The Grandeur by Native Instruments: A Stunning Piano Plugin for Any Genre
Native Instruments The Grandeur 1.2.0 12 Review
If you are looking for a piano software that can deliver a rich, dynamic, and expressive sound of three different grand pianos, you might want to check out Native Instruments The Grandeur 1.2.0 12. This is a sample-based piano plugin that uses over 2,500 samples to recreate the sound of a concert grand, a vintage grand, and an upright grand. Each piano has its own unique sound and feel, and you can switch between them with a simple click.
native instruments the grandeur 1.2.0 12
In this article, I will review Native Instruments The Grandeur 1.2.0 12 in detail and tell you everything you need to know about it. I will cover its features, interface, performance, price, and value for money. I will also answer some frequently asked questions about it. By the end of this article, you will have a clear idea of whether The Grandeur is the right piano software for you or not.
The Sound of The Grandeur
The Concert Grand
The concert grand is the most versatile and balanced piano in The Grandeur. It has a bright, silky top end and a booming, full bass that can cut through any mix. It sounds crisp, sonorous, and elegant in every note. It is perfect for mainstream pop, jazz, and classical productions. You can adjust the tone of the concert grand using the color knob, which adds more or less brightness to the sound. You can also use the dynamic range knob, which controls how much the volume changes depending on how hard you play. The concert grand has a wide dynamic range, which means you can play very softly or very loudly and still get a clear and expressive sound.
The Vintage Grand
The vintage grand is the most warm and intimate piano in The Grandeur. It has a smooth, mellow top end and a rich, resonant bass that can create a cozy and nostalgic atmosphere. It sounds sweet, delicate, and romantic in every note. It is perfect for soul, R&B, and ballad productions.
You can adjust the tone of the vintage grand using the color knob, which adds more or less warmth to the sound. You can also use the dynamic range knob, which controls how much the volume changes depending on how hard you play. The vintage grand has a medium dynamic range, which means you can play with moderate variations in volume and still get a consistent and smooth sound.
The Upright Grand
The upright grand is the most raw and edgy piano in The Grandeur. It has a gritty, punchy top end and a tight, focused bass that can add some attitude and energy to your music. It sounds crisp, lively, and funky in every note. It is perfect for rock, blues, and indie productions.
You can adjust the tone of the upright grand using the color knob, which adds more or less bite to the sound. You can also use the dynamic range knob, which controls how much the volume changes depending on how hard you play. The upright grand has a narrow dynamic range, which means you can play with minimal variations in volume and still get a loud and powerful sound.
The Interface of The Grandeur
The Main View
The main view of The Grandeur is where you can access the most essential controls for shaping the sound of the piano. It has a simple and intuitive design that lets you quickly adjust the parameters that matter the most. Here are the main controls that you can find in the main view:
Piano Selector: This is where you can switch between the three pianos: concert, vintage, and upright. You can also see the name and the picture of the selected piano.
Color: This is where you can change the tone of the piano, from bright to warm. You can drag the knob left or right to add more or less brightness or warmth to the sound.
Dynamic Range: This is where you can change the volume response of the piano, from soft to hard. You can drag the knob left or right to make the volume more or less sensitive to how hard you play.
Lid: This is where you can change the position of the lid of the piano, from open to closed. You can drag the knob left or right to open or close the lid, which affects the amount of resonance and ambience in the sound.
Pedals: This is where you can see and control the pedals of the piano: sustain, sostenuto, and soft. You can click on each pedal to turn it on or off, or use your MIDI controller to control them.
Reverb: This is where you can add some reverb to the piano sound, from dry to wet. You can drag the knob left or right to increase or decrease the amount of reverb in the sound.
The Options View
The options view of The Grandeur is where you can access the more advanced controls for fine-tuning the sound of the piano. It has a more complex and detailed design that lets you customize the parameters that matter the most to you. Here are the main controls that you can find in the options view:
Tuning: This is where you can change the tuning of the piano, from standard to custom. You can drag the knob left or right to detune the piano by cents, or use the drop-down menu to select a preset tuning system, such as equal temperament, just intonation, or Pythagorean tuning.
Transposition: This is where you can change the pitch of the piano, from -12 to +12 semitones. You can drag the knob left or right to transpose the piano by semitones, or use the drop-down menu to select a preset key, such as C, D, or E.
