My go-to piano VST REVEALED!!

A decent piano VST is right at the heart of most people’s template. What are mine? Well in this video I will show you and explain my reasons. Join me to exploire what piano virtual instruments work for me:
First up is PIanoteq 8 from Modartt, a collection of physical modelling instruments, the latest version of which contains a brand new Bosendorpher piano which sounds great.
www.modartt.com/pianoteq_over...
The second are the amazing VSL pianos, extraordinary detail and flexibility but at a premium price.
www.vsl.co.at/en/Synchron_Pac...
Finally the Max Richter piano from SRM sounds, a beautifully delicate sound and subtle touch.
srmsounds.com/products/max-ri...
Please Note: I am not paid or sponsored by anybody but get free review copies of the instruments I review.
Also I do not do telegram and anyone offering you a prize in the comments is a scam artist!!
0.00 Intro
2.06 Pianoteq 8 from Modartt
5.23 Synchron Pianos from VSL
9.42 Max Richter SMR Piano

[@damianmcilroy]

I love Noire from native instruments. My absolute go to. 👌

[@MarkBowenPiano]

100% agree. The one and only piano I use. Such a fantastic sound and more importantly 'feel'. A lot of people who aren't pianists won't understand that last part but it's definitely a thing. Noire for me as nothing has come close since. So far anyway.

[@originellerNickname]

Same for me. The "Jazzy" Preset is my default for everything piano. Absolute love playing with it.

[@Byron101_]

Nope. dynamics and ovetones sometimes very strange, realistic is not the best. I don´t like to play this NI´s piano stuff. I´m a pianist.

[@damianmcilroy]

@@Byron101_ I haven't really found that. I'm primarily a pianist as well. I just like it over the very bright Yamahas or Stein's you can find. I find it pretty inspirational when coming up with melodies for orchestral piano sketching.

[@MarkBowenPiano]

@@Byron101_ I'm a pianist too (46 years). We all like what we like and for different reasons. Each to their own as they say.

[@michaeltablet8577]

Thank you so very much for all your videos! I had almost given up on music but your passion and the joy that fills your videos reignited my passion and I am having so much fun writing and recording! God bless you!

[@avsystem3142]

I've also been a Pianoteq fan for years. When companies such as Steinway and Bosendorfer allow a VST piano model to use their name (doubtless with financial compensation) you know it is good. When I am recording, e.g., a jazz piece from the 1920's then I like to use a piano model from the period, such as the Playel. Aside from Pianoteq the only virtual pianos I like are such as Native Instruments Una Corda Piano, which are distinctively unique.

[@mangoldm]

I'm just in my second year of learning piano as an adult and I love that Pianoteq works on my iPad (which is always on my music desk) and I can change pianos to suit the piece that I'm learning. It's another level of fun that I really enjoy.

[@angelocast]

Thank you Master, I am a pianist since the 80s, then became composer and producer and love the VSTs. Piano is so important to create for me. Best wishes to you and all music creators around the world! ❤

[@yams900]

I’m always enjoying watching you !

[@nightnoodler812]

When I grew up we had this really old Mason and Risch, oh the memories of plunking away at that big old upright piano, I still have memories of these wonderful carvings, real craftsmanship back in the day. I will always love pianos. Pianos are defintely the King of all the instruments. Although right now I am getting into Harps with effects. Thanks Guy always enjoy your vids. I am defintely going to try and take a few courses this fall. Thinkspace looks like a fantastic place to learn and connect with a really cool folks.

[@story_arc]

I bought the Ravenscroft 275 from VI-Labs years ago and have since struggled using anything else. As a pianist, it's exactly what I've always wanted. Heavyocity's Ascend is the only piano that's snuck into my palette since.

[@SlaserX]

If you haven't yet, you HAVE to play a 275 in person. It's life changing

[@PerchHunter]

Fantastic video, Thank You Guy. We need more like this. Strings are next, please ;)

[@utubewillyman]

Pianoteq is a steal. Loads fast, takes little disk space, and virtually no load on CPU. That being said, there's something that bothers me a little about the sound.

[@b4time718]

Idk. I like Pianoteq and it obviously takes way less space than sampled pianos (fav being Grandeur) but I feel like it is actually a bit more cpu intensive than sampled instruments.

