Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Most luscious Steinway VST, please?

I'm talking about Steinway VST which do not need ANY post-recording massaging like additional EQ or compression to achieve their sound.

For instance, the YouTube videos of 7notemode of Ivory II sound incredible but even with some info he volunteered, an ordinary Joe like me who doesn't have in-depth audio manipulation knowledge won't ever be able to duplicate that result.

So I'm looking for straight beautiful-sounding Steinway VSTs that sound lush, charming, and rich. This is for classical music.

What are your favorites?

For that possibly The hammersmith, quite well recorded.

I doubt it works for classical but Addictive Keys Grande is very good as "produced" piano, the presets are good.

Vintage D

I confirm one has got the most realistic sound of Steinway so far.

I agree with above for Hammersmith and Vintage D for classical music if we talk about Steinway vst. My favorite is Piano in blue, but its not for some dynamic stuff. All in all, If I was you I will be probably skip all of this, and wait for (I hope) Production voices and his plans for sampling new Stainway vst in this year, or go for something else (VSL Vienna is the best for classical music at the moment because of excellent and huge dynamics). Unfortunately, I am not satisfied with Steinways vst to date.

Hammersmith seems interesting. There aren't a lot of demos out there, though.

From what I have read and listened to in discussions on other forums (notably VI-Control), IMO VintageD is miles above the Hammersmith in playability, as well as expressiveness and timbre in the softer dynamics (below p).

(Note that I own VintageD but not the Hammersmith. So my opinion of the Hammersmith is based on user demos, user feedback, and product pages.)

Hopefully for many of you wanting to try Hammersmith. The hammersmith may be added, to try-sound, who knows. Currently it is not, but there are a few trial test products vintage D is included for example, as is VSL Imperial.

http://try-sound.com/

Best service will add a feature where by you can try an instrument using try-sound and load it in your DAW as well via remote access. Basically an extra icon will appear along with the product on best service site and you can book a test session using try-sound.

I don't think it will be too much longer before try-sound 2 is back since I had a an email from best service. I presume many of you with a best service account got that email as well and may be already tried it to know more.

Latency is supposedly much improved, how much, no idea I have yet to test it out next week myself some time. I don't know, but it feels it's sort of in beta at the moment I guess, seeing they are asking users to try it out for feedback purposes.

So may be holding your horses with anyone thinking of buying and wait out for a bit and see what happens there.

I find the Hammersmith too brittle, clangy. It's ok below middle velocity values, after that, watch out!

I was holding my tongue on this, but after you raised this I have to join in agreement.Vintage D is far ahead of Hammersmith. I don't like the latter much at all.
Mine is based on ownership. Be grateful you do NOT have my uncontrollable G.A.S. Be happy with your V.D.

Are we talking about the Galaxy Vintage D at only 5 GB?
What about Sampletekk's Black Grand? Or CineSamples' Piano in Blue?

Maybe also check the Grandeur by Native instruments, it was sampled by Galaxy (makers of VIntage D)

Luscious doesn't always mean huge. See for example women.

Really? This is in poor taste.

Which one exactly?

If you want a VST similar to a Steinway, you basically have to try to get the best possible sound from any VST, not necessarily sampled from a Steinway. My favourite ones now are NI Una corda, the Garritan CFX, and the Vintage D.

I own the Grandeur. Someone on another forum had asked me about it (vs VintageD), and this is what I wrote:

"I just fired up both pianos to remind myself. In terms of engine, they seem equal in capability. But for me personally, there is no contest in sound: VintageD just commands the weight and gravitas of a full concert Steinway, while The Grandeur in comparison is anything but grand."

Given that lusciousness is the primary goal in this thread, I don't feel like The Grandeur is in the ballpark.

Agreed about the Grandeur. Further, it has a nasty habit of honking in the bass, especially with the pedal down.

On the plus side, it's easier to control than the Vintage D. But that's more a matter of my technique, and less a fault of the VD.

I'd never say that to another man!