15 Piano Libraries Compared! Which one is best for you?

[@erosmuz]

I even forgot that I was looking for a better library) So immersed in a relaxing state to goosebumps. You just sit, listen, and relax. Buzz for the ears

[@ChristopherSiu]

Too kind, thank you so much!

[@InfiniteConstellations]

Woodchester piano is so warm and cozy, that sound calmed me tbh.

[@ChristopherSiu]

Definitely a beautiful sound.

[@HugoPaulo]

First let's all take a minute to praise Chris' playing! xD So good man! My favorites are Fracture Sounds (all of them), CinePiano and I also like the Walker a lot. They're all so great though and they definitely all have their different purposes and applications!

[@ChristopherSiu]

Thanks so much man!

[@falaghsepehr5504]

Hey there! just wanted to say the way you play the piano gives me goosebumps. You are such an incredible musician. hope to see you shine more in the future... :)

[@ChristopherSiu]

Thanks so much!

[@Amrani964]

came here looking for a good piano library just to realise they all sound good cuz of you, such an amazing player really beautiful fingers u got

[@ChristopherSiu]

Thanks so much!

[@AeonGreyh]

I love how Midnight Grand has so many organic sounds to it, so non typical for pianos, almost sounding like there’s a guitar playing alongside

[@AeonGreyh]

Same goes for Woodchester Piano, Fracture Sounds are just great

[@AeonGreyh]

Glad to have discovered lo ki too, seems to have a similar organic vibe to it

[@Skyflairl2p]

That is the sound of felt if im not mistaken, if you love this sound definitely check out NOIRE felt.

[@AeonGreyh]

@@Skyflairl2p I‘ll check it out, thanks for letting me know :D

[@ether2006]

the modulations he plays in the "emotional piano" section were, well, quite emotional !!

[@ChristopherSiu]

Haha thank you!

[@rumar4u]

Each and everyone has a unique tone that sounds great. Some of my favorites are Pianoteq’s Bechstein, Cinematic Studio Piano, (mentioned here) EWQL Bosendorfer, VSL Yamaha C7 and Una Corda.

[@ChristopherSiu]

Great choices!

[@aievolved]

Such incredible playing. I could listen all day. Wow!

[@ChristopherSiu]

Haha thank you!

[@okay1904]

Christipher Siu, what an excellent portrayal of each pianos strengths. Clearly each piano tone is best suited to conveying intention in some emotion or genre. This is a good demo of the kinds of obscure, less well known pianos, that do not fall into the popular category of the famous grands 9+footies - Steinway D, Yamaha CFX, Bosendorfer, Bechstein, Fazioli. And I se you have a Sample Library guide. Will investigate what you have to say on the topic. Thanks for sharing these lesser well known eclectic piano sounds.

[@ChristopherSiu]

Thanks so much! Enjoy the guide :)

[@ryancarrico813]

Honestly I could just sit here and listen to you play all day, whatever piano VI you're using

[@ChristopherSiu]

Haha thanks Ryan :)

[@chuckbrenneman7283]

For me the Cinematic Studio piano and the Signature Grand stood out. I really like the clear tones of those, and they may be best suited for playing with vocals. Chris I'm interested to hear your thoughts on which one would be best for pairing with vocals. I also like the 1955 piano, as I thought it had a classic, unique sound. Great playing Chris! Really enjoyed it!

[@ChristopherSiu]

Thanks Chuck! Honestly I think a bunch of these can be suited for that purpose, but my choice would be CinePiano or the signature grand I think.

[@nuxiosmusic]

I don't know why I cried when he played this cinepiano instrument 💔💫

[@luanvanpham6830]

❤thanks for all love this piano demo .I really appreciate that ,hope all the best to you

[@chaddonal4331]

Standouts here (to me) are Cinepiano, Walker 1955, and the Signature Grand. (For whatever reason, the Walker doesn't sound as rich on this recording as it does in my studio.) Piano in Blue is really nice and could totally see using it for jazz.

[@ChristopherSiu]

Great choices!

[@honeycoreinfant]

Signature grand and Ascend Modern Grand seem to have the least tricky frequencies to deal with. Excellent showcase!

