🎹Garritan Abbey Road Studios CFX Concert Grand Piano VST - Yamaha CFX Concert Grand Piano🎹

[@TamirOrkobysPiano]

Wow Stu! pulling the big guns now? exquisite playing as always.

[@JoeLinux2000]

I've heard this before, and consider it one of the best for sure. It's true that many of these virtual voices are similar. I'm not doing audio production so I don't have much need for different piano sounds. Most people just have one piano in their home. I use Pianoteq because it runs natively on Linux. Even though I have several Pianoteq voices, I only use one - the Bluethner concert recording grand. If I had the piano you are demonstrating today and it could run as a standalone on Linux, I would be very pleased with it. It's entirely lovely.

[@markfowlermusic]

7:33 and 7:37 (7:40 is how it should always sound) you can hear what garritan cfx loves to do with the sustain… this kind of abrupt cut off in the bass notes that don’t sustain properly…it’s an annoyingly bug several users including myself have noticed happens quite frequently.

[@MerriamPianos]

Thanks for the time stamps and sharing your insights! I am sure our VST savvy community members appreciate it. :)

[@curt300s]

Brilliant playing and great demo of this product. Thanks for posting.

[@richardgordon9939]

you've got some serious chops stu

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! I will be happy to pass along the compliments to Stu for you. :)

[@djcata7474]

The BABY 👶at 5:40 looking through the door is adorable

[@MerriamPianos]

Stu's playing is always attracting an audience! Even at home! ;)

[@paoloagostini1407]

Garritan CFX Piano...probably the best concert piano i ever heard

[@MerriamPianos]

It is a very impressive VST to say the least! :)

[@okay1904]

What I love about Stu's reviews, is the lack of hype - very authentic opinions, and he can "play". It would take a lot of effort, for most hobbyists, and semi professional pianists to achieve anything better. I get the impression that these pianos sound a bit better than the KZbin video/audio, cos there was likely some compression during the recording and upload/playback from KZbin. But this video demonstrates what the Garritan piano is capable of, in the hand of someone who can "play". Amazing demo.

[@MerriamPianos]

Thanks so much for your kind words! We're glad you enjoy Stu's playing and videos! While there is inevitably some compression that comes from rendering the video and through KZbin's player. With that said, we do not add any additional compression or processing on our end. We try to keep the sonic representations of pianos and VST as transparent as possible.

[@KQPianos_music]

Garritan CFX is one of the best piano sample libraries I have ever owned.

[@faziolifairmont8125]

which are the other ones? cuz its the only one that doesnt make me puke. and im still not happy :'c

[@julianmanjarres1998]

@@faziolifairmont8125 why not

[@tejasb1239]

@@faziolifairmont8125 try VSL CFX piano

[@aarongong5041]

@@faziolifairmont8125 CinePiano for Kontakt is nice.

[@faziolifairmont8125]

@@aarongong5041 kontakt isnt very capabele. That's why Ivory and gerritan use custom engines. Aria is better

[@abath07]

-13:20 The Garritan CFX “Player” close mic positions samples sound best to me, much better than the default “Classic” distant mic positions!

I find too! 🙏

[@adamdominik7579]

Great video, great improvisations, thank You!

[@MerriamPianos]

Thanks so much for taking the time to tune in! We appreciate it. :)

[@SBell1959]

Love to hear classical music played on this plug in being a concert grand piano. I only have heard classical music on concert grand pianos for over 60 years, not pop, jazz or blues music on them. Nobody on any of these reviews don't know classical music.

[@orderd29]

I'm new to the channel but highly impressed. You have more talent in your little finger than I could ever hope for. Close your eyes and it's like Chick Corea is still here with us.

[@HeronFly]

Thanks for the review, I like your concise explanations and your opinions on the features and sounds. Would love you to review Soniccouture Hammersmith Pro, that is a great sounding library!

[@thomasschatton3481]

Again a marvellous review like all of your reviews both of real and of virtual instruments. Can't wait for your Ravenscroft and Keyscape reviews! What digital piano or master-/MIDI-keyboard(s) are you suggesting for use with these VSTs, especially also for folks with a tighter budget? Would something like a Casio CDP-S100 be sufficient as one of the cheapest digital pianos with a scaled hammer action?