[@MobiusVideo]

I don’t like the sound of the Pianoteq at all. Just not realistic enough. VSL Synchron Pianos all the way.

[@dkpianist]

@@MobiusVideo Right? Something about it is too immediate, too rigid and a lot less spacious than a real piano. Something about it always pokes out in an irritating and fatiguing way.

[@zmortis111]

Been using Pianoteq as my primary piano for a couple of years now, it's flexible, lightweight, and sounds good.

[@StephenBaysted]

Thanks to you Guy a few years back, you got me into Pianoteq 7 - now got 8. It’s remarkable for so many reasons and my go to for perhaps the majority of things. We also have a Yamaha C3 Grand here (with DPAs onboard permanently) but rarely now bother recording it unless my wife - who’s a proper pianist unlike me - wants to record some ‘classical’ stuff. Also use the Synchron Fazioli - wonderful too. Not heard about the Max Richter piano so will chalk that out.

[@TheRealJeffVader]

I am a huge fan of Pianoteq. Lovely sound, highly-configurable, and so fast-loading and lightweight I usually have it autoload on bootup so my S88 is always ready to go.

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

Good idea

[@sonicart1808]

Very informative Guy thanks....

[@SchubertDipDab]

Pianoteq 8 really is amazing, I use it for general piano playing now with a laptop connected to my Clavinova and it's a treat for the ears. Well, when I hit the right notes it is, anyway!

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

Exactly

[@michellamontagne]

Thanks Guy. wow! wow! and wow! I just installed the free version and used it with cakewalk. And everything was easy to install. I didn't have to do anything special. And the sound is so GREAT!!! It's like it returns what I put in. I mean, all the feelings. It didn't feel the same with the other ones I have (not expensive one like the ones that came with my M-Audio Keystations61 Mk3 ex: Mini Grand Piano and Keyzone).

[@anatomicallymodernhuman5175]

Who else is up for staying here until Christmas while Guy demos every piano VI on the planet? 🙋‍♂️

[@jaywoelfel9228]

I would be. There must be thousands of them and every "maker" out there will have multiple pianos they bring out as a sample library. I almost avoid them at this point as I feel like I have too many to ever use. One I stumbled over that stood out to me recently is the 1928 piano that soundpaint has, it seems to have a very wide range of dynamics to respond to the touch of a real piano, to respond to the mildest softer or harder push on a key. Guy pointing out the VSL ones does attract my attention.

[@daved9665]

Thanks for the reviews, Guy! I use XLN Addictive Keys that is as good as I have for now, but I notice some sample resonances that I'm not always happy with. I also have come across a bunch of various free VST pianos, but haven't been sure how they stack up against other VSTs.

[@MaPa60]

I liked the Pianoteq sounds.

[@Tripticot]

SonicCouture Hammersmith is a thing of beauty

[@agentooe33AD]

Personally, I love Keyscape! Not only are the pianos amazing, but you get lots of different instruments, some that aren't even available anymore, and there's also a creative category for wilder sound sets using various keyboard instruments. I have Komplete 14 with all the pianos that come with that bundle, and although I don't have anything really bad to say, I still don't think any of them top Keyscape. The Pianoteq does sound good too I have to say. Great video Guy!

[@nnuae]

Keyscape sounded horrible on my Kawai VPC1 - basically no dynamic range, which completely ruined any chance of me playing Debussy. I tested a lot of VSTs when I was buying and IMO the two best sounding ones were Pianoteq and Ravenscroft and I went for the latter due to pricing considerations - and still love it 8 years later. Very underrated VST, imo. That being said, I never tested the other two that were showcased in this video.

[@swisschaletsauce]

@@nnuae u have to change your keyscape settings to match your midi keyboard

[@avsystem3142]

Pianoteq also has models of a number of period pianos.

[@nnuae]

@@swisschaletsauce I tried all of those presets (VPC1 wasn't there at the time) and not a single one allowed me to play quiet notes. I manually used a DAW to pass it low velocity notes and they simply sounded too loud, hope this is resolved by now, but it definitely felt like a "niche" plugin back then - mindblowing ethereal sound but not particularly good at being an actual piano.

[@Fastvoice]

Keyscape is king when it comes to electric pianos of all sorts IMHO - something that Pianoteq hasn't really mastered. OTOH I use Pianoteq for all acoustic pianos and I'm happy that it's very light on memory and CPU usage.

