The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

Thanks for going through that, Peter.

Ah well.  It just looks like I'll have to wait until I can afford to 
make the repairs to my real piano.

Thanks again.

--- In AN1x-list@y..., "Peter Korsten" <peterk@i...> wrote:
> From: <x@...>
> 
> > I posted a message several months ago asking whether anyone had 
come
> > across a decent-sounding piano voices for the AN1X.
> >
> > Yes, I realise that the AN1X is NOT the ideal synth for piano 
voices,
> > but I still have to ask the question, because I don't have another
> > keyboard, my AN1X is not positioned next to my computer 
permanently
> > (so I can't play midi piano) and my real piano is hideously out of
> > tune and awaiting some repair work.
> 
> It's not so much that the AN1x isn't the ideal synth for piano 
voices, it's
> that it totally sucks at piano voices. :)
> 
> If you want realistic piano sounds, your options in order of 
preference are:
> 1) A piano
> 2a) A sampler with a 64 Mb piano sample, plus a weighted keyboard
> 2b) A Kurzweil K2x00 X (K2500, K2600, possibly the K2000)
> 3) A sample-based synth with a semi-weighted keyboard
> 4) A sample-based synth with a synth action keyboard
> 5) A six or more operator FM synthesiser
> 6) A substractive synthesiser (like the AN1x)
> 
> > Come on guys - there must be someone who has a patch which sounds
> > something like a real piano.  There are plenty of electic piano /
> > organ noises and at the end of the day, a piano sound is only a
> > waveform.
> 
> Well, it's not "only a waveform", because the waveform is the most 
important
> part of the piano sound. The only thing that keeps the AN1x from 
producing
> decent piano voices is that you can't have an arbitrary waveform, 
because
> you can only have so many waveforms with two oscillators. A piano 
waveform
> isn't one of them.
> 
> As for the electric piano, that's a totally different kettle of 
fish and
> even in this department the AN1x doesn't perform too well. For a 
nice
> electronic piano, you need a six operator FM synth like the DX7, or 
an FS1r.
> The two operator FM of the AN1x is too limited. I got a pretty nice 
EP from
> it, but that cost me quite some time, and still it's nowhere near a 
real
> piano sound.
> 
> - Peter