I think this is possibly the best sounding VST piano you have demonstrated. I also saw this NAMM 2015/16 on CZcams and loved it since then. Also bought the library. Well worth it. Need to add superbly played and expertly presented!
Referred today by trusted Forum member while deciding on Ravenscroft 275 UVI library. Must echo other comments in terms of being one of most thorough, useful, enjoyable reviews experienced in recent times. Talented demonstration, fine audio, excellent GUI coverage, relevant personal impressions. Subscribed and looking forward to much more !
What a pleasure to hear someone demonstrate this piano so sensitively and musically, I have the Ravenscroft and Pianoteq 7, and love them both for their different qualities. With the Ravenscroft I tend to use only one mic at a time (usually the Close or Player) rather than mixing them - I find that the sound seems to lose something indefinable when they're combined. The Una Corda is wonderful too - to my ears the perfect 'felt' piano.
Hi Stu, Great to see you reviewing a VST piano for a change;). I've owned this for a couple of years, after working my way through many other sampled pianos. I play this trhough choice virtually all the time now, it has a beautiful tone and some of the best sympathetic resonance of any sampled piano I've heard. I only wish my playing was as good as yours!. Look forward to many more of your reviews & listening to you play. Best Wishes, Andy
You are a great reviewer, Stu. When I see you smiling at 15:38 I say to myself: this Vst has to be great! It´s like get a Simon Cowell´s smile in a Got Talent show...
I've watched your videos for about a year now Stu, and I always enjoy/find them informative as well as your great playing. This video was a bit different IMO because you played more slow music which let the piano VST 'speak' tonally more than with fast pieces. I've owned this for a while but have only recently begun to explore it's possibilities. And I've purchased the VSL Synchron Steinway thanks in part to your excellent review. It's terrific.
Hi there! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thank you for tuning in and supporting our channel over the last year! We really appreciate it. I will be sure to pass on your kind words to Stu for you. :) We're happy to hear that our reviews helped you a bit in your decision making process! Thanks again and happy playing!
I was at the same show and I had been going to NAMM for 20 + years. I thought this VST controlled by the Kawai VP-1, was astonishingly close to the actual Ravenscroft Grand that I also played. Yes I would also say it was the highlight of the show for me. Check Ruslan Sirota and Robi Botos playing the Ravenscroft plugin at that same NAMM show - Ruslan's playing is stunning!
I've had this plug in for quite a while now and keep coming back to it. I totally agree with your last comments re this being great for solo playing. The depth of expression you can get with Ravenscroft is quite stunning and it's inspirational to play. But I also agree it can get a bit lost in a more complex mix. I so wanted to use it in a track as it's so good, but in the end I got lazy and used Native Instruments "Grandeur" Piano which cuts through well. Love your playing and in depth reviews. Looking to replace my old Yamaha P200 with either the Kawai ES920 or Yamaha P515. I'll choose when I can finally get to test the key actions on both and look forward to playing the Ravenscroft on whatever I go for.
I couldn't help but smile when I read that you have a Yamaha P200. I too had a Yamaha P200, and that thing was a tank. It came with me to undergrad (my freshman roommate disliked how big it was), but after 15 years of use I decided to get the Kawai VPC1 a couple years ago. I'm not necessarily disappointed with it, but it made me realize how far ahead of its time that P200 really was.
Well, I've recently gotten into the VST world, since I've transitioned from becoming a straightahead pianist to a keyboardist and producer, and I can definitely agree with you on this one. I've got to hear The Garritan CFX, the VSL Syncron, another CFX, and even lots of people say that Syncron is the best plug-in on the market, which could be true, this would be the first piano vst that I'm gonna get. It has a specific warmth to it, a specific gentleness that it keeps me coming back to it. I do get the feeling that it would get lost in a wider mix, but overall it sounds gorgeous!!!
Thanks. Your VST Plugin Review series is outstanding. It would be nice to do a review of the Vienna Symphony piano collection. As you no doubt know they have the CFX, BosenD & Hamburg there. Top price for the (currently) most complete sampled set available. Please consider doing a "Setting up a play back system 101" presentation. It would complete the picture, especially for us VST 'beginners'.