Velocity Curve: This is where you can change the velocity curve of the piano, from linear to exponential. You can drag the knob left or right to make the velocity curve more or less steep, or use the drop-down menu to select a preset curve, such as soft, medium, or hard.
Anatomy: This is where you can adjust the individual components of the piano sound, such as hammer, damper, string, and release. You can drag each slider up or down to increase or decrease the volume of each component in the sound.
Tone: This is where you can adjust the tonal characteristics of the piano sound, such as resonance, overtones, noise, and stereo width. You can drag each slider up or down to increase or decrease the amount of each characteristic in the sound.
Reverb: This is where you can adjust the reverb settings of the piano sound, such as size, pre-delay, damping, and color. You can drag each slider up or down to increase or decrease the value of each setting in the sound.
The Performance of The Grandeur
The Sample Quality
The Grandeur uses over 2,500 samples to recreate the sound of the three grand pianos. Each piano has 10 velocity layers, which means that the sound changes depending on how hard you play. The samples are recorded with high-quality microphones and processed with advanced algorithms to ensure a realistic and natural sound. The Grandeur also uses a proprietary resonance engine that simulates the sympathetic vibrations of the strings and the soundboard, adding more depth and richness to the sound.
The CPU Usage
The Grandeur is a CPU-intensive plugin, which means that it requires a lot of processing power from your computer. The CPU usage depends on several factors, such as the sample rate, the buffer size, the number of notes played, and the settings used. However, you can optimize the CPU usage by using the following tips:
Use a lower sample rate: The Grandeur supports sample rates up to 192 kHz, but you can lower it to 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz without losing much quality. This will reduce the CPU load significantly.
Use a larger buffer size: The buffer size determines how much data is processed at a time by your audio interface. A larger buffer size means less CPU load, but more latency. You can increase the buffer size to 512 or 1024 samples, but make sure that the latency is not too high for your workflow.
Use fewer notes: The more notes you play at the same time, the more CPU load you generate. You can reduce the number of notes by playing simpler chords, using fewer voices, or using a sustain pedal.
Use fewer effects: The effects in The Grandeur, such as reverb, resonance, and overtones, add more CPU load to the sound. You can reduce the amount of effects by lowering the sliders or turning them off completely.
The system requirements for The Grandeur are as follows:
Windows: Windows 7 or higher (64-bit only), Intel Core i5 or equivalent CPU, 4 GB RAM (6 GB recommended), 10 GB free disk space, ASIO compatible audio interface.
Mac: Mac OS X 10.11 or higher (64-bit only), Intel Core i5 or equivalent CPU, 4 GB RAM (6 GB recommended), 10 GB free disk space, Core Audio compatible audio interface.
The RAM Usage
The Grandeur is a RAM-intensive plugin, which means that it requires a lot of memory from your computer. The RAM usage depends on several factors, such as the sample rate, the buffer size, the number of notes played, and the settings used. However, you can optimize the RAM usage by using the following tips:
Use a lower sample rate: The Grandeur supports sample rates up to 192 kHz, but you can lower it to 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz without losing much quality. This will reduce the RAM load significantly.
Use a smaller buffer size: The buffer size determines how much data is stored in the memory by your audio interface. A smaller buffer size means less RAM load, but more CPU load and latency. You can decrease the buffer size to 128 or 256 samples, but make sure that the CPU load and latency are not too high for your workflow.
Use fewer notes: The more notes you play at the same time, the more RAM load you generate. You can reduce the number of notes by playing simpler chords, using fewer voices, or using a sustain pedal.
Use fewer effects: The effects in The Grandeur, such as reverb, resonance, and overtones, add more RAM load to the sound. You can reduce the amount of effects by lowering the sliders or turning them off completely.
Use purge mode: The purge mode is a feature that lets you unload unused samples from the memory. You can activate it by clicking on the purge button in the options view. This will free up some RAM space, but it will also take some time to reload the samples when you play them again.
The system requirements for The Grandeur are as follows:
Windows: Windows 7 or higher (64-bit only), Intel Core i5 or equivalent CPU, 4 GB RAM (6 GB recommended), 10 GB free disk space, ASIO compatible audio interface.