[@abath07]

I like the close mic "Player" mode on Garritan, not the more popular "Classic" large hall (distant mic). I also reduce the resonance for a dryer sound. There has yet to be a Garritan "Player" (close mic) vs the VSL 280VC (close mic) video.

[@helisoma]

I have the Garritan Steinway Concert Grand Piano emulation from 2010 and that was I think an 8 year project for Garritan. Would be interesting to compare it to the modern one.

[@MerriamPianos]

Thanks for the suggestion! That would be an interesting comparison to see how things have evolved over the years. I will add it to the list of potential video candidates for the future. :)

[@jonjlangley]

I have this and love it! Try out the Embertone Walker D if you haven’t already Stu. Fantastic video and review as always sir! 👍

[@act2forlife375]

Great video, man. Sold me on it so am going to use your link.! Cheers. You're a pro!

[@devidasa9637]

Stellar review Stu. Thank you so much. Purchased.

[@palamud]

9:32 A cute spectator.

[@anman366]

I have to say this Garritan CFX library sounds promising!!! Thanks for sharing with us -- also all of a sudden I noticed the little girl in the window and it startled me haha, too cute gotta love WFH! :)

Very love your performance!! Exactly what i searched for. 🙏❤️

[@AlbertKimMusic]

oh my god dude where has this been

[@runforitman]

That is such a beautiful sounding synth I just bought it and am downloading it I've been going with the stock piano samples on my piano for years, and I've been getting more and more sick of how not rich they sound compared to when I play on real pianos I am excited to hopefully breathe some life into my home piano

[@MerriamPianos]

Congrats on making the jump into VST plug ins! There are some very compelling and authentic sounding instruments out there in the virtual world! :)

[@samuelreyes6359]

Do you have a installing video?

[@consudotuk]

Hi i enjoyed following this video. I'm a pianist and myh songs are piano driven. I don't currently have a great piano library as often they are complicated. Is this very much plug and play? I mean, can one just chose a preset and the piano will sound as amazing as it sounds in your video? I don't think you manipulated the sound...so i am being hopeful!

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! There are a lot of great presets on this VST of course. With that said, you are still able to custom tailor things as needed to fit your specific musical needs, and the needs of the specific situation.

[@consudotuk]

@MerriamPianos hi Brent thanks for letting me know. I'm hoping they'll have a Christmas sake so I can buy it 😜

[@christophrichthofen1241]

Hi. Have your tried Addictive Keys (recorded on a Steinway D274)? I'm actually really impressed with it given it's less than half the price of the Garritan! I was thinking about buying the Garritan, but I'm not so sure it would be worth it. The "Studio Grand - Studio Grand" samples have a really realistic timbre....not quite as clean as the Garritan, but it almost sounds more natural to my ears. I work as a classical pianist, so just wondered what anyone else's take on the Addictive Keys in comparison?

[@JoelEmmanuelMusic]

I used Addictive Keys for a while but noticed a lot of notes had noticeable bad frequencies that ring and pop out. Quite distracting and once you hear it you can't un-hear it. I had planned to record with it but I deemed it not suitable because of those issues. Ravenscroft 275 had similar noise things going on too. Get the Garritan if you can.

[@christophrichthofen1241]

@@JoelEmmanuelMusic thanks!

[@JoelEmmanuelMusic]

@@christophrichthofen1241 or Noir. It doesn't have the hissing issue at low velocity and sounds pretty similar to the CFX (Noir is also a Yamaha). I use Noir currently.

[@agparag]

@@JoelEmmanuelMusic use compressor with -20 to remove hiss sound

[@tyrvintersol916]

Great Review Stu.

[@calikokat100]

Garritan is my favorite...you can go make a cup of tea...while loading the samples

[@frankperricone7042]

Thanks for your in-depth review. I have this and love it. I stopped using Ivory when I got CFX. What do you think of the "EastWest Pianos" plugin? I am thinking of adding that one to my collection as well.