[@ChristopherSiu]

Thank you!

[@earlteigrob9211]

My favorite is the Production Voices Production Grand for its amazing clarity. The full V2 has normalized note volumes and sounds the best I have heard. Walker 1955 is also good and on a super fast desktop it has no performance issues. I want to get the 300 Grand some day as I’m sure it is also very good. Really like Signiture Grand. Grandeur is ok. Not a big fan of Hammers and Waves except for the effects.

[@jonathanparham]

Thanks. some of these I didn't know about. Congrats on growing your channel.

[@ChristopherSiu]

Thank you!

[@TerraFormingSolutions]

Thank you very much for your overview. Very interesting. Great Seletion. You play very nice tunes and show us the characteristics of the different pianos. Great.

[@ChristopherSiu]

You’re so welcome!

[@iamishsantos]

So I was initially looking for some piano sound libraries worth checking out and found this video. Now I'm torn what to get and need to get my budget sorted out. LOL So many good ones on this list but on my first listen, my favorites would be the Walker 1955, Emotional Piano, Cinematic Studio Piano, Piano in Blue and Signature Grand.

[@linkedwinters]

the melodies you play are super gorgeous, yeeeesh

[@ChristopherSiu]

Haha thank you :D

[@kevroberts8147]

Hi Chris, great reviews as usual. That Midnight Grand sounds amazing, I use a blend of The Grandeur with the wonderful percussive tones of the Una Corda to achieve a similar sort of sound. Sounds great for Cinematic/Trailer style of music. Love your work. Kev.

[@ChristopherSiu]

Thanks for sharing Kev!

[@thxtrey2375]

bro ur piano skills are crazy omg

[@yohan1539]

Hey, thanks for making this!

[@ChristopherSiu]

No problem!

[@ether2006]

hello yohan

[@kartikshah4801]

I can listen to this forever ...soo good!

[@ChristopherSiu]

Thank you ☺️

[@SashaBoo1488]

AMAZING!!! Love all that music

[@marvinschluckauf6783]

All of them sound great! I can definitely recommend CSP, great dynamic range at a pretty low cost. :)

[@ChristopherSiu]

Yes, a great choice for sure!

[@peeckle1657]

Very beautiful playing. I wish I could play like this!!!

[@DihelsonMendonca]

Signature grand is the best for me.

[@ARZiehm]

Goes straight for Autumn Leaves on Piano in Blue. Good man! 😂 You ever consider grabbing a copy of Keyscape? I know it's not a Kontakt library - But there are some absolutely amazing keys in there - From the Yamaha for classical to the Rhodes for funk, or the Wing Upright for a warm, vintage sound.

[@ChristopherSiu]

Definitely have considered it! I’d love it actually, but I just have what I need right now.

[@JulianPackardMusic]

Sweet! Lots of good libraries to chose from.

[@ChristopherSiu]

Indeed!

[@kobunix]

Good vid. Good vibes on your melodies ! Love it

[@ShaheenFahmy]

I might actually go with CinePiano if it weren't for the interface haha! :D Great Video

[@ChristopherSiu]

Thanks man!

[@jesusgst]

Nice vid! Also nice playing!

[@ChristopherSiu]

Thanks!

[@ultimatebeta805]

Cinepiano or the signature grand. 👍🏽😉 Nailed it.

[@pomidorboic6964]

DAMN MAAAN SIGNATURE GRAND WAS A HUUUUUUUUUUUGE BLOW

[@AntonStruzik]

19:57 new version of autumn leaves where some bars are 4/4 and some are 3/4 lol

[@AdoreMyPiano]

Great video man! :)

[@ChristopherSiu]

Thanks!

[@norbertronin911]

On Lo-Ki piano I am crying bro. God bless

[@吴毅-u3k]

so impressive to all your melodies !

[@ChristopherSiu]

Thank you!!

[@BackSlashJvb125]

They are all amazing with their own unique sounds. My fav one I have is soundiron hall grand. It's pretty cheap and it defo the best sounding one in that price range for me. It goes really loud also

[@BackSlashJvb125]

Emotional piano is what I am looking for tho 😍

[@saadkareem9552]

Definitely consider looking into addictive keys. I think its different from any kontakt piano library. There are times when you go for kontakt and there are times when you go for addictive keys.

