Using Pianoteq VST for real time playback with MuseScore 3.x

• Dec 29, 2023 - 22:33

It works!

Just be sure to turn the mixer Master Gain right down for MuseScore playback (as shown) and all you hear is Pianoteq, (unless you want a mix of both!)

MS3-to-VST.png

Pianoteq : https://www.modartt.com/pianoteq_overview
loopMIDI : https://www.tobias-erichsen.de/software/loopmidi.html


Comments

@ yonha_ag

Excellent knews! I want to see if I can manage the same result on MacOS. There's likely something like LoopMIDI for MacOS ... possibly built into Audio-MIDI setup.

I use PianoTeq mainly for its modeled VST nylon string guitars and they work great in MuseScore 4, but I find the MS4's regressions outweigh the benefits, so I stick with MuseScore 3.6.2 or MuseScore Evolution (aka MuseScore 3.7).

scorster

In reply to by scorster

I can't find a MacOS equivalent to LoopMIDI but JACK MIDI looks promising and there is a JACK section in MS3's I/O preferences.

I'm going to try routing MS3 MIDI out Cakewalk next to see if that works as well as Pianoteq.

Yes, the nylon guitar in Pianoteq is impressive and very customisable. Pianoteq is also RAM friendly as all its instruments are mathematically modelled on real instruments rather than on gigabytes of samples. Even the free instruments are very good.

Yonah_ag: Wow, do I not know much ...? I have been striving for months to find a way to use VST sounds inside MS 3.62, either by bringing in a plugin or another piece of software. Now, here this post is. Great.

Sadly, the grand piano I use with sf2 soundfonts is an excellent one and honestly, I don't need a VST piano. What I really need is a VST solo voice, both female (soprano or alto), and male (tenor). The few solo voice sf2 soundfonts out there suck. Is there any way you can see to import a VST solo voice into MS 3.62 or 3.7? If so, how would I do so? Is there a node or a set of instructions on what to do and what plugin to use?

In reply to by fsgregs

SF2 is so limited in comparison to VST that it doesn't seem worth investing time in it any more. If you think that your SF2 piano is good then you should download the evaluation copy of Pianoteq and test drive its pianos with MuseScore 3. I only Pianoteq for its stunning classical guitar but its pianos are equally impressive.

If you do want to have a go at making an SF2 from a solo voice VST then you can do it by making samples and assembling them in a soundfont editor like Polyphone, (https://www.polyphone.io/en). You would need to make a set of samples for each pitch that you need, (ideally at different dynamic levels for a velocity layered soundfont), by using your VST to make a long note of each pitch, (say 2 to 4 seconds in duration), and exporting each as a .WAV file to become a sample for Polyphone. The resulting SF2 will not sound as good as the VST but could be quite respectable.

Even better, if you know some human vocalists then you could record real human voices to make samples.

Polyphone has some tutorials to get you started:
https://www.polyphone.io/en/documentation/tutorials/index

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