# Best cinematic and emtional piano libraries



## darkneo57 (Nov 7, 2019)

Hi,

I'm french, 34 yo, piano teacher, I am a beginner in computer music. I'm looking for good cinematic and emotional piano libraries.
It would be to make rather cinematic music( film scoring, video games music...) . Could you advice me please.
thank you so much.


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## MaxOctane (Nov 7, 2019)

Try this thread: 





Best VST Piano to start with


Hi! Which are the best VST pianos to start with? (Beginner)




vi-control.net





Keep in mind that most good pianos can be made "emotional" (I assume you mean a Thomas Newman Shawshank Redemption sound) by rolling out some of the high end frequencies, and adding a splash of reverb.

My go-to piano these days for "emotional" is the one in Berlin Inspire 2. It has a ton of reverb though.


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## Igor Sena (Nov 7, 2019)

Hello, there.

I have Soundiron's Emotional Piano, Native Instruments Una Corda, The Giant, The Grandeur, Orange Tree Samples Rosewood Grand, along with some others.

The one I am currently in love with but don't own is Native Instruments NOIRE. It sounds amazing.

If you have the money for it you should also check out Spectrasonics keyscape but for what it costs I don't know if you wouldn't be better off buying a few piano libraries like the ones I mentioned and save some money.

A few others people mention alot but I also don't own:

Piano in blue, Pearl, Ravenscroft (seems to be alot of people's favorite), Pianoteq.

Would also take a look at cinematic studio piano. Although it´s a bit limited in terms of tweaking options, it sounds great and it´s cheap.

Since you are new to vst´s, the best advice i can give you is to ask yourself what you really need and what you don´t (you already seem to know) and take a very good and extensive look(listen) at demos, but most importantly live demonstrations/walkthroughs on youtube for the specific library that interests you so you don´t regret buying something that you will have to stick with( in case the developer doesnt allow license transfers). If only i had done this a couple of years when i started buying vst´s i could have saved alot of money and bought the right stuff, instead of falling for hype or developers that don´t fix/support their products.

P. S. I would also suggest some patience and wait for black Friday. Since it's just around the corner you can save alot of money and buy several libraries instead of one.

Best of luck.


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## MaxOctane (Nov 7, 2019)

I can't recommend Piano in Blue though it's a fan favorite. I found the sound OK but there's a lot of noise buildup.


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## Igor Sena (Nov 7, 2019)

MaxOctane said:


> I can't recommend Piano in Blue though it's a fan favorite. I found the sound OK but there's a lot of noise buildup.



I have seen many people speak great about it but i never liked it much either. It is decent but didn´t wow me. Plus, it´s been released long ago so i think there are better options right now for the price. I would even rather pay a bit more and get something more recent like NOIRE or Ravenscroft.


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## Rob Elliott (Nov 7, 2019)

Change the vel curve, add compression for 'body', lush verb and roll of the highs and Hammerfall is my personal fav for this application.


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## Fleer (Nov 7, 2019)

MaxOctane said:


> I can't recommend Piano in Blue though it's a fan favorite. I found the sound OK but there's a lot of noise buildup.


Try its “successor” CinePiano (also from Cinesamples). Quite emotional indeed. But I also suggest Bechstein Digital for its tweakability, as well as ImpactSoundworks’ Pearl and the Mercury Grand from Wavesfactory, both sweet as can be. Add that encompassing Walker grand from Embertone, plus WholeSounds’ unique Baldwin, and you’re pretty much set.


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## darkneo57 (Nov 8, 2019)

thank you so much for your replies.

by the way , i'm going to spend about 400 $ for one or few piano libraries ( it will be certainly 200 $ for the BF ). For now i really like emotional piano and una corda, and i'm interested by keyscape. I've heard that HZ was not so great, was it ?

thank you
have a nice weekend


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## zimm83 (Nov 8, 2019)

Noire!


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## SupremeFist (Nov 8, 2019)

Noire and Cinepiano are both wonderful. I'd also highly advise looking at Fluffy Audio's Scoring Piano, which I bought recently on @CGR's recommendation (he has been costing me a lot of money lately).


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## Fleer (Nov 8, 2019)

And certainly get Keyscape if you already have Omnisphere. Both play very well together. In fact, Keyscape is amazing on its own, though not particularly for acoustic pianos. You won’t find discounts as such, but shops like Musicians’ Friend may allow for a global 15% coupon rebate.


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## NoamL (Nov 8, 2019)

The Woodchester Piano by FractureSounds!


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## harmaes (Nov 8, 2019)

I keep going back to Noire.


