Jump to content


Please note: You can easily log in to MPN using your Facebook account!

Poll: Favorite VST Piano?


Jazz+

VST Piano  

153 members have voted

  1. 1. VST Piano

    • 1563
    • 1564
    • 1562
    • 1564
    • 1564
    • 1561
    • 1564
    • 1562
    • 1568


Recommended Posts



  • Replies 64
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

No one has mentioned the XPERIMENTA Due, which I suspect is either not well known or not popular. Lately, I've been having a really nice time with it. It has it's own character for sure, but there's something about it's "playability" that intrigues me.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Damn. Every time I have the extra dough to spend on a VST I'll need to spend it on Full Kontakt first (at least doubling the cost). Gonna have to bite the bullet when NI has a sale on it next time â I'm missing too many good things.

____________________________________
Rod

Here for the gear.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

True Keys American Grand. It's probably time to explore new options.

 

I have that (along with their German and Italian pianos, but American is my favorite). I'd love to add Pianoteq or Ravencroft, but it's kinda hard to justify because I really like True Keys American.

Custom Music, Audio Post Production, Location Audio

www.gmma.biz

https://www.facebook.com/gmmamusic/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No one has mentioned the XPERIMENTA Due, which I suspect is either not well known or not popular. Lately, I've been having a really nice time with it. It has it's own character for sure, but there's something about it's "playability" that intrigues me.

 

$49 currently - https://audioplugin.deals/due-grand-pianos-by-xperimenta-project/

 

Sounds nice.

 

Everyone here keeps mentioning Pianoteq. I downloaded the latest demo and I guess I'm in the minority here but there is still something I find really odd about it. It doesn't work for me.

-Mike Martin

 

Casio

Mike Martin Photography Instagram Facebook

The Big Picture Photography Forum on Music Player Network

 

The opinions I post here are my own and do not represent the company I work for.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

$49 currently - https://audioplugin.deals/due-grand-pianos-by-xperimenta-project/

 

Sounds nice.

 

Everyone here keeps mentioning Pianoteq. I downloaded the latest demo and I guess I'm in the minority here but there is still something I find really odd about it. It doesn't work for me

 

I'm with you Mike. I keep trying Pianoteq, but it never quite floats my boat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recently got Keyscape and very happy with it both out of the box and all the ability to tweak the sounds. I was considering PianoTeq and sample sounded good, but then comparing all the available sounds in Keyscape. Then a online pianist I listen to almost dailly got Keyscape and the sound blew me away. I checked out one of the late night Twitch sessions with Larry Goldings and he had Keyscape and was going to all the non-traditional keyboards checking out the sounds and making little melodies and improv's for the sounds and that sold me.

 

So Keyscape was my vote and I feel good about it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

$49 currently - https://audioplugin.deals/due-grand-pianos-by-xperimenta-project/

 

Sounds nice.

 

Everyone here keeps mentioning Pianoteq. I downloaded the latest demo and I guess I'm in the minority here but there is still something I find really odd about it. It doesn't work for me

 

I'm with you Mike. I keep trying Pianoteq, but it never quite floats my boat.

 

Well then there are three of us. There's cheese in the lower octaves especially with each model that I can't edit out.

____________________________________
Rod

Here for the gear.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since I've learned to tune my upright (a U1 clone), I'm getting even pickier with piano simulations. Funny enough my current favorite for practice is the old Micropiano, which I prefer to all yamaha models in MOXF, all Rolands in JV1010, Numa C2X, Korda, Granduer, Hammersmith and current Mainstage options. It's still not a piano, but it is less distracting in it's weaknesses to my ear. I like one of the "affected" presets up from the base.

 

But I've not tried the Pianoteq, you guys think version 7 is way better (a friend has a 6 I could try)? It's killing the Roland phys models in latest fantom too?

 

I'm much more satisfied with electric piano choices. But now that I can address the slightest twang on my AP in 10 minutes, it is hard to beat.

