True Piano

I have a question for all of you with some experience with keyboards. How can I get True Pianos to work with Notation and my Casio PX 200 to have real time Grand Piano sounds from the software? Or, maybe you know of something other than True Pianos that might even sound better? Thanks in advanced for any help at all, as I know nothing about interfacing a keyboard and a computer yet.

Dale

[dj]

Hello, Dale:

I don't know True Pianos specifically, but the first thing you need is a "virtual midi port". These reroute midi signals sent from Notation back to other software running on your computer.

There are several alternatives but your choice may depend on what operating system you're using.

I use the Maplemidi with XP, but it has known issues with Vista -- I haven't heard anything about it and Windows 7. And even more to the point, the developer has stopped development on it. An archive of it can be found here: http://www.postpiano.com/Maple/maple-index.htm

There are also these alternatives, but I don't know anything about them and their compatibility with current operating systems:

LoopBe1 -- http://www.nerds.de/
MIDI Yoke -- http://www.midiox.com/ (http://www.midiox.com/)
MIDI Connection Center 1.1 -- http://www.musiclab.com/downloads/free/

If True Pianos is a "stand alone" program (ie., comes as an .exe file), then you're good to go. If it's a VSTi or DXi (ie., comes as a .dll file), then you need a host. Herman Seib's SaviHost is the go-to solution for VSTi's (http://www.hermanseib.com). I don't know of any DXi hosts other than within sequencer programs, such as Power Tracks Pro.

Here's the process:

1: Install the virtual port(s). Reboot. The virtual port(s) should now show up as midi port(s) on your computer.
2: Install and run the host (if needed).
3: Run True Pianos in the host (if needed).
4: Point the host's midi in device to a virtual port -- or True Piano's midi in, if it is a stand-alone.
5: Run Notation (Composer/Musician/Player) and point the midi output the tracks you want sent to True Piano to the same virtual port you selected for True Piano.
6: Play the file -- it should work.

Important note: always run True Piano or its host FIRST and make sure that its input port is set to the one you want. THEN run Notation. Otherwise you'll get very erratic behaviour and a potential system hang.

Good luck.

David

[herbert]

Hi Dale,

SAVIHost will give you one instrument only. You could try VSTHost of Herman Seib, if you wish to use a large number of instruments and effects.

I have been using VSTHost via MIDI yoke for a long time, without a problem ever. It does not matter, if you start up compose first or start up VSTHost first.

For good piano samples at an affordable price, you could try the Steinways at Garritan.com.


Best wishes

Herbert

[dj]

Hi, Dale, Herbert:

Herbert is right: use VSTHost for multiple instrument configurations or for having several VSTs or VSTis in one configuration. If you have multiple configurations, though, you do have to select which one you are going to use for that instance from a drop-down list.

I suggested SAVIHost because it can be configured as a dedicated host that lets you click once on an icon and have the ready-to-go VST come up at once.

Different strokes.

Regarding system hangs:

I see that Midi-Yoke is a multi-client port, which means that it can accept input from multiple sources. When Notation starts up, it connects to all of the unclaimed ports that it can find. If the port is not multi-client and you then try to start your VST host using a port that Notation has already connected to, you'll get a system hang.

The multi-client aspect gets around that, by letting more than one client connect.

Maplemidi and Hubi's Loopback are single client ports. Midi-Yoke and LoopBe1 are multi-client. Midi Connection Center, I'm not sure about.

David

Thank you very much Herbert and David,

I have not tried any of them yet, but I am still reading as much as I can about this stuff. Another program that I am looking at now is
pianissimo.
I might have to get another laptop that has more memory too before I try to connect this stuff up. What got me interested in the sounds of software is from a site that has piano lesson books for sale, and he has some sound examples of the songs. I asked him how his piano sounded so much nicer than any I have ever heard, and he said it is software that he has for the Mac computer. I do not have a Mac, so I am searching for some nice sounds for Windows. Have not found any that sounds as nice as his yet.
Here is the link to Pete's site ( The guy with the great sounding Piano )

http://www.poppianopro.com/

Click on the listening booth link when you get there.

Here is the link to the pianissimo software, and I am hoping that this is the kind of software that you guys are talking about that I can play thru the keyboard to the pc and notation composer. It does not sound too bad in their examples.

http://www.acoustica.com/pianissimo/

Thanks again for your help, and let me know if you think that pianissimo would be a nice one to get. Now to look for a pretty good laptop that would run some of this software stuff.

Dale

[herbert]

Hi Dale,

Most Sample libraries run on both, Mac and Windows. Unless your computer is totally outdated, look at sample libraries first before you spend any money. Minimum computer hardware requirements are usually provided by the sample library supplier.

Make sure that the sample library has been recorded dry. The quality of your piano track will depend a lot on your midi editing and naturally on the sound system you use for playing your recording.

More expensive sample libraries contain samples recorded at many different dynamic levels for realistic dynamic sounds. The dynamic levels or layers are cross faded in the sample player engine and controlled by velocity of your midi track. Sample players that come with the sample libraries such as Kontakt Player permit reduced memory usage by purging unused samples.


Best wishes,

Herbert