With all the piano libraries on the market today, how do we cut through the marketing noise? Well, i know that everyone’s ears and needs are different, but if you consider the following options, it may reduce the time you spend looking for and testing piano libraries.  In my opinion, they provide the best combination of authenticity and explorable creativity.

Modartt Pianoteq – This is my first mention because more people need to know about cutting edge sample-modelling technologies.  Pianoteq produces authentic sounding instrument tones with NO SAMPLES, which means it takes minimal space on your computer.  Everything is generated in real-time using advanced algorithms. What’s amazing is the ability to customize physical parameters such as string tension, resonance, per-note tuning, and more.  There are over a dozen forms of acoustic, electric, and digital pianos.  There are also bells, vibraphones, guitar, harps, and other interesting emulations.  I have particularly focused on making lo-fi piano presets with it and shared some on their website. 

Spectrasonics Keyscape – Arguably one of the best sample piano library collections ever.  Covering acoustic, electric, and hybrid blends, Keyscape has incredible detail and provide a reliable sound.  For owners of Omnisphere, Keyscape unlocks exclusive presets when both products and installed and up-to-date.  I have spent countless days exploring and was part of it’s debut event at NAMM.

Native Instruments (Kontakt) Noire, Corda. Claire – My favorite piano libraries in Kontakt format.  They offer a wide range from natural sounding to lo-fi and animated.  NI has been adding a lot of creative features to their latest piano libraries to the benefit of composers. While I raise an eyebrow to their Play Series libraries, the piano catalog is solid.

IK Multimedia Pianoverse – A fresh take on acoustic pianos, offering a creative blend of acoustic samples with a variety of impulse responses and fx options.  I was really impressed with the sound of their upright pianos.  I felt like I was in front of the real thing.  The only down side is their collection (currently 8 piano models) requires around 260GB of storage.

Conclusion

One of these product may be all that you need.  Each can be built upon with your own settings and fx chains. Having all of them, I don’t see a need for another piano library in the foreseeable future.