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- Vi Labs Ravenscroft 275 Free Download For Mac
- Ravenscroft 275 Mac
- Vi Labs Ravenscroft 275 Free Download For Mac Osx
- Vi Labs Ravenscroft 275
- Vi Labs Ravenscroft 275 Free Download For Mac Download
Stan Stewart compares 4 'pianos': SonicCouture Hammersmith Pro, Synthogy Ivory 7-foot grand, VI Lab Ravenscroft 275 & Embertone 1955 Steinway Strange Inspiration & Playing with Resilience - @muz4now Resilience - taking inspiration for piano improvisations from a car wreck seems like a strange place to find the muse. At VI Labs we believe that some instruments truly can inspire and take your creativity to new levels. Ravenscroft 275 is one of these rare instruments. This one-of-a-kind concert grand has been recreated using nearly 17,000 samples and 4 discrete microphones, controlled from an easy to use interface. Purchased the Ravenscroft 275 program for $99 Obtained an account on the UVI Labs website and an account on iLok. I was able to successfully authorize the serial number and register it on the UVI Labs website I got the download link for Ravenscroft 275 and began downloading it. At the same time as instructed I was able to download the workstation.
When recording a great piano in the studio, you want options. Versatility in microphone setups is needed to cover any playing style or mix without being limited to one basic tone. Plus the microphone selection and placement in and around the piano affect the stereo image and what tonal aspects of the piano are being recorded.
The four discrete phase-aligned mic setups of the Ravenscroft 275 accurately capture its unique voice in exquisite detail and can be used individually or mixed in any way. World-class mics and preamps were used throughout. Tones from close and intimate, diffuse and distant, warm or brilliant, all can be acheived with one or more of these mics. Load the samples you want and activate or deactivate mics without having to unload and reload the samples. This is the Ravenscroft 275 virtual piano studio.
The four discrete phase-aligned mic setups of the Ravenscroft 275 accurately capture its unique voice in exquisite detail and can be used individually or mixed in any way. World-class mics and preamps were used throughout. Tones from close and intimate, diffuse and distant, warm or brilliant, all can be acheived with one or more of these mics. Load the samples you want and activate or deactivate mics without having to unload and reload the samples. This is the Ravenscroft 275 virtual piano studio.
The Main control panel features the Mic selection and mixing section center stage. Loading microphones is quick and easy while memory usage remains very reasonable. Adjust the mic's volume with the slider and shut the mic off with its power switch. If a mic is loaded but deactivated by switching it off, no polyphony is used and system resources are conserved. Much time is also saved by not having to unload and reload mic samples letting you have quicker access to all the mics at once.
The microphone selection and setups were chosen for their variety of use, the character of the piano we wanted to capture as well as how they compliment one another when mixing.
CLOSE: A mix of mics inside the piano placed over the strings and hammers that capture a punchy detailed tone with a big stereo image. Great for pop/modern playing and hold up well in any mix.
PLAYER: A stereo pair of mics that capture the sound heard sitting at the keys and pick up more of the hammer attack. More distant than Close mics, they're great for classical and player's perspective while also mixing well with other mics.
SIDE: A mid-side vintage U87 setup right outside the rim that capture a balance of warmth and detail with a more focused image. Great for jazz and classical and blend well with other mics to add more room or detail. Side mics are also fully mono-capable due to the nature of mid-side.
ROOM: A mix of mics away from the piano that capture the complete instrument along with the room characteristics. Great for classical and for the unique perspective of the room sound and work great blended with any other mics.
What is the best affordable digital piano you can get from a pianists perspective? And how real can it get?
A few words to my background. I started making music when I was about 5 years old on a bontempi hit organ. Some years later I got a real piano, a Rud IBach & Sohn. Even if there were some missing keys and that muffled honkeytonk sound, I fell in loved with it. Later this piano was replaced by a Yamaha piano that came with a crystal clear sound.
The first keyboard I played (in a school band) was the Kawai K1. But even though this Keyboard was really state of the art, the piano sound was quite unconvincing. How ever I still like the keyboard as controller. Touch sensitive keys with aftertouch and two wheels makes it a fantastic controller. Also if you like the sounds of 80’s you could still use some of the really nice sounds.
