Modelled Piano
Roland’s deluxe V-Piano has evolved, courtesy of a free software update...
Unless you’ve been
away mining dilithium in a distant galaxy for the past year and a
half, you’ll be aware that the V-Piano is Roland’s flagship digital
stage piano (originally reviewed in the May 2009 issue of Sound On
Sound). It’s also the first such instrument from that company to
generate piano sounds entirely by physical modelling, a method that
brings numerous advantages when recreating the highly complex sound of
an acoustic piano.
The Story So Far
While
modern sampling technology has produced some extremely fine-sounding
digital and virtual pianos, they are inherently limited by the very
nature of samples. As good as they might sound, samples are essentially
just snapshots of the sampled instrument. Aside from processing the
sound in some way, there is nothing much you can do to change the
samples’ fundamental nature. The unison tuning of the strings is cast in
stone, as are the soundboard resonance, hammer hardness, soundboard
length, the materials from which the piano is built, and many other
factors that define the character of the instrument. Physical modelling,
on the other hand, allows all of these defining factors to be altered —
and not just globally for the entire piano, but in many cases, such as
unison tuning, hammer hardness and cross-resonance, on a per-note
basis. The V-Piano allows for exactly this sort of detailed editing,
enabling the user to create customised piano sounds with a unique
individuality. Whether you want an unloved, poorly maintained parlour
piano or a pristine concert grand, it’s possible to design it with the
V-Piano.
The piano models in the V-Piano are
designated as either Vintage or Vanguard types. The Vintage models
represent recognisably real-life pianos of two types, built from
standard materials. Vintage 1 (the ‘American’ model) is the brighter and
more full-bodied of the two, while Vintage 2 is the ‘European’ model,
having a rounder and plummier tone. The Vanguard models are Roland’s
‘non-real world’ creations, using unconventional materials such as
all-silver strings, glass soundboards, triple strings across the entire
instrument and other exotic variations.
And Darwin-ner Is...
As
Charles Darwin might have said (but possibly didn’t), ‘diversity is
progress’ — and to progress, things need to evolve. Hence Roland’s move
to introduce the first V-Piano upgrade, together with a crafty
re-branding. Meet V-Piano Evolution. The Evolution upgrade is a free
download from the Roland web site. The installer itself consists of a
number of files that need to be copied to the root level of a USB
drive. Installation is a two-part process: firstly, the V-Piano reads
the files from the USB drive inserted in its rear connection, then a
second reading is taken via the front-panel USB connector. The whole
process takes around 15 minutes to complete. The V-Piano Editor software
also needs to be updated to version 1.1 in order to be Evolution
compatible. I had expected there to be some changes or additions to the
editor software, but it appears to have identical functions to version
1.0. Once installed, the V-Piano gains four new models, occupying
Presets 25 to 28. Other than that, all the V-Piano’s functions remain as
before.
The New Models
Vertical
(Upright): This model has a distinctive character with a warm tone, a
suggestion of room ambience, and a subtle detuned quality. In its
default state it sounds rather like a very expensive, well-maintained
upright — a little too perfect, perhaps. However, by using the editor
to draw a random unison tuning curve across the keyboard, generally
increasing the various resonance parameters, shortening the string decay
time and adjusting the tone colour, it’s possible to create a
believably ‘trashy’ old upright such as might grace the living room of
many a suburban home.
V1 Impactance: Based on
the Vintage 1 model, this variation has heavier hammers (which
apparently increases the perceived weight by 50 virtual grams), to
provide a more percussive sound suitable for styles such as Latin,
where the piano needs to cut through the mix incisively.
Triple
Large: One of two new ‘Vanguard’ models, this combines triple strings
across the entire range with an extra-large extended piano body. This is
darker toned and slightly louder than the All Triple model, with a
very powerful low end and exceptionally long sustain.
Metallic
SB: This Vanguard model is based on the All Silver model, and features
“a new virtual soundboard made of thin metal boards sandwiched between
thin wooden boards”, imparting even more upper harmonic detail to the
already shiny tone of the Silver model. This is especially prominent in
the low range.
Conclusion
In
terms of strictly studio use, the V-Piano faces stiff competition from
Modartt’s Pianoteq software, not least due to the gargantuan price
difference, given that the V-Piano’s street price is around $5999.
In terms of evolution, Pianoteq has come on in leaps and bounds,
offering many different modelled keyboard instruments (or, more
accurately, instruments based on a keyboard format with a chromatic
scale) such as vibes, marimba, electro-mechanical keyboards and
harpsichord.
It’s taken Roland a while to come
up with their first upgrade to the V-Piano; nevertheless, it’s
encouraging to see that there is active development going on. Keyboard
models aside, there are other areas that the V-Piano could address — for
example, the V-Piano’s models are all very ‘dry’ and ‘close’. Variable
virtual mic positions would provide even more tonal control, as well as
injecting a sense of ambience and listener perspective that is never
quite as effective using reverb alone.
In terms
of live performance, the V-Piano is still the only choice for a
hardware physically modelled piano — although its luxury price point no
doubt makes the considerably less expensive sampled alternatives a more
viable option for many. It’s possible that Roland are adopting a
‘purely piano’ stance for the V-Piano, producing new models that build
on that core concept. Nevertheless, keeping pace with the competition
may be the only way to increase the range of prospective buyers. Let’s
hope that the Evolution programme itself evolves, bringing even greater
diversity to this great musical instrument.
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