USER MANUAL
Special Thanks DIRECTION Frédéric Brun Kevin Molcard DEVELOPMENT Pierre Pfister (project Baptiste Aubry Baptiste Le Goff Mathieu Nocenti manager) Corentin Comte Pierre-Lin Laneyrie Benjamin Renard Samuel Limier (lead) Matthieu Courouble Valentin Lepetit Stefano D'Angelo Raynald Dantigny Germain Marzin Morgan Perrier Sebastien Rochard Greg Vezon Jean-Baptiste Arthus Marion Demeulemeester Victor Morello (Impulse Responses) Jean-Michel Blanchet Frank Lecomte Pierre Pfister Glen Darcey
Special Messages Specifications Subject to Change: The information contained in this manual is believed to be correct at the time of printing. However, Arturia reserves the right to change or modify any of the specifications without notice or obligation to update the hardware that has been purchased. IMPORTANT: The software, when used in combination with an amplifier, headphones or speakers, may be able to produce sound levels that could cause permanent hearing loss.
Table Of Contents 1. Introduction...................................................................................................................................................................... 3 1.1. What is Piano V? .................................................................................................................................................................... 1.2. History of the piano..................................................................................................
.8. Hardness ................................................................................................................................................................................ 40 5.9. Position.................................................................................................................................................................................... 40 5.10. Velocity curve ....................................................................................................
1. INTRODUCTION We’d like to thank you for purchasing Piano V, our virtual acoustic piano. You now possess not one, but twelve authentic piano models, and you can carry all of them under your arm wherever you go! We are confident Piano V will become the foundation of many great tracks in your studio and the path to unforgettable moments on stage. It is difficult to overstate the impact the piano has had upon the world of music.
1.2. History of the piano The hammered dulcimer is probably one of the earliest ancestors of the can be traced back to the Middle Ages, and it continues to be used in However, its age-old limitations may have spurred the existence of the increasing demand for instruments that could play chords, not just the maximum of two notes at once. piano. Its origins the modern era. piano, due to an dulcimer’s usual Enter the harpsichord and the clavichord, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
1.3. The sound is always in style The piano is rivalled perhaps only by the acoustic guitar as the instrument with the most direct connection between the musician and the music. One person, one instrument, no amplification: it is the perfect combination for personal expression and musical intimacy. The only thing the guitar has in its favor over the piano is that you can take one with you anywhere and make just as much music in a forest as you can on the streets.
1.4. To piano and beyond! We’ve been relentless in our pursuit of the most accurate recreation of a piano that can be achieved in software. And we believe we have succeeded. But as always, once we had harnessed the underlying power of the piano we knew we could also unleash that power in ways that are physically impossible.
2. ACTIVATION & FIRST START 2.1. Register and Activate Piano V works on computers equipped with Windows 7 or later and macOS 10.10 or later. You can use the stand-alone version or use Piano V as an Audio Units, AAX, VST2 or VST3 instrument. Once Piano V has been installed, the next step is to register the software. This is a simple process that involves a different software program: the Arturia Software Center. 2.1.1.
2.2. Initial setup 2.2.1. Audio and MIDI settings: Windows At the top left of the Piano V application is a pull-down menu. It contains various setup options. Initially you will need to go to this menu and choose the Audio Settings option to get sound and MIDI flowing in and out. Piano V main menu You will then see the Audio MIDI settings window. This works in the same way on both Windows and macOS, although the names of the devices available to you will depend on the hardware you are using.
• Device lets you choose which audio driver you want to use to route sound out of the instrument. This might be your computer’s own driver like Windows Audio, or an ASIO driver. The name of your hardware interface may appear in this field. • Output Channels lets you select which of the available outputs will be used to route audio out. If you only have two outputs, only two will appear as options. If you have more than two you can select a specific pair of outputs.
2.2.3. Piano V as a plug-in Piano V comes in VST, AU and AAX plug-in formats for use in all major DAW software such as Cubase, Logic, Pro Tools and so on. You can load it as a plug-in instrument and its interface and settings work the same way as in standalone mode, with a couple of differences. • You can automate numerous parameters using your DAW’s automation system. • You can use more than one instance of Piano V in a DAW project. In standalone mode you can only use one at once.
