Studio included
Experiment with mic positions, immerse your piano in real acoustic space, and polish every aspect of your sound without ever leaving Piano V’s interface. This is a full production piano studio, fully equipped to slot the finest piano sounds seamlessly into your projects.
A pricelessline-up
Imagine having 12 customized spaces, each containing a different model of piano, surrounded by equipment to maximize its sonic potential.
Piano V brings these magnificent instruments to life in the virtual sphere like never before.
The universalmusical instrument
The piano isn’t just the most successful keyboard in history. It’s also the first velocity-sensitive one, with a sound so infectious it influenced literally every style of music.
Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731) invented the piano as we know it. He called it the pianoforte, which translates as “soft loud.” It was hardly the first keyboard instrument — the organ and harpsichord came well before — but they played notes at more or less the same volume. Cristofori felt something was missing, and devised a hammers-and-strings action that allowed notes to speak not just louder but also harmonically brighter when played with more force. At first, the musical establishment said what they always say when new technology disrupts the status quo: “Meh, people won’t get it.” Like so many times before and after, they were wrong.
Phi:Physical modeling
Our engineers recreate every aspect of the original instruments, down to the finest vibrations for a response that sounds and feels as tangible as the real thing.
Physical modeling uses mathematical models and algorithms to recreate the material reactions and unique interplay of both physical and electronic components. Its development has been pioneered since the ‘70s, with major breakthroughs from Stanford University in the USA and IRCAM in France opening the doors to exciting new methods and concepts.
It’s these breakthroughs that form the basis of Phi®, our exclusive physical modeling technology that allows us to perfectly mimic the resonant and mechanical behavior of an instrument. No details are left out of the equation, from the transient detail of the attack to the harmonic structure as the note releases; from the type of material the instrument is made of to the size and tonal properties of the room it was played in.
This provides a huge level of expression and finesse to musicians and producers, far exceeding the possibilities of sampling, and even the original instruments themselves.
Intuitivecontrol
Piano V’s main window gives you only the most essential controls you need to adjust your sound in real-time. Tweak, customize, and play uninterrupted.
01. Choose your model
Quickly switch between any of Piano V’s 12 models for quick comparisons, so you can hone in on the perfect piano for your project.
02. Refine your sound
4 versatile controls, 4 focused ways to change your sound in an instant. Find the perfect type of response, clarity, and character to suit your style.
03. Shape your space
Dial in whatever degree of ambience your piano needs with the Reverb control, from dry room space to drenched convolution reverb.
Your custompiano studio
There’s often more to the final sound of a piano than meets the eye. Piano V’s Model panel takes you deeper into each instrument’s mechanical behavior, musical response, and even the mics used to record it. Impossible piano flexibility made effortless.
01. Action
Pianos are physical, kinetic instruments; Piano V allows you to go beyond the real thing by tapping into their mechanical behavior, from adjusting hammer action to refining their dynamic response. Create a piano action that’s truly your own.
02. Acoustics
Shape the projection and resonance of any of the 12 piano models to suit your performance or production. Lift the lid for a full sound, adjust the soundboard’s response, and even dial in Duplex resonance for colorful harmonic overtones.
Choose how your piano is captured by cycling through multiple mic configurations to suit any style, incorporate room sound into the mix for an immersive feel, and inject some extra stereo width for those cinematic chorus moments.
04. Strings
Tailor your piano’s tuning to maximize resonance, introduce dissonance, or create unique harmonic content to fit your mixes. You can even age your strings with a single click for that characterful worn-in sound.
05. Noises
The strings aren’t the only thing that makes sound on a piano. Dial in additional noise from hammers, keys, and pedals for that real instrument-in-motion feel.
06. Keyboard
Match Piano V to your playing style and calibrate it to match any MIDI controller simply by playing the way you play - Piano V does all the work. The world’s quickest and easiest velocity curve editor.
Effectsincluded
More than finishing touches, Piano V’s Effects section works in perfect harmony with its physical modeling engine to boost, sharpen, and sculpt your piano sound to its full potential.
01. 3-band Equalizer
Notch out troublesome frequencies or give the top end some air with Piano V’s precise 3-band parametric EQ.
02. Preamp & Compressor
Lift Piano V in a mix, dial in the perfect dancefloor stabs, or create an artificially cranked sound using the Preamp and Compressor from our proprietary Bus FORCE for whatever degree of heat and pressure your sound needs.
03. Reverb
Play Piano V inside virtual concert halls, clubs, studios, and other virtual acoustic spaces using a simple but state-of-the-art convolution reverb.