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## dsblais (Nov 8, 2019)

Fleer said:


> And certainly get Keyscape if you already have Omnisphere. Both play very well together. In fact, Keyscape is amazing on its own, though not particularly for acoustic pianos. You won’t find discounts as such, but shops like Musicians’ Friend may allow for a global 15% coupon rebate.


Like most of us, I have a lot of piano VIs. I recently got Keyscape for the electric pianos, but was really impressed with the quality of the sampled Yamaha C7. Spectrasonics really did a superb job and that VI's expressive ability is as good as any I've played.


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## MaxOctane (Nov 8, 2019)

Here's my favorite "emotional cinematic piano" demo. It will knock your socks off.



But I *do not recommend this piano.* I've played with it and it's a memory hog and the sound, out of the box, is much dryer than you hear in this demo.


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## Igor Sena (Nov 9, 2019)

MaxOctane said:


> Here's my favorite "emotional cinematic piano" demo. It will knock your socks off.
> 
> 
> 
> But I *do not recommend this piano.* I've played with it and it's a memory hog and the sound, out of the box, is much dryer than you hear in this demo.




I also have the 8Dio 1928 but I have never used it. I did not like the sound of it once I bought it and compared it to other pianos. But I am also a bit lazy when it comes to tweaking stuff.
May I ask what settings for reverb, tone, etc you tipically use to get that sound? I love the demos but could never quite achieve the same cinematic sound out of it.


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## Lukas (Nov 9, 2019)

I don't recommend Piano in blue. It has a decent sound but it's nearly unplayable in terms of dynamics. Never used it in a production. The same applies for the 8dio pianos I have tested. They might be nice for cinematic purposes but it's really hard to adapt their dynamic curve to a MIDI keyboard...

My current favorites are Best Service's Vintage D and NOIRE:





Both are really versatile and tweakable. If you're looking for a cinematic sound you might like the felt patches in NOIRE.


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## Igor Sena (Nov 9, 2019)

Lukas said:


> I don't recommend Piano in blue. It has a decent sound but it's nearly unplayable in terms of dynamics. Never used it in a production. The same applies for the 8dio pianos I have tested. They might be nice for cinematic purposes but it's really hard to adapt their dynamic curve to a MIDI keyboard...
> 
> My current favorites are Best Service's Vintage D and NOIRE:
> 
> ...




Forgot how to suggest the vintage D as well. 
I'm so in love with NOIRE. I don't need another piano but I have to get it


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## CGR (Nov 9, 2019)

The 8dio 1928 Steinway is a very raw sounding smaller grand piano (the personal piano of 8dio founder Troels Folmann I believe) and in my opinion requires considerable "production massaging" to extract its best qualities, but as you can hear in the above demo, it delivers a stunning, resonant piano tone. It often proves to be the best choice for me in a number of tracks I've composed and produced. Piano manufacturers really hit their straps in the 20s and 30s (often referred to as the "Golden Era" of Piano Manufacturing) - the craftsmanship and materials of that era produced some truly stunning instruments.


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## darkneo57 (Nov 9, 2019)

Thank you very much,

I just watched a lot of walkthrough about NOIRE, the sound is beautiful sound and seems very playable.
Is Emotional piano soundiron as good as NOIRE ? is it playable? 
Could you give me some informations about una corda and the giant. Giant seems to be an old piano VI that everyone owns. 

Thank you very much for your advice and experience... 
Have a nice weekend


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## Igor Sena (Nov 9, 2019)

I think at the moment NOIRE truly is a great piano that seems to do alot of diferent styles and i dont know if you would be missing something if you bought it, but of course it´s always good to have options.

- Una Corda is great, particulary for Ambient music, but it can also do cinematic/experimental well, it just doesn´t really sound like a typical piano, its frame is made in steel, it has no cabinet(i think thats the word for it?). I think it only uses on string per key if im not incorrect. It has a diferent sound, kind of metalic. It also has alot of options for sound design, although not as much as NOIRE has i think, due to NOIRE´s particle engine.

At around 13:03 min mark in the video below, you can listen to a track called Shelter by Sam Wallace. It was made using Una Corda. I have talked to him about it because when i first heard it i loved the sound:



- The Giant is cool for cinematic too but exceptional for pop music, since like the name says, its sound is big. It´s a bit old and a diferent piano, upright and huge.

- Emotional piano from Soundiron i really love it for cinematic music, specially the low end. It might not be as versatile but what it does(soft, low notes or James Horner type music) it does well. Its one of my favourites but for more soft emotional music. If you check Soundiron´s demo page you can have a good idea of what it does well. Check Blake Ewing´s "Hindsight"; Adi Goldstein´s "Tears from Heaven", etc It might not be the most amazing on the higher notes, but the low end is very thick and cuts well through the mix. I don´t think it´s as playable as NOIRE but its nice.

