M1 is ofc not based on intricate multisamples of a real piano, rather some late 1980s synthesizing paradigm utilizing few single samples at (by today's standards) rather low sample rate / bit depth looped, synthesized and spread over the entire keyboard. Kind of the predecessor of modern wavetable synths. I read the whole ROM of the machine was only 4mb - that says it all. But it's of course the go to piano if you want to reference early 1990s dance music piano chords and melodies, since it was so widely used and immediately sounds familiar to the average listener.

 

What an incredibly difficult question to answer.
I have piano/keys playing friends that all have a preference... One pianist will pick a specific Kontakt library, another likes Steinberg's the Grand, another likes Keyscape, another likes Virtual piano, another likes the EWSQL Bosendorfer... another likes Pianoteq.....etc...etc... None of them like EZKeys and the ones using Kontakt wish it was by itself, which is humorous.

Under 5GB? Ask someone who all they do is play solo piano every day of the week because I think that will give you an answer that at least says "This responds, behaves and sounds the most like a real piano."

 

A little tip: I tried Pianissimo too, but it didn't sound relevant in that case, despite this, I count it as one of the best VSTi pianos...
also I didn't try Ivory and Pianoteq, EZkeys, I just don't have them...
and, at last, I never use sample libraries newer 2014-15y
(who knows why, never tells others)

 

Yes, the M1's ROM was just 4 megabytes but there's quite a few ways to compress audio. They must've started from an actual sample, and the source of that sample is what I'm looking for.

 

Some of the synths from that era would actually based solely on one sample of the initial attack and then the sustain-release part would be fully synthesized. Audio compression was not advanced at that stage, Frauenhofer Institute has just presented an early version of the MP3 codec (which was not widely used at that stage). And I don't think you would find that sample in the public domain.

 

NI's "The Maverick" hits the spot for me. Also recommended from me would be Noire, but that's 15GB.

 

What you described is what Roland calls "linear arithmetic synthesis" and it's the basis for the D-50's and MT-32's synthesis among other Roland synths of the time. I've heard rumors of Kawai using a similar technology in the K1 but those rumors are false. The K1 just uses crap samples from my understanding.
The Korg M1 was purely sample-based and it's famous for that reason alone. Audio compression was more than good enough at that stage, MP3 existing or not is irrelevant. I don't care about finding the sample itself as I can just record it from my own M1 with no effects. What I want to know is which piano they actually sampled.

 

Here is a free M1 piano sound library (only available for 2 more days): https://www.echosoundworks.com/house-pianos

MP3 existing or not is irrelevant

Not really irrelevant in the context of audio compression, but this is not the issue in the center of this discussion I guess.

Korg M1 was purely sample-based

A workstation type keyboard synth with a 4MB Rom released in 1988 that is fully based on samples - meaning: the samples must be inferior to even the most basic freeware piano library you will find today. Again: the M1 piano doesn't sound great at all, it just happens to be the most widely used piano sound of the era (at least in dance, rave, house music) and it has influenced the development of these genres, hence it's iconic (not for it's sound qualities, but for it's immediate mental association with this era and style of music).

You seem to be OCD about the idea of tracking down that sound. Good for you if you have no more urgent issues in life.

 

Last edited: Jul 4, 2021

It's not irrelevant int he context of audio compression but it's irrelevant in the context of sample-based keyboards. There were others before the M1 but none of them were the best in the bang-for-your-buck department. The M1 was really something else.

I don't know what you're trying to get at with "the samples must be inferior to even the most basic freeware library of today". If you're talking about the actual quality of the samples themselves then yes. Does it matter? No, the piano sounds good. The piano inevitably ended up getting associated with those genres and the 90s in general.. so what? Also, you claim it's not iconic for its sound quality when it was literally the best sounding sample-based piano of the time AND it used only four separate samples. Only four. Ask literally any sound engineer who was alive at the time and go listen to other sample-based pianos of the time.

"You seem to be OCD about the idea of tracking down that sound. Good for you if you have no more urgent issues in life."
You see, there are these two things called "passion" and "curiosity". Try taking that stick out of your rear.

 

UVI C7Grand for Falcon is very very good just 2gb's

 

Speaking of C7s, I've been using K-Sounds' C7 for the Motif XF more and more. And it's not even 460mb.

 

The Falcon ones.
Really clear and warm sounds and less disturbing harmonics or frequencies.
They sound out of the box very well

 

UNA CORDA END OF DISCUSSION

 

Nope, it's 115$ for the Motif format and 85$ for the Kontakt format. Motif format also has a smaller bank that's less than 128mb and it sounds extremely good for its size.

I only have the Motif format, give me a few minutes and I can PM someone to release it on the sister site. (got a ton of XS/XF libraries, should probably get around to packing them up for release..)

There's a torrent floating around with the Motif + Kontakt format but as far as I know the Kontakt format offered in that one is NOT the "official" one from K-Sounds but one that was badly converted from the Motif format.

 

Sounds okay in the right contexts but it's otherwise gimmicky as hell for 75 bucks lol

 

Pianoteq or either UVI pianos

 

My preference goes to Arcadia: Grand Piano, by Organic Instruments, but as an open disclaimer though, I'm the developer who made it! Regardless, I do feel confident in the product that I use it for my day-to-day work.

 

Pure unbiased impartial opinion
Thx anyway