BLIND TESTING THE BEST PIANO PLUGINS!

[@SpectrasonicsVIDEO]

IMPORTANT KEYSCAPE NEWS - As a result of this video, we realized that something was off here with Keyscape…it sounded wrong and of course Sanjay is a big fan of it. So after discussing the details of Sanjay’s setup with him, we discovered that his keyboard is the Native Instruments S88mkII. Sanjay DID select our S88 velocity curve preset (which we created on the S88mkI), but it turns out that the S88mkII has a significantly DIFFERENT velocity curve than the mkI, so our S88 velocity curve preset used here in this video is not optimized or recommended to use with the mkII. We immediately got a hold of an S88mkII and created a new SPECIFIC velocity curve preset optimized for the S88mkII and it’s now available in Keyscape in the latest update! All’s well that ends well! 😊

[@sax0tenor158]

Keyscape remains my favorite piano by far. On a much better keyboard, I can assure you the responsiveness is top class.

[@sax0tenor158]

The real test remains that of the live scene, and I speak from experience, Keyscape largely dominates its opponents. The pianos are solid and keep a roundness that are sorely lacking in other competitors. These sound very thin in live configuration.

[@DavidKfilmmaker]

I bought it. Recently.

[@justinw72ify]

KEYSCAPE DEFINITELY IS THE BEST LIVE OR STUDIO!!! I have ravenscroft275 it sounds good!!! But I never use ravenscroft275 and tried the others it's so much to say why KEYSCAPE the best put it like this whenever someone buys software or hardware everyone always say how would you compare to KEYSCAPE!!! Everyone always compare to KEYSCAPE!!

[@andreykarayvansky9549]

Right, there is no surprise he liked the most NI software. He is using NI hardware, which should be tested and tuned to its software. Especially considering he emphasized the dynamic range.

[@billbromer]

The blind test is always fun, and Dharti’s expressions and commentary were a great addition.

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@raul0ca]

She needs to be in all the videos and he needs to be blindfolded in them

[@NovianLeVanMusic]

#1 0:28 Ravenscroft #2 1:14 Ableton #3 1:45 Grandeur #4 2:26 Alicia's Keys #5 3:01 Pianoteq 8 #6 3:31 Keyscape #7 4:05 Noire #8 4:47 Modern Grand #9 5:32 Piano V #10 6:18 Addictive

[@PatrickFungsca]

Grandeur and Noir are two of my favourites. I love their dynamics and tones. I'm a pianist and I'm a sucker for piano plugins. I can sit and play for hours with these two. Alicia's Keys - I use that if I have to use pianos in my mix with other instruments - by no means I'm a recording artist or a producer.

[@SanjayC]

Yeah NI has done very well with their pianos. What do you think of The Gentleman?

[@PatrickFungsca]

@@SanjayC I like The Gentleman as a “quieter” sound…more tranquil feel. Nice as well. I do agree that NI has done a great job with their piano plugins. Oh, and what about Piano Colors?

[@madworker1927]

Hey man why my Noir piano low D sounds wonky?

[@ClicStudio]

Same! I always combine both noire and grandeur for the exact sound I’m looking for :)

[@FedoraRose]

@@SanjayC I honestly enjoy the giant the most

[@Cefshah]

This is actually an important video!! The differences in pianos are often very nuanced and how they feel (whether virtual or 'real') makes a difference to the musician. One who plays any 'real' instrument likely understands that. And for me, it is not so much the sound as it is the ability of a particular plugin (or patch) to allow me to express a musical idea/feeling. If I had to have just ONE piano, it absolutely would be Pianoteq-8 Pro ... because of its amazing programmability. The tools within it to 'paint' upon the harmonic structure of the instrument it is emulating, makes it not only a great 'piano' but also a wonderful sound design tool as well. (It can do more than piano.) But my emphasis with this commentary, is the reality that choosing the piano that 'best' fits the music is the way to go. So, having 4 or 5 stellar piano VSTi's is a useful thing (hardly a waste). I enjoy the sound of real/live pianos very much ... but if I had to choose between that for the rest of my life and something like Keyscape and/or Hammers and Waves ... I would LEAP for the virtual instruments, because of the range of sonic possibilities.

