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Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 9:30 pm
by +3
What is the current Gold Standard Piano Software?
I'm thinking of buying a NUMA Studiologic Fully Weighted Hammer Action midi controller...
Logic's stock Steinway & Yamaha's have gotten me this far, but if I buy a two thousand dollar weighted, wooden Piano emulation, I'd like to invest in the highest end Piano software available...
Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 3:17 am
by Vast_Grid
Whoa buddy! I would recommend getting EWQL Complete Composers Collection HD (if you don't want to utilize Kontakt)
Are you a virtuoso on the keys? .. I myself know the piano really well, but I'd still just chop up some piano concertos, but if you want to really get into it (making realistic piano parts) then go for it.
Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 10:42 am
by Optimal Prime
Ivory is great. Synthology I think it is.
Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 3:13 pm
by Soulstep
the native instruments ones sound really good to me
Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 3:17 pm
by +3
Soulstep wrote:the native instruments ones sound really good to me
I'm kind of pissed off with NI, and really don't like the company or their products too much anymore (outside of Massive, FM8, & Absynth) but to be fair I do keep hearing that Alicia's Keys is a very good Piano, but I just can't bring myself to accept it. Seems too consumer friendly and inexpensive to be as good as what I want. But I suppose it
could be...
Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 4:14 pm
by Augment
^ A good piano doesn't have to be an expensive piano.
Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 4:17 pm
by Eat Bass
yeah kontakts piano instrument samples are awesome. btw everyone says they hve bad customer service but when i had an issue they emailed me back the solution within 2 hours and followed up with responding emails every hour until i was satisfied so i no longer think that about them. there just such a big company with so many users. theres no way they can please everyone.
Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 4:19 pm
by +3
blinkesko wrote:^ A good piano doesn't have to be an expensive piano.
That sounds good, but I've personally found that if you want the highest-quality of something (anything, not just music related) you have to pay for it. And I don't mind doing without & saving up for something if I have to.
Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 4:21 pm
by +3
That being said, I probably will go ahead and look into Alicia's Keys.
Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 4:25 pm
by Augment
Just seemed like you couldnt accept a not-so-expensive piano being a good piano.
Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 4:31 pm
by paradigm_x
Mate, imo, if youre going to spend that much, get a piano that you can use independently of a laptop. saves booting it up everytime you need to play, software issues, it becoming worthless once youve bought it etc...
all imho etc,.
Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 6:31 pm
by mthrfnk
+3 wrote:
but if I buy a two thousand dollar weighted, wooden Piano emulation
Just buy a fucking piano.
Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 10:40 pm
by Soulstep
Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 11:22 pm
by Mad_EP
To those suggesting the OP "just buy a piano"... I think you are missing out a few important considerations.
1) Especially if he is looking for the sound of even a Baby (let alone full sized Concert) Grand piano... those monsters take up a HUGE amount of space. The argument he could "Just get an Upright" is invalid because they sound totally different.
2) But even if the OP didn't mind the sound of an Upright (I actually prefer it, because I had an Upright as a kid, and I love the sound)... there are a few issues.
2a) again SPACE. Even Uprights take up a huge amount of space.
2b) QUALITY. Even in the realm of Uprights (let alone Grands, which can easily run you 15 - 30,000), there aren't many quality pianos you can buy for 2,000.
2c) MOBILITY. Even the smallest piano is a fucker to move. If you move house or apartments, you have to hire specialist movers which are expensive.
2d) UPKEEP. You have to constantly pay to have them tuned.
Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 11:44 pm
by 3za
Digital piano...
Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 11:51 pm
by mthrfnk
If I was going to drop 2k I'm pretty sure I'd rather buy a cheap piano, and lovingly record some really piano clips and tweak them digitally rather than creating the whole thing digitally.
But thats just me

Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 11:54 pm
by 3za
Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 11:57 pm
by mthrfnk
Basically glorified keyboards though

Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:11 am
by erratech
I think youre better of buying a number of cheaper piano multisamples that are suited to different tasks personally.
Re: Highest-end Professional Piano Software?
Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 4:14 am
by Sharmaji
Mad EP wrote:To those suggesting the OP "just buy a piano"... I think you are missing out a few important considerations.
1) Especially if he is looking for the sound of even a Baby (let alone full sized Concert) Grand piano... those monsters take up a HUGE amount of space. The argument he could "Just get an Upright" is invalid because they sound totally different.
2) But even if the OP didn't mind the sound of an Upright (I actually prefer it, because I had an Upright as a kid, and I love the sound)... there are a few issues.
2a) again SPACE. Even Uprights take up a huge amount of space.
2b) QUALITY. Even in the realm of Uprights (let alone Grands, which can easily run you 15 - 30,000), there aren't many quality pianos you can buy for 2,000.
2c) MOBILITY. Even the smallest piano is a fucker to move. If you move house or apartments, you have to hire specialist movers which are expensive.
2d) UPKEEP. You have to constantly pay to have them tuned.
agreed.
on the other hand, for $2k, buy a goddamn piano. or buy a $1,000 used piano, and $1000 worth of piano-ish plugins. People do learn to tune piano's, it's a learnable/teachable skill.
either way, piano!
my folks are dying for me to take their old kawai upright from the basement, which i'd love to do but i'd have to entirely relocate my vinyl... and the only reason i'm even thinking of doing that is because it's a piano. really an actual piano is a wonderful, wonderful thing to have.