Since you are a pianist you should also check the Ravenscroft 275. It is an amazing piano and probably top 3-5 out there. It´s probably the best in terms of playability.

You also have the Grandeur, which is a more classic type piano but its been out for a while as well.

As i also said, Keyscape is amazing but expensive. You get alot of content and if you already own Omnisphere you get a ton of free patches that use both libraries. But in my opinion Keyscape is better for Electric pianos, rhodes, wurlitzers, etc but it does have a Yamaha C7 with some awesome presets for cinematic stuff. It´s hard to choose because on one hand it has alot of content. on the other, its price tag is huge and with that you could buy lots of other pianos on black friday and cover all your needs.

Sorry if this doesnt help or if i didn´t explained myself in the best way possible(english is not my main language), im not a big piano connoisseur, i just go by what it sounds good to me and my music preference. Whatever you do tho, please take your time and dont rush. Native Instruments allows you to do license transfers so its not as bad if you end up not liking the product but beware of other companies that dont allow you to resell your product so you dont lose your hard earned money.
If i was to tell you to buy something i would probably say NOIRE and the Ravenscroft 275 and maybe even Una Corda. It think those would cover all yours needs, from Jazz to cinematic, to pop and ambient, but its up to you.

On youtube you can find a very extensive demo of NOIRE where the guy plays alot if not all patches. You would get a good idea of its sound.

Let me know how it goes =)


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## Igor Sena (Nov 9, 2019)

NoamL said:


> The Woodchester Piano by FractureSounds!



Had never heard about this one. I am listening on my crappy laptop but i love it.


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## darkneo57 (Nov 9, 2019)

thank you so much Igor Sena for your time and your kidness


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## ridgero (Nov 9, 2019)

Garriton CFX has a beautiful Newman preset called „Newman Beauty“


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## damcry (Nov 22, 2019)

I really recommend Noire
Great great sound , huge of possibilities.
At 50% off it’s a real no brainer deal

( considering I have all pianos from Komplete ultimate, soundiron emotional, spitfire olafur felt, pianoteq, artvista Supergrand and Malmsjo, Woodchester, LOVE piano)

Noire is just great !!!!


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## 5Lives (Nov 22, 2019)

CFX, CinePiano, or Noire?


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## josephspirits (Nov 22, 2019)

NoamL said:


> The Woodchester Piano by FractureSounds!



My vote goes to The Woodchester as well as Spitfire's Olafur Arnald's composer toolkit piano.


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## damcry (Nov 22, 2019)

josephspirits said:


> My vote goes to The Woodchester as well as Spitfire's Olafur Arnald's composer toolkit piano.


Sure you dont have Noire ... 
do you ?


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## Haakond (Nov 22, 2019)

I often reach out to the L.O.V.E piano from VSTBuzz when I need emotional piano stuff. And it is very cheap!








The Love Piano - A Beautifully Intimate Piano for Soft, Low Velocity Playing







vstbuzz.com




Here is a song I wrote with it


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## Danny (Nov 23, 2019)

I have all NI's pianos, Ascend (heavyocity), Spitfire olafur Arnalds feld, 8Dio 1928 Steinway & Pianoteq. Noire is my favorite. I like also Ascend & Pianoteq for specific uses cases. I am considering to purchase CinePiano on this BlackFriday deals. How is your experience with CinePiano?


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## Oxytoxine (Nov 24, 2019)

I really like Fracture Sounds Midnight Grand for emotional stuff. The layering with the pad sounds allows for fantastic atmospheres / textures out of the box. Later I also purchased Soundiron Emotional Piano, which is also very good, but more of a "classic" piano.


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## Tag (Nov 24, 2019)

I would always recommend Pianoteq for piano stuff. It's not only affordable, but you will have a huge choice of different pianos, you can modify it in every detail, it is phyiscal modeling and not static-sampled and it has improved a lot with the last two big versions at least (I started at v4). So I guess it will improve even more over time (while I also love the sound so much). I am using it for pianos, but it also has great other instrument packs (which also are not expennsive at all) like xylophones, harp, bells, etc.


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## river angler (Nov 24, 2019)

MaxOctane said:


> Try this thread:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I can't say I have a "go to" piano as such as I don't actually own many piano VIs but I too have found Berlin Inspire 2s piano very useful.
I agree here that most pianos can be tamed to provide that delicate touch but for me as a player it's important to have the instrument play well to the touch of the keys first and foremost.