[@MerriamPianos]

You're very welcome! Thank you for taking the time to check out the video! We sincerely appreciate it. Perhaps Stu has experience and insights on the EastWest Pianos plugin, but it is not one that I have any experience with. That would definitely be a good one for us to add to our list of future reviews and demos. :)

[@pietrotou]

Great review. Are you using an external sound card to achieve good latency while playing/recording?

[@dkijc]

Have you ever seen CFX suddenly not load your samples? Now I have to install again... gaaah. But BEAUTIFUL playing!!!! :) :)

[@bleu4036]

What were you playing at 13:49?

[@chrisrdgymnastics]

Tnx for sharing bro

[@dimitrovboeleepianoduo]

Hey Hello there, thanks for the wonderful video! I have a question - I have the garritan thanks to your great video, but I cant seem to have the volume as high as you've done it. Once I get the microphones up I start having a lot of hissing sort of sound. And in your video it sounds loud and crystal clear. It would be so nice of you if you could tell me how you managed to increase the volume so high? Thanks and hope to hear from you!

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi! Brent here! You're very welcome! Thanks for tuning in. It is likely due to the compression that occurs through the process of rendering the video and going through the KZbin player. While we do not do any post-processing to the sound in order to ensure transparency, there is some compression that occurs at various steps through the video posting process.

[@christophercrimmins6143]

how long has this one been around? is it outdated by the vsl one?

[@ShanMichaelEscasio]

I have got this Garritan just a frw days ago and Im happy with it. I came from Addictive Keys for the last 5 years. My laptop managed to run this at the full sample (122GB installation. But i think i need to explore more. It sounds amazing and when i played along to my eichard clayderman piano backing track, i was happy that the piano you hear at the start (just for a cue) sounds similar to the CFX in terms of tonality. However, the downside is that Garritan doesnt work well on reaper. There arw hiccups here and there but cfx as a standalone works flawless.

[@MerriamPianos]

I'm happy to hear that you have been enjoying the Garritan CFX VST. With any new piece of software, some tweaking and configuring with your specific system will be required to optimize its performance. It sounds like you are on the right track to doing so though! :)

[@ShanMichaelEscasio]

@@MerriamPianos maybe im doing sometbing wrong? Reaper only manages to pull the 32 bit version of the aria player plugin and the reaper i am using rn is 64bit. Maybe that is the issue? Also, when i first tried loading garritan in reapee, i tbought you need to get thr actual cfx grandx6/64.dll thing. Yes it loads but then it causes a problem in reaper where when i open the project with garritan on it, it wont load. Aria player plugin loads faster but that is also where i have the stutter issues.

[@ShanMichaelEscasio]

By the way, a little googling also confirmed that my issue isnt isolated. Many actually experienced it.

[@RohitSpiano]

Which player software did you use for recording with the garritan cfx concert grand?? I have the same software and im facing some background noises

[@benjaminsmith2287]

It's a highly regarded VST. VSL has come out with one too but it is a different sounding room and differently voiced CFX. Stu's review is excellent and really concise and he's sounding great playing as usual. Now, about the CFX. I don't know. Yamaha said it was in development for 19-20 years and there were all sorts of musicians involved testing different prototypes that had different combinations of wood in the rim and types of hammers and strings and so forth. I think Yamaha got tired of the box of being the "bright piano that's good for pop and jazz" and wanted to compete in the Classical realm as well. And it has, the piano is used in a lot of Classical piano competitions and sometimes is the most popular. Now you do find the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX up there as well which is wonderful and it most certainly has an enthusiastic following. There are also Faziolis and of course, Steinway Ds, usually Hamburg versions. Yamaha, I also think, blended some of what they've learned from Bosendorfer in the purchase and may even use some of the same sourced woods and other materials that Bosendorfer uses in their grands. So, I think while it may have come out about a decade after the Shigeru Kawai series and concert grand, it's part of a long vision Yamaha was having in terms of massaging their tone. Kawai and Yamaha competing make each other better but Kawais are usually a bit bigger. The SK-EX is almost 2 inches longer than the CFX. My feeling on concert grands is that some are truly exceptional and most are very nice. There's an occasional dud. I've heard the CFX live many times and two were sublime while the others were very nice. I've only heard an SK6 live and it was exceptional. I've heard many Steinways live and, like the CFX, some were sublime and others were nice. But the difference in tone in the same model is true of all pianos, from the least expensive to the most.

