Uploaded April 2016 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
I matched together the best possible hybrid virtual piano and this video shows the basic settings in Mainstage 3.
Hardware:
MacBook Air 11" with Intel 1,3 Ghz DuoCore and 4 GB RAM (1100€)
Software:
Mainstage 3 (30$/€ App) as the host application for the three following pianos:
- Native Instruments, The Grandeur - Steinway (99€)
- Steinberg , The Grand 3 - Steinway (99€)
- Synthogy Ivory II, American D - Steinway (169€)
In Mainstage I've created an empty patch for 4 instruments (layers). Then I added and tweaked:
1. American D, KEY RANGE: C-1 to A#0, (28 voices)
2. The Grandeur, KEY RANGE: B0 to A3, (120 voices)
3. The Grand 3, KEY RANGE: A#3 to E4, (30 voices)
4. American D, KEY RANGE: F4 to C7, (60 voices)
Key range explanation:
The American D has the best bass and by far the best upper octave. The Grandeur has a superior mid range with The Grand 3 stealing a few notes. With this setting you avoid the brassy American D hard attack keys in the mid range that simply sound like shoot.
The music you hear is the intro of Barry Manilow's Weekend In New England played slowly to showcase the sound in the key of C (DO). I added a little bit of convolution reverb from Cool Edit Pro 2.1 with which I recorded it.
The polyphony of all 3 pianos needed to be "limited" due to my 2013 MacBook Air that is not overly powerful, however, I have heavily hammered the piano in all 4 key ranges while watching the voice monitor of the VST plug-in and saw and heard that with these voice settings no sounds are cut off, even when running several glissandi up and down the keyboard with the sustain pedal pressed.
For your reference, I am a lifelong digital piano fan and I also have the 3 pianos from Ivory II by Synthogy and The Giant by Native Instruments. I also downloaded and tested the demo version of the TBO Mk II by Sampletekk but was completely disappointed.
Perhaps the full version is different but the 2-octave limited trial version sounds like a bad joke. The GUI is also ridiculous compared to the fantastic GUI of Native Instruments.
Of course I have used very specific sound settings within each VST instrument but I cannot go into detail about here. Also you need 2 stupid iLok dongles that only give you trouble. Native Instruments is the only one that comes with a regular copy protection that works just as good for them. However, in my experience neither Steinberg nor Native Instruments provide proper service or support in case of need. They all work like the more and more spreading NWO companies who give a shoot about their customers unless it's their money. I've had the same bad experience with Synthogy a few years ago but then recently I contacted them again about an inexplicable iLok issue and they were very helpful and solved the problem in no time on a weekend (in New England). *smile*
If you have any related questions or suggestions, write me or comment below.
I matched together the best possible hybrid virtual piano and this video shows the basic settings in Mainstage 3.
Hardware:
MacBook Air 11" with Intel 1,3 Ghz DuoCore and 4 GB RAM (1100€)
Software:
Mainstage 3 (30$/€ App) as the host application for the three following pianos:
- Native Instruments, The Grandeur - Steinway (99€)
- Steinberg , The Grand 3 - Steinway (99€)
- Synthogy Ivory II, American D - Steinway (169€)
In Mainstage I've created an empty patch for 4 instruments (layers). Then I added and tweaked:
1. American D, KEY RANGE: C-1 to A#0, (28 voices)
2. The Grandeur, KEY RANGE: B0 to A3, (120 voices)
3. The Grand 3, KEY RANGE: A#3 to E4, (30 voices)
4. American D, KEY RANGE: F4 to C7, (60 voices)
Key range explanation:
The American D has the best bass and by far the best upper octave. The Grandeur has a superior mid range with The Grand 3 stealing a few notes. With this setting you avoid the brassy American D hard attack keys in the mid range that simply sound like shoot.
The music you hear is the intro of Barry Manilow's Weekend In New England played slowly to showcase the sound in the key of C (DO). I added a little bit of convolution reverb from Cool Edit Pro 2.1 with which I recorded it.
The polyphony of all 3 pianos needed to be "limited" due to my 2013 MacBook Air that is not overly powerful, however, I have heavily hammered the piano in all 4 key ranges while watching the voice monitor of the VST plug-in and saw and heard that with these voice settings no sounds are cut off, even when running several glissandi up and down the keyboard with the sustain pedal pressed.
For your reference, I am a lifelong digital piano fan and I also have the 3 pianos from Ivory II by Synthogy and The Giant by Native Instruments. I also downloaded and tested the demo version of the TBO Mk II by Sampletekk but was completely disappointed.
Perhaps the full version is different but the 2-octave limited trial version sounds like a bad joke. The GUI is also ridiculous compared to the fantastic GUI of Native Instruments.
Of course I have used very specific sound settings within each VST instrument but I cannot go into detail about here. Also you need 2 stupid iLok dongles that only give you trouble. Native Instruments is the only one that comes with a regular copy protection that works just as good for them. However, in my experience neither Steinberg nor Native Instruments provide proper service or support in case of need. They all work like the more and more spreading NWO companies who give a shoot about their customers unless it's their money. I've had the same bad experience with Synthogy a few years ago but then recently I contacted them again about an inexplicable iLok issue and they were very helpful and solved the problem in no time on a weekend (in New England). *smile*
If you have any related questions or suggestions, write me or comment below.
