Here is a like to a thread I started on the same topic http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3116690
People dont seem to be falling over theirselves to recommend these pianos even though quite a few people here say they upgraded to Komplete 10.
 
A big plus 1 from me for SampleTekk. The Emperor, Old Lady, Rain and Black 2 being my favorites.

Bobv,
 
I regularly layer Pianoteq with a sampled piano just to add the body resonance that Pianoteq can sometimes lack. You could probably use AK for the sampled piano although it can be a bit thin it sits in a mix nicely.
 
I use the Pianoteq Bluther (modeled) with a Galaxy D (sampled) and it really has a nice responsive feel plus sounds great for any solo piano stuff. I use just enough sampled to give that extra body resonance I can't seem to get from just the Bluther.  I guess try mixing to taste!...

hi,
for my part,I use Pianissimo and I combine it with the Yamaha C7 frm DSF.
Sometimes it gives good results.
Olivier

You could try the free CVpiano, http://www.vst4you.com/pa...struments/cvpiano.html
To get the most out of it there is a tweak guide on youtube for it.

Mosvalve
...I may bite the bullet and get version 5. It's something I've been thinking of doing for a while now.

Do it. Having Kontakt opens up a whole new world of possibilities.
 
There are lots of cheap libraries for it that will quickly offset the cost of Kontakt. Libraries that require full Kontakt are typically half the price (or less) of libraries that use either the free Kontakt player or some other (e.g. Play) sample player. Prices range from free to might-as-well-be-free to price-of-a-lunch to under $200.

I have the collection and I like them. They all have different characters and tonalities and it is a subjective thing on if you would like them or not. Lately I have gravitated more to the less dramatic...not as much velocity and not intended to stick out in a mix...those kinds of sounds. If you own the Kontakt factory pianos and you buy new piano set you have a very broad palette to play with. The "Giant" is one of my favorites...and like any other synth, you may try to get a more signature sound from each by tweaking parameters and playing with EQ.
 
I got mine as a part of the Komplete package.

So when you layer pianos, are you high passing/low passing them differently?

I often mess with EQ and sometimes reverb so that they play together nicely.  Then again, sometimes a combination just works out of the box (see the "Presets" thread).   Whatever it takes!
 

I own Komplete 9 and Alicia Keys. Alicia Keys is my favorite Ni.I. piano. It has 13 velocities layer verses 9 from the Gentleman, Maverick and The Grandeur.
If you own Pianoteq have you check out the Bluther piano demo? I like it and would get sometime in the near future.
 
 

JohnKenn
Sorry I don't have a link, and this has been in the past shaded by some controversy, but get the Yanleo free pianos.

Could you, in time, find a link?  I don't know what piano you mean.  I searched for it and it only brought me to this thread and what appeared to be torrent sites.