Agreed, with earphones this piano is absolutely splendid. I mean gorgeous. Going through a monitor takes some adjusting and although it’s been out a while I’m new to it. Definitely doesn’t give me the same feel through a monitor but thanks for the options. To practice with such a beautiful sound is simply Godly.
First let me observe that most of these comments are written to Stu but he is not responding, it seems Brent is answering everything. With that in mind let me say... It is so refreshing to see someone review a piano demo who knows how to actually PLAY the piano. Most of these guys just know a few little blues or Jazz licks, but they never actually make music with the piano. Stew is letting us hear what the software actually sounds like as if someone played it like a piano. It's so refreshing. Plus he's a heck of a player, I'd like to have some of his recordings. I love the sound of this piano, I bought it over a year ago. But I can't get past the ILok problems. I can't get the piano to play. I did several emails back and forth with someone I assume with the company. But we never got anything settled and I still can't play the dang piano. I hope to see more reviews from Stu and I wish he would release at least one album.
Hi! Brent here! Thank you for tuning in! I know that a lot of these questions are directed towards Stu, but, as the president of Merriam Music, he is an extremely busy guy as you can imagine. A lot of his efforts are put towards producing these videos. But, with that said, we really value the questions and comments by our community members and try to respond to as many of them as possible. In order to do so, we need to rely on other team members (like myself) to pitch in. I know Stu appreciates the kind words and support. I'm always happy to share them with him when I chat with him. I'm sorry to hear that you've been having issues with the iLok. I hope you're able to get that resolved. I know getting some of this stuff configured can be tedious, but it can be well worth it. Also, Stu has released an album, which you can check out samples for and purchase here: www.stuharrison.com/
This is an extremely realistic sounding plugin. Might not be the sound you want on every track, but it captures this cinematic, vintage, woody slant of piano sounds - exceedingly well. EDIT(several months after the comments above: Listening again on a better reproduction system leaves me with an impression that either the piano has a soft attack, more like a harp or a guitar, also with a quick decay OR With a bit of adjustment, it might be better to adjust the velocity sensitivity, for a slightly higher sharper attack. A unique sound definitely, well suited to ethereal music. Now I appreciate my first impressions. Might be difficult to cut through a mix. It's sound is too polite. Is it also possible that the sample start point could be adjusted to increase the attack portion?
One really cool thing about this particular VST is that there is an AUV3 version that you can run on an iPad. Just the close mics, but none-the-less, it is there and it sounds fantastic!
Just to point out as wonderful as this VST sounds, I've attempted to use piano VST's at gigs, but always find they lack body and warmth in a live setting as compared to a standalone keyboard such as a Kurzweil or Yamaha. Not sure why? I always used a quality sound interface (Focusrite Scarlett etc). That's why I recently purchased a Kawai ES920 for live settings. VST's are particularly convenient in recording settings.
I purchased the ios version. When I moved to Logic, I had to purchase the plug in even though it was 5 times more expensive because I just couldn't find the alternatives... Just purchased the plugin and am excited to try it out on my Logic. Thank you for the review!
How do you like the Ravenscroft computer version compared to the iOS version? Thank you for your help! (PS. I'm simply asking because actually I'm thinking of doing the same, buying and testing the iOS version (although it surely a "dumbed down" version, but still using some of the same samples at least), and later I buy the Ravenscroft computer plugin version too.)
@@kaisfp I am enjoying the computer version because, honestly, there is no different that I can notice except the user experience. Sound quality-wise, they are exactly the same in my opinion. With that said, I've never gone back to iPad because now I do all my mixing work and recording on the computer. I just love the sound of ravenscroft.
Stu !!! Oh My Gosh, Thank You Soooooo, Much! Like I said before, I couldn't get my VI Labs and rig to work correctly. It has to be my DAW and rotten old P/C . Again Thanks from an Old Piano Banger Truly Appreciated!
Stu....I love your arrangemet of "Here's That Rainy Day" The piano plugin is a beaut, for sure. I peaks my interestin the exploration of this particular plugin. The Ravencroft is one of those pianos of a ratified nature. Not your standard concert instrument, waaaay out of ther reach of the ordinary pianist. Thank you for this eye opener, and yes this is the rabbit hole that almost impossible and undesirable to leave. It's a good thing the is not a consumable product, OD all around.
