Confirms my impressions of this VST. Great review! The sounds are so amazing ...

A few words to viewers of Stu's videos: He is one of the finest pianists you are ever likely to encounter. A great variety of styles and tunes flow out of his mind endlessly. The chance that many of us will ever play as well as he does is close to nil. There may be a few of you out there, but not many, and certainly not me.

@MerriamPianos

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for that endorsement, and I really can't thank you enough for the continued engagement and support of the channel. Everyone sincerely appreciates the opinions and efforts you give this community!!! -stu

@straizys

Жыл бұрын

agreed, I'm myself a professional jazz pianist. Stu is a fantastic pianists and wonderful reviewer :)

Stu, your videos about VSTs are so great. You are unique in the KZread spectrum. So, a big thank you! I hope you do some of this stuff for 2023 as kind of "state of the art" VSTs, I'm really looking forward to it.

@MerriamPianos

Жыл бұрын

Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thank you for taking the time to tune in and share your kind words! You can certainly bank on some more VST reviews and comparisons in the near future. :)

Great Stu! Great playing as always

@thomasschatton3481

3 жыл бұрын

Indeed! It's always a pleasure to listen to Stu playing!

Hallelujah, he did it! Thank you for making a first review of Keyscapes and your honest first impression! Yes, this really is a unique plugin and very high quality, just like the one from Vienna - although they are different in their particular character and intention. Looking forward to the comparison with Pianoteq. P.S.: Johann Sebastian will forgive you once again! 😉😀

Great review and piano playing

Always appreciate your vids. Thanks for the info.

@MerriamPianos

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for tuning in! We really appreciate it! :)

Thank you from Japan! I loved your collection of piano VSTs. I have keyscape and enjoy it very much but still want Yamaha DFX (garriten or VSL) Your playing is beautiful so I will explore more into keyscape before I decide which one I want.

Thanks for reviewing Keyscape. Truly appreciate. I am considering to buy it.

@MerriamPianos

Жыл бұрын

You're very welcome! We're glad to hear that you found the video useful! :)

I have a decent albeit slightly older Mac platform running my all VST's including Keyscape. It's my favorite piano VST but it is definitely CPU-hungry!

Like this series... great videos 🙂

@PianoScoreVids

3 жыл бұрын

Edit 9:27 - nice!

When will you guys re-open? I'm looking for an upgrade from my Roland F140R to tackle some big classical pieces. Would love to give a try on your Kawai MP11SE, CA79/99, NV5/10, K300/500 Aures, etc. to decide which type of pianos would be the most suitable for a 700-sqft condo 😀

Keyscape has a special feature. The sound of the keys is released faster than other VSTs. The sound is soft and not procrastinated, and a little dry. I like to use the C7 acoustic piano inside to play jazz on the stage. The tone is very suitable. pianoteq is not suitable, it takes time to adjust.

@MerriamPianos

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for tuning in and sharing this insight! :)

Can you recommend good external speakers for digital pianos and also how to plug it. Directly or via amplifers.

These are my faves (not that anyone cares but): Dark Score (10:02), Wing Upright (13:31 -- but I wanted to hear the chorus after that slow verse!! :)), Sixties Mute (14:07 -- is that the reverb that comes on the preset? it's nice!),

This is really interesting, as I built a stage setup over lockdown to replace my frazzled Roland RD-800. Started with Pianoteq, which I have a lot of fun with in the home studio, but on stage it seemed thin compared to the Roland. I'm off to watch that comparison video now.

@MerriamPianos

Жыл бұрын

That's awesome! VSTs are quite exciting and offer a seemingly limitless well of sonic palettes to choose from. Thanks for tuning in and happy playing! :)

@simonrussell4986

Жыл бұрын

@@MerriamPianos Thank you! Over the years I've also amassed Kontact and Arturia stuff. All great fun, but I need to spend time dialing in the right sound. I play rock and roll/rhythm & blues stuff, and the Pianoteq (I think) seems to sound synthetic at higher velocities. Think I could hear that in your excellent comparison video, and I don't get that at home, as it's more sedate stuff. I've only really played Roland stage pianos live though, so probably just really used to them (my 4th A-90 is currently in the driving seat, being kept alive by parts from the first three!). Thanks again - you've given me a lot to think about, and no doubt will again.