[@PawelLeszczynskipav]

Dolphin Dance nice!

[@MerriamPianos]

:)

[@pianosongbook]

Hi Stu, thx for this review... may I ask a question: how do I get rid of the metallic sound especially on the higher tones?

[@davidmartin123]

The "Closed" lid position helps

[@emarshallp]

Hi Stu, love your videos, so much detail. I'm going to buy a Roland fp30x or fp60x (maybe the 60 because you said is night and day with the in build speakers. Also want a real as possible vst to complemente. For me, love the real sense of a Piano sound, wich one you advice me to purchase, the garritan, the Ravenscroft 275 VI Labs Piano or the suite of 3 pianos from Native Instruments (don't know if they sound outdated now. Sorry if the question is to long, don't have an obligation to answer. You are great! Greetings from Argentina!

[@sakefchowdhury9668]

Hi there I have a confusion I would like to get an answer of. My question is will I get the same midi output with the Garritan CFX if I try to play it on a Roland FP 30X rather then RD2000 that you're using ? From alot of your videos, what I understood is that a piano needs triple sensor to get proper midi output. Is that all I need to look at when buying a digital piano (for midi purpose only) to get the full potential from a vst such as the Garritan or are there more specs to look at? Looking forward for your reply :)

[@BlueGrovyle]

The brand and type of action still matters and it's not really possible to know what best suits you until you've tried it.

[@RonMantay]

Thanks for another great review. I've been publishing piano performances on KZbin using WAV files directly out of my Yamaha N1X, and they sound pretty good with zero editing. I also have a Roland FP-30X for when I play outside the house. For studio recordings of solo piano where I want to get the best possible acoustic grand sound, which 2 or 3 piano VSTs would you suggest are top picks for this application ? I use Logic Pro on MacOS.

[@MerriamPianos]

Thank you for tuning in! That is awesome to hear. The audio files that modern digital and hybrid pianos can output have become quite nuanced and detailed. In terms of your question regarding the top VST plug-ins, I responded to your post from another video that outlines a few things to consider. It really is a matter of personal musical preferences. Virtually everyone's top three piano sounds are going to differ.

[@TheBroadcastStudio365]

Very helpful

[@sylux6985]

Hey, im completely new to this topic. Do I need a DAW to use the VST?

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi there! It depends on which plugin you are using. Some will need to be run via a DAW while some can be used as standalone plugins.

[@sylux6985]

@@MerriamPianos Thank you for answering! Is it possible to use the Garritan VST without a DAW?

[@tA_aT287]

Excellent job! Is it a cpu hog?

[@totizedger]

In my opinion it is not too bad when comparing to Keyscape which is another great Piano VST which is a cpu hog

[@SixFingerspiano]

Hello. What is the difference between the full version and the abridged one? Is it worth installing the full version, and it's still 122 GB?

[@eddictiongamer9595]

Can you do a garritan cfx vs p515 cfx sample?

[@sakefchowdhury9668]

It's the same thing

[@HeronFly]

I’ve played the p515 samples, and Garritan is so much better. I was really disappointed with the p515 piano sounds, really underwhelming. I like the Native Instruments Noire piano. The Hammersmith pro is really nice, that’s going to be my next one.

[@ragestacker]

@@HeronFly lool

[@j.armijomusic]

You got chops

[@MerriamPianos]

Stu is a heckuva player to say the least! Thanks for tuning in! :)

[@MrigendraBhusal]

I think you enjoy playing jazz over classical..how long have you been learning jazz..guess it's an aftereffects..sounds fantastic..I never saw garritan as a piano vst for jazz..always will choose keyscape..this video is lit and congratulations for being a jazz afficianado..