3. USER INTERFACE Piano V is packed with great features, and in this chapter we’ll make sure you know what each one does. We think you’ll be amazed by the huge range of sounds that can be made with this instrument. And while Piano V is very flexible, there’s nothing complicated about it. That will always be the main focus of every Arturia product: to unleash your creativity while remaining easy to use. 3.1.
3.2. Output Gain To control the overall loudness of the selected preset, click this slider and drag it up or down. The minimum gain is -80 decibels (dB); the maximum gain is +12 dB. The Output Gain control !: Be careful: The gain can be boosted to the point of distorting the sound of the piano. It could not only ruin your music, it could ruin your speakers or your hearing. You may want to experiment with the compressor effect [p.
3.3. The toolbar The toolbar that runs along the top edge of the instrument provides access to many useful features. Let’s look at them in detail. The first group of options can be found by clicking on the Piano V section at the top left hand corner of the instrument window. We’ll go through each of these functions in the following sections. 3.3.1.
3.3.2. Save Preset As… If you select this option you are presented with a window where you can enter information about the preset. In addition to naming it you can enter the Author name, select a Bank and Type, select tags that describe the sound, and even create your own Bank, Type, and Characteristics. This information can be read by the preset browser and is useful for searching the preset banks later.
3.3.3. Import… This command lets you import a file that was originally exported by Piano V. It can be either a single preset, an entire bank of presets, or a playlist. Presets are stored in the .pianox format, while playlists are given the extension .playlist. After selecting this option the default path to these files will appear in the window, but you can navigate to whichever folder you prefer to use.
3.3.4. Export menu The Export menu has several options for exporting files from Piano V, which enables you to share your sounds and playlists with other users. You could also use these options to transfer files to another computer. 3.3.4.1. Export Preset You can export and share a single preset using this command. The default path to these files will appear in the window, but you can create a folder at another location if you like. 3.3.4.2.
3.3.5. Resize Window options The Piano V window can be resized from 60% to 200% of its original size without any visual artifacts. On a smaller screen such as a laptop you might want to reduce the interface size so it doesn’t dominate the display. On a larger screen or a second monitor you can increase the size to get a better view of the controls. The controls work the same at any zoom level but the smaller ones can be harder to see at the smaller magnification values. The Resize Window menu 3.3.6.
3.4. Preset browser overview Presets can be viewed by clicking the Preset Browser button ( III\ ) on the left side of the toolbar. See the Preset browser [p.27] chapter for full details on this. The Filter, name field and left / right arrows in the toolbar all assist with preset selection.
3.5. MIDI Learn assignment The MIDI plug icon at the far right side of the toolbar places the instrument into MIDI learn mode. MIDI-assignable parameters will be shown in purple, which means you can map physical buttons, knobs, faders or pedals to those destinations inside the instrument. A typical example might be to map a real expression pedal to the Output Gain control, or buttons on a controller to the Preset selection arrows so you can change the preset from your hardware keyboard.
Mic 4 Mute switch selected and assigned You can also right-click on a control to unassign it. 3.5.2. Min / Max value sliders There are also minimum and maximum value sliders that you can use to restrict the parameter change range to something other than 0%-100%. For example you might want the Output Gain to be controllable via hardware from 30% to 90%. If you made this setting (Min set to 0.30 and Max set to 0.
3.5.3. Relative control option The final option in this window is a button labelled “Is Relative”. It is optimized for use with a specific type of control: one which sends only a few values to indicate the direction and speed at which a knob is turning, as opposed to sending a full range of values in a linear fashion (0-127, for example). To be specific, a “relative” knob will send values 61-63 when turned in a negative direction and values 65-67 when turned in a positive direction.
3.5.5. MIDI controller configuration There’s a small arrow at the far right hand side of the toolbar that deals with MIDI controller configurations. This allows you to manage the different sets of MIDI maps you may have set up for controlling the instrument’s parameters from MIDI hardware. You can copy the current MIDI assignment setup or delete it, import a configuration file or export the currently active one.