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@cefahprod]

I'm so grateful for this blind test video. There is a scientific fact that is called cognitive bias. Our brain is always bias by our eyes, our perception of the brand or whatever. Moreover, our brain is that powerful that it can make us feel or trust that the sound we hear is brighter just because we use the light mode instead of the dark mode. This video is actually SO MORE ACCURATE in terms of subjectivity and actual "sound quality" or real personal test. I want to do videos like that with other producer weeling to actually put their vision to the test by doing blindtest of EQS or COMP or Saturation, etc. Amazing video Sanjay and Dharty.

[@SanjayC]

Yes, bias is real. As you can tell I have a bias that disappeared when I had the blindfold on. This was a huge eye opener for me. Pun intended. 😊 Thanks CEFAH

[@Only1Dharti]

So true! Thanks so much for watching!🙏🏽😃

[@no-trick-pony]

I gotta agree. And it also shows me that I am overthinking the plugin choice maybe a bit too much XD

[@philipjoshua274]

The Grandeur n Hammers + Waves sounds just phenominal.. n their awesome PIANO PLUGINS as well👍🎹✌🤩

[@SanjayC]

They were epic

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@sebollas45]

You have to do it with electric piano Rhodes and stuff :D Great video btw

[@SanjayC]

Yes, that's a great idea. OK, that's my next video! What about guitars plugins?

[@sebollas45]

@@SanjayC Sounds great, there is so many thought. Also now that I have your attention do you think the dynamic rage is better on the Native instruments since you are using a native instruments keyboard controller? Idk just makes me wonder. Again great video.

[@JCox964]

Yezzzz Serrr on EP’s

[@impulseproman]

Rhodes will win

[@kingivey4672]

keyscape will wipe the floor with everything else for sure😂

[@peter-davidvanderstraat5991]

I agree with the number 1 ranked piano. Thanks Sanjay - pianos as many as they are will always resonate with the player.

[@sandscribbler]

This blind comparison test was fun to watch. Thanks, Sanjah and Dharti!

[@Only1Dharti]

So happy to hear that! Thanks for watching!😃

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@musicxtech6680]

dis was very original and interesting video thats been released in a while. nice vid bro! loved it!

[@SanjayC]

So glad you like it. What video should I make next?

[@musicxtech6680]

@@SanjayC bro u alrdy know. blind test "reverb" test man! i believe u alrdy got crystalline, valhalla n many more. :D

[@Only1Dharti]

🥳🙌🏽 Thank you sooo much! It was fun filming this one!!!🥳

[@marcricos]

That was really interesting. My favourites are Grandeur and Keyscape. It is completely true that Keyscape lacks a lot of dynamic range, but the different “presets” make it incredibly versatile and fit super well different types of music. I found myself struggling sometimes with Grandeur because it’s SO dynamic that sometimes it’s a little difficult to control without degrading it.

[@angelvoicemusic]

No, it's not true, see my comment, tweak Keyscapes velocity curve...

[@BikeLife1]

@@angelvoicemusic Wheres your comment? Im considering buying Keyscape right now as i just bought a 49 key midi to learn and use when making my beats. These things arent so cheap so i want to make sure keyscape is my best option!

[@wouter1327]

most of the plugins used have different presets tho..

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@margaretchristo6859]

You have the Midas touch, Sanjay C! My heart melts when I watch and listen to you play the piano. This video was fun, high energy, and filled with suspense! I enjoyed every moment. You and Dharti did a great job! Grandeur is my favorite.

[@SanjayC]

Wow...what a nice compliment! Thank you!

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@MrFattarot]

This was a really good experiment. I think more youtubers should take this blind test so we can really know what the best piano vst is. It just goes to show that a lot of us are getting that placebo effect. We think a piano sounds amazing because of the hype surrounding it or the company name slapped to it. I've heard so many guys harp on about keyscape and I have always wondered what was so great about it compared to my Kontakt libraries. As it turns out, The NI pianos are just as good, or even better

[@SanjayC]

Very true. I should add though that with a product like Keyscape, you do get LOTS more sounds, electric pianos, toy pianos etc. So comparing value for money may need to be a different video :-)

[@JohnsonkeyzMusicAcademy]

Yeah

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@filipeaffonsov]

I use Ravenscroft 275 and I love it. It has a great sound, it's surprisingly customizable and reasonably light on your pc. The different mic positions really change the sound too, you should try a few combinations and see what you like the most. The default velocity curve is not optimal, but if you change it to your preferred setting, it becomes much more responsive.

