I must have tried them all. Seriously.

Some of them are adequate for specific backings, but none of them are believable as solo pianos.
Synthogy is an overpriced joke (yes, it is - even the American D. Wish Id never bought it). Kontakt libraries are equally as terrible - yes, all of them. EZKeys and 4Front? Laughable.

Oddly, the Spectrasonics Keyscape isn't utterly vomit-inducing, but its still not there.

Who wouldn't I kill for a baby grand with midi control?

Somebody save me from this sea of shit.

 

I'm not a professional pianist, but the physical modelling piano of Modartt receive good critics.
https://www.modartt.com/
Have you tried it?

Anyways I've been lucky enough to play with grand pianos in big studios, Pleyel, Bösendorfer etc...
and I think it's impossible to reproduce all the nuances of a real piano with a virtual one.

 

Last edited: Jan 10, 2020

Have you tried the Embertone Walker 1955 Concert D library?

 

https://eu.steinway.com/en/pianos/steinway-grand-pianos/

 

I am! For about 30 years now. Have to say, if there was just one I had to have, it would be Pianoteq by Modartt, just as you said @Olymoon.

Nope! And you being so sure of that still won't bait me to reveal my secret weapons! lol.
I don't believe you've searched enough.

 

I confess that I haven't. Two of you are voting for it so I'll remedy this. Any particular library for the Pianoteq?

Me too, and agreed. I really just want a realistic sounding library for home use.

Yes. I think it's rubbish. Sorry.

Hmm, I'm intrigued. I honestly don't believe that there exists a Kontakt piano library that I haven't tried.

Give me a clue?

 

Bardstown Studio Bosendorfer?

 

Garritan Steinway D under lid perspective is by far the best! Should work perfectly for soundtracks too (close and intimate sound). Spitfire's HZ Piano should work for Soundtrack too.

 

Last edited: Jan 10, 2020

I used to use that a lot. It falls into the "only ok" category for me.

 

If it's anything like CFX, I doubt it's any good.

Spitfire's HZ is simply abominable. Both of them.

 

Are you sure this is not a live vs recorded instruments problem? A recorded piano sounds nothing like a live piano. This is the audiophiles holy grail and I must say I once heard something realistic coming from speakers at a speaker builder shop. I was really confused from the other room. Where is that jazz trio??? But it needed to be very loud to be realistic,so simply volume is also an issue. I tried matching the volume of a software piano to a real piano and the playback system could not cope anywhere near. It was not very big but decent enough for music production, but getting it near the piano in level made it sound horrible. I guess you would need a small PA simply for level.. So just my 2 cents

 

It's always the same with these pianos. Either they play nicely. Or they sound nicely. They will either play nicely and sound like crap, or play like crap and sound nicely. But I have yet to find one that plays and sounds equally nice at the same time.

 

Agreed. But it doesn't matter how good it sounds if it doesn't play nicely.
I don't feel "plays nicely and sounds like crap" is even a real experience I've ever had. Think about it. It only "plays nicely" if tone & dynamics actually respond under your fingers, eh?
Same for a real acoustic piano or digital/sampled/modelled pianos.

 

Hans Zimmer Piano (Spot D) is not that bad (for soundtrack it should work pretty good). Please try Garritan Steinway D, it is by far the best piano and I tested all of them (it's not like CFX).

If you send me a midi file I can run it and send you back the audio?

 

Last edited: Jan 10, 2020

Of course you have.
What are the main selling points for you re. Gary's Steinway D?
And why would you not like to have all models of piano, not just a Steinway, or even just a D, in one small footprint of a cpu friendly modelled piano? Just out of interest? And I'm not saying Pianoteq is an ultimate answer at all.
But it's the one the op hasn't tried yet. Having mentioned that he/she has already tried one of the two you mention.

 

That's what I said

Main selling points (from Garritan):
Created in partnership with Steinway & Sons
The very finest concert grand piano - the Steinway Model D Concert Grand hand-picked by Steinway & Sons
Overseen by Steinway & Sons' most accomplished master technician
Sustain/Sostenuto/Soft pedal support
Proportional sustain pedaling
Multiple-stage tracking release triggers to provide the natural release of the hammer from the string
Recorded soft pedal samples including releases

For me it is the beautiful sound with real release samples (often missing in other libraries). Pianoteq is pretty good, but still a little bit artificial sounding. I don't want many different pianos, a Steinway D is all I need.

 

I was aware of Gary's sales points, thanks; I meant what were the selling points for you.

They made other models too, y'know.

Now that's interesting/bewildering to me!

 

I think you should try at least the basic version. I am curious about your impressions.

 

I advise you to use Modartt Pianoteq STAGE and achieve the desired color/mood through external reverb and/or Convolution reverb (to emulate the effect of different microphones). You can't go wrong with it...

PS: Garritan pianos (two Concert D grand pianos, two Studio B grand) contained in Personal Orchestra bundle are useful... for sketching!

 

Last edited: Jan 10, 2020

I do love Pianoteq, would recd, but mainly because of the thing (well, lots of things) that you can't do w/ samples: variable (continuous) sustain pedal. Which makes me cry w/ pleasure >___> You can hopefully find a piano that you like among the many (preset) models, and it's more adjustable to suit than anything. Even though I don't like the sound (mainly in low reg / attacks) compared to my fave Kontakt pia (Hammersmith).

The thing about what suits you is subjective, difficult to believe that you have tried everything and not liked something from (top of head) Imperfect Samples either?