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  4. Your Thoughts On The (Small) Bosendorfer?

  • Your Thoughts On The (Small) Bosendorfer?

    S
    S

    I have been demoing the old (small) Bosendorfer (thanks Paul!) My budget can't handle the new Imperial.

    I asked for a demo because the sampled pianos I have, which sound -fine- for pop/rock/jazz just didn't sound -big- enough to match with orchestral writing.

    So far, I'm thinking of that old phrase, 'Be careful what you wish for.' Contrary to another thread here, I was -instantly-surprised by the -huge- bass of this piano. Not having -played- a real Bosendorfer in perhaps 20 years I don't know how representative it is, but I'm having trouble getting this thing to blend because now there's too -much- bass. I'm wondering if others have noticed this.

    IOW: The Bosendorfer (again -small-) sounds great soloed. The top is a little less 'full' ... perhaps more 'bell like' than a Steinway (I always think of the octave above middle C on a Steinway as being like orchestral chimes--the best) But the overall clarity is just great. I'm not a great pianist, but you can -really- hear all the individual voices even in some dense Chopin.

    But then when I try to match it to Chamber Strings, it kind of overwhelms them (close mics) or gets lost (distant mics) Maybe I need to re-record the performances, but before the demo times out I was wondering if this is just -me-... perhaps there are some tips on blending. Or maybe it's just more of a solo-oriented lib?

    TIA,

    ---JC

  • M
    M

    Suntower,

    Without the proper mix, Bosendorfer's or any other Concert Grand, can overwhelm many an orchestral section.
  • S
    S

    Perhaps. As I tried to indicate, it has a -beautiful- sound. Quite different from the 'Steinway' I have in my head, but truly -grand- in every sense of the word. I just tried it on some existing MIDI and it was overwhelming.

    I'm sure if I re-played everything I had in mind it would be fine. I guess I should know by now---you can't just 'replace' sample libs on MIDI. You really gotta 'play the lib'.

    ---JC
  • M
    M

    I don't know how long the piece is, but remixing including velocity changes could help.

    Replaying is always best, but what if you someday find yourself in a similar situation with a piece you didn't play?

    Try remixing the Bosendorfer, the result may surprise you.