[linux-audio-user] Bundled reply of you guess what :) - Linux-audio-user

23 Jan 2003

Hi,

...
  The  Nyquist  frequency is equal to (sample rate /
2).
  Logically, this is because the A/D converter needs at
 least 2 samples to detect  1  cycle  at the  Nyquist
 frequency.  Frequencies higher then the Nyquist will
 actually appear as lower frequencies to the A/D
 converter and is  called  aliasing. Normally,  A/D
 converts run the signal through a highpass filter
 first to avoid these problems.
 I guess the interesting problem is aliasing. Right? 
Yes but did you ever actually here problems at 48 Khz yourself ?? I didn't..
The sounds for the piano where sampled at 48 Khz but the Audigy 2 which was
used for this (not the best ADC arround) internally processes the input
sound at 192 or 96 Khz and probably downsamples it in hardware with
anti-aliasing (24 bit accuracy I think). Anyhow theoretically there might be
a problem but practically I've never encountered it.

...
     Please do not think you need to change ANYTHING
about your samples to
 sound like Bardstown. Every piano sounds different, so every library will
 sound different, so every mp3 will sound different. I know of many game
 developers and people writing scores for TV and movies that would seem to
 disagree with your opinion, but we're all entitled. Right? ;-) 
If I would change something it would be in an additional soundfont (that's
if the samples themself are changed) for the Audigy (2) initially. Regarding
44.1 Khz samples, we can downsample with anti-aliasing during the
installation process if needed.. When not changing the sampled themself
changes can be made in realtime in hardware/software with filters and EQ
settings.

I agree that every piano sounds different.. Even if you bought two the same
acoustic instruments the sound is likely to be slightly different
(hearable).

What you would prefer when you would buy a piano like Grandest Piano if it
offered soundbank in multiple formats ? One installer that installs all
formats in one go and might write 1.5 gig of soundbanks or more to your
harddisk or.... One data file for which somebody has to pay and a lot of
free downloadable installers for each format ? I'm asking since we can't
make an installer with the current installation system which allows you to
install in several formats since we rely on a 'patching' system (like DeltaX
under Linux) for part of the installation proces.. If a person would select
multiple formats we'll need a lot of patchfiles to cope with this.

...
     I disagree that the Bosey is 'filtered' or
'dull', but I do agree that it
...
  is not as bright as your library. Don't get fooled
though, and listen to
 what others say. I think there is no right answer here, like there is no
 right piano. 
People tend to get blind because a piano is lot's of Mb/Gb, read some
propaganda about a soundbank (e.g. an multivelocity sampled, multilayer, 127
realistic velocity levels using system XXX for obtaining the YYY acoustic
realism effect blah blah..).. Just read the text on www.studioax.com and
you'll see what I mean.

...
     From what I can hear, you are making great
progress, especially for a
 soundfont in less than 200MB. (Or whatever it ends up being.) I'd suggest
 you do your best work and make the library sound as much like the original
 piano you sampled as possible. 
There will be a 220 MB version at maximum (initially) and several smaller
versions down to 40 MB (only one sampled velocity layer) for maximum
compatibillity with any system..

I'm currently looking at Halion and EXS for destination formats.. From what
I saw I think that EXS is no longer available for Windows.. Does anybody
know if this is correct... Also when anybody on this list would buy Grandest
Piano, would you use it under Linux or Windows ? If you want to use it under
Linux which softsynths do you think would be good candidates ? I can't
promise I'll support any of them initially but there might be free update
patches (or free downloadable installers if we go for the data file +
installer).

...
     In real life the Bosey doesn't sound like the
German Steinway, which
 doesn't like the American Steinway, which doesn't sound like the Young
 Chang, which doesn't sound like the Yamaha, which doesn't sound at all
like
...
  the Baldwin that Bruce Hornsby plays. Why should your
library of a sampled
 Yamaha sound like Kips Bosey? I don't think so! Not at all! 
It doesn't have to sound like a Yamaha even.. As long as it sounds like a
piano.. If there should be variations which should allow you to easily
switch between several types of piano while using the same soundbank that's
only a pro.

...
     If you want to hear a really dark piano, go to
digital shootout and
 listen to any of the Malmsjo's. They are very dark, and yet there are people
...
  that love them. This is the way that piano sounds in
real life. I think they
...
  work for certain types of music. 
Once v0.2 is complete, which I hope will be the last beta containing only
the biggest version of the piano I'll look into adding variation soundbanks.

...
     I think your samples will work well also. Just keep
up the good work and
...
  listen to lots of libraries. If pointing you or others
towards sites like
 the Digital Piano Shootout helps, then great. If not, don't worry about it.

It surely helps.. It basically allows me to listen to several types of
pianos (whether I like them or not) and see if it's possible to make
variations similar to well known pianos.. Not that these would sound exactly
like them but it allows for pianos with different types of sound.

---
Roel / Utopia Sound Division
http://www.utopiasd.com