Love your videos and reviews, they are the best, but I often find the sound of the pianos too low relative to your voice, it makes it a bit difficult to appreciate the sounds.

Great video and playing as always♥️😀 if you had to decide between this and vsl Steinway... What would you pick? I mean the keyscape grand piano... Not the whole thing.. cause I'm trying to decide between the two products and I'm only want the grand piano actually

@MerriamPianos

10 ай бұрын

Hi! Brent here! Thanks for tuning in! I'll be sure to pass on your kind words to Stu for you. In terms of the decision between Keyscape and VSL Steinway, it ultimately comes down to a matter of preference. Also, I tend to view VST plugins as being different tools for different jobs. Having a variety of piano sounds available to you can be really helpful when playing multiple styles of music. :)

i'm following you for quite some time, and i was always wondering, how long will it take until you'll start reviewing VSTs, these thingies (i mean the good ones, of course) are the real thing, "the wave of the future", they give you anything and everything all the way from pure samples to pure synthesis (btw, maybe you'll want to look into the Arturia piano v2, and maybe even their collection of various synths, why not?), for as long as you agree with the fact that music can be listened to in a pair of headphone and not only by having a seat in a concert hall, VSTs are the name of the game. and with all the great keyboards you can find out there for less than $2000 just about anyone can have an incredible collection of pianos inside their house. Great thing you started reviewing these, now start getting into reviewing keyboards too :)

@JoeLinux2000

3 жыл бұрын

When they run on a tablet that is powerful enough to multitask, and display sheet music built into you keyboard we will have arrived. Presently there is just too much physical electronic device clutter associated with them. They are not like a man and an acoustic guitar.

@isiisorisiaint

3 жыл бұрын

@@JoeLinux2000 you's too picky man, one step at a time :)

Plz make an comparision on Alesis prestige artist vs roland FP series....

Hi I'm totally new to the piano/digital world. great videos, so much help thanks. Question: can I use keyscape with a casio PX-S 1000 just the same way you are using it in this video? So I can play & hear all the different sounds.

@MerriamPianos

Жыл бұрын

Hi there! Thanks so much for tuning in! We're happy to hear that you've found the videos useful. :) Given the fact that the PXS1000 has a USB to Host connection, you can absolutely use it control the Keyscape VST via MIDI. Thanks again and all the best!

Wonder if FP30X or 60X internal speakers will be good enough for these sound...

I am currently considering either getting a FP30x with Keyscape, or a FP60x, the limit of my budget, what do you guys think?

Cool selection of tunes: ""Son of s Preacher Man" ( recorded right here in Memphis..........:-)...I also enjoyed "American Pie."

Stu, as Usual ,,, You knocked it Right Outta the Park ! Fantastic. Huge idea, Could You do a "How to" video about "How to Use and Connect a VST and the Computer" for Gigs ? I kinda get it but I'm definitely confused. Why? Cause my big question, is the sound coming out of your RD2000 ? Is your P/C loading into the RD2000 ? Like I said, confused. Truly do Appreciate what You're sharing with our Keyboard Community. Thanks