I will be following this thread with interest for hints to a possible purchase of a dedicated piano VI in this seasons sales!


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## river angler (Nov 24, 2019)

I must say the OP would be prudent to go for a piano library that has the optional pad/synth layering available. That way he has access to a pure piano as well as a layered programable cinematic instrument. I'm certainly going to be purchasing one myself! (or possibly two!)

NOIRE sounds truly inspirational! and is definitely on my list!

I also really like both the FractureSounds offerings in their Midnight and Woodchester pianos but wish one could mute the felt sound to reveal a pure piano tone. As I was listening through both walkthroughs I became increasingly aware of that hammer/felt sound on every note played. It's a pity one can't seem to avoid it like one can in NOIRE because the layers are gorgeous and would offer a contrasting layer section to NOIRE... or is there someone out there who owns either of these Fracture libraries can tell me different?

.... just looked at the Woodchester walkthrough again and it's the "practice felt pedal activated" that is baked into the samples that I wish one could loose!


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Nov 24, 2019)

I keep going back to Blue. Yes, there are warts, but the roundness of the low-velocity samples makes up for it. I wouldn’t use it to play a classical piece, but for underscore? Fabulous.


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## river angler (Nov 24, 2019)

Is anyone running NOIRE on Kontakt 5 ?


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## Manuel Stumpf (Nov 24, 2019)

river angler said:


> Is anyone running NOIRE on Kontakt 5 ?


Website says it needs Kontakt Player 6.0.4 or higher, probably it won't run in Kontakt 5.


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## river angler (Nov 24, 2019)

Manuel Stumpf said:


> Website says it needs Kontakt Player 6.0.4 or higher, probably it won't run in Kontakt 5.


That's so annoying as I was hoping to integrate NOIRE into multis in Kontakt 5 that I use live on stage! I don't want to have to upgrade to Kontakt 6 just to be able to do this as it means adding 55GB of content which I don't need nor have the room on my hard drive to install even if it was to remove it afterwards!

I've just been searching for a contact email address for NI regarding questions about products but they don't seem to offer one!


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## Vashi (Nov 24, 2019)

river angler said:


> That's so annoying as I was hoping to integrate NOIRE into multis in Kontakt 5 that I use live on stage! I don't want to have to upgrade to Kontakt 6 just to be able to do this as it means adding 55GB of content which I don't need nor have the room on my hard drive to install even if it was to remove it afterwards!
> 
> I've just been searching for a contact email address for NI regarding questions about products but they don't seem to offer one!



Installation of the factory sounds is optional. I haven't installed mine yet.


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## river angler (Nov 24, 2019)

Vashi said:


> Installation of the factory sounds is optional. I haven't installed mine yet.


Ah! That's good to know! Could you kindly tell me how much space I need to install the full version of Kontakt 6 without the content?


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## Vashi (Nov 24, 2019)

river angler said:


> Ah! That's good to know! Could you kindly tell me how much space I need to install the full version of Kontakt 6 without the content?



92mb for the Kontakt directory from file manager. Native Access needed.


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## Will Blackburn (Nov 24, 2019)

Noire and Woodchester. I've grown to love Piano In Blue for the more jazz noir orientated pieces. Imperfect Samples Fazioli deserves some love too.


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## river angler (Nov 24, 2019)

Vashi said:


> 92mb for the Kontakt directory from file manager. Native Access needed.


Great! Thanks very much for the info!


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## muk (Nov 24, 2019)

As Woodchester and NI Noire have been mentioned: I just posted a direct comparison in the Member's Composition subforum:






NI Noire vs Woodchester comparison


Hi everyone, here is a piece that I made with the Fracture Sound Woodchester piano. I wanted the intimacy of a felt piano, but I wasn't completely satisfied with the end result. For one, the Woodchester piano library has a prominent hammer sound on each note. I alleviated that with a dynamic eq...




vi-control.net


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## Symfoniq (Nov 24, 2019)

I picked up Noire this week in the 50% off deal, and can confirm it’s a no-brainer at that price. I _really_ like this piano.


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## Oxytoxine (Nov 24, 2019)

river angler said:


> I must say the OP would be prudent to go for a piano library that has the optional pad/synth layering available. That way he has access to a pure piano as well as a layered programable cinematic instrument. I'm certainly going to be purchasing one myself! (or possibly two!)
> 
> NOIRE sounds truly inspirational! and is definitely on my list!
> 
> ...




Unfortunately you are right - there is no way to remove the damped "cotton layer sound", as it's only sampled this way. 

