from the same MIDI files.

On the Chopin, the melody came out best with the Akoustik Steinway and Bösendorfer. But we were surprised how nice the Chopin also sounded on the Art Vista VGP. The Galaxy Steinway brought out the melody, but Charlie thought it was a little too brittle. Charlie also liked the Chopin played on the Akoustik upright, partly because he practiced the piece on an upright.

The stride and gospel sounded good on all the pianos but really punched through on the Galaxy Steinway. Charlie thought it sounded nice and funky on the Akoustik Bösendorfer, and Marshall commented that the inner voices really sounded like they should.

The hit for the Latin material was the Ivory Steinway, prompting Charlie to say that it “sounds just like a Poncho Sanchez recording.” The Akoustik Steinway and Bechstein gave it a nice, bright flair, and the slightly out-of-tune character of the Steingraeber upright added its own interest. The Art Vista VGP and the Galaxy Steinway also sounded good, and this was one case in which the Bright Sound setting on Model 2 of The Grand 2 really punched through.

The naked cluster chords were probably the most revealing of the differences between these pianos. They were clear and crisp on all the Steinways and Bösendorfers; however, the close-miking issues with the EastWest Bösendorfer again stood out. On the Steingraeber upright, they really brought out the differences arising from having a vertical soundboard and dampers.

Coda

You won't go wrong with any of these pianos. The standouts are clearly Native Instruments Akoustik Piano and Synthogy Ivory. The choice between them is largely a matter of personal taste, although all three of us preferred Akoustik Piano. Both packages are full-featured and offer excellent sound quality. Steinberg The Grand 2, although not as versatile as Akoustik or Ivory, does provide a variety of sounds and an interface customized for piano settings.

Each of the three single-instrument packages has its place in the mix. If you want a budget piano that can do it all, Art Vista Virtual Grand Piano is it. If you want surround, Best Service Galaxy Steinway 5.1 is your only choice among our contenders, and the simplicity of using a single multisample has its upside. EastWest Bösendorfer 290 has the biggest and most ambient sound of these three, and although not part of our testing, the distant-miked samples are a nice inclusion.

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Charlie Otwell is a pianist and teacher in Orange County, California. He was pianist and musical director for Poncho Sanchez for many years. Marshall Otwell is a pianist in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has toured extensively, most notably as Carmen McRae's pianist and musical director. Len Sasso is an associate editor of EM and a closet pianist.

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