@JoeLinux2000

3 жыл бұрын

Good question, the sound is generated in an external computer running the software. The RD2000 is just sending MIDI output to the computer. Eventually the digital information is converted to analog which is then output to the amplified speaker system. Basically the RD2000 is in large part a waste, as none of its internal voices are being used in this demonstration. He could do the same thing with a much cheaper keyboard as long as it is MIDI out capable and he was satisfied with the action. There is another thing called "aftertouch" I don't know if the RD2000 has that or not. It can affect the voice by pressing harder on the key after the initial down stroke which triggers the start of the original note. Aftertouch is useful for vibrato and dynamics with string voices. Yamaha seems to have developed voices that have a lot of nuance in the attack velocity. I know the DGX-670 that I will receive tomorrow has some amazingly realistic guitar sounds which weren't around in past years. There are complete digital orchestral libraries. Search around on KZread for videos with examples. These systems are very useful for music production work such as film scores, advertising, and so forth. Not so much for live performance where the musicians are the spectacle. The fact is this stuff is actually artifical intelligence which is used as an extension of the human mind. It allows a single individual to do what was impossible for one person in the past. Unfortunately it is also creating a very Orwellian time period which hopefully can eventually be controlled. These computerized musical instruments should cause you to realize that computer voting machines cannot be trusted. They are as deceptive as some of these digital piano voices. What is created is an illusion, not necessarily the actual reality of a legitimate vote count.

@joedaq6678

3 жыл бұрын

@@JoeLinux2000 Huge Thank You. I'm not new to playing acoustic electric and electronic keyboards. Music schools an then out to play live. But those days (1977 thru 1989) it was me and my furniture 8 boards at one point, to be exact. Typical Rhodes Hammond CP70 Clav and lots of synthesizers mini moog Ob's and prophet. Plus back up in the trucks... But come the 90's and I stopped. 6 years ago we had a reunion. I pulled out my Kurzweil and of course got the favor... Jan 2021 I bought the VI Labs Ravenscroft 225 and the Italian. Finding that my Kurzy only had 2 sensors vs 3 ,,, and garage band on my iPad sucked. I went out an bought a brand new Lenovo Nano with a 500 plus gig electronic drive. The latency was horrendous. Then I find that I needed the VI work station software. Bla bla bla... Now I have to have figure out how to Correctly connect the Lenovo to my Yamaha mixing console. Why I say correctly is cause I am have a huge impedance problem. Aka Bad Hummmm. I have been under the impression that the Midi signals would be Bidirectional and that the sound from the software would transmitted to my Current Kurzy (PC88 mx) soon to be RD2000 or Kawsi MP11se. How ever since You've explained it I might as well go with the VPC1. My problem started cause I wanted a Full Convert Grand sound as a Real Fazioli would be nice but I'm still a poor artist. The CP 80 still has that Grrrr Yamaha action that's only good for about 2 years an then needs rebuilding. You have Really helped me out. I was actually starting to consider the Dexibell Vivo SX7 sound module cause it's got the Fazioli built into it and I know how the hardware works. This VST stuff and trying to connect the stuff for live playing has been consuming my creative time. And I'm not the sound engineer and ALL the keyboard techs that I know do incredible jobs on my rig analog but all of them get way too deep in warning me that VST doesn't work on stage. All this computer this an computer that sucks to be honest ... I'm really starting to think that the VPC1 and the Dexibell Sound Mod might just be the way to go ..... What do You think? Thank You Joe D

@JoeLinux2000

3 жыл бұрын

@@joedaq6678 I have no idea. My Yamaha DGX arrived yesterday. After I broke my back getting it on its stand, I felt the piano sound was OK, but nothing to write home about. I then hooked up my Pianoteq 7 Pro system which I had previously with a USB cable from the Yamaha to the Computer which is a 3 or 4 year old i5 Dell operating on Linux. There was no latency between the two or any audible double attack. The two playing together sound as good as the best piano voices Stu has been demonstrating. The quality of the sound is absolutely mind blowing. Each has their own speaker system and amp which can be independently balanced. Issues with the modest action of the DGX evaporated within the lush output. The experience is like playing an extremely fine concert grand. I'm very pleased. I have a great instrument for a comparatively modest price. The entire system is similar in cost to a Roland FP-90x which I don't think would sound as good, although the action is probably better than the Yamaha's. The synergy of the two piano voices chained together is much better than either one standing alone.