My first digital piano experience was in the mid 90’s. I did an internship in a german music store and started burning for two devices. It was the Roland FP-8, a stage piano with emulated hammer mechanics and the KORG 01/W as sound generator.
I am still using the Roland FP-8 for my piano recordings, but since the sound of that device is a bit out dated I am now using software sound generators instead.
But what is really the best of the best you can get, and further more, how real can it get?
If I learned one thing during my research, there is really a huge pricing range for digital pianos and virtual piano software. You might starting from $99 for a virtual piano software and going up to six digit numbers for a digital grand piano that looks like a real grand piano. I will focus a price range that is affordable, which means it should be less than $2000.
You should spend the most of your budget for a great keyboard action controller. If your budget is quite small, you should consider buying used ones.
Here is a list of different controllers, that I could recommend
Roland FP-8
![Vi Labs Ravenscroft 275 Free Download For Mac Vi Labs Ravenscroft 275 Free Download For Mac](https://cleverworkshop725.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/5/3/125383995/206904752.png)
- Used price: $500
- 88 weighted hammer keys
- digital sustain pedal
- jack to connect an expression pedal
- Sound: it is ok for pop music, but I would recommend another sound generator
The keyboard is ok for that price. And if you are starting with playing you would be totally fine with this one. How ever the keyboard is quite loud when playing. The keys are not made of wood and no ivory feeling, so it is not quite the same as playing on a real piano. But the emulated hammer mechanics is nod too bad, and this piano is better as most of the weighted keys keyboards out there.
I have tried and failed to use the expression jack with a half-pedal capable pedal. However, you could use a MIDI Expression Controller (see below) to get all pedal data you need.
Roland RD-800
- Price: $2000
- 88 weighed hammer keys (PHA-4)
- Pedals
- Damper (half-pedal recognition)
- Soft (half-pedal recognition, function assignable)
- Sostenuto (function assignable)
I never played this one, but I have read some articles and saw some youtube videos where they recommend this thing as the cheapest really like piano feeling keyboard. How ever, if considering the factory price, I would definitely prefer the KAWAI-VPC1
Roland V-Piano
- Price: $6000
- 88 wooden keys (PHA III Ivory Feel with Escapement)
- Pedals
- Damper (half-pedal recognition)
- Soft (half-pedal recognition, function assignable)
- Sostenuto (function assignable)
- using no samples, the sound is calculated with 4 DSP processors (2 actually used for effects)
This piano is definitely a dream. It is out of the price range, so keep on dreaming. How ever. The keyboard should be absolute freaking cool, and I love the idea of not using sample data at all. This should lead to a really high expression control. How ever, in my humble opinion even the best examples still sound a bit “digital”.
KAWAI MP-7
- Price: $1700
- RH2 wooden keys
- Tripple Sensor
- Pedals
- Damper (half-pedal recognition)
- Soft (half-pedal recognition, function assignable)
- Sostenuto (function assignable)
The Kawai MP Series is really great.
KAWAI MP-11
- Price: $2500
- Grand Feel (GF) Tastatur
- Tripple Sensor
- Pedals
- Damper (half-pedal recognition)
- Soft (half-pedal recognition, function assignable)
- Sostenuto (function assignable)
The KAWAI MP-11 has the longest and most realistic keyboard in this list. The wooden keys have the same pivot distance like a real grand piano. Check out the video from PianoManChuck
KAWAI VPC-1
- Price: $1500
- RM3 GRAND II Keyboard, full wooden keys
- Tripple Sensor
- Pedals
- Damper (half-pedal recognition)
- Soft (half-pedal recognition, function assignable)
- Sostenuto (function assignable)
If you cannot afford a KAWAI MP-11 I would recommend a KAWAI VPC-1 as a controller. The keys are slightly shorter than those from the MP-11, but it is still really really great. And the price is just amazingly low!
Yamaha and KAWAI actually build real pianos, too. I don’t know if this is more a psychologic thing, but I think this matters when buying a keyboard that should have a convincing feel of a real grand piano.
