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Pianissimo sounds superb. It is a tie with TruePianos' Atlantis module for the the best sounding piano for a PC I've played -- this includes a number from respected names like Yamaha, Roland [Edirol], Sampletank, Native Instruments and Soundiron. It sounds incredibly natural and responsive and is relatively light on the CPU. It has a few good preset models, a very good adjustable reverb, other nice settings [velocity control, simluated pedals, sympathetic resonance and piano lid position] and a simple, intuitive interface. The standalone version [included in the box, along with the plug-in version] launches quickly and plays and records MIDI without fuss. If you simply want to play virtual piano, it is a 10/10 product. Lovely, lovely.
I am only giving it a mark of 4, however, due to what I only discovered post-purchase is actually a known bug -- it needs 250 mb of RAM [which in and of itself is not a big problem] which must be contiguous. What this means is that if you use it in a multitrack project where you use enough other virtual instruments, you can run into a problem where Pianissimo, once inserted, can't access enough contiguous RAM, and so won't load properly the next time you open the project.
Here's an example. Recently I created a project where piano was pivotal; I loaded in Pianissimo, then a number of other virtual instruments, so in the end I had worked out an arrangemnent for about 10 virtual instruments in all. I saved and closed it, and all was ok. When I reopened it, however, Pianissmo would not load an error message said to either reinstall the program or contact tech supoort. I did the latter. I was told to be sure Pianissimo was the first instrument loaded in the project. Well, I'd already done that; but anyway, I started the project again, loading it first again. I then added the other instruments, recreated the project, saved and closed it and the same problem occurred the next time I re-opened.
Turns out tech support had failed to share with me an important piece of information [which was actually tucked away on the company's own website; shame on me for not scouring it closely enough; shame on them for not mentioning it to me, and not making it more conspicuous to begin with] -- namely, that in such cases, Pianissimo needs to be the first instrument loaded EVERY TIME the project opens. The only way to do this is to open the last saved version, remove all other instruments, load in Pianissimo, then reload the other instruments, and then reapply any FX and routing configuration you've used. Every time! Even though my total RAM usage was only around 75%.
This should not happen -- I've been able to use other instruments when RAM usage was close to 95%. [I am using a Windows 7, 32 but Dell Vostro laptop, 4 GB RAM, Intel i5 2.52 ghz CPU.] Effectively having to recontruct the instrument structure and configuration from scratch every time I reopen a moderately complex project is a huge hassle and time drain. It also reveals inexcusably buggy software design. I have around 40 virtual instruments, some of which predate Pianissimo by a few years, and Pianissimo is the only one with this flaw.
So, if you want a virtual piano for projects which will include other RAM-using virtual instruments, to be on the safe side, look elsewhere, unless you are certain in advance that their RAM demands will be quite small, or unless you like setting up your projects over and over again.
I’ll paint the picture: imagine you want to add a Steinway & Sons sound to your piano recordings, but you only have the budget to spend on a cheaper, more affordable digital piano.
With the help of VST instruments, you can make your keyboard sound like a Steinway grand piano, or perhaps a Rhodes electric piano, or an old-time Hammond organ.
You might not even own a full-length, 88-key digital piano, but may only have a MIDI keyboard with 49 or even 25 keys. Yet you will still be able to score that grand piano sound with the power of MIDI editing.
I own an 88-key Roland digital piano, as well as a Miditech 32-key midi keyboard, [and a Korg nanoKEY2 controller] – all of which can achieve the same remarkable sound through VST plugins.
What is a VST Plugin?
VST stands for “Virtual Studio Technology” and refers to instrumental or effects plug-ins within a DAW [Digital Audio Workstation] on your computer.
You may also hear VST instruments referred to as samples. Samples usually come in a library bundle called a “sample library.” Some well-known libraries include Native Instruments, Output, Vienna Symphonic Library, EastWest, and others.