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@dannyacuna]

The Grandeur is my go-to piano. it is insanely accurate. I'm surprised you didn't include The Maverick. I love the The Gentleman's intimate feel. The Noir is perfect for experimenting and expanding your creativity. You can tell I'm a NI guy

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@fldrummerman]

I don't play piano, but I love your videos. Another great one. We don't deserve you guys. Thank you both so much!!!

[@SanjayC]

Thanks so much. Too kind of you!

[@Only1Dharti]

😃😁 Thank you for watching!!! I had fun making this one!🥳

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!!

[@Bthelick]

Pianoteq still my fave. I mean theres a dynamic range slider right there! And it's the only one to get sympathetic resonance right. But not the stock preset. It can literally make any piano.

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@hackapump]

I agree. It just feels right too. Maybe there are sample libraries that sound prettier, but they'll never have the same feel, or the sympathetic resonance. Plus, you can always layer it with a sample library if that suits you.

[@jihwoanahn]

Pianoteq uses a "Physical Modelling" - makes sound based on a physical data given by the developers. Audio Modelling team uses the same technique to make strings, woodwinds, brass.

[@lance134679]

It shows how far physical modeling has come that it ranked so high on a blind shootout. Also, great for those with modest or older computers.

[@SanjayC]

Yes physical modeling fooled me in this blind test. I could tell a bit with the Arturia but not Pianoteq.

[@hqiu6828]

Pianoteq is more precise technically speaking. Two different digital piano technology, kind of like vinyl vs CD. The sampling is like analog recording, while the modeling is like digital processing. Sampling needs huge storage, while modeling does not. Yamaha motif series music station uses two specially-designed CPU to do modeling and sounds great!

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@Chalisque]

@@SanjayC Arturia Piano V is basically pretty much Pianoteq 6 with a different GUI.

[@MidlifeSynthesist]

“It’s harder to play with a blind fold”. Immediately proceeds to play the piano spectacularly🤣 awesome video brother!🙌🏻

[@chandrashekhah7488]

No comments on your skills, another great video and one more news , arturio v collection realised and having special offer until 26th March.

[@SanjayC]

Thanks for the info, buddy!

[@song23ministries]

Great idea Sanjay. Enjoyed this so much. Different.

[@mistergrooveman1018]

Always a plaisir ! Thanks buddy ! You guys are very fresh ! 😎😎😎

[@SanjayC]

Thank you!

[@Only1Dharti]

🥳🙌🏽 Yay!!! Thank you!!!

[@donit.]

I like the arturia one, I agree that the default sounds a little bit thin, but since it uses physical modelling its really versatile and you basicaly get infinitely many models

[@SanjayC]

And I think it actually mixes well in songs.

[@v0nklamke]

It is also good for making these tinny, squashed sounding pianos known from the 80-ties recordings of Depeche Mode and likes.

@@SanjayC I think it sounded thin because reverb was set to 0.

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@saroroot7535]

Love this episode. For a long time, I don't know which one is good after this I will have to consider pricing when choosing which one. Thank you Sanjay.

[@jpdj2715]

If you "need to press quite hard to get it loud" then you need to raise the playback volume. It's as simple as that. You could alter the velocity curve but need to adapt that again when you set the volume loud. If the keyboard supports profiles that you can easily switch between then I would use these. The velocity curve maps the hammer velocity/acceleration to a volume. I'd say you need a playback volume where both pppp and ffff sound realistic, and mp and mf as well. Assign one velocity curve to that. Next adjust playback to a softer volume and see if you need a different velocity curve. Note that you could send a Steinway D into a "clipping" like distortion when hit too hard (I heard a world-famous pianist do that in a solo piano recital in a hall with 1,000 people). The question is for you to answer if you want that potential too.

[@nannue]

I like how you roll out your video. It’s very friendly and authentic! ❤🎉

[@vacation_generation]

Fabulous video. Great to hear them all in quick succession

[@BeatsBySlimeVibes101]

Grandeur is my favourite plug-in at the moment too, It’s just so majestic 🙏🏾

[@SanjayC]

Such a pianists piano plugin, right?

[@BeatsBySlimeVibes101]

@@SanjayC Absolutely 🤞🏾🙏🏾

[@itsmenishant]

The video was really interesting!! and apart from the main context of video, you played piano so well blindfolded I couldn't believe it. Amazing sanjay!!🙌❤

[@SanjayC]

Wow, thank you!