3.6. The lower tool bar At the left hand side of the lower tool bar you will see a readout showing the value or state of whatever control you are modifying. It will also display the current value of a parameter without editing it: just hover the cursor over the related control and the value will appear as pictured below. Displaying the current control’s value At the right hand side of the lower toolbar are several small windows and buttons.
3.6.2. Polyphony Click on this field to specify the maximum polyphony of Piano V. Options range from 1 to 256. The Polyphony selection window A check mark indicates the current polyphony selection. 3.6.2.1. A note about polyphony An acoustic piano has full polyphony; i.e., 88 keys played at the same time would produce 88 "voices" (not counting the extra strings on most notes).
And a setting of 1 does not make Piano V truly "monophonic", either. For example, it will allow chords to be played if the notes are triggered at the same time. But with a low polyphony setting, active voices are more likely to be "stolen" when the sustain pedal is held, for example, or immediately after a key is released (when the note would normally take a small amount of time to decay). All that to say that we can't tell you what the proper polyphony setting is for your music and your system.
3.6.4. MIDI Channel setting This window indicates the current MIDI Channel setting. Click on it and it will expand to show the full range of values you can select (All, 1-16). 3.6.5. Panic button The Panic button can be pressed to reset all MIDI signals in the event of stuck notes or other issues. 3.6.6. CPU meter The CPU meter is used to monitor how much of your computer’s CPU is being used by the instrument.
4. THE PRESET BROWSER The preset browser is how you search, load and manage sounds in Piano V. It has a couple of different views but they all access the same banks of presets. To access the search view click on the browser button (the icon looks a bit like books on a library shelf). The Preset Browser button 4.1. Searching presets The Search screen has a number of sections. By clicking on the Search field at the top left you can quickly enter any search term to filter the preset list by patch name.
4.2. Using tags as a filter You can also search using different tags. So for example by clicking on the Metallic option in the Types field you can show only presets that match that tag. The tag fields can be shown or hidden by using the small down arrow buttons in their title fields. Results columns can be sorted by clicking the same arrow button in their own section. You can use multiple search fields to perform narrower searches.
Characteristics window open 4.2.2. Search Results window Click the options menu button in the first Results column to specify whether you want to view the presets by Featured or by Name. Click the sort arrow to reverse the alphabetical order. Sorting options for the first Results column Similarly, click the options menu button in the second Results column to order its display results by Type, Sound Designer, or Bank tags. Click the sort arrow to reverse the alphabetical order.
4.3. The Preset Info section The Info column on the right side of the search field showsspecific information about each preset. The information for User presets may be changed here: Name, Type, Favorite, etc. Click Edit and then make the desired changes, either by typing in one of the fields or by using a pull-down menu to change the Bank or Type. You can even add new Characteristics by clicking the + sign at the end of that list. Click Save when you are done.
4.4. Preset selection: other methods The pull-down menu to the right of the Search menu provides a different way to select presets. The first option in this menu is called Filter, and it will display the presets that fit the search terms you used in the Search field. So if you searched for “Pop” in the main search area, the results of that search will appear here.
Clicking on the name field in the center of the toolbar will show you a list of all available presets. The list will also take into account any selections you have made in the Search field. So if you have pre-selected a Characteristic such as “Funky” this shortcut menu will only show you presets that match that tag. The left and right arrows in the toolbar cycle up and down through the preset list: either the full list, or the filtered list that resulted from the use of one or more search terms.
4.5. Playlists In the lower left corner of the Preset Browser window is a feature titled Playlists. This is used to collect presets into different groups for different purposes, such as a set list for a particular performance or a batch of presets related to a particular studio project. 4.5.1. Add a playlist To create a playlist, click the field at the bottom: Give the playlist a name and it will appear in the Playlists menu.
4.5.3. Re-order the presets Presets may be reorganized within a playlist. For example, to move a preset from slot 1 to slot 3, drag and drop the preset to the desired location. This will move the preset into the new location. This will cause the other presets to be bumped up in the list to accommodate the new location of the preset being moved. 4.5.4. Remove a preset To delete a preset from a playlist, click the x at the end of the preset row. Click the X to remove a preset from a playlist 4.5.5.
