Best piano virtual instrument 2024 ?

[mandal]

Best piano virtual instrument 2024 ?

[JFreak]

Ivory

[junkgear]

Best is subjective, but I've always thought that the NI pianos are quite good for the price. Especially NOIRE.

[loopzilla2]

If you have Reason check out J. Chris Griffin's Studio Piano. It's really good.

[EGS]

Ivory is probably the best I've ever used. Another good one to consider is the Alan Parsons Classical Grand. I got it as part of the IK Multimedia Total Studio Max bundle which, by the way, is a great value and has tons of useable plugs and VIs.

[BScout]

Vienna Symphonic Library Fazioli F308
https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Fazioli_F308

I have their Yamaha and Steinway too (along with something like 20 other pianos from other makers) and they are both very impressive -- especially if you mix down the full surround libraries.
But the Fazioli is when they got it perfect -- it has slightly different mics/positions.

[Eric Lambert]

I've been a collector for years with about 50 piano VIs at this point. All the big ones including all of the epic Vienna Synchron pianos. Each is slightly different. Many of these are excellent but the one that (almost invariably) makes me the happiest is the Garritan CFX Concert Grand. Frustratingly, it's not Apple Silicon but it's worth switching to Rosetta just for this. Or use the standalone player.

A close 2nd is Hammer + Waves Acoustic from Skybox.

[Eric Lambert]

...but how could I have forgotten the Meldway Grand. I love that thing, too. Dial up the HiFi knob, add Resonance and it's fantastic.

[TOM@METRO]

For me it's Ivory.

[dominicperry]

Welcome to the VI Piano rabbit-hole. There are piano forums full of this stuff.....

Others worth considering:

Keyscape C7 Grand
Ravenscroft 275
Pianoteq - this is modelled, not sampled, so 50MB, also runs on iPad (or even powerful iPhone) under the same license.

I also use the Arturia Piano V3, which is quite CPU-light, using multiple different instruments layered. Works for pop. (I do the same thing with my Nord Stage and combine the Bosendorfer with the Yamaha to get lots of low-down thump and lots of brightness - a couple of notes are a bit phasey but overall it's a good sound, but wouldn't suit a solo classical piece).

P.S. The VI which sounds most like a real piano to me is the Wing Upright which is part of Keyscape. It's hateful, but very realistic. A bit like how the UA Fender '55 amp sim is awesome, but horrible.



Dominic