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-   -   Eq & Compressor for Garritan Solo Grand Piano (https://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=405954)

jphaudio 08-14-2019 12:44 PM

Eq & Compressor for Garritan Solo Grand Piano
 
Hi, I have been trying different EQ settings to come close to a natural sounding grand piano for a contemporary solo performance. I high-pass from around 30hz and up but have seen different thoughts on this. for the Mids, as an example, Manley VoxBox has their grand piano EQ setting with a bump at 700hz, but I have seen some people dip around this area.

Also, I have been using the Millennia TCL-2 trying a slow to quick attack with a longer release. I found 10-15 millsec attack and 2.1 ratio in the ball park.

I have also tried to just use my ears and find something that sounds good and natural but then it starts sounding thin.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeff

musicman691 08-14-2019 01:06 PM

Re: Eq & Compressor for Garritan Solo Grand Piano
 
Define 'natural'. Do you want it to sound like what the piano sample set in use sounds like the original it was sampled from? What kind of sound are you really going for? What is the space you're trying to put the piano in? Jazz club, concert hall or what? There's no one set of eq settings that will work for all situations.

You don't say what eq plugin you're using. I'm not a big fan of eq'ing a piano because when I use a sampled instrument I use the best sounding one for the music at hand. Mostly some form of Steinway grand as I hate the harshness of Yamaha grands. If the track really needs the piano to be eq'd in broad strokes I'll go for the Dangerous Bax EQ plugin; elsewise I'll use the SPL Passeq. For really surgical eq I'll go with the bx_digital V3.

If you're using reverb that will have a drastic effect on the sound.

To use a bad pun you're going to have to play this one by ear ;)

I've used the TCL2 on piano and depending on the music being played adjust the attack & release to suit. Try switching between the tube and solid state options. Actually my most recent compressor for piano has been SPL Iron.

jphaudio 08-14-2019 02:57 PM

Re: Eq & Compressor for Garritan Solo Grand Piano
 
Thank you for the reply. I removed the reverb from the grand piano sample and am going for a natural acoustic grand piano sound for a mellow contemporary composition.

I have removed some muddiness in the mid range and some of the high-end samples were resonating a bit too much, so I brought down those frequencies.

My thought was just to get some advice for basic principals for eq'ing and compression settings sampled grand piano.

I will try switching to the solid state and I have the Bax EQ and will try the SPL Iron.

Thank you!

musicman691 08-15-2019 04:27 AM

Re: Eq & Compressor for Garritan Solo Grand Piano
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by jphaudio (Post 2535460)
Thank you for the reply. I removed the reverb from the grand piano sample and am going for a natural acoustic grand piano sound for a mellow contemporary composition.

I have removed some muddiness in the mid range and some of the high-end samples were resonating a bit too much, so I brought down those frequencies.

My thought was just to get some advice for basic principals for eq'ing and compression settings sampled grand piano.

I will try switching to the solid state and I have the Bax EQ and will try the SPL Iron.

Thank you!

There are no basic principles for eq and compression on piano - sampled or not. No 'cut this freq, boost that freq' type of thing. Same for compression although I like very light compression with no more than 1dB gain reduction with attack and release to suit the music being played.

This is one of those where you need to trust your ears.

jphaudio 08-19-2019 09:13 AM

Re: Eq & Compressor for Garritan Solo Grand Piano
 
Thank you and sorry for the late reply. Working with deadlines.

True what you mentioned....I think I was second guessing my ears and comparing them with all UAD grand piano presets. Over thinking it.

Thanks!


Quote:

Originally Posted by musicman691 (Post 2535520)
There are no basic principles for eq and compression on piano - sampled or not. No 'cut this freq, boost that freq' type of thing. Same for compression although I like very light compression with no more than 1dB gain reduction with attack and release to suit the music being played.

This is one of those where you need to trust your ears.


musicman691 08-19-2019 10:53 AM

Re: Eq & Compressor for Garritan Solo Grand Piano
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by jphaudio (Post 2535798)
Thank you and sorry for the late reply. Working with deadlines.

True what you mentioned....I think I was second guessing my ears and comparing them with all UAD grand piano presets. Over thinking it.

Thanks!

UAD doesn't do virtual instruments.


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