In order to connect to a sample library, there is a program that hosts sound patches, otherwise known as a sampler.
Some well-known hosts include Kontakt 6 by Native Instruments, Play by EastWest, and Vienna Ensemble Pro. Think of these as “folders” containing different sampled sounds and allowing you to play them.
Kontakt 6 Sampler
For instance, opening the Kontakt player in a DAW will open a window where you can select the sound your piano will produce on a certain track. Selecting a trumpet sound will output your piano to sound like a trumpet.
Note that the instrument stays true to its range, so if you press the low keys on your piano, you won’t hear anything since a trumpet’s range doesn’t extend that low!
The sampled sounds are prepared by real people who devote hours recording a single note on an instrument in several different ways [such as staccato, legato, lower attacks, higher attacks, with a mute, etc.].
Most samplers can work as a standalone function on your computer [without the use of a DAW], so you’ll be able to play and hear the different samples.
Likewise, some VST instruments have standalone versions that don’t require any additional software whatsoever. However, to record and edit compositions, you’ll probably need a DAW.
Some industry-standard DAWs for composition and high-quality recording include: Cubase 10, Logic Pro X, Pro Tools 12, and Digital Performer 10.
Apple Logic Pro X
GarageBand is an outstanding DAW for beginners [and comes installed with every Apple computer and device], and Ableton Live is a well-known DAW for producing electronic dance music [EDM].
When you connect your digital keyboard to your computer and use sampled piano sounds through a sample library, you are transferring the note you play on your keyboard into a MIDI format.
MIDI is a musical language understood by your computer that transfers your musical performance [the notes you play, the velocity at which you play them, their dynamics, and their articulations] and outputs this through your DAW.
MIDI is an incredibly powerful tool that gives enables you to edit note pitches, the articulations of notes, and the phrasing and lengths of notes, as well as the dynamics, volume, and use of a sustain pedal.
Note that using a VST instrument is using a sampled or modeled sound, not the sound of your digital piano.
If you wish to record the audio of your piano, then refer to the PianoDreamers guide on recording audio.
Why Should I Use VSTs?
VST instruments offer a range of options for your recording needs. You may not like the preset sounds in your digital keyboard, or you may want to broaden your sound palette with different piano samples or to experiment with other instruments.
This may seem confusing, but you can use your digital piano as a MIDI controller, allowing you to play notes in a piano fashion, while your computer will output them as other instruments, such as a guitar or a violin, via VSTs.
Vocalists often ask me for a piano-backing track for a performance, but they need it in a different key. Instead of playing in another key and re-recording the original performance, I can move the MIDI notes in my DAW to transpose the sound.
You have the power to move around, change, and remove notes while experimenting with how they will be played. Is it a staccato passage? Should the pedal lift at the end of the phrase, etc.?
Recording MIDI in a DAW is less daunting since you have the ability to edit incorrect notes or change one note that was pressed a little too loudly.
This saves you time by eliminating the need to re-record or ‘punch in’ later [re-recording a passage within the piece]. You can change a sample once you’ve recorded in MIDI, so you may audition various sounds, then choose the one you prefer.
Getting the Right Equipment
To use VSTs, you will need access to the following:
— A digital piano or MIDI keyboard with access to either a USB Type B port or a traditional MIDI connection common to older keyboards. Please refer to our Connectivity Guide for connecting your keyboard into a computer.
— A DAW, such as Logic Pro X or Pro Tools 12 [in many cases you’ll be able to use your VST as a stand-alone but for more functionality a DAW is recomended]
— A computer or laptop [recommended with at least more than 10% storage space remaining and at least 16GB RAM]. This space enables you to download samples that may require sizable storage space, and the RAM empowers you to work quickly and efficiently without lag time in your DAW
— A set of monitor speakers or headphones
— Optional: an internal SSD to replace your computer’s hard drive [resulting in more CPU power and less PC crashes] and an external SSD for storing your samples.