RT-3/U-121/Leslie 21H and 760/Saltarelle Nuage/MOXF6/MIDIhub, 

SL-880/Nektar T4/Numa Cx2/Deepmind12/Virus TI 61/SL61 mk2

Stylophone R8/Behringer RD-8/Proteus 1/MP-7/Zynthian 4

MPC1k/JV1010/Unitor 8/Model D & 2600/WX-5&7/VL70m/DMP-18 Pedals

Natal drums/congas etc & misc bowed/plucked/blown instruments. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have The Garritan CFX, Cinepiano, VSL Imperial/Upright/280VC, Embertone Walker 1954, Ravenscroft, Pianoteq, Hammersmith pro, Art Vista super grand, Simple Sam Signature grand, My piano, Wavesfactory Mercury and some smaller ones and lesser known.

 

Absolute favorites are Walker 1954 and both The VSL Bösendorfer Imperial and 280VC . The rest i hardly use anymore....only the Signature grand get"s some practice time besides those three. The rest i don"t care for anymore and i am sure i will never use the Hammersmith, Ravenscroft and Pianoteq ever again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I keep coming back to 8dio 1990 Studio Grand. It seems to cover a nice dynamic and emotional range. It's on sale pretty often if you're patient. Cinepiano Piano is Blue used to be another I used all the time but it's very roomy, doesn't have a ton of attack if you need that. Nice atmosphere if you need that thing. Another one that pops up on sale from time to time.

 

I haven't played with any of the physical modeling pianos yet, maybe I should try a demo. The audio demos don't knock me out but I'll bet they're fun to play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't played with any of the physical modeling pianos yet, maybe I should try a demo. The audio demos don't knock me out but I'll bet they're fun to play.

 

Methinks even more fun to shape the sound. I've never owned Pianoteq, but I remember trying out the demo a few years ago. I found the ability to alter/mangle/manipulate the sound really inspiring. It would certainly be my go to for any "hyper real" piano sounds. Otherwise a little hard to justify since I have several other high quality sampled pianos.

Custom Music, Audio Post Production, Location Audio

www.gmma.biz

https://www.facebook.com/gmmamusic/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pianoteq gets my vote. It is one of the software that seems to be love/hate type of reaction. I am in the minority as I realize the weak points but I still love the way it responds to my playing. Also the dev team really has a passion for what they have created.

 

You do have tons of control with the software in standard and Pro version. The new Morphing and Layering is nice to play with.

 

Sorry Mike Martin but Casio PS5s piano sounds don't compare to Pianoteq. I brought the PX5s the summer it came out. Get keyboard for the money. Having Pianoteq IMHO gave the Casio new live as far as Piano sounds go. Now the Hex Layer in the PX5s is awesome! So when is Casio going to have a replacement? Going on eight years already.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I listened to the Embertone Walker 1955 demos today and I can see why it has many fans. It really sounds quite beautiful.

I can't believe I didn't think of this before, but I realized that most players want the sound they hear when sitting and playing a real piano in the room it's in. My last nearly 50 years, playing piano meant I was in an acoustically optimized room, built just for large pianos, playing mostly 9 footers or 7'4's that had been tuned right before I'd arrived. There were 10-15,000 dollar microphones placed perfectly, run through Calrec or Neve eqs and high dollar vintage mike pres. Real EMT140s and underground chambers, Grammy winning engineers, and perhaps most affecting of all, good headphones.

I realized that my Virtual Piano expectations are deeply influenced by how I heard real ones 99% of the time, and it's nothing like just sitting and playing one all by itself. So I guess I'm suggesting that everyone take my recommendations with a BLOCK of salt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Sorry Mike Martin but Casio PS5s piano sounds don't compare to Pianoteq.

