Well, crystal balls might tell us the future, but for now....

The Pianoteq demo doesn't impress me as much as even Ivory, or in fairness, the good Roland's.

BTW, I'm curious, but, for right now, what modeled sounds can you say are currently the best available? Virtual analog... still not as good as the real thing (IMO). Virtual Hammond... B4 is great, but still not up to the standards of a XK-3c, which uses samples as well as modeling. Virtual Rhodes? Lounge Lizard is pretty good, but I've heard sampled Rhodes that spank it.

For a technology to be 'the future', surely SOMETHING now ought to live up to this hype, or it is just another 'also ran'.

Does anyone remember when FM was going to be 'the future'? Does anyone remember when additive was going to be 'the future'? Does anyone remember when wavetables were going to be 'the future'? Until ONE modeled sound comes out that is head and shoulders above any other form of synthesis, it is merely just another possibility, and by no means the de facto path we will all tread.

Just ONE... Anyone? Anyone...? Bueller....? Bueller......?

Hi Fran. No i wasnt knocking the Roland i threw it in as a comparrison simply because of its reputation for great sounding pianos.

I dont think you'll find that i said a larger sample would not do a better job.

i said 'Then post up your own opinions about the differences in sound and texture and whether the argument about large VST sample size hold as much water as you would imagine it should.' Well do they ????

I also said 'yes i hear you Bill but the point i was making is that the Kontakt is many many times larger than the 16mb or 32mb sampled pianos. Does the gap in the performance and playability of the sample reflect the huge difference in Sample Size ?????' Well does it ?

Well the world we live in is analogue, all sounds produced by real instruments are analogue, and sound modelling (Although virtual) generates sound in the analogue way. (Have you noticed with all the retro keyboards about, how many are trying to emulate analogue instruments?
Its like saying CD is better the Vinyl, it sounds great, but when you compare it to the real world, the vinyl recordings leave the CD way behind. (Again analogue wins out over digital)

B4II: I know a few people who have a genuine B3 (Some even have a collection) and all use B4II as well, and the comments have always been as close as it gets to the real thing. (Preferred over the latest Hammonds)

XK3: All the latest Hammonds use virtual tonewheels (They mimic the analogue sound production of the mechanical tonewheels) with all sounds modified the analogue way, (Just like the original) and as far as I am aware there are no samples used.
Interesting to note also is that they have unlimited polyphony, which can’t be done with samples as the cost would be prohibitive.

Pianoteq: If you had a listen to it 12 months ago, you would not recognise it now, as the transformation is massive, which is why I say give it a few years (And not that many) it will leave sample players for dead.
The future is most definitely back to analogue, just in a virtual environment. (However as you say, there is always the possibility of other technologies being developed)

Bill