I feel the same. Truly beautiful emotional sound, and the pad layering is excellent for creating atmospheres. But the Fracture Sound pianos really are "one trick ponies" - no way to use them as regular pianos. For this purpose I mostly use and really can recommend Pianoteq, as well as some of the gazillion of available sampled ones.


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## river angler (Nov 24, 2019)

Oxytoxine said:


> Unfortunately you are right - there is no way to remove the damped "cotton layer sound", as it's only sampled this way.
> 
> I feel the same. Truly beautiful emotional sound, and the pad layering is excellent for creating atmospheres. But the Fracture Sound pianos really are "one trick ponies" - no way to use them as regular pianos. For this purpose I mostly use and really can recommend Pianoteq, as well as some of the gazillion of available sampled ones.


Well NOCTURNE does allow you to add or take away the felt on their "PURE" piano which is great.
It is a shame indeed on the Midnight piano that the felt can't be muted- such a shame!


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## marclawsonmusic (Nov 24, 2019)

Here is a track I did with Woodchester piano - just the piano (and the FX layers), so you can hear the character.



Cheers,
Marc


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## stevedeath (Nov 25, 2019)

Woodchester for the win!


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## Aphanasis (Nov 25, 2019)

I'm personally a big fan of Heavyocity's Ascend. You can get so many different sounds out of it on top of a great sounding organic grand.


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## Bluemount Score (Nov 25, 2019)

I hate that so many recommend NOIRE, now I want it as well... 50% off seems like a great deal.
Was interested in it‘s sound since the release. Particle engine seems very cool as well, maybe a little too noticeable as I prefer to achieve a rather unique sound in my compositions.


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## Hadrondrift (Nov 25, 2019)

Bluemount Score said:


> achieve a rather unique sound in my compositions.


I hate to have to tell your wallet that being unique is perfectly possible with Noire, if that is what you meant. For me, this is were it really shines and stands out from other piano libraries. It is not just a very well sampled piano, it is a creative instrument with many options to tweak the sound. My impulse buy of the year.


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## Vashi (Nov 25, 2019)

Hadrondrift said:


> I hate to have to tell your wallet that being unique is perfectly possible with Noir, if that is what you meant. For me, this is were it really shines and stands out from other piano libraries. It is not just a very well sampled piano, it is a creative instrument with many options to tweak the sound. My impulse buy of the year.



I saw the demo for the particle engine and would have bought midway during the video but the video kept my attention till the end and only then did I go over to NI and bought it.


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## Bluemount Score (Nov 25, 2019)

Hadrondrift said:


> I hate to have to tell your wallet that being unique is perfectly possible with Noire, if that is what you meant. For me, this is were it really shines and stands out from other piano libraries. It is not just a very well sampled piano, it is a creative instrument with many options to tweak the sound. My impulse buy of the year.


Well, oof, thanks I guess.


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## river angler (Nov 26, 2019)

ASCEND is now a strong contender for me along side NOIRE.

Where NOIRE is more detailed and versatile in its tailoring of its two basic piano samples ASCEND offers a much more expansive journey into soundscape land with its greater wealth of sculpting tools than NOIRs single particle engine.


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## transverb (Nov 26, 2019)

Really appreciate all the feedback on here. So torn between Noire and Woodchester to compliment Una Corda and Vintage D. And now I have to think about ASCEND as a prepared piano! xP


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## Michael Antrum (Nov 26, 2019)

Well, just to set the cat amongst the pigeons...

My favourite has always been the Ivory II American Concert D fed into a great reverb like Spaces II. Everything after that feels lacking.

Then I got hold of the VSL synchronized D274. Another Wow which is currently on BF sale. Also if you buy it fron VSL you get a 30 day return Window....


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## SupremeFist (Nov 26, 2019)

transverb said:


> Really appreciate all the feedback on here. So torn between Noire and Woodchester to compliment Una Corda and Vintage D. And now I have to think about ASCEND as a prepared piano! xP


I have Noire and Ascend and like them both very much. To start with they are both very well sampled and smooth-playing regular pianos. Then, Noire has a wonderful felt instrument, unlike Ascend (while Woodchester doesn't have a non-felt instrument), and has the deeper tone-shaping possibilities, while Ascend has true microphone mixes plus a beautiful separate ppp layer. Ascend's fx are more versatile than Noire's particles engine, but the more involved Ascend presets are simply unplayable on my 3.1 i5 cores.


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## Aphanasis (Nov 26, 2019)

SupremeFist said:


> the more involved Ascend presets are simply unplayable on my 3.1 i5 cores



I would agree that Ascend can get very heavy on CPU when there's a lot of processing going on. So worth it though.


