{"id":154,"date":"2026-09-22T17:32:24","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T17:32:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pianort.com\/?page_id=154"},"modified":"2026-09-24T20:20:50","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T20:20:50","slug":"the-250-challenge","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pianort.com\/index.php\/the-250-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"The 250 Challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"Pianoteq<\/p>\n

\n

The PianoRT Benchmark<\/p>\n

Think your Pianoteq setup can hold 250 voices clean? Prove it.<\/h1>\n

PianoRT holds 1.3ms buffer latency and 250+ voices of clean polyphony under heavy sustain pedal, zero xruns, over a 220 second stress run. 250 is the real number, not a round one, we start cracking slightly above it too.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
1.3ms<\/div>\n
buffer latency<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
250<\/div>\n
voices, zero xruns<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
64<\/div>\n
sample buffer<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
2<\/div>\n
passes required<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Test<\/h2>\n

Two passes on the same file, buffer fixed at 64 samples<\/strong> (same as PianoRT), polyphony set to 250 voices<\/strong>. Sample rate is your choice, just report it.<\/p>\n

Use the NY Steinway D Classical<\/strong> preset. It ships with every Pianoteq edition (including the free demo), so everyone is testing the same instrument.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
Pass 1<\/div>\n
As written<\/div>\n

Load the file and play it start to finish exactly as written, pedal markings and all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
Pass 2<\/div>\n
Pedal stress<\/div>\n

Same file, same 250 voices, but hold the sustain pedal down for the entire piece regardless of what’s written, and watch for crackles or xruns.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Zero xruns on both passes is a pass. Any dropout and you’re out.<\/p>\n

Download the benchmark file<\/h2>\n

Download the MIDI file<\/a><\/p>\n

What to submit<\/h2>\n

To count, I need the real data, not “it sounded fine to me.” Three things:<\/p>\n

\n
\n
Your rig<\/div>\n
CPU, RAM, storage type, OS and version (kernel version if Linux), and the buffer size \/ sample rate you actually ran.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Real-time numbers<\/div>\n
On Linux: sudo cyclictest -m -Sp95 -i200 -D 5m<\/code> for max scheduling latency, plus a pw-top<\/code> screenshot showing the Pianoteq and ALSA sink nodes, quantum\/rate, and xrun count during both passes. On Mac\/Windows, whatever latency or dropout monitor you’ve got, DAW-reported xrun counts are fine.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Proof<\/div>\n
A screen recording or video of both passes, so it’s verifiable and not just self-reported.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Where this goes<\/h2>\n

Every real submission gets a shoutout. Best results (and the funniest failures) go into a PianoRT Machine Death Match video on the YouTube channel. Bring receipts.<\/p>\n

“Omnis Lacrima” is from Final Fantasy XV Piano Collections, composed by Yoko Shimomura, used here for personal, non-commercial benchmark testing only.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The PianoRT Benchmark Think your Pianoteq setup can hold 250 voices clean? Prove it. PianoRT holds 1.3ms buffer latency and 250+ voices of clean polyphony under heavy sustain pedal, zero xruns, over a 220 second stress run. 250 is the real number, not a round one, we start cracking slightly above it too. 1.3ms buffer […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":162,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-systems.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-154","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nThe 250 Challenge - PianoRT<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pianort.com\/index.php\/the-250-challenge\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The 250 Challenge - PianoRT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The PianoRT Benchmark Think your Pianoteq setup can hold 250 voices clean? 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