[@TheKillogicEffect]

Excellent video, a lot of great sounding pianos for sure, very impressive sounds! Awesome stuff thank you!!!

[@SanjayC]

Many thanks! Which was your favorite?

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!!

[@vewilli]

Nice comparison and: I‘m happy now to have „The Grandeur“ and some more NI-pianos.

[@SanjayC]

Hi GAD! Its crazy I hardly ever choose Grandeur when I pick a piano in a song. I guess I'll need to do that more

[@arkarmoethouk2445]

Really enjoyed this one! I hope you'd make something just like this, but for FREE piano plugins. We have tons of great piano freebies these days, like Labs, Sampletank 4 CS, Hammersmith Free, Foundations Piano, Sine Player etc.

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@S9MusicProd]

Pretty much agree with your ranking, Granduer I like quite a lot, not a Fan of AD Keys. I am a bit biased towards pianoteq because its 55 MB compared to other libraries which can take like 55 GB....But ya, Stock sound of Pianoteq(Steinway) doesnt express it at best...I would suggest you to try the Petrof Model. Great great sound. Another hon. mention would be Garritan CFX....please try it once. Would like to know your take on those!

[@swansea_mad]

Please try Garritan Abby Road CFX. For me, with the velocity curves set right on the Kawia VPC1 it's the best out there. Add some surround and it's even better. Next Pianoteq for playability (maybe a bit bland in harmonics and for richer lower ends) and then Keyscape which is great as a bright controlled studio piano. I feel the keyscapes aren't extremely dynamic to me but there is enough variation in the presets to cover all dynamics for production purposes, just not live playing maybe. I have Grander but never used it, look forward to trying that.. I find alicia keys lovely for low soft harmonic rich tones, but the dynamic range is seriously limited. I feel it's had it's time or use it for specific sound. I also love the Giant. It's a great piano for cutting through a mix. Another mention I would love to give is Cinesamples Piano in Blue. It's mega playable for blues and jazz...again with the right velocity curves and throw on somthing like waves c6 to bring it to life. Be great to hear other opinions.

[@martenmanna]

The thing with Keyscape is that it resembles how a piano feels to play irl the most. I don't know what kinds of pianos you have played, but to me none of the grands I've played (mostly Kawais and Yamahas) sound anything like The Grandeur for example when played loudly, I much prefer the Keyscape personally for that reason. That said, overall it's totally a taste thing

[@SofiAmadeus]

Grandeur played loudly is very sharp and banging, a bit weird when you need a louder dynamic 🥲 although at medium dynamic it sounds great

[@Wendel_Kos]

this is a problem with all these pianos...they all sound kind of bad and not real when played loud.

[@GeraldChristo2]

This was fun to watch. I personally use the Grandeur the most. It feels and sounds the most like the pianos I grew ip listening to 😃. Thanks for the video Sanjay and Dharti. Love you guys!!

[@SanjayC]

I was thinking of you when Grandeur was revealed!!! haha!

[@Only1Dharti]

🙌🏽♥️💕 Hi Noy!!!! Would love to hear you play these! I know you’d be amazing! This would’ve been fun to have a blind test with both of you! 😂🤣💫

[@GeraldChristo2]

Yes. I kept thinking how much fun it would be to blind test those pianos too. Thank you again. This was such a fun video for me to watch

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@lance134679]

This was a lot of fun (unless you made one of the plugins that came in last)! Perhaps you could do a Rhodes comparison next and see if the new Rhodes V8 plugin is really the best in a blind test. Thanks!

[@SanjayC]

Yes, that has to be my next blind test! Thanks, Lawrence!

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@TossedOnion]

My top 3 here from your playing - Noire is my fav. Next is Hammers and Waves then Grandeur. I think because this sound more warm? 😅 Addictive Keys is cheap so a lot of people use it. It's nice if you tweak it but yeah it sounded bad here compared to the others. Great playing as always 🙌🙌

[@SanjayC]

Addictive Keys is a good value for sure, but sound wise others had it beat. Thanks for sharing your tops, TossedOnion!

[@Classic-Motorcycles]

I'm looking for a piano plug-in for Ableton and found your blind-test review really helpful (I've now 'Subscribed'), of course the cat was the cherry on the cake! :)

[@bluematrix5001]

HAHAHAHA, I Laughed SO HARD! Great video! nice piano playing!