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## mralmostpopular (Nov 26, 2019)

I rarely see it mentioned, but Cinematic Studio Piano sounds really nice and cinematic.


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## Michael Antrum (Nov 26, 2019)

The one thing that stops me buying Noire, is that I don’t have a bunch of Greta pianos already, and I know it will be in the next version of Komplete...


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## erikradbo (Nov 27, 2019)

transverb said:


> Really appreciate all the feedback on here. So torn between Noire and Woodchester to compliment Una Corda and Vintage D. And now I have to think about ASCEND as a prepared piano! xP



I have woodchester and una corda, as well as the rest of NI KompleteU pianos, but not Noire. I also have Olafur and CSP. I rarely end up using woodchester, but for felt I grab 1. Olafur and 2. Una Corda. Don't get me wrong, Woodchester have a Lovely sound, but I'm just not that taken by it, or if it doesn't sit as well in the mix. For pure pianos its usually the grandeur but I've also gotten some good milage out of CSP which have a very different tone. 

I'm looking to grab Noire, because that tone seems to be incredible, so I'd say get Noire.


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## Hadrondrift (Nov 27, 2019)

Michael Antrum said:


> I know it will be in the next version of Komplete


a) You can sell your Noir license then (for -30%? )
b) I am not sure if there will be a Komplete 13 at all, NI seems to be restructuring its business (pure speculation, mind you)


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## Michael Antrum (Nov 27, 2019)

Don’t forget spitfire Labs Felt piano which is freeeeeeeeeee....


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## Yohan73 (Nov 30, 2019)

I have all the Native pianos included in Komplete, Spitfire felt piano and Ascend.
I would say that none would fit every kind of composition, most of the time I would go for the Alicia Keys, the piano felt or Ascend.
Ascend is a beast of creativity and its effects are very good (as previously said it can be heavy on CPU).
I also have to mention Una Corda and The Giant which are also very good.
I've also never got any click on these pianos, the samples have been properly cleaned.


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## transverb (Dec 1, 2019)

Has anyone compared Frozen Piano or Oliver's Piano in OPW against the usual suspects (Felt, Noire, Woodchester)? Still on the fence for this piano tone in my library. I've been listening to walkthroughs last few days but still torn.


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## SupremeFist (Dec 2, 2019)

Having been on something of a piano-buying odyssey this year I would now strongly advise that if you are looking for an "emotional/cinematic" piano, you should get one of the big libraries that excel in richness/detail/realism (eg Cinepiano, Mercury, Walker D, Hammersmith), which you can easily then make "emotional" by tweaking dynamics and EQ. This will turn out to be a much more versatile investment. Of course if you want felt then you'll need one of those too (eg Noire, Olafur Arnalds Toolkit), and Una Corda is really sui generis.


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## 5Lives (Dec 10, 2019)

Iswhatitis said:


> I am sadly unimpressed with Ascend Piano. Too many other pianos sound so much better than it. Almost all of the presets are useless too. The price point seems attractive but at the end of the day I doubt I will ever use it. Ivory Grand Pianos, HZ Piano and CinePiano are all terrific. Avoid Ascend it’s just a waste of money. I love a lot of Heavyocity titles, this one was a dud.



Bummer to hear that as the demos and videos made it seem like it sounded quite good.


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## Tilt & Flow (Dec 10, 2019)

Iswhatitis said:


> I am sadly unimpressed with Ascend Piano. Too many other pianos sound so much better than it. Almost all of the presets are useless too. The price point seems attractive but at the end of the day I doubt I will ever use it. Ivory Grand Pianos, HZ Piano and CinePiano are all terrific. Avoid Ascend it’s just a waste of money. I love a lot of Heavyocity titles, this one was a dud.


I disagree. I love Ascend (and Noire). Obviously, we're all are attracted to different sounds and instruments. Ascend a dud? Not to me!


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## Christopher Rocky (Dec 10, 2019)

I've found ascend to be one of the most unique creative tools, there's nothing like it really. its in line with heavyocities sound design tool rather than a straight up piano. 

I've also found that frozen piano is absolutely fantastic when layered with another piano. I use it with NI pianos and it really makes them come to life.


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## David Kudell (Dec 10, 2019)

If the original poster is a piano teacher, I think they’d enjoy Keyscape. The cinematic piano preset is really nice. Plus you get tons and tons of other amazing sampled acoustic and electric keyboard instruments. Some of the duo patches are awesome.

I have had Keyscape since it came out and really enjoy it. I have since added Noire and Embertone’s Walker Steinway, which are both excellent. But the variety you get with Keyscape will keep you inspired for years.