[@straizys]

works great for jazz as well, I'm a jazz pianist myself and Garritan is absolutely the best. Keyscape has a pleasant sound but it has only a tiny fracture of dynamic capabilities in comparison to Garritan. Keyscape unfortunately sounds very very flat

[@rosariox-plane1172]

Hi, I have a YAMAHA CVP 605, I wanted to know if by purchasing GARRITAN Abbey Road CFX Concert Grand, I can get more realistic piano sounds than my CVP.

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi there! That is ultimately a matter of subjectivity, but many players find VST plug ins to offer more detailed and authentic piano sounds than most digital pianos offer via their onboard. tone engines. :)

[@ShanMichaelEscasio]

Hello..back with another question. How can i screenrecord the standalone vst,? I need to crop out the animated virtual keyboard psection only for a keyboard tutorial i am planning to fo.

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! There are numerous screen record apps out there (some are even free to use online). With that said, I am not sure if there is a way to get out of having to do some cropping to capture the particular section of the window you are trying to isolate. Perhaps, one of our helpful community members here will have a solution. :)

[@ShanMichaelEscasio]

@@MerriamPianosthanks! I wouldnt mind if i capture the full GUI of Garritan. That is essentially what im trying to do. Tried with bandicam but unfortunately i get no sound on the screen recording (maybe because of the asio driver being set as the default sound?)

[@AdemVessell]

Do you do live streams? You should if you don't! That would be UBER fun :D I'm a bit stuck yet. Great playing! I really like this one, it's a contender but I'm not emotionally moved by the sound it produces. You mention your setting in the DAW but what are your video setting for upload? I notice you upload in 1080p, what are your audio settings for uploading?

[@bernardzlebic8204]

i have garritan steinway but i dont know how to connect my laptop with clavinova clp and what cables do i need to connect it??

[@bernardzlebic8204]

i guess that cfx intallation is similar than steinway.. please help...

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear that you're having issues. It is difficult to troubleshoot without being onsite of course. If you're looking to control the Garritan Steinway VST and use your laptop speakers (or any external speakers you may have connected to your laptop), you will simply need a USB cable. You can take the USB output from your Clavinova and plug it into your laptop. From there, you will need to configure the inputs/outputs correctly within the software.

[@tcrosslinho5565]

Which would be best a digital like the Garritan or a used upright like Welmar, Knight, Chappel or Yamaha U1, U3?

[@bhaveshmistry3255]

This one is super duper piano vst I have used than a other famous names. It’s so amazing just use better controller like a Kawai VPC1 and MP11SE. It dose the magic. Great review I will highly recommend this to musicians. Thank you so much bro for making this video it will definitely help musicians to buy this. 🤘🤘❤️

[@straizys]

exactly. I do own VPC1 and I'm incredibly happy already for a year. suits to perform anything from Rachmaninoff to bebop and beyond. Fantastic vst capable of zillion dynamic possibilities

[@tyrvintersol916]

I have also the VPC1 since three days and the playability of Garritan CFX increased drastically. It's just fun.

[@andrewstrasser]

Which vsts feature sympathetic resonance?

[@MerriamPianos]

In my experiences, the vast majority of VST piano plugins have some type of sympathetic resonance parameter.

[@andrewstrasser]

@MerriamPianos which one is the cheapest with this? Does the stock Ableton one have it?

[@CraigMcIntyreOfficial]

Hi Guys. Does anyone know why when I download this it takes up nearly 120+ GB of storage??

[@MerriamPianos]

Unfortunately, some VST sample libraries are quite massive and take up a lot of hard-drive space! However, generally speaking, the bigger the file size, the more detailed and nuanced the sample sets will be.

[@rosariox-plane1172]

Hello good morning, I installed the Garritan cfx, I connected my CVP 605 with the PC via USB, but the sound comes out only from the PC, the sound of the CVP remains unchanged, in addition to the Garritan is there any other program needed to make the sound come out of the CVP?

