Hey,
 
I've been using TruePianos for years and have been happy with it, but I've been away from recording for a while and wonder if there are other better options nowadays for affordable, "real" sounding piano soft synths.  What are you using now and what would you recommend?  Thanks!

Try addictive keys from http://www.xlnaudio.com/addictivekeys
 
There is a free download from the site you can use to test with as a try out

IF you happen to have Kontakt, here are several software instruments that are freely available:
 
http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3351107
 
One of the synths is a nice piano, and you certainly can't beat free. :)
 
Bob Bone
 

Synthogy is still the top of the line for me and many people.  There are some equal, but I don't know of any better.  I have Ivory II Grand Pianos which includes three different pianos for about $329.  Ivory II American D for about $189 is a Steinway only.
 
My Ivory II Grand Pianos Steinway sounds so real I can smell the wood and felt.
 
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/search.php?s=ivory+II&Go=Search
 
There are a couple of new huge piano sample libraries out there but I am not convinced they are better.
 
It is funny how spoiled we have all gotten.  Most real pianos in the world don't sound as good as some of the less expensive sample libraries like True Pianos, and the real ones are always going out of tune, have to have mics placed perfectly, etc.

Thanks for the suggestions.  I just checked out some demos of Addictive Keys on YouTube and it sounds very good.  Better than TruePianos I do believe.  I think I might take the plunge...  Thanks!

True Pianos is not a sample library. It is a modeled. I have the full version of TP and have been using the beta version of the Atlantis module and it sounds much more realistic than any of the other TP modules. It a preview of the True Pianos 2 version that is still in development....and has been for a long time.
 
If you own the full version of TP and you have not tried the Atlantis module yet you really should.
 
I'm sure that others that are mentioned are very good but I don't own them so I can't say.
 

VL Labs Ravenscroft 275 is fantastic.

Hi Tom,
 
Yes, I have the full version of TP.  I prefer the Amber module over all the others.  But from what I heard in demos, the Addictive Keys Grand sounds more convincing.  Thanks.

Hmm...  So which one to get?  The Studio Grand or the Upright?

My take is that Addictive Keys is easier to fit into a mix, but TruePianos has a more full-bodied, resonant sound that makes it a better solo instrument and more responsive in live performance.