Bosendorfer Piano Club

Question

Level 1

20 points

Bosendorfer Piano Club

Apple is advertising the EXS24 with an instrument called "Bosendorfer Piano Club". However, I cannot find that instrument in Logic Express 8? Can someone advise?

Mac OS X (10.5.7)

Posted on May 20, 2009 6:52 AM

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Answer 1

MR290378 Author

Level 1

20 points

May 22, 2009 4:10 AM in response to MR290378

I have spoken to Apple Support in this regard (and I assume the call costed a fortune).

The Bosendorfer Piano Club is NOT included in Logic Express 8 and it is NOT included in one of Apple's Jam Packs. So it is exclusively available in Logic Studio.

Apparently, there is no option to get this instrument other than spending 299,00 EUR for the full Update to Logic Studio. Unfortunately, there is no modular update available. This is a pitty. I think most Logic Users do not necessarily need Main Stage and Soundtrack. They simply wish to have "Logic Pro 8". But this option does not exist.

In my opinion, Logic's pianos are clearly good and better than most of the other existing and quite expensise piano-samples. To me most of them sound to "hard" (and not "soft", like e.g. a Steinway gently played) even though the suppliers claim that they have been recorded in different velocity levels. Also the length of the sample is not realistic. When you hit a key the sound is gone shortly afterwards - not very realistic...

Happy to hear your comments.

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Answer 2

Foxboy71

Level 4

2,378 points

May 22, 2009 5:02 AM in response to MR290378

Finding a perfect piano sample is still the holy grail of sampler science. I have a Roland RD-700 SX which has really decent Sounds, with one bright and one mellow Grand Sample Bank which is tweaked to many different nice piano sounds. But the sample loops are too short. Hold a key for a longer time - and you'll hear the sample looping, fading much too quickly, like you said.

Compared to this, Yamaha has very nice samples (which i must admit, even though i am definitely no member of the Yamaha tribe). Since the Logic Samples are from Yamaha (or so it seems), they are really good as well. The Bösendorfer is only that nice because it's a channelstrip setting. It's not the samples alone, AFAIK.

However: If you want to have a real piano sound, record a real piano 🙂 If you want to spend 300 Bucks, buy two nice condenser mics for stereo recording and search a location with a good concert grand.

If you just need a standard piano sound in a pop arrangement, Logic Express' piano samples are all that you need. Tweak it with Platinum Reverb for ambience, let it run through a soft compressor, and there you are. If you want bigger quality, pay bigger bucks. You may have a look at the Piano from Native Instruments as well. There is a Bösendorfer sample included, and you pay "only" 200 Bucks for pristine sound quality.

Fox

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Answer 3

MR290378 Author

Level 1

20 points

May 22, 2009 5:26 AM in response to Foxboy71

Could not agree more. But using a real piano deprives you of all midi-features (Quantisation etc.)

Do you have any experience with Midi-Grand-Pianos? I have seen some studios offering a service in this regard. I.e. you send them the midi file and they let it run on the midi grand.

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Answer 4

Foxboy71

Level 4

2,378 points

May 22, 2009 2:36 PM in response to MR290378

Guess you'll be cheaper with the Native-Intruments solution. http://www.native-instruments.com Look for sampling line - Acoustic Piano. But don't pay money for single this an that's. If you want to get more software Instruments, get the Komplete Bundle (and an extra external drive to put all the stuff onto)...

Ahhh yes - I wish I'd have some spare money myself....

Fox

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