Once you own a great keyboard action, the second important thing is a great sound generator. If you are not happy with the installed sound of your keyboard you could get a better one generated via software on your PC. So called virtual pianos or software pianos are not as expensive as the keyboards above, but some of those need a relatively strong PC hardware, lots of memory. And some of them need other Software to run with (like Kontakt, which is quite expensive).
So I have collected a small list of some virtual pianos including depended software and hardware restrictions.
Synthogy Ivory II Grand Pianos
- Price: $330
- Recommended Hardware
- 2.5 GHz Dual Core PowerPC G5 or 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU
- 2 GB RAM
- 77 GB free hard drive space
Synthogy Ivory II American Concert D
- Price: $190
- Recommended Hardware
- 2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo CPU
- 2 GB RAM
- 49 GB (46 GiB) free hard drive space (Ivory II American Concert D)
- Hard drive speed of at least 7200 RPM
- DVD ROM drive for installation
- iLok key (not included)
Steinberg The Grand 3
- Price: $250
- 3 grand pianos
- 1 upright piano
- 1 Wurlitzer
- Key locker needed (+$35)
Personally I like the upright piano from “The Grand 3”. The Bösendorfer Imperial is also a great piano, but there is a broken “key release” sample that produces a crack in the sound. I reported that bug already, but unfortunately Steinberg seems not to read their bug reports.
VI Labs Ravenscroft 275
- Price: $199
- Recommended Hardware
- 6Gb installed in lossless flac format (35Gb uncompressed).
- Minimum system requirements: Intel Core 2 Duo System
- 7200rpm drive (SSD is preferred for best performance)
- 4GB of RAM Suggested
- Supports RTAS, VST, AAX and AU Plug-in formats
- UVI Workstation 2.5.8 or greater (Download Free) or MachFive 3.2.1
- Tone Control & Convolution Reverb built-in
- Standalone or plug-in operation modes
- Full mix control of 4 stereo microphone positions.
- Full samples, no loops
Imperfect Samples Steinway Walnut Grand
- Price: $200 (extreme edition for $300)
- 3 mic perspectives
- 16 layers
- 30GB samples
- Additional Noise samples
- Requires the the non free Kontakt 4/5 (Kontakt Player will not work)
I really like this piano and its natural and intimate sound. How ever, the downside of this library is that some samples are not quite balanced. When hitting a key with random intensity, you can hear when different samples get used.
Native instruments Alicia’s Keys
- Price: $110
- 17 GB Samples
- 12 layers
Vi Labs Ravenscroft 275 Free Download For Mac
PianoTeq 5 Standard
- Price: $280
- D4 & K2 Piano
Galaxy Instruments Galaxy II
- Price: $290
- Three world class grand pianos
- Galaxy Steinway 5.1 (Steinway D in 5.1 surround and stereo)
- Vienna Grand Imperial (96 Key Bösendorfer with incredible low end)
- 1929 German Baby Grand (Vintage Blüthner with a beautiful singing tone)
- More than 6,000 samples in 24 bit (30GB/18GB with sample compression)
- 13 modeled velocity zones for a wide and smooth dynamic range
- Additional resonance, release and noise samples
- Chromatic and multiple velocity resonance and release samples
- Multi velocity pedal, damper, hammer and string noises
- Real una corda samples
- Real overtones Powered by the Kontakt Player 4 engine
- True half pedaling when using a continuous sustain pedal
- True repedaling and sostenuto
- Noises dynamically playable with a continuous sustain pedal
- Sympathetic string resonance with real overtones
- Convolution reverb with many different types of rooms, concert halls and ambience
Apple Logic Pro X
- Price: $200
Steinberg Cubase
- Elements 8
- Price: $99
- Artist 8
- Price: $299
- Pro 8
- Price: $615
Native-Instruments
- Kontakt 5 Player
- Price: Free
- Kontakt 5
- Price: $450
- Komplete 10 (Bundle with 39 instruments, including Kontakt 5)
- Price: $560
Cakewalk Sonar
- Artist
- Price: $99
- Professional
- Price: $199
- Platinum
- Price: $499
- Audio Interfaces (Latency comparison: Link)
- Terratec Dmx 6 fire
- Price: $390
- Focusrite Saffire 6 USB
- Price: $199
- 2ms latency
- Terratec Dmx 6 fire
- Audiofront MIDI expression usb
- Price: $49 (1x input) $119 (4x input)
- Converts expression inputs via USB to MIDI signals
- Pedal Roland DP-10
- Price: $45
- supports half-pedaling
As controller I would definitely recommend the KAWAI VPC1, which is probably the best keyboard action you can get for under $2000. As sound generator I would recommend the Ravenscroft 275. If you already owned Kontakt 5 and still have another $200 to spend, the Imperfect Samples Steinberg Walnut Grand is really a nice thing.