If you can only afford one [since SSDs can be pricey], look to purchase an external SSD for storing your samples on the drive and for saving CPU usage.
— For advanced users: you may also wish to utilize a ‘slave’ computer, which is usually a higher-end desktop PC or Mac Pro from which you can run sample libraries without using your primary PC’s CPU.
The more samples you have, the less efficient and longer it will take to work with your DAW, so many industry composers use a slave PC to save on CPU usage.
To connect the two computers, you’ll need Vienna Ensemble Pro, which acts as a sampler to host your samples from the ‘slave’ computer to your main computer.
Note that the two computers do not need to be the same model.
In my case, for instance, my ‘slave’ computer is a PC and my main computer is a Macbook Pro. Both computers run an internal SSD and my PC hosts 64GB RAM for running samples more efficiently.
This equipment setup is entirely optional and depends on your workflow.
If you wish to use a few samples for different sounding pianos, you may work easily from a single computer or laptop and will not need a lot of RAM to do so [at least 16GB is recommended, but 8GB RAM is still workable].
Alternatively, you may feature an audio interface within your setup.
With an audio interface, you will be able to connect other instruments and microphones to record them, so you are not limited to a piano as your controller within your DAW.
You’ll be able to record the audio of different instruments by converting an analog signal into a digital one, and you will not be limited to your MIDI.
FAQ [VST Plugins]
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using VST instruments as opposed to using a keyboard’s native patches?
Advantages:
— Access to a large variety of different piano samples which you may prefer over your keyboard’s original default sound[s].
— Access to thousands of samples to change your keyboard’s sound into a completely different instrument, such as: a high-quality trombone, cello, flute, or percussion recording, etc.
— Experimenting and building a new sound palette to your compositions. For example, you may prepare a template that loads as a quirky ensemble of organ, saxophone, and string sounds which you can play around with as an ensemble.
— Learn basic orchestration. By using different sound patches, you’ll familiarize yourself with various instrument ranges, the kinds of articulations they are capable of playing, and the register[s] in which they ‘shine’ best.
For example, you can play a flute in a higher register for brighter sound, whereas its midrange will feature a mellow tone, and the low range features a darker tone suitable for suspense music.
A violin’s lowest note is the open G string below middle C, so playing in a violin VST will teach you about writing for violin – where its range ends and which register to choose for certain kinds of tone [bright, warm, etc.].
This method alone is not the best way to learn orchestration; it is more like watching a TV show in a second language with subtitles.
They may repeat a word, so you’ll learn a few words or phrases in another language, but this won’t make you fluent. If you’re serious about learning orchestration, refer to orchestration texts or get a music theory instructor.
Disadvantages:
— If you are new to music and rely on technology to teach you the basics, you’re in for a long journey ahead. While using VSTs can teach you subconsciously about basic orchestration [like instrument ranges], it is best to refer to other sources.
Since many new composers rely solely on technology, it should not be the only source to help them grow. They’ll also need to practice playing instrument[s] directly and notating actual sheet music.
— You are limited to your VSTs. If you are composing something in your DAW alone, your violin sample may not have a portamento feature [slide], so you will never choose to write music with this technique.
This can be very limiting, so I suggest writing in a notation program as well as a DAW to help you grow as a composer.
— The process of learning about VSTs falls into music technology and production. This is a subject in itself, just like mastering the piano or learning to teach music.
Learning VSTs and making a setup from scratch can be complicated and daunting. Though I’m hoping this article lightens your load, it can still be complicated at first.
Are pianos the only VST instruments?
Not at all – piano VSTs are just a small percentage of sampled sounds available.
VST instruments categorize as orchestral samples, synthesizers and electronic soundscapes, and rock or jazz band scenarios, as well as instrumental effects and sound design. This is why sample libraries can get expensive really fast when you need a full library of sampled orchestral sounds.
