Acoustica Pianissimo - Manual (Page 7)

Piano Keys - Pianissimo has 88 keys and two pedals. All keys and pedals are controllable via MIDI, and can also
be played via the mouse.
Soft Pedal (left) - The left pedal, or soft pedal, lowers the volume of the piano's notes, allowing you to press the
keys harder while playing a softer sound.
Sustain (Damper) Pedal (right) - The right pedal, or sustain or damper pedal, causes the notes to continue
playing (sustain) after you let go of the keys. While sustained, the notes will continue playing until their sound
decays naturally, or until the sustain pedal is released.
Control Panel
These controls allow you to adjust the most common aspects of Pianissimo's sound. With these controls, you can
set the relative volume of Pianissimo's hammer and mechanical sounds, open the Tone Controls dialog, set the
type and amount of reverb, and customize the master volume of the instrument.
Hammer Sounds Slider - Pianissimo recreates the sound of the incidental mechanical noises that occur within a
piano as you physically press and release the sustain pedal, or release the keys of your keyboard (technically,
escapement noise). These sounds are generally subtle but add to the overall realism of a solo piano recording.
However, in a dense musical mix with other instruments, it may not be desirable to have these subtle noises
audible. This slider allows you to control the amount of audible Hammer Sounds, and has a range of 0 (no
Hammer Sounds) to 100 (very loud Hammer Sounds).
Tone Controls Button - This button launches the Tone Controls box.
Reverb Adjustments - When a grand piano is played in a living room, church, or concert hall, the echoes and
resonance of the room ("reverberation", or "reverb") add a warmth and depth to the sound of the piano. This adds
tremendous realism to the sound of the piano, as it places the sound in a realistic acoustic space. The following
controls allow you to adjust or remove the reverb effect:
z Reverb Amount Slider - This slider controls the amount of reverberation ("reverb") that is heard. This slider
has a range of 0 (no Reverb) to 100 (very loud reverb).
z Reverb Type Dropdown - This control allows you to select the type of reverb. Each reverb type has a different
sonic character. Some types, such as Large Hall, sound very grandiose and full. Some types, such as Bath
Room, add a very subtle room tone to the piano sound. Experiment with different reverb types to recreate your
favorite piano tone. The available types are Medium Hall, Large Hall, Plate, Cathedral, Bath Room, Empty Room,
and Small Room.
Master Volume - This control adjusts the overall volume of the piano sound, including Reverb and Hammer
Sounds. For quiet, gentle playing, you may wish to turn up the overall volume. For loud, heavy playing, you may
wish to lower the piano sound. Note that Pianissimo will seldom ever "clip" or distort, even with very loud playing.
This slider has a range of 0 (no sound) to 100 (very loud sound).
Tone Controls
Page 7 of 19 Pianissimo
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