Recommendations for best solo Grand Piano VST? Free or Commercial

So many good ones to choose from. I like the Sampletekk ones (especially the PMI Emperor/Old Lady libraries), but Pianoteq is getting better and better too. I haven't tried any lately that blow me away, but I like the sound of the Ivory Uprights. I think there are great deals on the Quantum Leap libraries at the moment, and they sound nice (http://pro-audio.musician...ollection?sku=706911).

What I have discovered is that all the piano VST's and samples have some sort of sonic issue to me. I collab with a friend who uses Ivory, I have Komplete's grands and a few others...... they all sound good to me by themselves in my monitors but at the same time they all sound kind of rolled off on the highs once they are tracked and in a project.

My solution has been to open the Cakewalk ParaQ equalizer and customize a piano EQ and save it as a preset. When I have a piano track now, either my own or someone else's.... I use this EQ to brighten it up and give it some life and body.

This has worked well for me.

Ivory Italian Grand is the best I've heard, if you don't mind the dongle.

Sorry: Screwed up the quote, and made it worse on the edit!

The imperfect upright is gorgeous - but very imperfect. I've had trouble getting it to sound in tune with other things, but that is surely adjustable, and likely user error.

Pianoteq is different in that it is an advanced MODELING development that does not rely on samples.

As are the Truepianos one of which is included with Sonar.

The Ivory pianos are the best I've heard but I'm with Herb here you've got to put some work into all of them to get that sound you are after.

I don't use Ivory as I normally like a 'character' (read cheaper) piano (and I don't like dongles) so I tend to use a modelled piano (usually the Truepiano included with Sonar) as a layer, along with whatever sample set I'm using.  That way the velocity 'stepping' associated with lesser sample libraries than say Ivory and the like becomes much less pronounced.

The sympathetic resonance that is usually lacking in cheaper sample libs and modelled pianos I normally kludge with a chorused reverb from the mixed layers using a cab IR.  Like Herb too some mid-range saturation or boost normally helps a bit too.

This way of working gives some degree of flexibility because I've yet to hear a piano VSTi I'd want to live with permanently.

I have (or have tried) practically all of them out there. Truepianos, Ivory, Pianoteq, Garritan Steinway, and many more. None of them hold a candle to Garritan's authorized Steinway. There isn't even a second place in my opinion.
I had heard so much about Pianoteq that I got it, and foud it to be completely lacking in tone and "warmth" (i.e. mid-range). Same thing with Ivory (not the Italian Grand or Uprights which I have not tried). So many people on the SONAR forum whose opinion I respect were singing it's praises. But I'm not sure why. Fine, both of these programs are more flexible than Garritan Steinway, but what's the point of flexibility if the original sampled piano sucks. Maybe they sound decent in a mix but not for solo piano.
At only a hundred dollars, try out the Garritan basic Steinway (basic because it's close mic'd only) and you can thank me later :)

tarsier


Asking about the "best" piano is like asking about the "best" dinner. Other people's opinions don't really matter.

If you want your Fantom piano patch as a VST, maybe try Extreme Sample Converter which claims to let you easily sample your hardware in an automated way. I haven't tried it, but maybe it'll do what you need.

or just run your audio output from your fantom into your soundcard.  you can still use MIDI, set up a midi track and record it, send the output of the MIDI to the fantom, send the audio output of the fantom to the soundcard, arm an audio track and hit record.

Da=man


I am currently downloading the Garritan Authorized Steinway Grand Piano (Basic-$99). Thanks for the heads up Monkey 23. I've listened to a few demos plus compared sounds at Purgatory creek. It sounds like it will be competitive with the Fantom's Ultimate Grand yet won't break the bank.

No problem. I can't say enough about it. I wish I had the money for the full version. I've "tried them all" as they say and I could never pinpoint what was missing until I heard the Garritan Steinway. The only thing that sounds better is the new Yamaha CP1 stage piano. But that's $5000! I'll take the Garritan for $4900 less!

Okay I've had a couple of days to tweak the Garritan Steinway piano (Basic-$99) and at first I was a bit disappointed but after a lot of tweaking and a touch of an external reverb (I'm not that fussed on their built in reverbs) I have a lovely warm piano.
 
I have just played it for hours tonight and it is slightly different then the Ultimate Grand in the Fantom but it is on par. Roland engineering is really hard to beat especially considering the sample size of their libraries. I hope they start creating VST's because they have always been lightyears ahead in their ability to program patches that trigger different samples based on how hard you play. The same is true on their V-drums.
 
Now I am left wondering what am I missing much from the Pro version of Garritan. I still don't see why these piano libraries need to be so large. Roland can do an incredible piano at 64mb with every note sampled at 4 velocities and it can keep up with the heavy weights.
 
Anyway I still haven't found the Holy Grail but I'm content now with having a software VSTI that can be used as a substitute.
 
Thanks everyone for all your replies.