Ravenscroft 275 Mac
When using sound generators you need a low latency audio hardware. The built-in devices of modern PCs will not be suitable. I would recommend external audio hardware, these can be also used for laptops,too. A relatively low latency audio hardware is the Focusrite Saffire 6.
If using a software piano, you should consider having a four core computer with at least 8 GB RAM and 256GB SDD. If you want to have several piano libraries installed you should consider buying a 512GB SSD instead)
On a MAC you probably want to use Apple Logic Pro X to record / arrange / compose your music. On a PC I would recommend using Steinberg Cubase.
If your piano does not support half-pedaling, you could buy an Audiofront Midi Expression USB to midi converter, and connect a Roland-DP10 to it. If you need sustenuto and soft pedals as well than buying a Midi Expression USB converter with four inputs would be useful.
Scenario 1 : You already have a PC
If you already have a fast PC, or you wanted to buy a new pc anyway, than this scenario could be just the right one for you. You will get a nearly perfect solution for under $2000.
- KAWAI VPC1 $1500
- vi lab studio Ravenscroft 275 $199
- Focusrite Saffire 6 USB $199
Scenario 2 : You don’t have a PC
If you don’t have a PC, you could considering buying one for $500 – $1000 or you depending on how much money you can spend you could buy the KAWAI MP7 or MP11. The sound is maybe not perfect, but still very good. Also if you will have more money to spend in the future, you could buy an additional sound generator some when later.
- KAWAI MP7 $1700
- KAWAI MP11 $2500
Scenario 3 : You don’t have a PC but you want everything and you want to spend < $5000
If you do want some more virtual piano sounds, e.g. the Imperfect samples you have to buy additional software such as Kontakt 5. I would recommend to buy Komplete 10, it is just an additional $110 for 38 more instruments! Also you might want to have a software for recording, editing and composing, such as Logic or Cubase. You should prepare for a lot of money to spend. But you don’t have to spend it all at once.
Vi Labs Ravenscroft 275 Free Download For Mac Osx
- Step 1 ($1500 for a PC)
- Windows PC or MacBook Pro ~$1500
- 8GB RAM
- 512 GB SSD
- i7 Quad-Core CPU
- Windows PC or MacBook Pro ~$1500
- Step 2 ($2000 for Keyboard Action, Sound Generator and Sound-Card)
- KAWAI VPC1 $1500
- vi lab studio Ravenscroft 275 $199
- Focusrite Saffire 6 USB $199
- Step 3 ($800 for a bunch of Instruments)
- Native Instruments Komplete 10 $560
- Imperfect Samples Steinway Walnut Grand Complete $199
- Step 4 ($200-$300 for IDE)
- Apple Logic Audio Pro X $199
- or Steinberg Cubase Artist $299
Vi Labs Ravenscroft 275
Reading an article about keyboard action is like tasting the pan cakes some one else is talking about. If you got hungry, my work is done. You should really go to stores and play those keyboards to get an idea of what you want to buy. There is also a german web site where you can try some of the above mentioned virtual instruments for free: Best Service Try Sound.
Vi Labs Ravenscroft 275 Free Download For Mac Download
Please feel free to write comments below. I am also interested in formation about digital pianos from Yamaha. Is there a special one that should be mentioned here?