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found this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyPhdwO2BFI

the piano sounds nice in it

That's great - I think it would help if you made it clear in your specs that the layers are blended. (apologies in advance if it's there and I missed it though)

Greg.

Well as i explained in this topic, this is part of the upgrade. You can now control everything precisely and you were not able before.



There are a few posts about it and even comparisons.

Yes, it will be adde soon, i think at the same time we will ad other features to it (sympathetic resonances should be part of the update )

It sounds fantastic. That's exactly the type of piano sound I like. I wouldn't have guessed that it was the Acoustic Samples Kawai though - I thought the A.S sound was bolder and brighter. (I know that it says that it is, and I believe them, though)

Greg.

I wonder if my technique is just primitive--- but I never use half-pedaling at all, not with the DP and not with the RX. Yet it seems to be such a big issue on this forum, and comes in for harsh criticism where it is not supported.

Do you really use it? I either pedal, or I don't.

not having half pedal doesn't bother me. I can use a DP either way. That being said my last 2 pianos have had it - but not a deal breaker for me... I'm really just an amateur player - I concentrate on getting something with a nice resonant tone - that is the most important part to me.

The big one for me is "re-pedalling". (and I think the ONLY software piano I have that does this is Pianoteq, but I don't have any of the more common sampled ones that are often discussed here. I have EWQLP which is a well known one, but not often discussed ;^) Without re-pedalling, I have to be ultra precise with the sustain pedal to avoid notes being cut off, due to the pedal being pressed just after the note is released. With re-pedalling, the fact that the note does not die away completely by the time the pedal is played is taken into account, so the note still rings, but with a possibly reduced level.

Greg.

I think it's actually the other way around. Perhaps your pedaling is precise enough that you don't have a problem with the lack of pedal. When I play I barely push the pedal past the point of engaging and then never lift it up all the way either. On an acoustic this saves me the trouble of a thump if it goes too far.

On a digital, though, I have the pedal close enough to the border between engaged and not engaged that it accidentally trips one way or the other, sometimes in a very noticeable fashion. Partial pedal gives me a little leeway in which if I don't move the pedal quite as much as I intend, I still get a reasonable sound. This is particularly important because there is no tactile evidence that you are at the border of the dampers (dis)engaging.

Another possible problem with lack of half pedal (depends on how they design the release samples) is that releasing the pedal when there is no half pedal can lead to an unnaturally abrupt end to the sound. That's very implementation-dependent, though. I don't recall this being much of an issue with my old digital, but it was an issue for me playing Ivory 1.

Anyway, what I'm saying is that you don't have to be consciously intending to use half-pedal in order for it to be helpful and even important. Just wondering (not meaning to doubt you) but have you played any digitals without half pedal? I find them nearly unplayable.

The modern VST's (at least galaxy and ivory) should support repedaling just fine. As far as I know PianoTeq was first with this, but anything I'd consider "current" has it. I don't consider EWQL or the Kawai EX library discussed here to be current because they don't have current technology in them.

sulli: Vintage D has re-pedaling, as do Galaxy's Steinway and Vienna Grand.

Also, I agree about the half-pedaling. I really need it. My (older) version of the Kawai lacks that, and I suffer for it. It also lacks "room" (reverb). Maybe Santa will bring me the new version, which has both? I've been extra good this year!

MacMacMac: Thanks, and yes, I thought so. I have two digital pianos, and they both do it too - a modern Casio PX-330, and a very old Kawai MP9000. ;^)

Greg.

Is it just my ears/equipment or do these Kawai demos sound rather bright, reminiscent of a Yamaha?

Yes, and that's a good thing IMHO.

Greg.

Yes, especially if your style is of the pop/rock type. But sometimes solo piano is better on a more mellow grand like a Steinway. Though I think we all agree there are a few too many sampled Steinways out there. ;P

Based on the variety of characteristics in all of the Steinway sampled piano software available it is not the source piano as much as the way it is recorded, treated and packaged in software that differentiates the plug-in. You cannot use merely a Steinway piano source as the barometer for choosing between the Steinways and any other piano plug-in..

I've read that Steinways themselves can vary quite a bit, even within groups of new ones emerging fresh from the factory.

Hey Guys! I went and bought an iLok today and just payed for the Kawai EX PRO.... I already registered the serial number so its on the iLok dongle. I downloaded the files (on my MAC) but I am unable to do anything with them. (i.e... Extract them) Are these files PC only? I didn't see that anywhere?

Use RAR Expander for Mac to decompress the sequenced RAR files.

Thanks, missed the Expander download.... Now if I could just get the file to download into a folder instead of opening up in another window, which does nothing, I would be set... I have been having that problem for a while and tried all the settings and I can't figure it out. Frustrating


Edit: Went to the direct site I got it!

Wow this is a nightmare! After downloading the expander I had to re-dowload all the files. I have extracted the 1st of 5 files and the second one gave me an error so I am having to wait while it downloads again. Haaaaa. :-(