[@Pooter-it4yg]

Pianoteq is indeed excellent. On a related topic, for music that pairs a piano soloist with orchestra you can use a little trick if you have access to any grand piano. Prop it open, place mics inside and then play the orchestra tracks at it while recording. Dialing in a little of this "cavity" track subtly puts the piano and ensemble in the same space as the body of the instrument resonates with the other instruments. Obviously this kind of "bleed" is actually something engineers have traditionally gone to great lengths to avoid...

[@asklavos]

I have tried countless piano patches. The one which inspired me the most is the one bundled together with version 11 of Logic Pro X.

[@joshtackett]

I love Pianoteq as well especially for practicing piano, writing, etc. And my go-to for inside my actual scores is CinePiano. Just seems to fit well into almost any score and sounds amazing. I also like Spitfire’s Originals specially cinematic soft piano for more intimate needs

[@paulcooper9981]

I like Pianoteq. It’s one that actually runs on my 2006 Dell music PC - albeit that I have to use reduced sample rate for composing and tracking. Then set it to full rate for rendering. I also like that the standalone version is *always* recording what you play (as MIDI) so I can always go back to review my noodling when I think there is potential for a riff or tune to be developed!

[@Music-tg5is]

Hey, respect for keeping the old school machine still running. Up until last year, I had my 2010-bought Windows 7 PC running (albeit, I did upgrade the internal HDD to an SSD along the way). But when it finally died, I got a newer 12th Gen Intel PC on Windows 11. Holy smokes do the newer CPUs blow the old ones out the water. Projects that used to max out my older device, barely use between 5% and 12% on the newer device. But I hope you keep the old girl running for as long as you can! 👍

[@freestylenz11]

east west pianos are pretty nice as well imo... I will definitely try out these you have mentioned. thanks!

[@Fraximus]

Seconded. I’m an amateur but got the EW Steinway to be my primary piano when it was on sale awhile back. So many dynamic layers it feels like I’m at a real piano :)

[@James__Gregory]

I love my PianoTec, and the new Bösendorfer sounds!

[@JanBLarsson]

Dagenham! It's so funny. I live in Sweden and I know where that is, been past it several times. What are the chances? Nice review of the pianos. Looking to get Pianoteq some day. Would like the Synchron Bösendorfer, but it is a lot of money. I tend to use the Steinway D from East West mostly since I like the sound of it. Thank you for this video!

[@kateohanlonmusic5872]

All these sound fabulous (synchron especially), and I get your point about pianos being a good place to spend your cash since they play a crucial role, but I'm happy with Noire piano for the time being.

[@Hugh-S]

"Can be powerful if you're having an Elton John moment", Guy I'm always having an Elton John moment lmao.

[@wyshwood]

I really appreciate the selection. My personal favourite are Addictive Keys' pianos. I also absolutely love Spitfire's Mrs Mills for classic pop. Cheap and very mix friendly. I must say the Fazioli one you demo here is a beauty, though. I found Pianoteq 6 a bit bug ridden which puts me off somewhat.

[@victoza9232]

Great, informative video, as always! The Pianoteq and Synchros sound very electronic to me. The Max Richter sounds vastly better, and more like a real piano. What keyboard controller are you using?

[@rickomuzik]

I use Pianoteq everyday mixed with raw output of my N1X or mixed with Synthogy and VSL.

[@memarkiam]

Very helpful. Little surprised no Spectrasonics Keyscape, which is my ‘go to’ piano vst.

[@Kkidzz]

Pianoteq is Helen Stellar.

[@gurumajuindonesia]

oh My! I knew it .. Pianoteq is a top notch instrument

[@kadiummusic]

For me as a piano player of 55 years IK Multimedia's Pianoverse is on another level. The pianos are superbly sampled and for the money it's an absolute no-brainer. 😎

[@dkpianist]

I just came back here to thank you for that tip! I probably wouldn't even call it "faultless" in that it does seem to have quite a bit of character, but it's certainly very expressive as far as I can tell from the demos, and it sure does seem considerably snappier than Keyscape which is much more on the polished and "sanitized" side.

[@OlexandrIgnatov]

This! Pianoverse is probably the only one that gives me that instant “I’m sitting at a real piano” feel. Paired with a good controller it’s incredible.

