I was thinking about getting a setup for recording piano music, and a friend suggested I get a computer, a midi controller (after I'm done here I'm going to Guitar Center in La Mesa, CA, to try a few), and a good sound sample setup, and he suggested the East West Bosendorfer 290.

I know about the Purgatory Creek Piano Shootout page, and I downloaded several samples from there. From what I can tell, I liked a Fazioli 10' grand best, but I'm wondering where I can find a good one that has every note sampled, no looping, multiple velocity samples, and pedal down/up samples? Or, where can I find some other good samples of other instruments? If possible, I'd like to listen to demos of them, then maybe discuss them with my dad / friend, and decide what / if we want to buy something.

(note: I was originally considering getting a Casio PX-555r.)

In terms of piano samples, Synthogy Ivory seems to be the best bet. It's a bit expensive, however. You should take into consideration that they've announced a new addition of Fazioli grand to the library in second half of the year.

For Ivory, take a look here:


http://www.ilio.com/synthogy/ivory/index.html


And here:


http://www.synthogy.com/


Mel

Ivory is very good, but I don't think it gives you the most "realistic" sound. To me they sound like a very well processed piano sounds from a pop CD recording.

For more live organic sound, I prefer Art Vista Virtual Grand Piano.

Also take a look at Sampletak The Big One (TBO).

According to MusiciansFriend.com, that Italian piano addon is scheduled to be available today. That one looks promising, but it would help if I could hear some audio samples. Do you know where I could hear samples of it? The website (Synthology) has samples of the Bosendorfer 290, Steinway D, and Yamaha C7 (why isn't it a CFIIIs?), but I haven't found a sample of the Fazioli F308.

Another piano whose sound I really like is the Klavins upright , but unfortunately I don't know of any software synth version of it.

One thing I noticed is that the Klavins upright and the Fazioli concert grand, both pianos whose sound I really like, have Abel hammers in them. I wonder what David Rubenstein's R-371 would sound like with Abels? (I think it has Renner hammers, and while the bass is quite impressive, the midrange and treble (although it is quite nice) IMO isn't QUITE as pleasing to my ear as the Fazioli or Klavins.)

That Art Vista didn't impress me all that much.

As for piano sample library software, one I'm considering (especially when the Fazioli add-on is available) is Synthogy's "Ivory", which includes a Steinway D, Bosendorfer 290, and Yamaha C7. A couple others I've looked at are Acoustik Piano, which has a D, 290, Bechstein D-280, Steingraeber 138, and East West Bosendorfer 290.

Are there any suggestions for other software packages I should look into? I currently only need piano sounds right now, although I may want to expand in the future and add other instruments, like drums and guitars, and others, in the future.
I would like to get one that offers as many different 9-foot-plus pianos as reasonably possible, but ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT would be a Fazioli F-308.
Requirements include every note on the piano sampled with multiple velocity samples pedal up and pedal down, with no sample looping. I haven't talked yet to my dad about pricing, but I'm hoping we can swing a few hundred $ for this, plus about $500 for a midi controller with weighted keys, and we also will need to get a laptop (for portability reasons) computer with decent specs (I was pricing a few custom-built major brands, and it looks like we're easily talking $2000 for the laptop).

Other pianos I'd really like to have as a sample library are David Rubenstein's 12-foot grand, and David Klavins' 12-foot upright. (I ESPECIALLY love the tone of that piano from the clip on his website, btw, for mf playing. I'd want something with more sizzle / punch / ultrabrightness / etc. for ff playing. Most Bosendorfers and Steinways I've played / heard have been too dull.)

88key,

What was your impression? Have you listened to this demo?
http://www.artvista.net/VGP%20Demos/VGP_Improvisation_Demo.mp3

I think if you compare Art Vista with other sampled pianos, you will be disappointed. (that was my first reaction when someone pointed out Art Vista to me when I was about to buy Ivory).

But if you compare it with a REAL grand piano, I personally think Art Vista is the closest to a real piano.

If you like well recorded piano sounds that you so often hear on non-jazz and non-classical radios and CDs, then you probably won't like Art Vista (because none of those piano sounds on radios are real pianos, or heavily compressed or EQ'd)

Let's see... on the first part of the demo... that's NOT the sound I'm looking for, and some of the piano sounds a bit "dead" or whatever the word I'm looking for is. It's way too mellow, but does start improving a very tiny bit when he plays a little lounder. Also, it's a bit out of tune. Another thing is the low bass doesn't have the clarity and resonance that I want. (note: some Steinway D's (8'11" - this is a B (6'11") in the recording) don't have good enough low bass for my taste.)
Yes, it's quite close to many real Steinway B's I've played, but then, I don't like the sound of Steinway B's I've played. I remember a Fazioli F278 I played in VA several years ago that really sang to me, though!

I realise this thread is a bit old (!)...

Just thought I'd mention the Schimmel Braunshweig Upright, as a very life-like piano, seeing as no one has mentioned it already:

http://www.imperfectsamples.com/website/samples/braunschweig/braunschweiguprightpiano.php

(and yes, I made it!)

For life-like pianos, you should definitely go for either the alta vista or imperfect samples

PS- by alta vista, I mean their Malmsjo Grand.

An old thread revisited, but here goes anyways.

I found this link off Synthogy's site:
http://www.try-sound.com/index2.asp?plg=iv_grand&slng=en

I have not tried it yet, but it sounds like a good idea for trying out some of the samples like Ivory that do not have a lot of trial versions already available.

Rich