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## Sears Poncho (Dec 10, 2019)

ChristopherRock said:


> I've found ascend to be one of the most unique creative tools, there's nothing like it really.


Same here. I'm not a pianist nor do I think I own any "high end" piano libraries but the piano is solid. The unaffected "core" piano sounds are very convenient to scroll through, including 'rock' and 'dark' etc. The FX put this until a different ballpark. I have a ton of Heavyocity libraries but IMO Ascend is the most impressive. I look forward to January- more time to play it.


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## ag75 (Dec 10, 2019)

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> I keep going back to Blue. Yes, there are warts, but the roundness of the low-velocity samples makes up for it. I wouldn’t use it to play a classical piece, but for underscore? Fabulous.


I am a HUGE piano In blue fan. I’m inspired every time I play it.


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## Fleer (Dec 10, 2019)

ag75 said:


> I am a HUGE piano In blue fan. I’m inspired every time I play it.


Same here. But I’m also quite fond of their CinePiano.


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## Buz (Dec 11, 2019)

Can an Ascend fan offer any more info? Is it just the way the UI is designed that makes it more inspiring to mix sounds? Or is there something you don't get elsewhere... (yes there are articulation layers, but I couldn't find anything new sounding on walkthrough vids)


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## Bluemount Score (Dec 11, 2019)

Michael Antrum said:


> The one thing that stops me buying Noire, is that I don’t have a bunch of Greta pianos already, and I know it will be in the next version of Komplete...


For me, it is the fact of missing microphone positions. The ability of moving an instrument back into the stage is important for me. I went with CSP a couple of days ago for that reason. I know there are workarounds but I prefer the most natural way whenever possible.


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## ag75 (Dec 11, 2019)

Fleer said:


> Same here. But I’m also quite fond of their CinePiano.


I don’t that own that one but now I might just pick it up.


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## jaketanner (Dec 11, 2019)

darkneo57 said:


> emotional piano libraries


I never really understood what an emotional piano library is...I am a pianist and as long as the piano and controller you have allow you to play with the full range of velocity, it's your playing that makes it emotional. A Steinway can be very emotional, as well as a Baldwin or Yamaha...As for cinematic, this simply means a shit lost of reverb usually..or a felt type piano...LOL Plenty of those...I prefer NI's Una Corda...and the Giant for cinematic...and for my all around playing I use the Walker by Embertone. Keep in mind that it's your controller that has the most impact on the emotion you can express.


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## Sears Poncho (Dec 11, 2019)

Buz said:


> Can an Ascend fan offer any more info? Is it just the way the UI is designed that makes it more inspiring to mix sounds? Or is there something you don't get elsewhere...


It sounds great. And it's chock full of esoteric sounds and techniques that are definitely not found elsewhere. 

It's deep, like everything Heavyocity does, yet so well laid out that anybody can figure it out. Lots of "prepared" type choices to add in like metal (strings hit with spoons), twine, ebow etc. The preset patches that are CPU hogs have a right to be, they are very complex and a lot is going on.

The triangle thingy in the middle is basically a mixer. 3 choices can be made, so "Full mix" might be one, along with Ebow and Harmonics. Then, simply drag the circle: in the middle will be balanced, or drag it closer to one of the sounds etc. Easy. It has "normal" piano settings as well. To me, the Heavyocity strings like Novo aren't particular "good" strings, it's about the effects they can do. But Ascend really lives in both worlds because it's a solid, highly usable piano in addition to being a sound design workhorse.


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## jonathanparham (Dec 11, 2019)

jaketanner said:


> I never really understood what an emotional piano library is...I am a pianist and as long as the piano and controller you have allow you to play with the full range of velocity, it's your playing that makes it emotional. A Steinway can be very emotional, as well as a Baldwin or Yamaha...As for cinematic, this simply means a shit lost of reverb usually..or a felt type piano...LOL Plenty of those...I prefer NI's Una Corda...and the Giant for cinematic...and for my all around playing I use the Walker by Embertone. Keep in mind that it's your controller that has the most impact on the emotion you can express.


I get you, and the piano has been my principal instrument for years. When I hear emotional piano basically I think of the piano as any other sample instrument. So what makes this sample different from the zillions of others? Well, it's pre-done programming, mixing, and the controllers done for you. You just play. No mixing, panning, or programming. It's just a matter of what's your flavor. Do you want to take a Baldwin and add Altiverb and Mangle to it? Or just use a Woodchester upright that already has presets with granular synthesis? I agree with you in that, 'It's not the arrows; it's the archer' How well you know you and create with your instrument is key. I just look Ascend, Noire, as 'icing on the cake.'