[@kadiummusic]

@@OlexandrIgnatov That's exactly how I reacted. I have an Arturia MKII 88 and I haven't had to touch the settings with Pianoverse, it just plays like the real thing to me. I have bought all the pianos which gives me an incredible palette to choose from and the range of mic adjustments and fx parameters you can tweak is huge.

[@kadiummusic]

@@dkpianist You're welcome, yes 'fautless' was probably the wrong term but they all work really well.

[@aldo34]

I have a Roland electronic piano, which I find is a great compromise since I got rid of my nice upright. But for VSTs I use Una Corda for the vibe, the Embertone 'Walker D' Steinway for show (best piano sound I've EVER heard but melts the CPU) and the Alicia's Keys for everything else. Honourable mention for the Arturia Keys as a workhorse modelled piano with no CPU issues.

[@mjducharme]

The other big advantage of the Synchron pianos is the fact that they are miced on a scoring stage. A lot of pianos are just close miced and it can be very hard to push those back satisfactorily if you need them to match the orchestra. The Pianoteq also offers some choices to move it back with custom micing etc, but it's built into the Synchron as presets. Also one correction - the Fazioli is the most expensive of the VSL pianos. The other "Stage A" pianos like the Bosendorfer Imperial, Steinway D and CFX are all cheaper.

[@AndyMan-mr1hy]

Pianoteq mostly for me 👍

[@piff57paff]

I also like the character of the Grandeur from Native Instruments.

[@LittleBroFeelgood]

Ravenscroft is my fave all rounder

I'm a pianoteq-user myself and just love it. Why didn't you talk anything about the crazy editing possibilites with that? Especially since you talked about different mics and mic positions in the VSL-one..(?) In Pianoteq you have total freedom of putting up any mics exactly where you want them. And the the other editing features, like sympathetic resonance and things like that (and pedal noise which you also mention about the VSL).. Great videon though! Just curious why you left that out(?).. :)

[@shafquatali9218]

NI Gentleman and EZkeys👌

[@jrgroberts]

Pianoteq for me for the last ++++ years. It's the only one with piano feel, for me. I might use a sampled piano for the final mix though.

[@michaelkeithson]

I'm definitely a fan of Pianoteq, although I feel I always have to tweak the velocity curve to get a better response. I haven't really had much experience with any others so can't compare. However, I don't think I've ever had an experience with a VST that comes close to the experience of playing a piano and for me that's a big factor, obviously it depends on the use case but when it's a piano centric piece I never feel like I can truly get the dynamic response and accurate performance from a VST that comes from a real piano - maybe it's user error though! 😬 Like you Guy, I have a nice upright at home that I play a lot and I think that makes the difference so stark. Definitely less of a problem with the sonics, they sound great, and more the experience/playability/response if that makes sense!

[@JukeboxOddities]

Whats your opinion on generated music? I'm keen on seeing your reaction to stuff you can come up with on Udio.

[@MichaelHattem]

I do mostly retro inspired roots music and I use Cinesamples Piano in Blue for my grand and Abbey Road Pianos (Challen) for my upright. For different takes on those two models I will also use Keyscape.

[@2free2snakes]

I use the Addictive Keys grand piano because you can make it as aggressive as you need. For that sinister gothic clank.

[@nr3157]

@ThinkSpaceEducation I have Pianoteq 8, and as soon as I win the lotto I will buy the Synchron piano bundle 😅😅😅

[@charliemcgrain]

I have several, Spitfire Originals, soft, and cinematic, Spitfire Felt, etc. They are great but my fave is Hanns Zimmer. It is not cheap and the files are massive (180 gig). There are also some unwanted noises on some of the notes in certain sample patches, which is really frustrating. But, the breadth of piano language that library covers is really massive and totally wonderful. Absolutely my 'go to' unless I need something stylized like felt, it always sounds as expensive as it is!

[@chrisiskandar7388]

If you want a more niche sound, you should check out the pianos by teletone audio.

[@mrstephenpalmer]

I go with the very affordable UVI Model D and specifically just the "MD Basic Hall" patch, which is currently only 19 Euro ! Reduced by 61 percent.

[@jaredstubbings]

They all sound superb. Any thoughts on Pianoverse from IK Multimedia?