@JoeLinux2000

3 жыл бұрын

Working more with the DGX and Pianoteq today, the combined piano voices have a lot of thickness, color and depth. I'm mostly using the Yamaha CGX voice (on the DGX) to support a Pianoteq Voice which is the primary voice, but thicker and more acoustic grand like when combined with the DGX voice. I switched to the Pianoteq NY Steinway "Classic Grand" which is cleaner than the Bluethner Concert recording grand. While the the combined piano voices are dynamite, I'm disappointed with the Yamaha string pads. They sound great but don't really sustain with the sustain pedal. They will will die out even with the sustain pedal down. This is true even if it is primary voice on the Yamaha. In contrast they will sing on forever as long as the key is held down. I hope I can find a fix for this. Otherwise the Yamaha is not as musical as it should be. If anyone has a DGX and knows how to address this issue, please let me know. Listening to the Keyscape piano as I write this, I think it's fantastic. It would be fun to own it.

@joedaq6678

2 жыл бұрын

@@JoeLinux2000 Truly appreciate your information. You've shed another light on this, as I never thought about running both piano and vst sounds at the same time. This to me is an entirely new thought. BTW, I did fix my ugly hum problem. Padded down the input of my Yamaha mixer. Wow this to me is a new dimension. Thank You Soooo Much.

Can I use keyscape with Yamaha p45?

Great playing! Keyscape sounds nice. But if I had my way, I would trade in all those little odd ball and toy pianos and even the upright with them, for just one Steinway.

@MerriamPianos

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for tuning in! We appreciate it. :) I hear you. Every player is different. Some players seek variety, while others seek that one instrument that they truly connect with. :)

Why do you call it KEYSCAPES?. It is KEYSCAPE, right?. Just curious 😀

@Transterra55

3 жыл бұрын

You beat me to it!

One suspicion I have, though, is whether the humungous variety of instruments means it's spread really thin in terms of quality and realism of each instrument. Priority 1 for me is to have a plugin that delivers commercial-level realism in a piano, aka that I can record a song with it and people will believe it's a real piano recording. Though I would love to have organs and Rhodes/Wurlitzers, I don't want to sacrifice true realism in each instrument. Vienna Imperial, for example, is simply a piano plugin, and runs for over 500 bucks; perhaps quality over quantity? Is Keyscape plenty realistic as well?

@zjaeger1800

Жыл бұрын

I think you did not get the point of the Keyscape project. They recorded every instrument witht the highest quality equipment, with the sheer goal to capture its identity and originality. Perhaps take a look into this one: kzread.info/dash/bejne/paCNxM-xkaXVXaw.html

@markiplierSINGSbadly

Жыл бұрын

it's fine dude. literally nothing rivals their method at all

These things are great, but require an array of equipment: MIDI controller, computer, speaker system, and an assortment of wires and power blocks. I'm wishing for a stand alone instrument that is able to use these "plug ins" without all the clutter. What Keyscape has in its voices, is warmth and ambiance. The bottom line with all of these is the extent they pass the test of providing an actual enjoyable and controllable musical experience. Obviously this one passes that test. My DGX arrives tomorrow. I suspect it will have limitations while at the same time being very versatile in an uncluttered package at a good price point. I've collected many audio samples of it, some of which are quite nice.

next vi labs pianos collection

How much does Keyscape cost?

@MerriamPianos

4 ай бұрын

I believe the current price for Keyscape is $399.

If you saw the name all over the place so much then why do you keep calling it Keyscapes? Especially when you've been looking at the interface so much. The description of this video even calls it "Keyscapes".

I miss the piano reviews guys

Keyscape. Not Keyscapes.

@MerriamPianos

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for clarifying and tuning in.

Hi stu , always interesting this vst world. But one day, lockdown will end and you will be back in front of new digital and acoustic pianos..... at this day, I will be very interested by hearing you about the ‘viscount 70´s legend ». Just take a look