I started playing piano when I was 4 because my older brother played and I wanted to do whatever he did. I won a bunch of classical competitions but didn’t really get into music until I joined my high school jazz band. More than the actual genre of jazz, it was the freedom of improvisation that I couldn’t get enough of. I studied jazz and classical piano at Arizona State University and took a bunch of lessons with some amazing pianists like Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner and Uri Caine. I worked as a full time gigging jazz musician for a long time but I don’t think I found my true calling until moving to Japan. A month after I moved here I lucked into my first job arranging 15 songs for a solo piano album. The CD sold really well and more arranging projects came my way. Over a few year period I came to realize that arranging, composing and teaching was my true calling so I quit plThanks for checking out my channel and feel free to visit my homepage for more information. www.jacobkoller.com
The Yamaha has no personality whatsoever. I never use it. The Steinway has presence and bite and attack. The Bosey is warmer and rounder, but does not have the attack for a dense mix. What I don't like about the Steinway is it can sound a bit harsh in the 3rd and 4th octaves as a lead instrument. So what I do is compose and record MIDI on the Steinway then copy that track and layer in the Bosey, at -3 dB, which together sounds better than either of them alone. I still get the attack of the Steinway but also the warmth and sustain of the Bosey, and it still sounds like a single instrument bc the tracks are identical in velocity, frequency, placement, and note length. If I need a more 'soprano' personality in the instrument, I layer in The Grandeur (a Steinway D comprising over 2,500 separate samples), which gives things a human vocal quality. After all, an instrument is not just an instrument. It's a character in a story, in every song, and we as listeners want to identify with the humanity of that character and bond with that character. So the more humanity in the sound, the better.
Bosendorfen è bello piacevole in tutte le situazioni poiché si riesce a caratterizzarlo col proprio tocco; Yamaha troppo secco, Stenway sembra più equilibrato a metà tastiera ma acuti troppo secchi...
The harp's ability to transmit tone into the case varies with each producers model, so this test (on reconditioned pianos with varying life experiences) is only valid in its frame of reference.
Wow the feeling of this arrangment is fantastic! I am deeply hoping the fates will align in October when I am in Japan you will have a show. So thrilled to get to absorb some wonderful music while Im there ❤
*sigh*, none of them would fit in my living room. Must stick with my 1908 upright "Evans Bros" that I suspect travelled across Canada by wagon train :0) . Must say that I do prefer the Bosendorfer for classical and the Steinway for jazz. The Yamaha?....reminds me of a Kawai upright...overly bright and slightly "tinny" sound.
The Bosendorfer just sounds so warm and balanced. I was really missing that full low end on the other two, though I do think the Steinway has a more glassy high end, which I also appreciate.
