Yamaha MODX vs the best software pianos

The Yamaha MODX piano sounds go head-to-head with the winning software VST piano libraries, as voted by you. We'll just hang out for a while, improvise and enjoy these pianos and see if we can draw some conclusions and reach a final verdict on the best piano. Note that the sound demo from the MODX featured in this video are the same in the MODX6, MODX7, MODX8 as well as the Yamaha MONTAGE.

SPOILER ALERT
The contenders are:
Pianoteq Stage Steinway D
Native Instrument THE GRANDEUR
Yamaha MODX Concert CFX Grand Piano
Yamaha MODX Bosendorfer Imperial Grand

[OctavianVesa]

These videos are the reason YouTube exists! Thanks, Woody for taking the time (51 minutes is no small feat!) and showing us that although software is becoming the most accessible 'Instrument', there is still a place for the hardware keyboard/synth/digital piano, and, ultimately, they aren't a replacement for 'the real thing' yet they are the closest we could get when an acoustic piano is not suitable or possible. Keep up the good spirit, we love the humour in your videos!

[jstcuriosity]

I'm now convinced I'm better off spending that money on lessons than software!

[RFoundry]

And the winner Woody's playing. Enjoyed this immensely. Thank you

[Alan_Chapman]

Just to add some info on the architecture on the Montage/MODX: The CFX Concert performance contains 4 AWM2 parts (remember you can mix in FM-X parts as well). Each AWM2 part contains up to 8 active "elements" which can be thought of by themselves as a single oscillator synthesizer, complete with EQ, filter and amplifier envelopes, etc. The architecture gets very deep on those keyboards if you're into programming sounds. For the CFX Concert, in a nutshell it's part 1 assigned to every note up to G5 of 6 velocity layers from 2-92, part 2 is every note up to G5 with 3 velocity layers from 93-127, part 3 is every note from G#5 on up with 8 velocity layers from 2-127, and part 4 is a key off sample "expanded articulation" on every note up to G5. The additional detailed control allows each element to have individual cutoff frequency and level assignments, among other things that differentiate the behavior or a piano at those velocity layers beyond just switching the sample and volume level.

[nickshutte]

Great review of these pianos Woody....I have a Roland FA08 which I bought for ease of access and performing and your videos make me want to go back and dive into my Native Instruments and other software pianos to explore their depth and capabilities for recordings!

[benskia]

36:24 - that little version of Tubular Bells is epic!! Love it. I'll be tracking that patch down on my MODX8

[Gainn]

I really like the MODX piano, but it was the choir sounds and cheesy synth strings that made me get one.
The Bosendorfer being a freebie certainly didn't hurt.

[FrankyGun]

The best Woody video I have seen imho! I was driving and just listened to you playing... from minute 35 onwards I was in heaven!!!! Especially the Bosendorfer parts beamed me to other planets. Thanks so much, Woody for this amazing video! It was an expensive one to watch though as for one I urgently need to purchase a MODX now and secondly as I certainly will JOIN to get your piano lessons and learn from the master! Love and light from sunny Thailand, Franky

[irishmusico]

Tubular bells is just beautiful. So What sounds really cool. It's a real pleasure to listen to you play. I am still loving my Kronos but the MODX sounds great.

[raffitchakmakjian]

someone's probably pointed this out already, but there are no heavy algorithms to playback samples, so sample based synthesis uses little horsepower regardless of the sample library size. A modeled instrument is doing lots of maths in realtime to produce the sound (in other words, synthesis), so depending on the quality of the instrument, a modeled instrument will be CPU heavy. Nice vid!

[philippesteindl]

We're way past the day, where software can't do anything. Chances are these days you'll find a VST, that's usually better than a hardware synth. Even analog can be simulated to crazy close amounts these days, although analog fans will cry blasphemy here :) Usually PCs can have both more RAM, HD/SSD space and CPU power than what is put into HW synths. Look at software like UVI Falcon ... you have more than a dozen Oscillator types (FM, Samples, Wavetable, Virtual Analog etc), tons of effects and you can combine and layer unlimited amounts of them only limited by your PCs hardware power. Therefore, you'd probably never buy a hardware synth to outdo software in terms of flexibility .. that's probably not a good idea. But still many people like hardware. Why? I guess because in the mix, you usually don't need that ULTRA perfect sound, great is enough. And second, the immediate way these machines behave ... they have 1 power button, 1 PSU and you're off to an immediate start. No need to also launch a PC, wait for it, navigate with mouse, start your software, sometimes wait for gigabytes of samples to load every time you change the program etc which sometimes keeps me off it. Studios don't really have this issue, though, as stuff is nearly always running through the day. Then again, hardware has usually convoluted hard to access menues. But: maybe a lot of knobs and sliders you don't need to setup, while it's a chore on a Software piece to setup your genberic MIDI controller you have on USB. So it all comes down to what you like. I think both still have their rights for existence. I mean the best synth isn't the one that has the most features and the best sound ... The best synth is the one you use in the end.

[waveform-synths]

Loved the tubular bells sections... thanks...

[jespergummeson]

Great video Woody! The modx6 is the winner for me since It should be more reliable than a Computer and audio interfaces on stage. And it contains 4 DX7 in the same package as well. A monster synth to layer sounds, fm + samples, to new dimensions. Just bought one for the next gig...

[epicsynthwave]

Fantastic demos and wonderful playing, as always, Woody. Really enjoyed this.

[JairajSinghPatil]

The Ravenscroft 275 and Keyscape pianos are the best software pianos I've heard. You should really try them
Great video as always

[dekzan]

Thanks !! !!!🌌🎹🎵 Great video. Impressed with the Bosendorfer Dark Wooden Box.

[chrisward]

Great vid! I love Yamaha, and YOU pushed me to buy the MODx8. So far so great! You almost need categories. I've tried so many kontakt libraries, and I think they can excel at different things. I thought I was done searching, and then NI's The Giant has this bite no other piano I've ever tried has. Insane! Spitfire Felt has this amazing dramatic feeling that makes you feel the velocity. It's pure joy. I think people gravitate to Grandeur for that reason as well. PianoTeq and Modx kind of resonate different than traditional sampled libraries. The yamaha pops, covers so much, and has few weaknesses. And last but not least, is Keyscape. It has this overall ready to go sound a producer wants, they agonized over presets. Because of the diversity it covers, and the quality, it's probably the best overall software product for keys I've ever tried. It's only problem is it just doesn't fit the price point of your video. Many products do certain things better, but I find that product so good that I could be happy with just that for piano and EP's.

[Angelstarscotland]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video, regarding the piano sounds the truth is that you are such a melodic and fluent player that any decent piano library would Sound beautiful with you playing. For me the Modx sounded more finished in terms of the fx etc. I’d like to hear a completely dry test to actually compare the raw sounds. Saying that I used to use a load of software pianos in my music since I bought a Kurzweil SP6 I tend to only use the sp6 for piano parts. As good as software instruments are these days I believe good hardware synths still have the edge. This is coming from someone who sold all their hardware then decided to go back.

[timbrandon]

Keep up the good work Woody. Love your video's.

[ZoeSummersA]

Grandeur wins for me! Thanks Woody, your concern for the viewers makes your videos unique. xXx