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The on board acoustic piano sounds of my Casio PX-110 are pretty bad, even when played through external powered speakers (Yamaha YST-M50). I am now exploring the possibility of using my XP laptop computer with piano sample software. The computer has 2GB memory and 1.66 GHz processor. The computer has Cubase installed. I am soliciting your recommendations for piano sample software that would work adequately for live informal performances using this computer. Even old versions of software products would be fine as long as they sounded decent and latency was tolerable. I am most interested in acoustic grand sounds. Less expensive is good. Thanks.

The clock speed of the processor is not enough information to get an idea of its performance. For example a 1.66 Ghz atom laptop can play almost no current software piano adequately. On the other hand a recent multicore desktop processor at this speed (assuming there is one) would do fine with many products. Most ordinary laptop processors would be somewhere in between and therefore very marginal.

Pianoteq 4 has demo version which you can download. There are few keys disabled but other than that it is fully functional.

glen: It sounds as though you're seeing exactly what I saw in years past: The piano sounds are poor, and the recommendations for piano libraries promise a fix. So that's what I did.

Your 1.66 GHz CPU speed is similar to my wife's netbook. But hers is running Windows 7, and it's VERY SLOOOOOW. Not suitable for piano usage. It's barely adequate for surf and email.

But I run the piano quite successfully on a 1.7 GHz Core Duo laptop running Windows XP. XP is much lighter on resource consumption than Windows 7, and it's adequate to the task.

You have "only" 2 GB RAM. But for me that's quite adequate under XP. I load up four or five pianos at once so that I can instantly switch from one to another (or play two of them together). And 2 GB is still adequate. (I don't think it has the ooomph to do the multi-track synthesis, mixing, and editing that some people like to do. But for "just playing piano" it's fine.)

I'm not able to make any detailed evaluation of your PC. But if it's a normal laptop, it just might be okay for this purpose. If it's a netbook, then (as gvfarns suggests) it's doubtful.

The processor in this laptop computer is Intel Core Duo Processor T2300 (2M Cache, 1.66 GHz, 667 MHz FSB)

Which product or products do you recommend for my computer? Thanks.

It's kind of marginal but will probably work with a normal VST like Galaxy. Before shelling out for that, try a couple of the free trials like True Pianos, PianoTeq, and Pianissimo. If they all work ok, get Galaxy Vintage D. If not, get a new computer.

Also, assuming you don't have an ASIO soundcard, you might like to install Asio4all to reduce latency. http://www.asio4all.com/

This Sampletekk Black Kontakt piano is half price at the moment http://www.sampletekk.com/proddetail.php?prod=STDELIVER-039-KONT . I didn't love it at first, but after adding a bit of eq here and there I quite like it now. The piano it was sampled from has a few imperfections, but I've grown to like these and see them as "character".

Yep, I agree with gvfarns. I would only add that you ought not be discouraged by the sound of those pianos (True Pianos, Pianissimo, Pianoteq). Use them to test your equipment capability because they have free demos, but don't judge piano libraries by those alone. There are better ones. I like the Galaxy series much better.

Yes, if you're relying on the onboard audio, ASIO4ALL is essential in order to reduce latency (under Windows, at least).

Cheers,
James
x

I had some difficulty with Truepianos, but I think it was the USB interface hub I was using. Tascam US-800. It was deeply discounted when I bought it, and now I understand why. Flaky Windows driver I have read in other discussion groups and reviews. Pianoteq and Pianissimo worked well with smallish buffer sizes, with no noticeable latency. I had fun with them. Frustration with Truepianos. I'll give Truepianos another try tomorrow (later today actually).

Why not upgrade the computer ?? Budget woes ?? You can get a very good Dell computer now days for about $400. That's what I did and it's working out great for me.

I agree that Pianoteq will run the easiest on your current computer. The Grand 3 (made by the same folks who created Cubase)has an Eco Mode and RAM save functions, in addition to an already smaller installation size of 30-40GB, that is, if you install every piano. Still, the Grand 3 is hardly the elite piano sample library, but is built to run lighter than the larger softwares like Ivory, Galaxy, and EWQL.

If I were you, I'd upgrade your current computer, then choose the library your inner pianist craves rather than being held back by your system's lack of adequate resources.

Happy for you.

Thanks for your feedback. My inner pianist craves playing piano more than it craves elite sample libraries. I have a couple M&H pianos (AA and BB) in my living room if I'm feeling choosy. I find that I can get used to almost any piano and make things sound "musical". This particular sample library project that everyone here is helping me with is for a special situation. I bought a digital slab piano and left it with my family in Minnesota. I spend most of my time in California. When I visit them I want to have something that's in tune and has a decent action. I know that using it as a midi controller and running it through sound modules would improve the sound dramatically. I do that with an old Yamaha CLP-50 I have in Montana. I run it through a Kurzweil 1000 px. Old odds and ends that end up sounding pretty good. Good enough that I can play music with expression. That's all I'm really looking for. Pianissimo will serve my needs for my keyboard in Minnesota, but I will check out the elite piano sample libraries for the fun of it. From what I read online, the minimum system requirements for Galaxy Vintage D are quite a bit less than the computer I am using. So anyway, I won't be getting a new computer just so I can play this piano when I visit my family in Minnesota a few times a year.

So actually, if you were me, you might not get a new computer :^)

I appreciate the information everyone has provided in this discussion. Thanks!

If I were you and didn't want to buy a new computer, I'd pick up a $50 or so external USB hard drive (make sure you get a 7200rpm one) and install Vintage D on it (just the library, not the application itself). If that's within your budget, you'd be up around $200 by the time you're done.

I can't say enough good things about the Vintage D, it's the best software piano I've owned by far.

Better than Ivory 2 ?

Have you given the other Galaxy pianos a try? Yes, Vintage D is wonderful. But it lacks the clarity of the Vienna Grand and the Steinway.

I haven't had a chance to try Ivory 2 or the other Galaxy pianos, but Vint D has more personality than Ivory 1, which I have.

I agree with that. Ivory 1 sure beats the piano's own sounds. But like the Galaxy pianos much better.

I've never tried Ivory 2. The price is high, and I've been happy with Galaxy. But it's hard to resist the urge to get the American Concert D. (Must ... resist ... fist ... of ... G.A.S.)