5. THE ACTION WINDOW Placed below the large piano graphic are five windows, divided into two groups: Action and Mix. Click the title bar of either group to expand and view its contents. Click to expand the Action window 5.1. Piano model The first window inside the Piano Tuning tab allows you to select one of twelve different piano models by clicking the arrows to the left or right of the smaller piano graphics.
Piano model selection menu A check mark indicates the current model. Make a selection and the menu will close. 5.2. Strings The tuning of the piano strings may be varied by three different parameters: Global Tension, Unison Detune, and Stretch Tuning.
5.3. Global Tension All taken together, the 236 strings on a piano exert over 17 tons of force on the soundboard. This control allows you to lessen or increase the tension on the soundboard, which in turn lowers or raises the overall pitch of the instrument. There are two ways to change the tension: Fine Tuning or Transposition. 5.3.1. Fine Tuning This is the method to use if you want to tune the entire piano to a different tuning standard such as the 19th-century French standard of 435 Hz.
5.3.2. Transpose To use the Transpose method of adjusting the Global Tension, right-click on the knob and move it up or down. The value display in the lower tool bar will change to Pitch Transpose, and the range will be expressed in terms of semitones (chromatic steps). The Pitch Transpose method of Global Tension adjustment As with the Fine Tuning method, the overall pitch of the piano will be raised or lowered chromatically.
5.5. Stretch Tuning One advantage concert grand pianos have over upright pianos, and even over ‘baby’ grands, is that their strings can be longer. We won’t delve into the physics involved, but one result of this is a lower degree of ‘inharmonicity’; i.e., the overtones of the longer strings are closer mathematically to the fundamental frequencies. This also holds true for the notes and intervals above them, which in turn means that the fundamentals and overtones are more closely related across the piano.
5.8. Hardness When the felt on a hammer is new it is very soft, and notes played softly will not have as many overtones. As the hammers age the felt becomes harder, and notes played softly have more overtones. In a very old or poorly maintained piano it may difficult to play notes that are not bright. This parameter simulates the condition of the hammers at all stages, from soft to hard. 5.9. Position The point at which the hammers strike the strings has an effect on the brilliance of the tone.
5.10. Velocity curve The first window under the Piano Settings tab contains the velocity curve editor. The velocity curve editor As notes are played on the keyboard vertical lines will appear inside the velocity curve editor window, indicating the velocity at which each note was played. The length of the line represents the amplitude of that particular note. A number of preset curves are provided, and you can easily create your own. 5.10.1.
5.10.2. Editing a velocity curve Each velocity curve can have as many as sixteen points, all of which can be edited. Think of the editor window as an X/Y grid, with the Velocity value along the X axis and Amplitude along the Y axis. Velocity curves: Velocity on X axis horizontal and Amplitude on Y axis vertical There are three main ways to edit a velocity curve: • Move a point: Click and drag a velocity point to move it to a different location.
5.11. Noises Each mechanism that helps produce the sound of an instrument adds its own distinctive rattle or rumble in the background. To eliminate these noises entirely would “sterilize” the sound, making it seem unnatural. Piano V can dial in just the right level of mechanical noise, but it also lets you to go to either extreme! The Noise controls 5.11.1. Pedal Noise When the sustain pedal is pressed it lifts all of the hammers from the strings at the same time.
5.12. Mechanics The Mechanic controls 5.12.1. Lid Position A piano sounds completely different with its lid closed than it does when the lid is open. This is true for upright pianos as well. Piano V gives you three lid positions for each piano model: closed, slightly open, and open. The piano lid will open and close to match the setting you choose. 5.12.2. Soundboard Resonance This parameter adjusts the sustain time of the piano by simulating changes in the characteristics of the soundboard.
6. THE MIX WINDOW Placed below the large piano graphic are five windows, divided into two groups: Action and Mix. Click the title bar of either group to expand and view its contents. Click to expand the Mix window 6.1. Mic Setup The first window inside the Mic Setup tab allows you to select one of various microphone configurations by clicking the arrows to the left or right of the 3D graphics. There are five configurations for grand pianos and five different ones for upright pianos.