[@ChristopherSiu]

Fair enough :)

[@Alxev]

Nice! A very useful video.

[@ChristopherSiu]

Awesome!

[@Isaacthompson]

Great video! Thank you!

[@jonamarvin6291]

Second comment asking you to teach us piano improv. my god this is beautiful

[@ChristopherSiu]

It’s on the list! :D

[@thefray123]

Bump! Would love some tips!! Incredible playing!

[@thewest6128]

Great comparsion! Thanks!

[@ChristopherSiu]

Thanks for watching!

[@DiegoDourado]

I would like to know how I can make the left pedal work in Kontakt and The Grandeur. I use Casio piano controller.

[@jerrycullingford38]

I think I liked CinePiano and Signature grand best; ascend was interesting, and Prayer Piano didn't really sound like a piano at all :). Have you ever tried modelled (rather than sampled) pianos like Pianoteq?

[@ChristopherSiu]

I haven’t no! No interest really.

[@Rozhdestvo]

great job!thank you!

[@brentjohnson7044]

I should not have watched this. I have a fair number of piano VSTs already, but none of these. And now I "need" to get the Walker 1955 Steinway, the Emotional Piano, *and* the Signature Grand.

[@ChristopherSiu]

I apologize in advance

[@westwalnutrecords]

I LOVE piano in Blue. That is the way a piano is supposed to sound. Dry and woody

[@ChristopherSiu]

Agreed!

[@galaballi]

hey Chris! which upright library do you recommend I have so many and still feel like I haven't find the one :) thanks so much

[@Wty-7373]

Great pianist

[@ivansoto9723]

I could 100% see Ascend modern grand in a modern indie game

[@DevanshRastogi]

just what i needed

[@damondahl]

Thank You!

[@SecondTierSound]

Thank you Christopher! Great playing. Just a question about sound. A lot of these pianos are highly processed obviously, but I am just wondering if you have done anything specific to the sound, because some of these pianos don't "sound" the way I am used to. Different presets? Higher velocity on the keyboard? Bus/master plugins? In my (crazy) ears, most of these pianos have too much velocity spikes which creates a sort of unnatural compression sound at times. Now, it is super picky, I know (because I love pianos), so disregard this if you think I am on drugs, lol. The higher velocity makes it sound more like a keyboard, if you know what I mean. And lastly, if you can one day, check out the Garritan CFX. It is the only piano I have tried who doesn't suffer from "repetition sound" or keys sounding the same, no compression, and a fantastic room sound. Cheers!

[@ChristopherSiu]

Thank you for your thoughts! These are actually as out of the box as can be, perhaps some KZbin compression? I agree about the higher velocities making them seem unnatural at times, hence why I had to turn the velocity down especially for the signature grand.

[@moonkidproductions]

I'm looking for a piano that doesn't distort laptop and phone speakers with midrange resonant build ups, they all did but Signiature Grand was definitely the cleanest.

[@ChristopherSiu]

Good choice!

[@ArgoBeats]

Signature Grand has a beautiful timbre, how about its playability?

[@ChristopherSiu]

Very good! You just have to adjust that velocity slider to make it more natural, but it feels great.

[@ArgoBeats]

@@ChristopherSiu thanks!

[@ПенниВайз]

Thanks!

[@mrketts]

Hi Christopher, this is a great video because it gives some clear samples and your thoughts about use cases. I do have a question, what keyboard do you use to play your libraries? I’m looking for a new one to get that has a decent action, and maybe yours might be worth looking into. Thanks!

[@ChristopherSiu]

Hi Aaron, I use the Arturia Keylab 88. Heavy weighted action!

[@conforzo]

Too bad you didn't use Noire and The Grandeur they're both brilliant.

[@ChristopherSiu]

Might get those one day!

[@lattetown]

I prefer Modatt's Pianoteq pianos...especially the Steinway B and Bluethner Model One.

[@peeckle1657]

Is there any mixing on this or they are pure unaltered sounds of the cinePiano? It sounded amazing.