It is also why the use of an SSD will make your workflow faster and more efficient. Imagine loading a DAW template with thousands of samples; with an SSD, the load time for samples decreases greatly.
Modeled vs Sampled VSTs
You may encounter the terms ‘modeled’ [aka synthesized] or ‘sampled’ when looking at VST piano instruments.
The difference between these terms is that ‘sampled’ sounds are actual audio recorded with microphones, while ‘modeled’ sounds are an imitation of an acoustic instrument produced by a synthesizer.
‘Sampled’ libraries outnumber ‘modeled’ libraries, since modeling instruments require more knowledge than does recording an instrument’s notes with a microphone.
Since sampled sounds are tiny bits of audio that have been recorded, this may be more demanding on your CPU and storage, while modeled patches are lighter on data storage and more efficient for CPU.
Modeled sounds can produce more articulate phrases and are not limited to samples recorded by real musicians. Sampled sounds, however, are good for recorded acoustic environments.
Many samples include the true vibrato, attack, and tone of an acoustic instrument, so you won’t need to do much programming to make a sample sound good.
Some pianistic sound elements, like sympathetic string resonance and key-off resonance, are difficult to record, so some sample libraries may use modeling to generate these effects.
Samples depend heavily on recording studio space, recording engineers, and equipment such as microphones and instruments.
Sampled piano VSTs include Garritan CFX Concert Grand, and Synthogy Ivory II, while modeled piano VSTs include Arturia Piano V, and Pianoteq 6.
How many instruments are included with a library?
This depends! You may be purchasing a single solo instrument or your library may include various instruments, different orchestral sections, etc.
Always check what is included with your library to know how many instrument samples you will receive.
The more instruments in a library, the more expensive it may be. Many libraries feature music track demos performed by musicians so you can hear what your samples have the potential to sound like. You should listen to these before you make a purchase.
How do I choose the best piano VST plugin?
There is no one answer to this question. A good place to start is to identify which acoustic piano brand produces the sound you prefer, whether a Steinway, Bösendorfer, Yamaha grand piano, etc.
Many of these brands to have been recorded meticulously into sample libraries. You may also wish to have a piano sample for a particular style, such as a solo performance, a piano be blended in with an orchestra, or a recording in a jazz or rock band.
Many VSTs are versatile and offer a solo patch as well as a piano sample that can be blended with other instruments.
Does bigger size [more GB] mean better quality?
Not necessarily…
Yes, the size of the library is an indirect indication of how meticulously the instrument was recorded, in other words how many samples were recorded at different dynamics per each key.
The more samples is recorded per key the more expressive and dynamic the piano sound is going to be, though there are other important factors that can affect that.
With that said, the size of the library, or in other words, the disk space it takes up after the installation can be a bit misleading.
The thing is that the final size of the library will largely depend on which format and audio compression method is used for samples.
Most high-quality piano VST libraries will use lossless audio compression, which preserves the exact copy of the original audio data, as opposed to lossy compression methods such as MP3, AAC, etc.
However, some libraries use the original uncompressed files [PCM], which makes it considerable larger than libraries that use lossless audio compression and store their samples in formats like FLAC, ALAC, etc.
That’s why when you download the Garritan CFX Concert Grand, it weighs less than 20GB but when you actually install it, the library decompresses to PCM and requires more than 100GB of disk space.
The Ravenscroft 275 and the Addictive Keys Studio Grands VSTs, on the contrary, require less than 6GB of disk space thanks for more efficiently organized storage using lossless compression formats.
The Vienna Imperial is quite large in size but it’s still very efficient, considering that it contains around 100 velocity layers per key [the Garritan CFX has 20] and still needs twice as less disk space as the Garritan CFX.
Can I hear the sound of VST instruments via my keyboard's built-in speakers?
The important thing to remember is that VST plugins are run on your computer/smart device.
So, it’s your computer [or whatever device you’re using] that generates the sound based on the MIDI data it receives from your keyboard.
