Thickening piano sounds

[boneyboys]

I've been working on this big epic pianoey thing, just using a vst, but the piano sound is really thin, and doesn't have much power behind it. Anyone got any ideas for how to get a decent fat sound on keys?

 

[Freakwncy]

first it depends on how you are playing it, are you using chords? and if you take the same notes and copy and paste them 1 oct. higher or lower that will do it.

 

[ACEBEATZ]

I've been working on this big epic pianoey thing, just using a vst, but the piano sound is really thin, and doesn't have much power behind it. Anyone got any ideas for how to get a decent fat sound on keys?

Use compression and try a little bit of distortion/overdrive plug-in or somethin.
It should make your piano sound more vintage, more like it's from a vynil or some.

Add reverb too, it will give space and a more beautiful stereo image.

Holla Ace

 

[Shonsteez]

LIke freak said use tha same note a octave higher or lower, or both works good...plus u can write minor chord changes in there will be subtle enough to still have tha dominant note play through, but will add even more body and sometimes sorrow to yer chord.

 

[eldiablo]

double or triple them, li9ke they do vocals.

 

[eXampuL_oNe]

I would just EQ it. Take the finished chord into a program for eqing or whatever you use that has a good eq. Also what ace said, compression and reverb make it sound real ill. The eq will add fullness along with the reverb.

 

[boneyboys]

Thanks guys, great advice. I had most of the actual chord porgression sorted with the left hand stuff in too, so a bit of eq, compression then a healthy dose of reverb and a little distortion seems to have done the job nicely.

 

[Shonsteez]

Distorting piano gives more of a grimey effect...If thats what you were going for then cool...To simply fatten chords though, that best way is to actually know your chords. That way u can decide whether u want to simply play a bigger chord to a lesser chord instead of thowing pounds of reverb and disortion on top of it to cover up what hasent been doen.

 

[ACEBEATZ]

Distorting piano gives more of a grimey effect...If thats what you were going for then cool...To simply fatten chords though, that best way is to actually know your chords. That way u can decide whether u want to simply play a bigger chord to a lesser chord instead of thowing pounds of reverb and disortion on top of it to cover up what hasent been doen.

Adding compression and distortion will fatten every note, so will fatten your chord even more. I aint sayin to add distortion like you would do for a guitar, you only need to mix at 10 % approximately so it's not evident there is distortion. It only give color to the sound so it prevent piano to be flat and dull. Reverb add space and stereo to sounds: most of samples comin from vynils or else got reverb cuz 95% of commercial releases got reverb.
So it gives the same kinda wideness on your piano track when you add reverb.

And effects are built to make a sound better not "cover things that hasn't been done". A well played line of piano, done by a professional musician will sound a lot more alive and pro with compression and reverb. For sure chords gotta be played and WELL played but dont say play chord instead of adding reverb, its playin chord well AND adding reverb.

 

[Shonsteez]

It Aint Like That Tho!

effects are built to make a sound better not "cover things that hasn't been done".

Yo i agree man, im not even sayin that if u use effects u cant play or some shit, or for that matter; it only covers things up!...Nah, i kno exactly wut yer sayin man, ive used effects many times over for tha same things, but not to simply "WIDEN CHORDS"....Furthermore, i think that its NOT neccessary to do so over a piano chord or note to make it fatter...Thats why i was sayin if u jus know how to play big chords u can make bigger sounds!, Not much more to it!...All im sayin is that Effects arent always tha solution...And on top of that: It doesnt make u qualify your sound to a studio/professional level....and u dont have to be a professional musician to make your chords sound fat. See, obviously we jus got different takes...Thats no biggie....But your basically sayin that effects are absolutely nessecary to widen your sounds/chords - Realistically, thats not tha case. YOU CAN WIDEN YOUR CHORDS WITHOUT REVERB OR OTHER EFFECTS!!! IT IS POSSIBLE!........THis sounds to me like u jus have more of a preference toward how u like your chords to sound, rather than simply observing tha real question...Which is:

I've been working on this big epic pianoey thing, just using a vst, but the piano sound is really thin, and doesn't have much power behind it. Anyone got any ideas for how to get a decent fat sound on keys?

Clearly, tha things u mentioned will help to a certain extent. Using reverb and disto will add a certain depth, as well as make it more loud if used with compression in general...But tha point is these thing will also take AWAY from tha OG sounds of tha instrument being used, even if tha effects are dialed in and used well.....Point being: This comes down to tha roots of it all, which is - knowing how to play bigger chords....then like u said - If u want to ALTER yer sound and make it more processed - Go ahead and use reverb and compression and all of that! - But once again , Its not nessecary!!

 

[ACEBEATZ]

For sure, i often add a -1 octave note to punch notes to make it sound more heavy, like many do. Yeah a effect will never make a track sound pro, it's the guy that make it sound better by tweaking it good and makin a good use of it.

One thing i often do is to add a piano but cuttin all hi after 1000hz and boostin from 100hz to 1000hz around 2-3 db, or use a maxxbass kinda plugin to give a simili-cheap-pc-speakers-bass (an audible but not shakin bass) and add it under the original piano track.
It give somethin cool.

Holla Ace

 

[Shonsteez]

Ace, dont get it twisted tho, u made awsome points IMO, i jus had to point that out real quick...Id have to second that goin with tha EQ is probably tha 1st step i would take and then Reverb if needed...I think a simple EQ would be enough tho if yer gonna do more than play complex chords.


Steezo

 

[boneyboys]

Yeah, deuce it's all good stuff, and I know you can fatten it out with putting the same notes an octace higher or lower, but in general I try to make things play as close to real life as I can, so I had a right hand section, and left hand section and left it at that. The real problem was that the piano samples were just thin as hell, instead of having the sotra grand piano "boom" when you hit a note they kinda had a little ping. No ammount of extra notes is gunna change that. It's definitely good advice to change the playing if it's set up without much thickness but on this occasion giving it a bit of compression etc has done a world of good.

 

[ACEBEATZ]

Boney if your problem is sounds then i might suggest you to try VST piano grand from steinberg. Really cool, dedicated piano instrument that have a lot of velocity layers.

Or find a good sample CD dedicated fro piano, there's a lot. It depend on wut software you use, could you tell me?

Holla Ace

 

[boneyboys]

I use fruity loops, so any vsts or crap in wav formats fine, cause I've gota half decent sampler on board. I've just been using the stock fruity loops piano which is good for stuff like jazz etc, but doesn't really have the depth. I might do a bit of looking round for a nice multisampled grand piano somewhere.

 

[SpinDoctor]

I used to have this problem when i firsted started using midi, all i did was increase the bass frequencies and it worked wonders.

Peace

 

[ACEBEATZ]

Look in stores, on ebay used, i dunno maybe you have a spot where you can find some sample cd or vst.

Look www.timespace.com

Holla Ace

 

[AHXBEATS]

I've been working on this big epic pianoey thing, just using a vst, but the piano sound is really thin, and doesn't have much power behind it. Anyone got any ideas for how to get a decent fat sound on keys?

Reverb And commpression..

X-RAY
"aka"
Jewel Avenue OX

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