6.2. Mic mixer Immediately below the mic configuration selection window is the microphone mixer window. It allows you to set the relative levels and stereo positions of each microphone. Each mic channel can be muted independently and also has its own left/right delay. It is also possible to link pairs of microphones so their levels can be adjusted simultaneously. We'll explain these features below. The microphone mixer 6.2.1.
6.2.3. Mic mute Click the M button to mute and unmute the microphone channel. This is a quick way to inspect what each microphone is contributing to the overall mix. You can also use this to disable the close mics and leave only the ambient mics active, for a more distant piano sound. 6.2.4. Mic gain Click and drag the fader to adjust the microphone gain. 6.2.5. Mic left/right delay A small amount of slapback delay can be added to each microphone channel.
6.3. Room Setup Piano V provides 14 different convolution reverbs, which are different from the generic reverbs often found in other software programs. A convolution reverb recreates the characteristics of a particular physical space or electronic device through an extensive computer analysis of each environment. The result is an algorithm that will react to any input signal in the same manner that the original space or device would react.
The reverb selection menu A check mark indicates the current model. Make a selection and the menu will close. 6.3.1. Reverb parameters The reverb parameters are located in two places: • The Wet/Dry mix control is embedded in the picture of the room or device • The Reverberation window, which houses three parameter knobs and a bypass switch. The parameters are the same for each reverb model.
Each of these parameters is MIDIassignable. 6.3.1.1. Reverb mix This controls the amount of reverb in the sound, from Dry (0.00 %) to Wet (100 %). 6.3.1.2. Reverb bypass The button on the left side of the Reverberation title bar will toggle the reverb on and off when clicked. 6.3.1.3. Duration This parameter determines how long the reverb effect will last. 6.3.1.4. Room Size Use this parameter to adjust the size of the room containing the piano. 6.3.1.5.
6.3.2. Stereo Delay The stereo delay adds a spaciousness to the sound that is very different from a reverb. It does this by introducing an echo that is a distinct copy of the original signal, as opposed to a wash of audio containing the many reflections of the reverb. 6.3.2.1. Delay bypass The button on the left side of the Stereo Delay title bar will toggle the delay on and off when clicked. ♪: The Delay bypass button does not affect the left/right delay [p.47] settings of the microphone mixer. 6.3.
6.4. Master EQ Piano V provides a 5-band equalizer with 3 fully parametric bands and high/low shelving. EQ The graphical window provides a visual representation of the current EQ settings. The Master control window The five EQ points may be dragged to different positions, which adjusts the frequency and gain of the selected EQ point. The width (Q) of each of the three mid-points can be set by right-clicking on the appropriate dot and dragging the cursor up or down.
6.4.1.2. Selecting an EQ band The individual EQ bands are selected by clicking one of the EQ band selection buttons. ♪: When you select an EQ band the point it controls will be circled in the graphical window. Each of the five EQ bands has its own Active button, a Frequency knob, and a Gain knob, and each of the three parametric bands has an additional knob (Q). 6.4.1.3. EQ band Active button Click the Active button to toggle a particular EQ band off and on.
6.4.1.4. Shelving bands: LS and HS A shelving EQ band controls the gain of all frequencies above or below a certain point. The LS band (low shelving) controls everything below its Frequency setting, and the HS band (high shelving) controls everything above its Frequency setting. The shelving EQ bands have these controls. The selected frequency range can be boosted or cut by as much as 30 decibels (dB). 6.4.1.5. Parametric bands A parametric EQ band controls the gain of frequencies within a certain range.
6.5. Compressor A compressor is generally used to help maintain a consistent level of sound. For example, it can keep the attack of a note or chord from clipping. It can also help a sound which would normally decay quickly not to fade away as quickly. The compressor effect 6.5.1. Compressor parameters 6.5.1.1. Compressor bypass The Compressor title bar has a button that enables you to bypass the compressor.
7. SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT In consideration of payment of the Licensee fee, which is a portion of the price you paid, Arturia, as Licensor, grants to you (hereinafter termed “Licensee”) a nonexclusive right to use this copy of the Analog Lab Lite Software (hereinafter the “SOFTWARE”). All intellectual property rights in the software belong to Arturia SA (hereinafter: “Arturia”).
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