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! In order for the sound to come out the piano's onboard speakers, it would require a USB audio interface. The CVP605 does not have this type of USB audio interface. In fact, it is quite recently that these types of interfaces have been incorporated into digital pianos.

[@rosariox-plane1172]

@@MerriamPianos So you're telling me that I have to buy an external sound card, that goes from the cvp to the pc?'

[@KephaBandMusic]

The panning of left and right is wrong when you're listening to it. Is it just a technical issue during recording this or The bass sound of the piano is really at the right part and the high end is at the left? I tried to switch my headphones. 😆

[@AlbertKimMusic]

It's just the different mic positions he's choosing

[@jonos138]

So Stu, i know you dont like to state a 'what is best' as its different for everyone, but. If you personally had to pick one piano plugin, what would you choose personally for you? Just interested.

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! While I can't speak on behalf of Stu, I would personally say the exciting thing about the world of piano VST plugins is that, unlike a piano for most people, you don't have to choose just one! I have a large library of VSTs and it is very empowering to be able to use different tools for different jobs. Whether you're recording piano for a film score or a pop project, having a range of options is very helpful. :)

[@jonos138]

@Merriam Music I totally agree, I have several piano plugins. I was just interested in whether Stu did have a favourite that he found himself going back to more than others. Thanks for the reply. 👍

[@rosariox-plane1172]

Ciao ho collegato il mio Pc alla mia CVP 905 tramite USB, ma si sente il doppio suono della tastiera quando utilizzo Garritan, perché??

[@MerriamPianos]

Is it because you have the onboard speakers of your CVP905? If you're running the VST plugin via a pair of computer monitors, you may have two sound sources hence the doubled piano tone.

[@joashanchan5679]

Lovely video bro. Could you please use a desser or something on your voice. Pretty painful haha

[@MrWoodhaven11421]

How to get the pedal noise to work even when i adjust the button i turn it still no pedal noise?

[@superfir3]

Question I have a yamaha ew310 and a sustain pedal my only small problem is that when I press down on my pedal the pedal in garritan does not go down and I don't want sustain or off the whole time but to be able to control it how do I do it

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi there! I am not entirely sure as to what could be causing the issue. Data from the pedal (or any pitch/mod wheels, etc.) would be transmitted via MIDI. With that said, it is difficult to troubleshoot without getting to inspect the setup/configuration firsthand. Perhaps, one of our helpful community members will have dealt with and resolved this specific issue.

[@yangyangaman4295]

Where can i get this sound sample?

[@ShanMichaelEscasio]

Hello again, i have another question. Honest question: What USB cable do you use to connect your keyboar,d/digital piano to your pc/mac for testing VSTs like this CFX Grand? Do you believe in sometjong like an "audio optimized" USB cable? For years now i have been using a generic $ 2.33 printer cable. With Addictive keys which is ony a 4GB piano VST, i hear no stutters/jitters. But with a heavier piano vst such as Garritan CFX Concert Grand, I hear jitters esp when the software is started for the first time and at times persists throughout my playing/recording session. Then a fellow keyboardist who also uses a laptop with his keyboard rig told me that USB cable matters and that my USB is only 2.0. Then i searched for a ush midi cable on one of my favorite online stores and found this Chroma "audoo optimized" usb A to B cable by DJTech. Bought one for $ 30.32 and it'll arrive anytime this week or next. I am a newbie to this stuff so idk of i got scamm3d or bought into the hype. But i do believe that cable does matter.

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! There is a very similar debate going on with guitar players and studio engineers regarding the quality of a cable and how much it has an impact on the audio fidelity. Needless to say, the overall condition of a cable will matter. If there is a poor connection, it can lead to noise and an intermittent signal. However, in my experiences, the difference is quite minor (my opinion of course!). I would say that this is likely to be the case with USB cables too, especially if you're predominantly using it for MIDI information. I suppose it might have a bigger effect on an instrument with a USB audio interface though. It'd be great to hear what your experiences are once your new cable arrives! Thanks for writing in! :)

[@gerard4870]

what roland are you playing

[@MerriamPianos]

Stu is playing a Roland RD2000 stage piano in this video. :)

[@act2forlife375]

That is if you had a link to the download. But thanks anyway. So very helpful!