[@Only1Dharti]

😃🥳🙌🏽 Yaaaassss!!! 😂🤣

[@gunnarschuettler]

Just love Addictive for not being to dynamic. It works better in a full mix for me. But my best rated would be the Noire. Its just so intimite sounding ❤

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@artunucci]

Cool video! Pianist here, I've been only using The Grandeur for years, I'm sure it would be my top choice in a blind test.

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@backpacklights]

This was an interesting episode! Absolutely love native instruments pianos, my favourite are Una Corda, Maverick and The Giant, its fun to produce with them. Interesting fact: I used Addictive Keys in my song Alfaaz, both for the EP and the Grand. I think it matters if a producer is adding keys to their song or a pianist is adding them in their arrangement, it changes perspective on approaching the selective decisions because both of them approach it with a different demeanor!

[@SanjayC]

Excellent point! Agreed. And your mix for your song was on point so that piano worked just fine.

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@JoshFreilich]

Out of all the piano VSTs that are in this ranking, the only one I have is your number one pick, Grandeur! Good call, I guess.

[@justinw72ify]

Keyscape for me still.. GREAT JOB AS ALWAYS

[@cjayconrod]

I agreed with Dharti. Hammers + Waves was my favorite. I prefer darker sounding pianos.

[@VentureNW]

Good way to review these! I like it. Grandeur is my goat... its literally in my default template, as I start working on things. Always good to start with a good piano, before moving into other sounds and synths.

[@jamesr141]

These two are the best! "Music tech review couple" is such a vibe. Where are you, my sample library wife?

[@IanWaugh]

Yes, The Grandeur and Noir 👍 Alicia lacks depth but is good for pop.

[@davidvierabarreras]

That's a great test about how much we are under a suggestion state when we use some kinda plugins/instruments... GREAT BLIND TEST, I suggest to make more videos like this, it's very interesting having your impressions of many instruments without no visual information, just SOUND! Thanks!

[@everybodyhasoul5438]

Arturia is also a modeled piano. Having a modeled piano compete so well with all of these sampled pianos is significant because: 1) the level of tweak-ability is far greater - touch/sensitivity, reverb, eq, types of pianos, hammer action, mic placement all do not have the limitation of the original recorded samples as a starting point 2) modeled pianos have more room for improvement, meaning they are likely to surpass sampled ones eventually?? 3) they offer more variation and functionality as compared to the file sizes / cpu

[@everybodyhasoul5438]

Also, important to note the application. Alicia’s Keys and Keyscape are known to have a certain amount of compression/processing “built in,” meaning for less experienced players (or in genres that have a smaller dynamic range) they will sound better than they do in classical music. Dope video!

[@JuppG9490]

First of all thank you for this nice comparison! As a piano man and bedroom producer I really appreciate your blindfolded impressions, because I tried to hear the piano in a different way with the information you shared in this video. I hope it is okay if I add something: I think it's important to mention that your rating is absolutely usefull in terms of playing solo piano or in a piano/vocal duet. But it would be a completely different rating if you play the sounds in a mix or live on stage. The problem is that this is hard to compare, because every plugin will have its strengthes and weaknesses in different genres and mixes. The best example could be the iconic Korg M1 piano. It sounds so plastic and unnatural, absolutely useless for solo piano. But with its unique, percussive sound and low dynamic range it fits absolutely amazing in the mix when it comes to house and electronic music. Also a piano is not worse if it does not have a high dynamic range. If you are on stage and you play in a band this could be an advantage because the piano can push through, also depends on genre. Same in the studio, for example in an energetic song. To all the viewers: Just because he rated a plugin lower doesn't mean it's garbage. In the right place it could sound like the one and only piano! So you have to figure out what kind of genre you are into and what kind of plugin could help you im terms of your genre/music. 🙂

[@FernandoDCDuarte]

NICE!! Loved every second of it!! I think it's definitely one of the best ways to do a non-biaised piano VST comparison!! I'm surprised to see Arturia's Piano below... but very happy to see NO's Grandeur as well as Hammer+Waves in the top 2 positions. Now, I got to stop spending on gear and save up to purchase the Hamme+Waves plugin! 😀 Thanks Sanjay and Darthy!

[@SanjayC]

So glad you liked it. Yes save for Hammers and Waves. Love it!!!

