Recommendations for Piano soft synth.

Anyone use the Hammersmith from Sonicouture?  Seems pretty good and with the 35% discount, it's reasonably priced.
 
I'm working on a score for an independent film and need a decent piano.  Any other recommendations?  I don't want to break the bank.  I was thinking about some of NI's products, however it pains me to buy their stuff when it's not during their 50% off sales...
 
Something under $100 would be good.  About $50 would be awesome!
 
Hammersmith is $83ish with the discount... 

Awesome!  Thanks for the tip - for that price, I think it's definitely worth a try.  Just ordered it...

Not sure if True Pianos still comes with Sonar but that's my go-to piano. I did upgrade and get the full version but the one that came with Sonar was very useful. The full version is currently 40% off and costs $80 right now. Their website has plenty of audio samples. Good luck!

I use XLN Addictive Keys. Rather long in tooth but still delivers!

TheMaartian

mikebeam
Awesome!  Thanks for the tip - for that price, I think it's definitely worth a try.  Just ordered it...

Please post your feedback, once you've had a chance to play the VI for a bit. Thanks in advance.

Yeah, Mike, would appreciate to read your feedback too.

Few things are as subjective as one's likes for a piano sound.
 
If I remember correctly, the Hammersmith is a Steinway, and if that is your bag then go for it. I have the Ivory II American D, which is decent, but its a Steinway and that's not my go-to choice. Solo is nice but in my opinion Yamahas fit better into recording situations, because of their bell-like clarity.  Did you say if you were using this for solo work, or ensemble?
 
If you like the Yamaha side of things, I'd highly recommend a look at Imperial Soundworks "The Pearl" . . .
 
 
best of luck!
cheers,
-Tom
 

Until recently, I would have recommended Ivory II. But Impact Soundworks "The Pearl" and Production Voices' pianos are simply excellent. Plus, with the multiple mic options available, you can fit them into any mix. Kontakt 5 required...though how anyone could get along without Kontakt is beyond me.
 
Regards,
Dan

Right on, no samples but lots of feel.

Check out the new Hans Zimmer piano at Spitfire... you'll never give another thought to that question...you'll wish you hadn't acquired whatever else you spent your money on... a year and a half went into it's making...as Paul notes, more time and effort went into creating this single masterpiece than spitfire has spent on ANY of their libraries, including Albion ONE... and that's saying something!
Link to THE thread
Teaser, from HZ himself: 
https://youtu.be/ePNSK33JTvs
If you just want to get right to it, Paul's walkthru... you'll understand at that point... most have...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN9vRJAJA68

I have left my old favorites and the new list, depending on material:
Hammersmith pro from Sonicouture
Pianoteq 5 Bluthner
Ik Miroslav 2 Grand
 
I have replaced my practice piano from Addictive Keys grand with ToonTracks EZKeys Studio grand.

Also, Garritan CFX. A grand Yammie grand.

aquatorium
For me, once I tried PianoTeq 5 I have not looked back: haven't touched any sample based piano since then. There is something about the playability that draws you in: it just feels 'right'. Their electric pianos are pretty sweet, too, and the free vintage models are icing on the cake.

Did you get the Bluthner? Apparently that's the best acoustic one, but I don't have it (yet).

Wow - thanks for all the responses!  I bought the HammerSmith before all of these, here's my impressions.
 
Keep in mind - this is the light version...
 
1.  It takes are really long time to load.  My computer isn't the fastest in the world, but I've never had a problem.  I have some EWQL instruments, some Heavyocity instruments and Omnisphere and they all load MUCH faster.  Might be something with my system, but that was my first impression...  30 seconds to a minute...  Uses about .58mb of RAM.
 
2. It sounds great!  I immediately loved the way it played.  The room mics are awesome.  I've been using the stripped down version of Addictive Keys (the one that came preloaded with Sonar when I bought it a few years ago) and this sounds much better!
 
@emeraldsoul - I still need to hear how it sounds in a mix.  I don't have the familiarity with Steinway or Yamaha enough to have a preference - but I immediately recognized that this sounded different than the C7 at the school where I work.  In my home, I have a Yamaha upright. 
 
All in all - I think it was definitely worth the $57 I paid!  It was the right price point for me...  And well worth every penny.

Yeah if you got Hammersmith for $57, that's kind of a no brainer.
 
Beyond the  Impact Soundworks PEarl, I'd also recommend the Pianoteq if you sprung extra for the Bluthner but all that amounts to three hundred bucks or some such.
 
 
Enjoy!
 
-Tom

There are 2 versions of the Hammersmith.  The extra mics and positions are really worth it if the price works for you.
 

HAMMERSMITH AVAILABLE AS:

STANDARD EDITION

• 21 Velocity Layers With Anti-Repeat
• True Sustain Sampling
• 2 Mic Positions
• CLOSE: M49 Pair
• ROOM: M50 TREE

PROFESSIONAL EDITION

• 21 Velocity Layers With Anti-Repeat
• True Sustain Sampling
• 6 Mic Positions
• CLOSE: M49 Pair or D19
• MID: KM133D Pair or MK4 Pair
• ROOM: M50 TREE or KU100 HEAD