Pianoteq Shigeru Kawai SK-EX by Modartt

by Modartt · $49

Overview

The SK-EX Concert Grand is the pinnacle of Shigeru Kawai pianos, meticulously handcrafted in Ryuyo, Japan, by extraordinarily skilled craftsmen, and prepared to perfection by KAWAI's Master Piano Artisans.

Key Features

  • 243 strings modeled
  • Soundboard modeled
  • Microphone placement modeled
  • Dynamic sound generation
  • Small application size
  • Fast loading times
  • Parameter customization
  • Physical modeling synthesis
  • Improved soundboard model
  • Shigeru Kawai SK-EX physical model
  • Hand-wound bass string model
  • Duplex scale model
  • Instrument morphing (Standard/Pro)
  • Tone character control

Technical Specifications

Plugin Formats
VST3, AU, AAX
Standalone
Yes

Ideal Use Cases

  • Concert pianists and serious students needing a high-fidelity practice instrument that responds like a real grand piano.
  • Film composers and orchestrators requiring a flexible and expressive piano sound that can be deeply customized to fit various scenes and moods.
  • Music educators and schools seeking a durable and consistent piano sound for teaching and student performance without the maintenance of a physical instrument.
  • Session musicians and studio producers who need a versatile piano that can be quickly integrated into any project, from classical recordings to modern productions.
  • Sound designers and experimental musicians looking to manipulate and morph piano tones into unique sonic textures for their projects.

Included Presets

  • Warm
  • Player
  • Prelude
  • Heroic
  • Classical
  • Jazz
  • Chamber Recording
  • Felt 1
  • Felt 2
  • Piano with Strings Pad
  • Mix
  • Cosmic
  • New Age
  • Bass & Piano split

Insights from Real-World Use

Strengths

  • acts just like an instrument
  • creating the note as you play it
  • generated in real time
  • infinite velocity layers
  • behaving as if you were playing a real instrument
  • generating something fresh and new each time
  • occupies very little space on your hard drive
  • amazing performance
  • beautiful sound for every note
  • polishing excess of brilliance where it is needed
  • shiny where it needs to be
  • very polished sound
  • very good and great plugin
  • light
  • stable
  • powerfull
  • provide great satisfaction
  • very satisfied
  • nice to play
  • very tastefully done
  • amazing
  • sounds amazing

Weaknesses

  • almost slightly too lovely
  • a little bit slight
  • almost slightly sterile in its loveliness
  • dont feel this very strong musical character
  • subtle kind of artificial and unpleasant sound provided by Pianoteq
  • main issue with moddle range notes is that they sound too difussed and muffled, instead of precise and clear
  • synthetic tones I sometimes hear from it

Tone: too lovely, slight, sterile, lovely, woodier, beautiful sound, polished sound, incredibly, amazingly harmonically so rich, artificial and unpleasant sound, light, stable, powerfull, diffused, muffled, precise and clear, Bright, Sweet, Gentle, Beautiful and Deep, brighter, deeper

Review Snippets

  • Pianoteq Shigeru Kawai SK-EX expansion is a must-have, exceeding expectations for any piano.
  • Pianoteq Shigeru Kawai SK-EX is a very expressive piano and a new go-to.
  • Extremely positive review, emphasizing the Pianoteq Shigeru Kawai's brilliant sound.
  • This Pianoteq is a must-have; I would purchase it even without a free copy.
  • Luscious, warm, sweet, luminous tone, potentially as good as a real Kawai piano.
  • Pianoteq Shigeru Kawai SK-EX captures the true essence of the SX with stunning detail.
  • Beautiful, luminous, delicious sound, perfectly to my taste, might challenge Steinway preference.
  • Pianoteq Shigeru Kawai SK-EX expansion is a must-have for Pianoteq users.
  • Pianoteq's modeling acts like a real instrument, generating fresh notes with infinite velocity layers.
  • It still has that Pianoteq problem. Some notes (particularly in the middle) do not sound that realistic, especially at higher velocities.
  • I just fired up Pianoteq with it's Steinway D Hamburg model and it sounds wonderful! Or the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX which is a beautiful sounding piano. But my...
  • The second surprise is that there is a Shigeru Kawai SK-EX with Strings Pad! I have never seen that before in Pianoteq. It's very tastefully done and a ton.
  • The second surprise is that there is a Shigeru Kawai SK-EX with Strings Pad! I have never seen that before in Pianoteq. It's very tastefully done and a ton.
  • oh guess what, if I have to choose one of my favorite VST, it'd be... K2 on Pianoteq, but K2 is similar to Kawai, so maybe my new favorite can be SK-EX... and then Ravenscroft 275 is really great... also the Galaxy Vintage D... Simeon has a demo, and there are many videos with its demo.
  • I am Kawai Artist, and I just downloaded the plugin. Excellent job! This is the best piano plugin I own!!

Frequently Asked Questions

What host/player is required for this plugin?
It requires the Pianoteq host/player. It also supports standalone operation and VST3, AU, and AAX plugin formats.
Is this a sampled or modeled piano?
This is a modeled piano, utilizing physical modeling synthesis with 243 strings modeled, a modeled soundboard, and hand-wound bass string and duplex scale models.
What platforms are supported?
It is compatible with Mac and Windows operating systems.
What are the key features of this piano VST?
Key features include Half Pedal, Repedal/Catch, Sympathetic Resonance, dynamic sound generation, microphone placement modeling, and parameter customization.
What genres is this piano best suited for?
It excels in classical, jazz, pop, film/scoring, and contemporary genres, offering a bright, modern, and balanced tone.
What are the ideal use cases for this plugin?
It is ideal for concert pianists, serious students, film composers, music educators, session musicians, studio producers, and sound designers.
What are the system requirements for this plugin?
Not specified by the vendor / sources in our database.

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