 

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for purchasing a PX-5S but what does this topic have to do with the the PX-5S? I never compared it. :pop:

This is a topic about Favorite VST Pianos. I use instruments besides Casio. I have full admiration for the developers at Pianoteq, it is an ingenious product and I'm glad it works for so many people but there is something very odd about the piano sound to me. I continue to give it a chance with each new version but it gets a hard pass from me.

-Mike Martin

 

Casio

Mike Martin Photography Instagram Facebook

The Big Picture Photography Forum on Music Player Network

 

The opinions I post here are my own and do not represent the company I work for.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, I'm putting on my Teflon suit but here goes:

 

Now and then I dial back up my Mainstage Steinway that I did some minor tweaks to (like get rid of Space Designer, and subtly use other MS effects).

In the context of my rock band gigging, it sounds great. People always mention how good the piano sounds at a gig.

 

I also own PianoTeq, NI The Grandeur, and Keyscape.

If I'm using Gig Performer my go to is PianoTeq Standard. I have found if you take the time required to set it up, it is fantastic. I control it with my PX-5S or MODX8. Taking time to run the Pteq Velocity Curve makes a huge difference. After I run it, I will go back and slightly manually adjust what it came up with.

 

My next very close, or in a tie is my NI The Grandeur. The only issue is it sometimes feels disconnected from my fingers (regardless of latency settings).

 

Standing on it's own would be Keyscape. I LOVE the electric pianos, and the hybrids they do. While the LA Grand sound good, I can't seem to dial it in to where I like it.

 

 

Overall summary, again from a band gigging standpoint: Mainstage pianos are excellent. Of those, their Steinway is my favorite

David

Gig Rig:Casio Privia PX-5S | Yamaha MODX+ 6 | MacBook Pro 14" M1| Mainstage

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for purchasing a PX-5S but what does this topic have to do with the the PX-5S? I never compared it.

 

You are right sir. thanks for the welcome. I guess I meant to say it has given my Casio DP new life for piano sounds without having to have a beefy laptop to run the VSTi.

 

Pianoteq, I just seem to be able to connect with and the new Steinway is fantastic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine is simply an emulation of an old piano sound from an old synth. Korg M1 Piano 8" from M1 Collection. Either that or Dexed DX7 ROM1A E. Piano 1.
Yamaha MX49, Casio SK1/WK-7600, Korg Minilogue, Alesis SR-16, Casio CT-X3000, FL Studio, many VSTs, percussion, woodwinds, strings, and sound effects.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I pretty much listened to demos on my big monitoring system of all the mentioned plugins, and I can't stand even one of them to provide a real piano sound that I actually like, instead of tolerate. Of course I can plug the Pianoteq 5 minutes and have some fun with the sound. Some of the exotic plugins suggest an actual tone and some harmonic interest, but the sampling grind, the ever the same impulses annoy the socks off me and I always (when playing along on some of my digital piano setups) wonder when i'ts going to resonate for real or why the demo-ist doesn't want to change a tone up or down?

 

So honestly, in spite of some glossy looking pages for the expensive ones, it's unfortunately a waste of work to make all those samples and try to make chocolate out of some simple scripting assignments along the way if you don't understand two main things:

 

1) playing those digital samples is going to be highly unsatisfactory (for strong theoretical reasons)

2) samples (that of course is different for pianoteq) aren't going to interact at any level when playing chords, bass and melody notes, comping chords on each other via the built in resonance, etc etc, even though that's a big part of the piano experience

 

T.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Garritan & Modern U (VI Labs) are only 2 I have on PC, but they compliment each other well. Tried Pianotech 6 demo, & it doesn't sound much like a piano subjectively speaking. I'll try 7.

 

Also have Ravenscroft & Ivory (Korg Module) on iOS. Prefer the latter but both are pretty good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think I've ever heard a VST feel/sound pleasing to me.

 

I think the reason is the synergy between the keybed and the internal sound is crucial and that is by definition broken with the VST concept.

The MKS20 never sounded as good as the RD, and the same holds true today.

 

The VST is like an arranged marriage.