[@BottleneckMoses]

9:34 the musical director looks in to check up on her employee.

[@Mistygio]

5:37 the background.... lmao

[@MerriamPianos]

Haha good eyes! It appears we have a tiny audience member! :)

[@Josifer4GAppFire]

How is this different from the CFX yamaha samples for their pianos?

[@straizys]

it's as much difference as playing acoustic or electric piano. none of even the most expensive digital pianos are capable of handling such massive virtual instrument as Garritan CFX. Garritan requires expensive computing power, fast SSD etc. Try it yourself, digital piano samples are joke in comparison to such massive VST

[@Josifer4GAppFire]

@@straizys Good point, I didn't think of that. Thanks

[@blindwatchmaker7877]

Virtual instruments do not have a good key press due to latency. When practicing the piano, a Digital keyboard is good

[@enigmazach]

Does he have some external EQ happening? The instrument doesn't sound nearly as bright and present when I use it.

[@MerriamPianos]

I believe Stu was using default settings without any post processing or EQing to ensure a transparent presentation of the VST's sound.

[@enigmazach]

@@MerriamPianos Thanks for the response. It's odd though that I have to crank the 2k-3k range to approximate what the instrument sounds like in this video.

[@alpay389]

by the way: youtuber constatine carrera uses it. and it sounds like rousseau, kassia and patrik pietschmann are using this vst for their videos too.

[@studiosnch]

Rousseau uses Pianoteq btw.

[@alpay389]

didnt know that. it sounds like it. i wasnt sure. i know about pianoteq but didnt know that he uses it. which piano does he use? bluthner? do you know that?

[@mauriziomanni6625]

ok the "Garritan Abbey Road Studios CFX Concert Grand Piano VST" is awesome, yes yes. now how to get your skill? :O xD second time I watch it for both reasons! thank you

[@MerriamPianos]

Brent from Merriam Music here! Haha trust me when I say that I have the same wish every time I watch Stu play!

[@mauriziomanni6625]

@@MerriamPianos it was poetry!

[@xhilia]

is it just me or I keep hearing the second highest Eb6 ring disturbingly (metallic small high pitched) when you play D, Eb, E (5,6) I thought it was just my headphone or mixer but I can hear it here as well (although not as audible) :(

[@synphonix123]

To my ear, that octave C6-B6 has some weak, thin notes, some even sounding out of tune. Others may hear this as complex harmonics. It's the piano as-sampled.

[@kaii7147]

Is there any way to change the note velocity of a single key in aria or garritan standalone? I have a dodgy key g#4 to be exact for some reason my controller plays at 127 all the time for some reason it's

[@straizys]

Finally! :D

[@MarianoPerez]

I get this distortion when I’m playing a lot of notes. I’ve tried messing with cache settings and all to no avail. Just cutting my losses and moving on.

[@MerriamPianos]

Hmm it is hard to say as why you could be experiencing distortion. It is difficult to troubleshoot the issue without seeing your particular hardware/software setup.

[@colvert2389]

11:25

[@MerriamPianos]

:)

[@Julius-vz7pb]

the most realistic

[@miketurnbull6235]

Hi Stu,...I have always enjoyed your reviews that have been very informative. You have covered many important aspects in this review, but failed to mention one very important point: The Yamaha CFX was designed specifically to be heard in the context of it being played with an orchestra. This was the main reason to build this model. You also stated that you would like to do a comparison review of the Ravenscroft and the CFX. You needn't bother as this has already been comprehensively reviewed and demonstrated in the You Tube - Battle of the Giants. Ravenscroft 275 vs Garritan CFX (comparison) by Muscle Pianist.

[@amanisax5630]

Dolphin Dance nice!! Lol

[@MatSmithLondon]

One is more likely to smash the keys when playing a synth posing as a piano, than playing an actual piano - discuss … or maybe the midi controller being used has touch sensitivity set too high? Everything sounds like it’s being hit.

