That's exactly what I've thought some months ago. It's possible, but I don't want to use it anymore for my band activities. Let me show you the Pros and Cons:

 

Around 2 months ago, I wrote a friendly mail to the guys from acousticsamples concerning their Kawai EX piano samples, because buying an iLok is no option for me. I had a mail-conversation with a really friendly guy from France, who offered me the sell an older version, with no iLok required. So I bought the samples.

 

The samples sound quite good. I use Apple's Mainstage (using them with Windows is as far as I know also possible), so I configured the equalizer, a compressor and an exciter. The sound really flattered me, when I used my earplugs. It was/is Chris piano sound.

 

The disillusion followed, after I wanted to try that sound in our rehearsal room:

 

At first you always have to start your Mac and Mainstage and rewire everything before you start.

 

Second, let me explain at first, I'm neither a musician, nor a sound guy and perhaps I'm totally incapable. But when I send the sound from the 3mm earplug port to my mixer (by using a 3mm to 2x XLR cable), the sound isn't really good after all. I treid several things, but from my point of view the sound-port of the Apple device is the bottleneck here. So now I could buy an external sound card/device for the Mac to improve that sound. But I think buying a new keyboard with that sound is more sustained, than buying several devices after all.

 

 

So I went to a music store near me and tried the Kawai MP 6 and MP 10. Both concert grand pianos are sampled from the Kawai EX Grand Piano (as you can read on Kawai's Homepage). There are several functions, so I couldn't figure out in that short period of time how close you can come to Chris piano sound with them. But - and that's the important thing to me - you are close with those devices.

 

Cheers,

Jan

Thanks for the info Jan,

 

I see what you're saying. Neither am I really a musician nor a sound guy. Just a massive coldplay fan who likes playing piano haha. I don't pretend to be a musician or something more than what I am. I do this for fun, but there is this part of me that wants Martin's piano sound because it's so unlike any other piano I've heard. The bass is unreal, and it's extremely bright -- it's very Coldplay. I am sure they've messed with it that it's not completely one thing or another, even though it's cool to see that this forum has really come close to pinpointing the general sound he uses. I see the problems you've had, and I think I'd easily experience the same. I am just out of my depth when it comes to these types of situations, and I am not overly bothered to replicate Martin's piano sound because I think the sound the NU1 has is a beautiful sound in and of itself. It comes off the CFX Concert Series grand that Yamaha makes and that's more than plenty for me. Martin's sound would the proverbial cherry on top, but I certainly at some point plan to give it a shot when I have more time to mess with it. Right now, it's not a huge priority -- I am staying busy enough by playing here and there to not get rusty on the songs :)

I finally found Chris Martin's piano sound!

 

I just bought myself a Kawai mp9000 stage piano and worked a few hours to find the Chris's paino sound on it ;-)

 

If you have one the settings are (I believe):

 

Patch: PIANO 2 (Studio Grand)

EFX: Off

Tone Modify: Cutoff +7,

AWESOME! To bad I have no idea how to use it on my keyboard :(

~*piano so kawaii*~

Wow it really sounds just like the original songs :awesome:

 

Too bad I don't even have a keyboard :wacko:

Wow it really sounds just like the original songs :awesome:

 

Too bad I don't even have a keyboard :wacko:

 

you can buy a midi keyboard with a lot of keys(88) for 140 euros or 150 (btw i got it from a german site lel ) to OP: oh nice find dude it sounds great no no it sounds totally awesome

Wow it really sounds just like the original songs :awesome:

 

Too bad I don't even have a keyboard :wacko:

 

I've got a Yamaha NP-31 and it's really good for the price!

you can buy a midi keyboard with a lot of keys(88) for 140 euros or 150 (btw i got it from a german site lel ) to OP: oh nice find dude it sounds great no no it sounds totally awesome

 

I've got a Yamaha NP-31 and it's really good for the price!

 

OOh thank you for the info! *scribbles it down*

OOh thank you for the info! *scribbles it down*

 

No probs! The inbuilt sound actually sounds really familiar but not as similar as the above!

I'm jealous. Wish I could get a vst plugin of that sound.

I don't even play piano, but this is all so sexy sounding. Good job!

I want one!!! so bad....

I've known for a long time that the Kawai MP900 is the piano they use.

But they're so expensive and hard to find. Especially here in the US, interestingly enough.

 

If I could get my hands on one, and a couple of hours, I could sample the keyboard and create my own virtual instrument using the sound.

I also noticed that they use this keyboard for the Ghost Stories tour so Jonny can play on it but Ken Rich did a cutdown on it from 88 keys to 44 or 49 :)

I'm still trying to find the sound for The Scientist :\

Sounds really beautiful, thanks. :)

It's not a sound that I am willing to pay $500-1000 for though so yeah lol

This sounds fantastic! But doesn't Chris always use an upright piano? This sounds more like a grand piano.

In the studio, they use acoustic uprights, but live he plays a digital yamaha upright with midi that triggers the sound from the mp9000 that they have backstage.

They have used it since they started out, check out when they play trouble live 2000, there you can actually se Chris play on the keyboard itself :)

 

http://www.avnetwork.com/video.aspx?vid=31270441001

Nice Job, lots of info, very helpful thanks but the big question here is for the people that cant find a "Kawai MP900 stage piano" is there a way to get the Sample or record the sound & do some "Magic" :P or some thing?

Great Job! This is awesome!

Do you think it's possible to get that sound on the mp5 as well? I mean I'm not sure if kawaii has the same sounds from the mp5 to the mp8...

 

 

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And im not sure but I think for the GS tour it's an mp5 or 6, the hammer section seems a lot smaller!

 

 

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Do you guys think there would be a way to get "chris' piano sound" on any other keyboard or e-piano with a midi-sequenzer or something like that?

 

I haven't worked with midi-stuff yet so I really have no idea of what to do

 

Thanks in advance :)

Yeah thats no Problem! They did exactly the same for the gt20, they got the sound via Midi!

 

 

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how would that work?

..or what would I need?

you just need the midi files! Maybe someone can sample them? I'm not 100% sure if that's the right way cause I have never done this before but it sounds logical to me! Check the other thread a guy who bought the gt20 has done the same to get the sound!

 

 

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