J a z z  P i a n o 8 8

--

Yamaha C7D

Montage8 | CP300 | CP4 | SK1-73 | OB6 | Seven

K8.2 | 3300 | CPSv.3

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pianoteq but that is really all I have known. Would like to try Ravenscroft or any of the others mentioned... the latest Pianoteq Ver. release really was very good...

 CP-50, YC 73,  FP-80, PX5-S, NE-5d61, Kurzweil SP6, XK-3, CX-3, Hammond XK-3, Yamaha YUX Upright, '66 B3/Leslie 145/122

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the Garritan CFX which I like when I use its close mic setting (Player) and in combination with its Abby Road Studio room ambience mic. Its pretty good for solo piano. It doesn't need reverb and it feels warmer than Ravenscroft and many others, in my opinion. I am not a fan of the Pianoteq tone.

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I voted for the Ravenscroft (which I bought initially after reading a post by Mr. Nathan) and I love it. I also have the NI pianos, Keyscape, The Grand 3 by Steinberg, Arturia's piano, etc. I also bought Jim Daneker's BackStage Pass over a year ago. Within it is a scaled down sample of the Blair Master's Signature Grand. He offers an upgrade to the scaled-down version. They designed it to work efficiently within MainStage but as much as I like the built-in piano, I've put the BMSG on my short list. I noticed that so far no one has mentioned it. Not sure if you folks are not aware of BackStage Pass, but Jim put his heart and soul into it. If you are a church musician, you'll probably find even more to like. He is Michael W. Smith's MD after all. But the full version of the Blair Master Signature Grand sounds something like this:

 

 

I realize that pianos are subjective and what sounds good to some don't sound good to others (as evidenced in this thread actually). So there is my disclaimer! lol

Hardware:
Yamaha
: MODX7 | Korg: Kronos 88, Wavestate | ASM: Hydrasynth Deluxe | Roland: Jupiter-Xm, Cloud Pro, TD-9K V-Drums | Alesis: StrikePad Pro|
Behringer: Crave, Poly D, XR-18, RX1602 | CPS: SpaceStation SSv2 | 
Controllers: ROLI RISE 49 | Arturia KeyLab Essentials 88, KeyLab 61, MiniLab | M-Audio KeyStation 88 & 49 | Akai EWI USB |
Novation LaunchPad Mini, |
Guitars & Such: Line 6 Variax, Helix LT, POD X3 Live, Martin Acoustic, DG Strat Copy, LP Sunburst Copy, Natural Tele Copy|
Squier Precision 5-String Bass | Mandolin | Banjo | Ukulele

Software:
Recording
: MacBook Pro | Mac Mini | Logic Pro X | Mainstage | Cubase Pro 12 | Ableton Live 11 | Monitors: M-Audio BX8 | Presonus Eris 3.5BT Monitors | Slate Digital VSX Headphones & ML-1 Mic | Behringer XR-18 & RX1602 Mixers | Beyerdynamics DT-770 & DT-240
Arturia: V-Collection 9 | Native Instruments: Komplete 1 Standard | Spectrasonics: Omnisphere 2, Keyscape, Trilian | Korg: Legacy Collection 4 | Roland: Cloud Pro | GForce: Most all of their plugins | u-he: Diva, Hive 2, Repro, Zebra Legacy | AAS: Most of their VSTs |
IK Multimedia: SampleTank 4 Max, Sonik Synth, MODO Drums & Bass | Cherry Audio: Most of their VSTs |

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've only rarely seen this mentioned on this forum but everyone must check out https://www.pianobook.co.uk

 

This is a project started by Christian Henson of Spitfire audio. There are HUNDREDS of free and some rather outstanding pianos there. The only downside is that most do require the full version of Kontakt or EXS24.

-Mike Martin

 

Casio

Mike Martin Photography Instagram Facebook

The Big Picture Photography Forum on Music Player Network

 

The opinions I post here are my own and do not represent the company I work for.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...