[@MerriamPianos]

There is certainly some truth to the notion that the instrument/sound you are hearing will naturally have an impact on how one plays and the amount of force applied. I am not sure as to what Stu's settings were for the production of this video. Thanks for tuning in and sharing your thoughts!

[@vuat2991]

Honestly, sometimes Idk just me or the default classical preset have the sound like... You can imagine the sound like the Felt noire,it's kinda...

[@MerriamPianos]

The default sound is usually the company's own ideal version/representation of the piano or sample. With that said, thankfully most VSTs have quite a number of adjustable settings to allow users to custom tailor things to their specific needs. :)

[@vuat2991]

@@MerriamPianos I mean... When I a bit adjust I still hear that sound...

[@myuncle2]

Like any other sample based vst, it lacks the oomph, power, warmth, complexity of a real acoustic grand. Yes, a sample based vst it might be a great tool for post production, but for a live experience it's not as good as pianoteq, and it's not even as good as digital piano internal sound, when you blend the Rhodes (without phaser) with the piano. I think it's too difficult for a sample based vst to achieve a good result.The Rhodes is the best shortcut to complexity, if you blend it to a vst it will add all the things that a vst needs, from a player live experience.

[@katiegrundle9900]

You're right, I would rather play an acoustic piano. I have the garritan linked to a yanahe p125 with yorkville near field speakers, and also have a 70 year old 64 key cameo mini spinet. I would rather play the spinet.

[@zumadale]

I dont know... I think Pianoteq is a lot better....I play mostly live and like the options in Pianoteq...this CFX seems limited in comparison.

[@prestonwhite6423]

There is certain depth and realism that I prefer from cfx, but the customization is hard to beat for pianoteq

[@qwertyuiopasdgjklzxcvbnm]

sounds almost identical to Cfx Montage

[@MerriamPianos]

I haven't tried that one personally, but it is always interesting to hear different captures/samples of the same piano. :)

[@rrjjgg101]

Hi Stu...Great Video.. Excellent Sound of Garittan.. I need your help ...Mostly I Play Pop/Film score / Popular Music.. I own CA 78..Which I bought after your advice..I am very happy with CA 78.. Want Vst suitable for my above requirement.. What's your expert suggestion..Thank you..👍 STAY SAFE🙏

[@straizys]

your kawai ca78 will definitely feel incredible with Garritan. Ravenscroft is the only other choice which sounds a bit better than native kawai 78 engine. But Garritan is much richer, detailed sound

[@rrjjgg101]

@@straizys Thank you Friend for your suggestion.👍 I don't know much about VST...But I love sound of Garritan CFX.. So I just wanted to find any other Vst better or comparable to Garritan CFX...Most important for me is I mostly Play Pop/ Film Score/ Popular music..Is Garritan cfx suitable for my need? Thanx again!! STAY SAFE🙏

[@HeronFly]

@@rrjjgg101 Native Instruments Noire or the Hammersmith Pro are both really great, amazing. If you get Kontakt 6 full version, you can get simple sam’s Signature Grand. These are my favorites.

[@rrjjgg101]

@@HeronFly Thank you for your suggestion I really appreciate..👍 STAY SAFE 🙏

[@babawawayoyo]

OK, so maybe I'm being dumb and small-minded, but because I've used Finale since 2006 and Garritan instruments have always come free with Finale (and sounded gawd AWFUL), I am biased against this piano. I can objectively say it sounds wonderful, but I will always association Garritan in my head with the terrible sounds that come out of my scores on Finale, haha.

[@JacksonWhyte]

OMG u kinda look like Edward Norton

[@JustinDAMusic]

You're playing Yamaha's piano sound on a Roland keyboard. I'm sure that there's an unwritten law against that😅

[@stephenshooterfineartist9635]

i don't know why, if its perhaps just too many jazz harmonies crashing about...but it lacks emotion...i would like to hear something with more emotional depth played on it...i felt nothing... :(

[@MerriamPianos]

I am sorry to hear that. We will definitely be striving to incorporate more playing styles and genres in upcoming videos.