Mac: Mac OS X 10.11 or higher (64-bit only), Intel Core i5 or equivalent CPU, 4 GB RAM (6 GB recommended), 10 GB free disk space, Core Audio compatible audio interface.
The Price of The Grandeur
The Individual Price
The Grandeur is sold individually for $99 USD on the Native Instruments website. You can buy it with a credit card, PayPal, or a Native Instruments gift card. You can also download a free demo version of The Grandeur for 30 minutes before you buy it.
The Bundle Price
The Grandeur is also part of the Definitive Piano Collection bundle, which includes two other piano plugins: The Maverick and The Gentleman. The Maverick is a vintage grand piano that has a lively and expressive sound. The Gentleman is a classic upright piano that has a balanced and elegant sound. The Definitive Piano Collection bundle costs $199 USD on the Native Instruments website, which means you save $98 USD compared to buying each piano individually.
The Value for Money
The Grandeur is a high-quality piano plugin that offers a lot of value for money. It has a realistic and natural sound, a simple and intuitive interface, and a flexible and customizable performance. It can suit a variety of musical genres and styles, and it can create a rich and dynamic sonic experience. It is one of the best piano plugins on the market, and it is well worth the price.
However, The Grandeur is not without its drawbacks. It is a CPU- and RAM-intensive plugin, which means that it can cause some issues with your computer performance. It also has a large file size, which means that it can take up a lot of disk space. It also lacks some features that other piano plugins have, such as microphone positions, pedal noises, or MIDI learn.
Therefore, The Grandeur is not for everyone. It is best suited for those who want a simple and elegant piano plugin that can deliver a stunning sound quality. It is also best suited for those who have a powerful computer system that can handle its demands. If you are looking for a more complex and versatile piano plugin that can offer more options and features, you might want to look elsewhere.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Native Instruments The Grandeur 1.2.0 12 is a piano plugin that recreates the sound of three grand pianos: concert, vintage, and upright. It has a realistic and natural sound, a simple and intuitive interface, and a flexible and customizable performance. It can suit a variety of musical genres and styles, and it can create a rich and dynamic sonic experience.
However, The Grandeur is also a CPU- and RAM-intensive plugin, which means that it can cause some issues with your computer performance. It also has a large file size, which means that it can take up a lot of disk space. It also lacks some features that other piano plugins have, such as microphone positions, pedal noises, or MIDI learn.
Therefore, The Grandeur is not for everyone. It is best suited for those who want a simple and elegant piano plugin that can deliver a stunning sound quality. It is also best suited for those who have a powerful computer system that can handle its demands. If you are looking for a more complex and versatile piano plugin that can offer more options and features, you might want to look elsewhere.
The Grandeur costs $99 USD individually or $199 USD as part of the Definitive Piano Collection bundle. You can buy it from the Native Instruments website or download a free demo version for 30 minutes.
I hope this article has helped you learn more about Native Instruments The Grandeur 1.2.0 12 and decide whether it is the right piano plugin for you or not. Thank you for reading!
FAQs
Here are some common questions and answers about The Grandeur:
Q: How do I install The Grandeur?
A: You need to download and install Native Access, which is the software manager for Native Instruments products. Then, you need to log in with your Native Instruments account and activate The Grandeur with your serial number. Then, you need to download and install The Grandeur using Native Access.
Q: How do I use The Grandeur?
A: You need to load The Grandeur as a plugin in your DAW (digital audio workstation), such as Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or FL Studio. Then, you need to connect your MIDI keyboard or controller to your computer and play The Grandeur using your keyboard or controller.
Q: How do I update The Grandeur?
A: You need to open Native Access and check for updates. If there is an update available for The Grandeur, you need to download and install it using Native Access.
Q: How do I uninstall The Grandeur?
A: You need to open Native Access and go to the Installed Products tab. Then, you need to find The Grandeur in the list and click on the Uninstall button.
Q: How do I contact Native Instruments support?
A: You need to go to the Native Instruments website and click on the Support tab. Then, you need to choose the product category (Pianos) and the product name (The Grandeur). Then, you need to fill out the form with your name, email, subject, and message. Then, you need to click on the Submit button.
dcd2dc6462