[@Hash-vo1hi]

How are you so good at improvising? Is it solely from years of playing or is there anything in particular to learn and work on?

[@ChristopherSiu]

Thank you! I think it comes down to listening to a lot of music, developing your inner ear, and just practice. Once you know your basic chords and how to play melodies, it should come naturally. :)

[@Hash-vo1hi]

@@ChristopherSiu Thanks man, appreciate that.

[@maykilJuicewa]

cinematic studio piano ❤

[@yazanballan11]

thank youuu ❤🎶🎹

[@ChristopherSiu]

So welcome!

[@winterheat]

you got a lot of VSTs that I haven't heard of... I only know of Grandeur, Noire, Garritan, Pianoteq, VSL... Ivory, Keyscape... do you know of any good Kawai SK-EX VST? I think Pianoteq's K2 is very close...

[@xxxxxxxyyyyyyy]

*CinePiano was the best.*

[@ruy.monteiro]

What is the song in 22:00 (Loki piano)?

[@DonaldSorah]

How is Cinepiano for sitting in a mix as a true orchestral piano?

[@EmmzBeats1zx]

great video bro

[@ChristopherSiu]

Appreciate it!

[@shotsi673]

You forgot Pianoteq from Moddart!

[@ChristopherSiu]

Didn’t forget, just don’t own it.

[@SandleOnlean]

@@ChristopherSiu .

@@ChristopherSiu Read up on it though, it's nr 1 for many. As it's not a sample pack it doesn't take much space either. As the pianos have been properly modeled you can put the microphones wherever you want in the room, and at whatever angle you want. So you have tons of possible setups available. Should be mentioned that Steinway & Sons, Steingraeber, Bechstein, Blüthner, Grotrian and Petrof, all have approved the sound and playability of their physically modeled concert grand pianos. So that should in itself be enough to raise curiosity. As it has modeled the strings of a real piano, you have real dynamics with strings affecting each other etc. No looping samples here.

[@mdu2486]

Money i really tight right now, which one could you recommend for all round use?

[@DihelsonMendonca]

Cinematic is muffled, and when the sound comes, it's not like s real piano. Need to adjust the velocity curve. 👍

[@tsongyt7539]

I like how he play every register, really helpful btw what title of the song you played on Cinematic Studio Piano? Its sooo beautiful

[@ChristopherSiu]

Thank you! Just an improvisation :)

[@tsongyt7539]

@@ChristopherSiu Holy! It sounds Disney Music! Can I know the progression? Also what scale do you recommend for this kind of emotional music Edit: ive been listening to it for about 10times now and I think how it resolves everytime and the structure is so good like.. it has some kind of story, simple motif then keep developing and then the harmony on this 15:14 like the chords is singing with the rythm of the melodies(idk i wish i have enough knowledge about music theory to undestand this) also the outro hmmm.

[@tsongyt7539]

@@ChristopherSiu its turns into ballad at the outro for a little bit but still connected for some reason. I keep picturing a disney story on this.

[@tsongyt7539]

@@ChristopherSiu oooh this chord! 15:45 makes it sound ballad! Idk what chord that is but It really fits well. Edit: 14:41 oooh, Edit: ok i need to download this...

[@Jay_Telis]

10:25 11:55 20:00 22:15

[@tosvus]

Who on earth would give this video a thumbs down??

[@ChristopherSiu]

People who dislike pianos. Or Chris. 🥲

[@tosvus]

@@ChristopherSiu Must be pianos then - you seem really hard to dislike :P :D

[@ChristopherSiu]

Stopppp

[@ferger8938]

4:52 name piece pleace

[@ChristopherSiu]

'Improvisation at 4:52'

[@ferger8938]

@@ChristopherSiu Wonderful.Very beautiful

[@Soulkeeper393]

3:42 Could you tell me the name of that music? Or was it an improvisation?

[@ChristopherSiu]

Everything was an improv, so whatever name comes to mind! :)

[@humblechili]

@@ChristopherSiu That's awesome! I was thinking "How did Chris memorize so much music" haha. Any tips / resources you recommend to learn complex improv like you do? I can only do 2 notes at a time in key lol. Also really liked the format of your video. Keep up the great work :)

[@ChristopherSiu]

@@humblechili haha thanks! A study of classical piano and playing lots of music develops the foundation for improv!

