piano sounds dull, muffled

Thanks Caramby.
It seems to me that the samples are good, at least usable, quality. It's more like there is some kind of automatic filtering on the piano sounds. Yes, if i add EQ and crank up the high end, and fiddle a bit more, it begins to sound ok. I just wondered why it's like that in the first place, so obviously, strangely dull, it's not usable as it is.

thanks for the ideas guys, including suggestion for 3d-party samples. i could try that to see if they are also 'damped'.
But it's not any of these things. it's driving me nuts because, i got this software because i use it in another show. it works great there, good chance for a tryout, i liked it, so i got it. In that show, there are piano sounds, afaik exactly the same as what i have, and those pianos don't sound muffled.
???
p

Caramby, Ahicox, Carsimm, thanks a lot for the ideas.
good question about 'exactly the same'. no, not exactly. different keyboards for one: we use kurzweil sp2x's, the big show uses roland, i dont know what. the big show uses a big multi midi interface, we used small boxes, now USB (with no difference in sound). the macs are different, the show uses iMacs, we use two different macbook pros, one two years old, one brand spankin new, top of the line.
But the Logic/Mainstage is the same, the samples are the same, the adjustments (eq, filters, expression, effects etc) are the same, i.e., none. it's certainly not monitoring, system eq, that sort of thing. it's really a difference in the sound of the piano sample itself, coming out of the computer. i can use earphones for example, and still there is this difference.
do you think that the keyboards, or interface keys/computer (usb, midi) can make a difference?
really i don't think it's anything after the computer, monitoring or system eq or so.
it's not compression either, i know that sound, it's much more a 'dullness' of the tone of the sample, as if filtered. but it's not filtered! -- that i can find anyway.
btw-- i am using the logic/garageband samples, and they all haver the same filtered sound, like the steinway/b-dorfer/yamaha ones, you know, you get a choice of club, hall, room, studio.

i have been fiddling with the samples. using eq, lots of high end, some mids adjustment, i can get a reasonable tone. so it's as if there is a sort of autofilter. but where???

jeez. it just can't be like this out of the box, it's so ugly. yet it must be something with our setup, because that other one is not like this.
i am going crazy, spent so much time trying to figure this one out.

thanks again all!

p

hi and geez, effusive thanks for your time and trouble.

Ahicox, great suffestion, i will try that. I haven't opened logic, even. No need for it yet, we got the whole set initially just for mainstage. will let you know.

Caramby, in the EXS24 window, all the mod possibilities are indeed off, no filters, no mods. adding filtering driven by velocity can go a long way to making a 'normal' piano sound.
I hear the sounds in stereo. again, with earphones, or through the speakers, it's the same. it also doesn't sound like mono dullness either, really it's as if it were filtered. EQing can make the sound sound more or less 'normal', bright.

NO plugins in the channel, i set them routinely off, in fact i find it a bit annoying that there is always EQ and compression and stuff already there, i wish the sounds would start up dry.

.......

I go forward.
thanks again!

p