In order to hear the VST plugin [or any other audio played on your computer] through your keyboard’s built-in speakers, you’ll need to route the audio signal back to your keyboard.
Remember that USB type B [aka USB to Host, USB type B] port found on most modern keyboards can transfer MIDI data, but not audio.
Therefore, to output the sound generated by a VST plugin to your keyboard, your keyboard should have an Audio In jack.
You can then connect your computer’s Headphone jack to the keyboard’s Audio In jack using a simple 1/8″ male to 1/8″ male TRS stereo cable [you may need an adapter or a different cable if your keyboard/computer has a 1/4″ plug rather than 1/8″].
When connected, the audio signal from your computer will go straight into the keyboard, and you’ll be able to hear it via the keyboard’s speakers.
Some higher-end keyboards [e.g. Roland RD-2000, Yamaha Montage, Yamaha MX series, etc.] as well as Yamaha’s newer digital pianos [P-125, P-515, YDP-144, YDP-164, YDP-S54] can exchange both MIDI and Audio data via their USB type B port [aka “USB Audio Interface” function].
In this case, all you need is a USB A to B cable, and [usually] some additional drivers that you’ll need to download from the manufacturer’s website.
Once you do that, you’ll be able to enjoy digital quality audio transferred to your keyboard via a single USB cable. The same cable will be used to send MIDI data from your keyboard to the computer at the same time.
But even then, this is not an optimal solution. The built-in speakers of digital pianos are usually designed to work best with preset sounds and may not sound great when connected to external audio sources.
Plus, the speakers on portable digital pianos and keyboards are hardly impressive, so it makes sense investing in a pair of good external speakers or headphones to get the most out of your VST plugin in terms of sound quality.
The Best Piano VSTs Comparison Table
- Model
- Company
- Type Read our FAQ section above for more information about sampled vs modeled VST plugins.
- Sampled Instruments Musical instruments that were used to record the samples. In the case of modeled VSTs, these instruments are what the plugins are modeled after.
- Velocity Layers The number of dynamic layers recorded for each note, from the softest pianissimo to the loudest fortissimo. The more velocity layers the plugin has, the more natural and smooth volume/timbre transitions are going to be.
- Mic Perspectives The position of the mics during the recording session changes the character of the sound quite a bit. Some plugins allow you to choose from different mic perspectives to get a more intimate or brighter sound.
- Library Size This is how much disk space the library requires. Different libraries have different number/length of samples and use different compression methods, which is why they vary in size quite a lot. Many libraries allow you to install a Lite version with fewer options for customization and/or fewer sounds, which makes the library much smaller in size.
- Standalone Version Normally, to run a VST plugin you'd need a sampler [sample player] and, in some cases, a DAW to connect it to. However, these days, many VST plugins can work as standalone and don't require any additional software.
- Keyscape
- Spectrasonics
- Sampled
- Yamaha C7 + other instruments There are over 500 high-quality sounds and 36 instrument models including electric pianos, clavinets, plucked keyboards, belltone keyboards and more.
- up to 32 layers
- 80 GB
- Garritan CFX
- Garritan
- Sampled
- Yamaha CFX
- ~20 layers
- 3 perspectives [7 placements]
- 123 GB
- Vienna Imperial
- VSL
- Sampled
- Bösendorfer Imperial 290-755
- up to 100 layers
- 3 perspectives
- 46.8 GB
- Ravenscroft 275
- VI Labs
- Sampled
- Ravenscroft 275
- 19 layers
- 4 perspectives
- 5.32 GB
- Pianoteq 7
- Modartt
- Modeled
- Steinway D, Steinway B, Bechstein + other instruments Depending on your Pianoteq version [Stage, Standard, or PRO], you can choose 2, 3, or 4 instruments packs from the library.
- all 127 layers [MIDI limit]
- 5 perspectives [Standard/PRO versions only]
-