[@Only1Dharti]

Hey Fernando!!! Thanks for watching!!!🙌🏽🥳🥳

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@angelvoicemusic]

Here some information for people, that think, Keyscape had too less dynamic range. After bying this plugin I thought, spectrasonic did make a very big mistake by setting the velocity curve by default to a setting, that just cuts the upper dynamik range. If you tweak this curve, you'll hear, that this piano offers the absolutely highest dynamic range of all available softwarepianos !! It's a beast. The reason, why I don't use it in all of my live gigs and studio productions is just, because it is not a Steinway D. It's only a funky Yamaha. Choosing Grandeur as the best is absolutely also my opinion. And it is so cheap! I don't agree with Noire, THIS one has not enough dynamic range! I'm missing in higher velocity range the brighter sounding notes. I don't agree with pianoteq, sounds cold, steril. Hammers And Waves... same as with Noire, I did not get the dynamik response that I urgently need, what Grandure can offer quite ok. Ravenscroft.... no way to get it in a mix as good as... hm.... probably the old problem, as soon as anyone does not use a Steinway D to produce a sampled high quality piano it can go wrong.

[@MarioDCMusic]

Fantastic review - a great mix of humour and information. My favourites are Grandeur and Hammers and Waves. Great piano playing by the way!!!

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@bgwilliam6387]

Blindfold piano-testing is a very good idea! Thank you very much for this, Sanjay. But: I really miss UVi here. Their Piano-Suite pianos are imho always my favourite when I begin to compare.

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@DrDaab]

I have some comments about how the blind testing was done in this video, but in any case, this was certainly well worth watching and the results are educational. So thanks for doing this. Psychological measurements, in this case, Assigning a ratings (from 1 to 10) to a musical sample, is scientifically valid for subjective judgement. The field of Psychology that deals with this is called Psychophysics, but it has to be done right. In this case it was not done very well. 1 You need to run through all of the samples at least once to get an idea of the range of the samples (to your credit, you did note that scoring the first sample may have been thrown off by not knowing the range yet) 2 The measurements need to be repeated sufficiently so that you get an idea of the variation, the variability, when you score the same piano. The number of repetitions needed depends on the variability of a tester's responses. The rest of the points are not as basic but for something as complex as what is being judged here, it should be necessary for truly comprehensive testing. 3 Not only should the same piece of music be played on each piano, but for the sake of the audience which may be primarily interested in different genre's of music (classical, jazz, pop, rock etc.) different genres. Once you take into account the variety of compositions within each genre, this may require a complicated and long study which may take weeks to accomplish. Of course, for this video, that was not feasible. It is not surprising that Sanjay's guessing about what plug-in he was playing was mostly wrong. I'm guessing very few people could do better. This is why blind testing is so valuable. It cuts the BS out of most things. This is the reason why auditions for classical orchestras are done blind (behind a curtain), and the reason why we now have more female musicians than in the past. Blind testing is also the reason why we now know that modern day violins, made with increased acoustic science input, actually sound as pleasing as the venerated violins made by past masters of violin making. The point made that the player vs the listener is likely to have different scores assigned to the plug-ins. The player has tactile feedback (how much effort to go from soft to loud playing, can it keep up with a fast trill?), while the listener is missing all of that. Both are important, depending on your goals. Thanks again !

[@Only1Dharti]

Wow! 🫣 thanks for your thoughts! But this was supposed to be a fun authentic video we had to do quickly between both of our full time jobs and my hospital appts for a major health thing. We try our best and if we had more time, some points are valid as I’m a psychologist and hear you! Thank you for watching! 😄

[@Zeisslermusic]

It was so cool to see, i love the Sounds of pianos the most. 🇩🇰

[@SanjayC]

Yes, my favorite as well. I tell you...we are so lucky to have so many pianos these days. I remember even in the early 2000s it was hard (and expensive) to find a quality piano VST

[@keyboardtek]

Most VST pianos can be tweaked. The dynamic range, the tone, the sympathetic resonance, the tuning. I try different VST pianos depending on the style of music I am composing. One almost always fits better than another. One really needs to work with each one for a while to find their strengths and weaknesses.

[@theshannonyoung]

I covered the right side and did it blind, I got almost identical results. This was the first time I've preferred Grandeur over other Native Instruments pianos. Interesting stuff. Enjoyed the vid. Informative.