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## 2chris (Dec 11, 2019)

There have been so many great suggestions so far.


As a piano teacher, I think you'd benefit most from Keyscape. You get a little bit of everything, and the instruments are all best in class type sampling of amazing instruments, with feedback from real musicians into creating usable presets. It does so many things well. The grand piano is not my favorite, but still very good, and it does everything so well that I suggest this as #1.


For a character piano with amazing warmth, if all you want is piano - Noire is amazing. For a traditional sound, it can do this as well. This Yamaha CFX sounds great.


If you're asking here - you may plan to get something orchestral at some point, and some libraries come with a good piano. The very best "overall" beginner library IMO is Orchestral Tools Inspire 2. You get amazing ensembles, and the piano included is excellent - but it's not a cover all your bases piano sound (it's been EQ'd and has reverb). This whole library his a very emotional/film sound to it that is excellent (understatement).


If all you want is a great piano, you can wait for a sale on something that strikes you, or start by using one that comes with your DAW - for instance Reason Studios and Ableton Live come with decent pianos included. Native Instruments Komplete comes with 3 good pianos, Embertone Walker goes on sale (don't have it, but people seem to love it), Sound Iron Emotional Piano is an excellent Kawai grand piano (I have it and like it for sound and play-ability), Wavesfactory Mercury is a good Fazioli (light version is cheap and sounds good!).
To sum up, I'd say either get Keyscape to go all in on the best overall keyboard/piano library, or buy an orchestral library with a good "film" style piano, and then supplement with a free or cheap piano.


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## jonathanparham (Dec 11, 2019)

2chris said:


> To sum up, I'd say either get Keyscape to go all in on the best overall keyboard/piano library, or buy an orchestral library with a good "film" style piano, and then supplement with a free or cheap piano.


Excellent point. I purchased a few libraries this year from OT and Project Sam and ALL the included pianos sound pleasantly different to me. I even layered some of them for a cue. I write in PT and the mini grand is usually my go-to for sketching. Bought a Focusrite audio interface and it came with Addictive Keys upright piano. That one has multiple mics AND placements to it. I was showing that one to a hobbyist friend of mine and the mic placements alone, which are par for the course in sample libraries, blew him away.


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## 2chris (Dec 11, 2019)

jonathanparham said:


> Excellent point. I purchased a few libraries this year from OT and Project Sam and ALL the included pianos sound pleasantly different to me. I even layered some of them for a cue. I write in PT and the mini grand is usually my go-to for sketching. Bought a Focusrite audio interface and it came with Addictive Keys upright piano. That one has multiple mics AND placements to it. I was showing that one to a hobbyist friend of mine and the mic placements alone, which are par for the course in sample libraries, blew him away.


Exactly. So many libraries, hardware, DAW's have a piano included that is good enough to get going. I also got Addictive Keys free with hardware and that sounds way better than I would expect for a free throw in. My Native Instruments keyboard came with "The Gentleman" which is great. EZ Keys comes with some stuff too, and that is also decent. Embertone did the light Walker piano for like $9 or something silly on black friday. I'd rather have a "good" piano, buy a great library of stuff (keyboards or orchestral), and/or have a decent DAW if I didn't already (Live/Cubase/Logic being my favs).


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## CWELLINGTON (Dec 11, 2019)

I am a big fan of Noire right now. Notice I said "right now", meaning there are so many different ones and they can be tweaked a lot. So it isn't necessarily about finding "the best one" but rather finding what you're looking for right now.

I like the sound of Noire and the amount of parameters you can adjust. With other effects on, you can get some pad, rhythmic and atmospheric like qualities out of it as well as really tweaking the quality to sound unique. I also like "playing around" with gimmicky like increasing the environmental sounds like the creaks in the wood floor, piano, pedals, felt, etc.

I always favored the 1928 Legacy Steinway Piano by 8Dio a while back as well.


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## jaketanner (Dec 11, 2019)

jonathanparham said:


> I get you, and the piano has been my principal instrument for years. When I hear emotional piano basically I think of the piano as any other sample instrument. So what makes this sample different from the zillions of others? Well, it's pre-done programming, mixing, and the controllers done for you. You just play. No mixing, panning, or programming. It's just a matter of what's your flavor. Do you want to take a Baldwin and add Altiverb and Mangle to it? Or just use a Woodchester upright that already has presets with granular synthesis? I agree with you in that, 'It's not the arrows; it's the archer' How well you know you and create with your instrument is key. I just look Ascend, Noire, as 'icing on the cake.'


Right. For cinematic, basically anything can work if you mess with it enough...in terms of "emotional" though, a decently recorded sample can suffice...all depends on context


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