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Best traditional piano VST

elfman

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I've looked all over the place for a great concert grand. Spitfire has one but it's pretty lightweight and meant to be played over an orchestra, a la Stravinsky and such. I wish they would do a proper Steinway D library in Lyndhurst Hall. I've heard of the Zimmer piano but it looks like it has too many frills and effects that I would never care about using. What is your go-to grand piano?
 
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As many here would probably attest, the Embertone Walker 1955 Steinway D is meticulously sampled, and still getting new features.

With some configuration and choosing the right mics, it's suitable for all types of music.

I used it here with the Close Mics, and toned down the pedal, toned up the key sounds, and after recorded turned on the various saturation and resonances. This is with the built in Concert Hall reverb.



Of course, a better piano player will surely coax more from it. :)
 
Wow, this looks and sounds extremely impressive, and at a reasonable price.
 
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The Yamaha was good, but doesn't seem to have the same complexity that the Steinway has. Whether that's due to the two pianos or the sampling, I'm not sure. Probably both. The Embertone is the best I have ever heard. I've seen a couple comments about some slightly out of tune unisons in the upper register, but there's a very easy get around for that.
 
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The Yamaha was good, but doesn't seem to have the same complexity that the Steinway has. Whether that's due to the two pianos or the sampling, I'm not sure. Probably both. The Embertone is the best I have ever heard. I've seen a couple comments about some slightly out of tune unisons in the upper register, but there's a very easy get around for that. I have to own this.

Maybe you should check out the CFX full version, not the lite.

I have the Embertone and it's very good (and cheaper), but the CFX is a higher plane. Many of the (paid) composers I know didn't even bother with another piano vst after CFX.

But, again, the Embertone is cheaper and in this instance you get what you pay for.
 
I've looked all over the place for a great concert grand. Spitfire has one but it's pretty lightweight and meant to be played over an orchestra, a la Stravinsky and such. I wish they would do a proper Steinway D library in Lyndhurst Hall. I've heard of the Zimmer piano but it looks like it has too many frills and effects that I would never care about using. What is your go to grand piano?

At the moment it’s the new VSL Steinway D, and the Grandeur for more cinematic sound. Woodchester Piano or Una Corda for more neo-classical. The Orchestral Grand Piano I’ve found really really bad and not usable at all so I’ve deleted it from my computer. Too bad as I’ve given it 2-3 chances and really wanted it to work.
 
Orchestral Grand Piano I’ve found really really bad and not usable at all so I’ve deleted it from my computer. Too bad as I’ve given it 2-3 chances and really wanted it to work.
Yeah. Like I mentioned before, it's basically useless if you aren't using in the context of a big orchestra. Doesn't really sound or play like a real piano in solo contexts. That's too bad you couldn't make it work. I guess it was only $50.
 
This one has a bit of character. Not sure how it would sit with a full orchestra but I love it.

Galaxy Vintage D
 
I gave them all a closer look and after comparing multiple demos from Vienna, Garritan and Embertone side by side, it seems that the Garritan and Embertone have the most intimate sound. I still think the Embertone has a more complex tone.

Vienna seems to sound very far away in every demo. I'm hoping there's a way to dial it in, being a $300 library. They certainly don't demonstrate it if there is.
 
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The Bechstein is one I've been looking at, too, and definitely want. And I still want Pianoteq, too.

Honestly, I'm more of an upright person. I'm still in search of the perfect upright that has lots of character (The Gentleman is good and all, but it still sounds like it's trying to be a grand.)
 
The Bechstein is one I've been looking at, too, and definitely want. And I still want Pianoteq, too.

Honestly, I'm more of an upright person. I'm still in search of the perfect upright that has lots of character (The Gentleman is good and all, but it still sounds like it's trying to be a grand.)

I'm looking for that elusive upright as well. Have you tried the 1901 from 8DIO?
 
My Piano from Fluffy Audio gets some good reviews as well for an upright. 50% ATM.

PS. Don't have any of these. I'm still shopping. Haha
 
I like the pianos in Ark 2, though I'd never recommend them as a main vst.

I still find use for the Gentleman and Alicia's Keys as well.
 
The Embertone is the best I have ever heard. I've seen a couple comments about some slightly out of tune unisons in the upper register, but there's a very easy get around for that. I have to own this.

Well even I have got quite a large piano collection and many of the instruments work very well for different situations. Overall my go to grand piano collection for a very long time was EWQL Pianos Platinum. In the meantime Embertone released their Walker 1955 Steinway D Concert Grand which is my top favourit virtual piano these days. The sound is fantastic, there are about 7 different mic positions, it even features a binaural mic set, the short notes and the una corda are the best I have ever heared. You get 36 velocity layers and have a lot of control over the sound. But for me the most impressive aspect is that it is so extremely playable. It really feels real when you play it. No else piano was able to convince me in this way before.

I really can totally recommend this piano. This was the demo that convinced me to "buy the Walker 1955 as just another piano library that I definitely would not need but ... well...". How wrong I was. The Walker was one of my best instrument purchases in a long time ;)



These were tracks I did with the EWQL Pianos Platinum which - before the Embertone one - was my go to piano library and which stil sounds very good, even for it´s age. For Jazz and Classical it works pretty well IMO:
Steinway (first used in a short late romantic solo piece and then as accompaniment for a Violin):



Boesendorfer (first used in a classical concert situation and then in a westcoast style Jazz piece):



Others mentioned the NI Pianos. The Alicia´s Keys works very well for cinematic stuff. It especially shines if you play the low velocity layers and add a good reverb. The NI Gentleman sounds great for Jazz stuff IMO and the NI Grandeur also has a good sound - very classical. The Soundiron Drinking Piano is a nice addition if you needed some "Once Upon a Time in America - Poverty" - kind of feel.

P.s.: Maybe you also should check out the Spectrasonics Keyscape. It is said to be very versatile. I didnt had the chance to test these but a lot of my friends like it a lot.
 
SoundChris,

Yes, the Rach demo is what sold me too. Something about the 1955 Steinway + Rachmaninoff just works.

I'm glad you've confirmed their selling point about the extremely playability of it. Being a pianist, that's very important to me.
 
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