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@TheThebfke33]

Can hardly disagree with your list. Obviously it is hard to judge how a Piano feels from the audio alone, but from your reaction the difference is greater than i had thought. For anyone who wants a good free Piano I would higly recommend the SoundPaint Steinway Piano. I use it as often as Noire which is my go to for soft dark paino sounds. Also Arturia Piano V is a modelled piano, with multiple different models.. There is probably a nice sound for everyone in the presets menu, or with a bit of fiddeling with the settings. Especially the mic placement.

[@lizardltd]

It is awesome! I've never seen the SoundPaint Steinway anywhere else before, thanks! Weird that no one talks about it. But imho there's a better option for free, I really like the "The Experience - Fazioli F308" by Dore Mark, from Pianobook.

[@markbraziel4828]

I Agree with Sanjay

[@Vinzenz_piano]

Great comparison!!

[@jaymusik1235]

I love this blind test

[@JoshuaTitus2000]

Man, Grandeur truly deserves the first place👌👌

[@Soundofjoy]

I enjoyed watching you try all the piano vst so I can hear the differences. I can know say I should keep using my keyboard sound patches cause it has more body when played. New subscriber and piano player.

[@GeraldHaniel]

Awesome comparison.... Next time I really would love to have CFX Grand by Garritan included in the mix...

[@DynamicRockers]

oh yeah! the cfx is beautiful, totally I agree with you.

[@micwarren21]

Don’t fret over your results. Since I’m much older, I use my service dog to distinguish between 48k and 96. Thanks for a great KZbin platform.

[@dutnakke]

Never found anything I liked as much as Ravenscroft. If used for serious practice and running scales - it's the only one I have tried that doesn't throw you off with un-natural dynamics or obvious sample switching.

[@wilkopiano]

As a pianist ravenscroft is easiest to get along with the feel on the keys. I use keyscape and have to take off the dreaded tape fx and up the compressor to make it sound more realistic.

[@pratitghosh5973]

Thank You... I needed something to justify to myself not buying Keyscape when I already had Noire. I need to not be such a hoarder xD. And you are SUCH a great pianist. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@SanjayC]

Thank you so much, Pratit! Very kind compliment.

[@pratitghosh5973]

@@SanjayC You're welcome Sanjayy!!

[@angelolovato6739]

Same with me 😅

[@Drfresh1402]

The thing is Keyscape is the best plugin in his list. You are missing out massively not owning Keyscape. Most keyboardists disagree with Sanjays blind Keyscape test. You have to adjust Keyscape’s velocity to fit your keys. When you finally get Keyscape, you will regret not having it from its inception.

[@angelolovato6739]

@@Drfresh1402 oh I still want it bc of all the other pianos it has but I at Least feel better about having komplete library

[@DynamicRockers]

That was fun, the presets you used have different pianos and miking configurations for sure. The Revenscroft sounded the the most natural to me, I really liked it. I also like the missing Garritan Abbey Road Yamaha CFX which deserves its place in the top 3. Thanks for the review!

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@InvokeMusicINVK]

Great video!

[@SanjayC]

Thank you!

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

I know there are lots of different Piano plugins but I just stick to what I have been using for over 15 years and that Reasons NNXT sampler Grand piano. I put My preferred effects on there including some reverb and a bit of delay that's it, have used it probably over 1000 times now.

[@SanjayC]

Use what you love, buddy!! That's all that matters!

[@jyotichristo7720]

What an awesome video! This is a GREAT way to test pianos. Thanks guys 🎉❤🎉

[@SanjayC]

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mjstow]

Pianoteq's flexibility makes it my fave. And it *is* so lightweight. You can even select and move mics around. Have a brand new Steinway or a clapped out honky tonk. Having said all this, I'm no expert.

[@BuenoLaidley]

My favorate out of all of them is The Grandeur. But I edit the ADSR to make the release to be below 50ms (the release in most piano VSTs are way to long for me).

[@SanjayC]

Thanks for sharing that tip

[@BuenoLaidley]

@@SanjayC In order to do that though, you have to first go into the Anotomy section and disable the Release Samples option. Then go into the patch setttings, select all samples (in the group editor), and then adjust the release (at the bottom under the modulation section).

[@rafaelhernandez5550]

Your number 1 is also my number 1 from the day that I get it. I have many other but so far none got my top list. Thank you love your videos.

[@dliwer]

Noire has always been my go-to, but because of this video I was re-introduced to Grandeur, and wow, what a piano.... Thanks @SanjayC

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!!