[@kadiummusic]

Pianoverse is a game changer it really is. I bought the whole lot when it was offer and I'm in piano heaven! 😎

[@jaredstubbings]

@@kadiummusic Same here. IK have some great offers at various times. I’ve only just begun to explore Pianoverse but so far I’m impressed 👌

[@tyjuarez]

For a free option, Keyzone Classic sounds great, but sounds a bit filtered when trying to sum it down to mono. I use FL Studio, and their new FLEX plugin has some great pianos.

[@DJazium]

What's your go to MIDI controller piano for VSTs? I have an 88 key M-Audio which is great for synths, a digital Kawai which is excellent but not ideal for midi recording in my opinion.

[@grahamtruckel]

There it was again - A Windmill in Old Amsterdam.

[@premeditatedplan5417]

Pianoteq is my default. No matter what I have a stand alone instance running so I can jam out in aq moments notice.

[@DJIncendration]

My favorite piano library is Production Voices 300 Grand. It costs $149, and I think it sounds even better than the pianos in this video.

[@TimClarkeJazzTrumpet]

Is there a list somewhere of the release dates of all of the VSL pianos to date?

[@MarcShake]

Piano1 is awesome and free

[@nightfrightshow]

I herald back to a time when people thought that a good piano representation was from a DX 7 lololololololol. Then the Yamaha TX 16 emerged and wow, real piano samples. who la la. There are so many amazing piano keys out there, it is hard to know which one to pick. For my two cents I have been using East West Grand Pianos to great success in my scores for 20+ years. Great price today considering back in the day they cost me a grand. Worth the time to check them out. I use all of them depending on the score and timbre desired.

[@culttelevision]

Hello Guy. What is that chair and is it comfortable for extended periods? Thanks

[@magicmulder]

Sonuscore Chroma Grand is my go-to lib. Also the Imperfect Samples Fazioli and the NI Bechstein. Haven’t touched Keyscape in a while and didn’t really like Pianoteq 6 (haven’t tried the newer ones).

[@jenstornell]

I bought Spotlight piano by Fracture Sounds on a sale but it does not really work in my arrangements, not really sure why. I should probably go with Pianotec next.

[@cristiangarcia-tj7ul]

Keyscape is the king

[@tonymurphy2624]

I use exclusively Addictive Keys. Heavy-ish on resources, but it sounds massively better than anything else I've heard.

[@LeeGee]

Me too, but because I can't justify the cost of PianoTeq etc :) This music game is a very expensive biz to in which to get started....

[@avsystem3142]

@@LeeGee Pianoteq 8 Stage Edition is $140.

[@marLamaDeo]

I’ve seen multiple people rate addictive keys as worse than the free pianos that come with daws on blind tests including in KZbin videos. How people use addictive keys if they have alternatives is beyond me

[@colinjames2469]

@@marLamaDeo lol. you trust multiple people.

[@BigHairyCrank]

I've tried pianoteq several times since it came out. I never enjoyed playing it. It sounded ok-ish to me but my hands didn't like. I would mess around for hours with midi velocity mapping and would just give up. I know everyone else loves it. Horses for courses, for sure.

[@user-pn3cj8sd5r]

i can’t believe you haven’t tried the meldaway currently on sale

[@flyingbananapeel6495]

Soundpaint has some pretty awesome stuff that’s rather affordable. They give you a free 1928 Steinway that’s not to shabby.

[@dkpianist]

I tried to make Pianoteq work in endless hours of tweaking (and there's lots to tweak), live and in the studio, but it never sat quite right with anything. Physical modeling can get some things very right in terms of dynamics, variation and details, but it is often mid-forward and rigid. Lacks that spacious, airy quality. They never got the spectral image right. Something in the upper midrange always sticks out quite painfully while still lacking the openneness and sparkle in the treble that the real thing has. Maybe it's gotten better lately - the Bösendorfer here does sound decent, but I quit at v7. It's frustrating to never get it quite right where real samples (with all their limitations) generally sit properly in the mix right away.

[@mattjackson7445]

I got Spirited Away around the 9:56 mark in this video. Studio Ghibli vibes

[@MarioSchuurmans]

Wat about the Walker 1955?