[@martinfranetic4084]

Just an amazing sounds and music!! Could listen it all the day! What is the name of the second song? At 3:15?😁

[@ChristopherSiu]

Let's call it 'F major improv' :D

[@martinfranetic4084]

@@ChristopherSiu hehe. Really this is not an official lyrics song? Just the performance made by yourself??

[@ChristopherSiu]

Yes on the spot :)

[@martinfranetic4084]

@@ChristopherSiu fantastic!

[@coolvibesradio3267]

Hi, can you please place the ads between the comparison. it's really annoying to get there between your playing. Thanks

[@pbl1187]

The piece you played @3:15 in CinePiano section. Is that an original piece by you?

[@ChristopherSiu]

Just an improvisation!

[@evercazares9340]

¿Puedo descargar estos sonidos? Si la respuesta es sí ¿cómo lo hago?

[@TheAllansee]

have you tried the noire felt piano? and if so how did you like that one? still deciding what piano bank I should buy.

[@ChristopherSiu]

Yes, it’s a wonderful piano library for a darker and intimate sound.

[@TheAllansee]

@@ChristopherSiu perfect , that's exactly what I was looking for. thank you

[@jaunecoltrane5572]

22:08 Yuki Kajiura ?

[@widewide5]

7:30

[@AntonStruzik]

At 14:27 have you improvised that whole piece? Does it already exist or did you straight up improvise a completely legit full piece?

[@AntonStruzik]

I did hear the very probable jazz skills when you hit that b9 on the V chords tho

[@ChristopherSiu]

It was improvised yes. Haha I wish I could jazz better XD

[@AntonStruzik]

@@ChristopherSiu you sound very good, that bit was the gem of that session in my opinion ;)

[@ProdORB]

What is the note at 6:29 to 6:34 please i NEEED IT NOW

[@Hash-vo1hi]

Have a look at the bottom of his screen, it shows what notes he’s playing.

[@luigipolitodabundo8472]

Where is garritan cfx?

[@ellensoomers9496]

Yeah that's a gem!!!!

[@lucifervalentine275]

The moral of the story is it doesn't matter what library you're playing if you can play like this guy. Is there a name for this genre of music? My favorite, much better than classical piano pieces for me.

[@ChristopherSiu]

Haha thank you!! Hmm not sure about that one...

[@YuryMaro]

How to get woodchester piano ?)

[@ChristopherSiu]

fracturesounds.com/product/woodchester-piano/

[@pixelcat_yt]

What do you think of the Berlin Inspire 1 piano?

[@ChristopherSiu]

Good for a distant hall sound! Rarely use it though.

[@pixelcat_yt]

@@ChristopherSiu Thanks! Love your videos by the way :)

[@ChristopherSiu]

Thank you kindly ☺️

[@pomidorboic6964]

do u like Joe Hisaishi's art? Cause i can sense his spirit in almost 50% of this ^_^

[@ChristopherSiu]

Yes!!

[@billysimbolon6443]

Cine piano ,ascend modern grand

[@jakespianostuff3070]

where do i find these pianos is the question

[@ChristopherSiu]

Everywhere :D

[@jakespianostuff3070]

@@ChristopherSiu grate answer

[@prodalexc]

How can you get these for cheap ian tryin spend $3000 on a few piano plugins

[@L3XBEATS]

why nobody talking about loki?

[@avivbintangaringga]

Hi, Chris! Thank you for all of your great work. No I'm not trying to rick roll you but this is a genuine question. Can you tell me or suggest what piano library on the intro of this video might be? Here's the link kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGKzgINjopxpl8U. It's kinda remix of never gonna give you up and I love the sound of the piano. Thanks!

[@avivbintangaringga]

I'm a beginner and I've been searching for a while but can't find the similar sound

[@ChristopherSiu]

Hi Aviv! I honestly think CinePiano could pull that off with its main patch and a little velocity tweaking if needed.

[@avivbintangaringga]

Thanks for your reply! I will take a try with CinePiano.