[@bedroomproducer16]

So much fun for me listening to you... Your score iin guessing is low but the score is nearly perfec in the vst...

[@ShanMichaelEscasio]

I have only tested 2 of some famous piano vsts. First was Addictive Keys. 2016 to 2022. I am using a semi weighted 61 key synth and Addictive Keys kinda lacks in the dynamics (well..for semiweighted keys at least). When i tried Garritan CFX Grand I was blown away. I have been using it since and never looking back.

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@illyph9963]

reasons “radical piano” is a boss too, you can tweak all the settings to create the kind of piano you want, like the control of a synth, but translated into piano controls, its dope for pianos

[@SanjayC]

Oh wow...I need to try that one!

[@AnoshterHaar]

For me Addictive keys' strength is more in the diversity in sounds they deliver. All inside Addictive keys you can create a lot of interesting sounds which aren't very typical for piano plugins. Next to that the rhodes and digital keys sound very good from Addictive keys and I have yet to find a plugin that does a simple Fender rhodes better than it. Nice vid! Cool to see that all the hype around Keyscape isn't justified at all... Although it does have the same benefits I just mentioned about Addictive keys being a quite flexible plugin in terms of sounds.

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@JayTheLane]

Great work mate 😊

[@Emily_M81]

I have Arturia and so I use Arturia XD I like it, though. And I agree, that specific preset you had did sound kinda thin, but also bright; it reminded me a little of a "dance or house piano" sort of thing. Arturia Piano V3 is also physical modeling like Pianoteq, so it definitely has other piano sounds in it if you wanted a darker or beefier piano :) I didn't rank them, though.

It sounded thin because reverb was set to 0.

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@BlazertronGames]

What don't you like about addictive keys? Is it the lack of dynamics? I think ableton piano uses a filter to make the softer notes sound darker, which you can also do in addictive keys. I quite like the plugin, the amount of mic positions, and the tweakability of it is pretty cool, which all the mic positions. It also only takes up ~4GB for all 4 instruments, and loads really quickly compared to bigger sample libraries.

[@StormBolt111]

i tried to guess too but i got like two of them right lol! rrly like ur vids bro! keep it up!

[@SanjayC]

Thanks so much and so glad you took the blind test. Which was your favorite?

[@alexanderwerneburg8642]

I’m happy with my Arturia keys, I have everything I need in one plugin and you can always change some of the parameters if you like.

[@djGreenALERT]

Thank you for sharing this. My favourite was the Ravenscroft one just going by what I heard you play.. I am never swayed by blind tests though, because whenever I've tried them a different day produces different results. Never the less I really enjoyed watching the video!

[@highestpeeqs9532]

Proverbs 8:17 King James Version 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Jesus loves you and calls all of us to repent!!!!!

[@feelsunbreeze]

Dharti's expressions 😂

[@SanjayC]

She’s so animated I love it.

[@Only1Dharti]

😂😃🥳✌🏽💕 I got ‘‘em all! 😜🫠🤫😵‍💫😲🤯🤩😋 hahahha

[@JohnsonkeyzMusicAcademy]

This is really a good review video I like the Grandeur

[@indransubramaniam763]

This was a really entertaining video.. both of them enjoyed the test so do we..blind test revealed the best one ...👍

[@Thisninjascared]

This was dope. I enjoyed this very much 💪🏿

[@astrarivm]

Such a cool couple! 🖤

[@Only1Dharti]

🙏🏽🥰💕 Thank youuuu!!!

[@michieldpiano]

No VST can even match the perfection of Garritan CFX. With correct acoustic tweaking and of course a good pianist almost nobody will hear that it is not an acoustic recording. I did the test many times: pianists, sound engineers, melomaniacs, audiophiles,... they don't hear it.

[@ph0kused]

Great video!!!! Really helped me as a non-player but producer

[@saudade494]

I wait for the cat to jump on the piano and then Sanjay: Ui, it's fluffy but something's wrong with the piano... 😀

[@Only1Dharti]

😂😂😂😂

[@AceeSoul]

Awesome. Hammers + Waves is great. Keyscape was a surprise. Are you going to do the same for electrics?

[@SanjayC]

Wow...thanks so much for the Super Thanks, Acee! And yes, I've received lots of requests for an electric piano blind test. So I think I'll have to do that next.

[@HEATHfromOZ]

Loved this!!