Producing With Pro Tools

Hey Folks –

I really didn’t have high hopes for the third virtual instrument in my review here. With a name like Mini-Grand, I expected a small sound and an uninspired feature set. Well, don’t let the name fool you like it did me.

For contrast, I’ve been using Synthogy’s Ivory piano instrument for a while and was very impressed with it. The samples are rich and the responsiveness is great. But I think Mini-Grand actually competes with it. It’s not as full-featured, nor does it possess the obvious commitment to quality samples as Ivory does, however Mini-Grand has some gorgeous tones, simple and useful effects, and an elegantly simple interface. The true test is that I’ve been going to it for client work more often than Ivory lately due to its quality sounds and the simplicity of its interface.

There are 30 tweakable presets to choose from, and I usually can find the sound that I’m looking for in a pinch right in the presets. You can also dial in your own sounds. Start with the Model to get an overall sound. Tweak the Dynamic Response to adjust the feel and responsiveness of the piano. Then find the appropriate reverb/environment for the piano with the Room knob and use the Mix knob to adjust the amount of reverb/environment in the overall sound. The Level knob controls the output level.

Check out a quick MP3 example here. This MP3 shows off two patches… the first “Real Piano” patch and then my favorite patch called “Deep Blue Sea.” This instrument can make even a piano hack like me sound good. ☺

mini-grand example MP3