[@PendelSteven]

I certainly heard of Pianoteq. But Arturia V-Piano is also modelbased. And since I've got that with my Arturia V-Collection and I'm not a huge piano fan, I'm fine with it. Both French incidently. Having said that, I don't mind having another piano, thanks to updates of Komplete or something. I also put what it sampled from - if it's sampled. This might be because I learned keys on a (sample) keyboard, not a piano. I'm not classicly trained. In fact, I care more about guitars. But since I care so much about what guitar exactly is sampled, I care as much about what piano is sampled. May people also cited Keyscape and from NI The Giant and Alicia's Keys as favourites, by the way. And Noire.

[@doublehelix3952]

Pianoteq (New Bosendorfer is intriguing, isn't it) and Keyscape for me

[@ronricherson6685]

I have over 10 pianos from multiple developers but I stopped looking once I got my Pianoteq 8. The Synchron has a color to it that doesn't resonate with me (it's all subjective, of course). For more intimate pianos I have a few from Spitfire Audio and Woodchester piano from Fracture Sounds, but the Max Richter is great.

[@IsayaMorange-wb5ek]

Am your follower🙏🎹

[@IsayaMorange-wb5ek]

Very good

[@electedmusic7685]

Hello friend, can I ask you? I work with Cubase 12 Pro in Win 10, and I work with heavy libraries, orchestral tools, spitfire... my problems are two, with a project of about 30 tracks, 30 seconds long, my project takes about 10 minutes. in opening. and my second problem is that I save my projects on a different hard drive than the operating system, even so, every time I save a project, it seems that I am losing space on the hard drive of my operating system, it seems that Cubase is saving something on my operating system disk and I don't know what it is. I would love to know your opinion. if you can help me, thank you very much

[@tehroflzcrisp]

Fazioli is by far the best Piano. Absolute GOLD!

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

I know the smaller one in particular I really love

[@tehroflzcrisp]

@@ThinkSpaceEducation I have been fortunate enough to get to play the F212 and F183 at my local piano store. And to compare them to other high end pianos, Steinway, Bechstein, bosendorfer, Shigeru Kawai.. it’s definitely top of the heap. Shigeru is a close 2nd for me.

[@dncviorel]

@@tehroflzcrisp Too bright for my ears, but depends on the application. Big fan of Bechstein, pity that VSL didn't record one. However, they did record some Bosendorfers, which comes pretty close.

[@TillIndy]

What a coincidence! 😊 I was just looking at whether I should buy the update to the full version for my VSL Concert D-274. I think I’ll go ahead with it. Mhhh… However, I could also use the Spitfire Audio Air Reverb as an alternative?! I can’t decide. Does it make sense or not? 🤔

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

If you need 5.1 then go for the full version. The extra mic positions are extremely useful as well but its quite pricy - but currently on sale!!!

[@TillIndy]

@@ThinkSpaceEducation Thank you very much, Guy, for your quick response! I’ll go ahead with that plan :) By the way, your streams are truly excellent and informative!

[@BellsCuriosityShop]

I use Addictive Keys as it came with my interface. It no pianist, so it does the job.

[@angelvoicemusic]

I spent a lot of time during the last years finding the software piano, that makes it possible to play live concerts and producing piano tracks every day and feel comfortable with it. Together with a quite expensive Masterkeyboard this is my only choice, and it is so cheap. It's under 50$/€, many of us already own it inside a bundle and just don't realize. I find reasons for all of the pianos in the comments, not to use them, not to buy them. Watch out for The Grandure... SteinwayD.

[@morbidmanmusic]

Come. On, we all know Pianoteq is the best.

[@serox8887]

I mainly use vivid Keys and the salu solo piano by orchestral tools and noir piano I never heard a better piano vst than vivid keys Pianoteq just sounds unrealistic. It's very versitile and has many advantages (fast loading etc.) but when I buy a piano vst I want it to sound as good as possible

[@user-eh1vp3ev3c]

We've had guitar tube amp modelling getting so convincing 99% of people can't tell the difference in blind tests, why not Pianos too.

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

It is incredible software

[@marLamaDeo]

Pianos are already closer than amp models imo

[@5amJones69]

signal's comming in a bit hot there, guy!

