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V3 Sound V3 Grand Piano Module = www.V3sound.com

User manual & specs.pdf

YouTube demo full playlist

Price = £ 330.98 GBP = € 376 Euro
3 GB onboard flash memory
256 voice polyphony
16 part multitimbral
Bosendorfer 290 Imperial multisample (listen YouTube demo)
Steinway Model D Hamburg multisample (listen YouTube demo)
Numerous other sampled sounds...
eg. Elec pianos, Hammond, Wurli, strings, etc.
5,250 multi-samples
127 factory preset programs
Piano pedal down string resonance modelling
Sympathetic resonance modelling
Piano sustain pedal grabbing
Note off samples
Sustain pedal on / off noise
Sustain pedal half pedalling
Dimensions: 125 x 125 x 40 mm
Weight: 0.21 kg
Magnetic base underneath for easy mounting
MIDI in & MIDI thru via standard 5 pin DIN
MIDI I/O via USB host Audio Class 1 compatible
Master Volume & Master Reverb knobs only.
Headphone socket
2x TRS jack outputs
either... mono LEFT + mono RIGHT (normal stereo 2 channels)
or... stereo MAIN + stereo AUX (4 channel output via 2 MIDI channels)
Sustain footswitch jack input
9VDC power adapter

Anybody seen this? Anybody tried it? Played it? Own it?
Anyone with any experiences to share?
Looks like it's made by the same people who made the Limex Vienna piano module a few years ago, but it's half the price and much better spec!
Very compact and portable, although rather spartan! Lacking in user controls / preset editability / LCD screen, etc.

Hmmm, very strange, this is apparently a sample based instrument (3GB mentioned) but the piano demos are very Pianoteq-like, i.e. they sound synthetic with the typical modeling nature. Is this really a sample based instrument? Otherwise for the price and the size this seems like a perfect gigging tool next to a lightweight MIDI keyboard.

I don't know why they would use 3 GB of samples if it were modeled. Moreover, I can't imagine they'd be modeling the sound generation and not making a big deal of it. In fact, in the big print, they do take advantage of the modeling buzzword, though in the details it says the things that are modeled are resonances, pedal behaviors, and note-off.

Still seems like it could be a cool little box though!

I imagine it's a hybrid approach like the GEM RealPiano module was - basically it's multi-sampling, but the "modelling" technology is just the clever algorithm that generates sympathetic string resonances, hence their excuse to drop the name. Many software companies have loosely used the term "modelling" in a similar way. No, it doesn't mean it's 100% physically modelled instrument - like Pianoteq or V-Piano.

Although common sense would say a fast SSD laptop is always the best external piano module you can own, and the most versatile, it's always interesting to find a serious hardware / piano module alternative.

Synthogy Ivory II VR - the killer module they promised in January NAMM 2016, but their plans went down the toilet somehow.

Dexibell Vivo SX7 - has 1.5GB of RAM you can load with your choice of Soundfonts or their presets. Weird trapezoid 2U rack blue box.

Muse Receptor - they've finally given up making them now. Laptops are just too good these days, I guess.

V3 Sound Grand Piano module - ticks all the boxes in theory, and the price is very reasonable. Intrigued to know more.

M-Audio Accent module - one of the only few piano modules you'll find these days, but not amazing.

I've been keeping an eye on the V3 module for a while now. I think the demos sound pretty good. I've very nearly pulled the trigger several times now but I want an assurance I can return it if I don't like it. There's only one stockist in the UK and it seems like a small independent accordion supplier. They might not have the most generous or cooperative attitude to returns. I've so nearly picked the phone up to call them. It's Christmas....what the heck, maybe I'll treat myself....

One thing I don't like is the lack of display screen. To change preset you have to send a programme change message via MIDI. I don't know how you could ever be really certain what preset you were on. It accepts half damper but implies the pedal needs to be plugged into the module itself. I just want to send pedal messages via MIDI without disturbing my connections. Maybe that's possible too but the information out there is certainly not comprehensive so it's difficult to know anything about these things without buying.

I do think it seems very promising though and I like the way the demos sound. FWIW I don't find them PianoTeq-like at all. The basic tones are samples for sure with modelled resonance behaviours I assume.

Hi EssBrace,
Thomann sell this with a pretty decent 30 day return policy. Give them a try.
Happy Christmas,
propianist

Thanks, yes I saw Thomann had it and it's slightly cheaper than buying from within the UK. Return shipping would be reasonable I suppose, given how small/light the module is, if I chose to return it.

Something for me to ponder!....

I should think the V3 module ought to respond correctly to pedal / half-pedalling data via MIDI from any piano / controller you normally use, and does not need the sustain pedal plugged directly into the module's own local jack socket.

After all, how else would V3 Sound have produced all their demo recordings?!
They just took some MIDI files off Doug McKenzie's website (with his constent!) which already had his recorded pedalling data embedded in the MIDI stream, and just played them back through the module via MIDI. It's not like somebody at V3 Sound had to sit there with their foot on a pedal controller and perform the pedalling "live" along to the file's playback of just keyboard notes to re-create the entire performance...!

So it will respond to MIDI like everything else, with data value 0-127 on MIDI controller #64 being sustain pedal depth - if your piano transmits full continuous values for half-pedalling, or otherwise if your piano doesn't do half-pedalling and just transmits simple 0 or 127 for "off" or "on", it will all still work as expected over MIDI.

The V3 module's local pedal jack socket is just included for extra convenience.
Probably it could be useful if it's re-assignable for other tasks like patch no. inc / dec, or as a 3rd pedal for sostenuto, etc. (eg. if your digital piano only has 2 pedals.) but sadly, there's isn't much info in the manual to explain all this, as you point out.

...or more than mere convenience, if your controller doesn't happen to already have a pedal jack that supports half-pedaling (and many do not).

Looks like quite an interesting product, thanks for the heads-up!

Cheers,
James
x

Why can't Kawai make something like this??? ...only better!

Winter 2018 NAMM Jan 25 - 28 is still a few weeks away - so you've got time!

We await with bated breath and deep pockets . . . be first! Be first!

Stupid question maybe and thread necromancy, but actually WHAT is this? How does one make use of such a module - do you still need a Laptop?

Just plug it into a digital piano or MIDI controller keyboard and to speakers or headphones. No laptop needed.

There used to be this wide category of products called "sound modules" (and in a smaller niche "piano modules") before software solutions became more popular.

Thanks a lot, seems like an awesome and quick way for people who are too lazy to turn on a pc

It doesn't sound "modelled" to me, but when you A/B it with something like that Embertone VST, there's a pretty big difference. ;^)

Greg.

Interesting product!

One question I have: 3GB doesn't actually sound like a whole lot to me, especially as an upgrade to a current generation DP? With a Bosendorfer and a Steinway sample, I would suspect there's roughly 1 - 1.2GB per piano, with the balance reserved for the other instrument samples, OS, file system overhead, etc.

If so, this isn't as much a replacement for a true VST or a current DP's built in sounds, as it is a way to get older DPs or midi controllers a comparable piano tone without the need for a PC or other midi source?

Interesting product. Too bad it doesn't seem to have any distributors in Canada. Not even sure if there's a U.S.A distributor either

Meh, at that price I’ll stick to Ravenscroft or Korg on an iPad. Sure I already have an iPad.

You like it? I bought it the other day because I thought the demos sounded good but I can't get it to play quietly enough; even the softest key press generates a sound that is far too bold. Messing with the velocity curve makes to difference to that particular issue.

Another 18 quid down the swanee!