[@jaywoelfel9228]

There is something about your "house" piano. Usually, hopefully, it subtly drifts a bit out of key as a whole, or creates it's own kind of scales and harmonic language. Seems like middle C can get real wonky and if that goes out or sticks it's kind of impossible to enjoy playing any longer. But this pitch micro drift can be as if you have your own set of musical "rules" in your house that nobody else will have. I remember when I first started to try to use our house piano with other electronic keyboards there could be a lot of problems, I tended to only use the ranges on the piano that sounded enough in tune to work or enough out of tune to sound intentional--Henry Mancini anyone? These usually ended up being the middle to lower range. It is a shame when the very tip top range in your real piano turns into more key stroke noise than actual note, something I've found in some piano sample collections as well. You end up having to go with a celeste to get soft lovely ultra high notes when your piano just turns into key noises in the final uber high notes. When I left home for the apartments of LA--though now I have a house, I had to give up live piano, aside from pounding away on various people's house pianos, which were usually dreadfully underused and worshipped as furniture not used as instruments. Some roommate complained when I didn't put the cover back over the keys. Why she never ever played it? Who exactly would see those "dirty" keys? Other people if I played any Goldsmithian left hand ostinatos would run into the room alarmed I'd somehow break their piano or make it so it would always sound that way. Ah yes, pianos can, I guess be nice pieces of furniture, but I like them that can play nice pieces.

[@user-pn3cj8sd5r]

what about meldaway ?

[@corriefraser]

My Nord Piano 5 sounds and feels better than most VSTis ive tried

[@Bankie666]

While Pianoteq is hands-down the best feeling piano (i.e. the dynamics in relation to how hard you're hitting the keys is the most realistic), I don't think it holds up as well as sampled pianos for recording. It just seems too ... perfect. Yeah, you can mess with the condition slider, but still it seems too clean and without enough character to my ears. When I'm practicing, or just need something quick-and-light to get a melody or something down, it's very much the go-to though.

[@joshjamesuk]

The Keyscape C7 Grand is on a different level from any other vst in my opinion. It’s top quality. The only thing I find is it gets lost in a mix and it needs a lot of EQing to stand out.

[@dkpianist]

Yeah, that's the issue. It's kind of muddy and as usual, EQ only goes so far until it goes all shrill and/or loses body. Other than that, it's very nice to play and rather expressive.

[@pgtips4240]

I thought Pianoteq sounded too thin. It is good but lacks imo the richness of the Keyscape sampled pianos. I think I would rather have a fantastic sounding sampled piano with less customisation than a modelled one with the greater customisation. Don't get me wrong, they sound great but when it comes down to it I think keyscape albeit old now is still the best I have heard.

[@CraigRodmellMusic]

Personally, I don't have a go-to Piano VST. That's because I have a Roland RD-2000 Stage Piano. That said, I do have two or three freebie Piano VSTs, for when the RD-2000 is tied up doing other things.

[@jrbergsten]

Decades ago, I somehow lucked into some spending money so I bought a Yamaha C-7 grand piano. I was advised to do this by someone with a lot of experience who said that the C-7 was best for all types of music, all pianos sounded the same so you didn’t need to bring a piano tech while shopping, and was the most often used piano in professional studios. He also recommended going to a Yamaha piano sale in a local hotel on Sunday evening, as this is their last chance at selling anything so they are motivated. Finally he told me the “real” price which helped in negotiation. I mention all of this as I’ve said if my wife and I ever divorced, I keep the piano, don’t care about the rest.

[@avsystem3142]

Yamaha does make good pianos but hardly the best for all types of music. A few years ago I was taking individual piano instruction at the local community college and had the opportunity to play a number of different pianos, including a Yamaha grand and a Baldwin grand. The Yamaha is a much brighter instrument, well suited to contemporary music but I strongly preferred the Baldwin for it's rich mellow tone when playing art music.

[@jrbergsten]

@@avsystem3142​​⁠sadly last I looked Baldwin was out of business for quite some time. Piano techs can do magic to the felt to soften the sound.

[@KarryConway]

East West Opus has the best pianos by far...you should take a look

[@Elienguitar]

Alicia's Keys is my goto

[@antiherorecords]

imagiro piano

[@devarni]

Pianoteq sounded too artificial to me. I'm still a big fan of Keyscape (Spectrasonics) or for more poppy stuff, Alica Keys (NI). The sampled pianos are still the benchmark here (IMO).

[@daved9665]

lol🤩An Elton John moment 😂