Thanks for all the great reviews of these VSTs. I’m planning on doing more sound design work and while you can use a digital piano as a MIDI interface, a dedicated one will always have better integration with a DAW. I’m looking at some 88 key interfaces, like the Arturia KeyLab 88 MkII, Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S88, Studiologic SL88 Grand & Roland A-88 MKII . I can find all the information I need about the MIDI functions of these boards, but except for the Roland (I’m very familiar with the PHA-4), there are conflicting reviews on their keybeds. I know most are made by Fatar, but they are different models. Read any reviews of these keyboards and you will get comments from players who say they are fantastic and others who say they are squishy or the action is too heavy or it is inconsistent. There is nowhere around here where I can go and try these. If it were possible it would be a great help if you could get these to review the action and the keybed. Maybe play the same VST and compare them. Having you relate these actions to those that I and others are familiar with like PHA-4 and RHIII would be a great help.
That's fantastic! Congrats on making the plunge into the Ravenscroft 275 VST! We're happy to hear that you're enjoying it! Thanks for tuning in and happy playing! :)
Very nice playing. You recorded into the YT video from the computer line out? Could you make the sound a bit more cinematic with the controls in the plugin and workstation. Cinematic as example, it is a bit of a hype.
One of the many things I like about Pianoteq is that the audio sounds like it’s already been mastered. The Ravenscroft comes as close to a similar sound in that regard as any of the sample-based piano VSTs I’ve heard.
This is definitely one of my favorite piano samples in existence. Seriously considering plunking down the $200 just to connect my CA49 to my laptop and listen to it through headphones. If I could also somehow get access to Nord's White Grand sample without buying one of their (expensive) instruments, then between it, the Kawai SK-EX, and the Ravenscroft samples, I'd be in piano heaven.
There is also ios version of this plugin, that is much cheaper. For headphones it should be sufficient. Did you consider it? I have it and like it a lot.
I hope that in the future, most digital pianos and controllers will have an extra USB A input dedicated to plugging in additional sounds made by third parties. The sounds could be sold individually on separate thumb drives, and these could be controlled via a mobile or tablet which is also connected to the piano. There must be some great pianos (or other instruments) that you can fit onto a high capacity thumb drive.
I really love this VST to death. It just seems to 'sing' in a way very few other VSTs do. Though I'm just an adult beginner/intermediate, I've listened to pianos forever and I've just gotten used to the sound of a Steinway, Yamaha, or bosendorfer, and the Ravenscroft really does seem to have a unique tone quality. It manages to be 'bright' without losing the ability to handle soft passages in a way I feel some other 'bright' pianos do. My one caveat with this VST, and I don't know how much of it is the a tual piano vs VST, is that I don't feel like I get the same dynamics in the bass as I do with the rest of the range or some other pianos. But maybe it's just the player =] This and Pianoteq are my favorites, with Embertone closely behind. I just feel the Embertone is hard to get a softer quality from, and its way more taxing for weaker PCs. Even on a top-end laptop, it took me a while to get the settings right for smooth playback.
The curious thing about this is the sound waves are being generated by a series of 1's and 0's that are converted to analog, and then amplified and projected with an electromagnet vibrating a thin, but stiff, paper cone. It's a long way from a physical instrument constructed of wood, cast iron, vibrating steel wire, amplified by a large thin sheet of wood composed of several thin planks glued edge to edge. As an aside I'm wearing my budget level Sennheisers for this experience. Your headphone demonstration was stellar. If the es920 sounded like this out of the box, I would not have cancelled my order.
Keep in mind that when you record your impressive "physical instrument constructed of wood, cast iron, vibrating steel wire," you'll be using a little device called a microphone that has a tiny, vibrating membrane to pick up all that sound.
thanks for this review Stu....i bought this 275 plugin...got a Yamaha N1X hybrid digital piano...it's much much cheaper than the VSL plugins that i have though
11:44 - By the way, Alicia's Keys has 12 velocity layers and it is pretty steppy when it comes to playability, I bought it 50 off 49bucks yesterday and I regret it, so now I'm planing to buy the Ravenscroft, I've read that last year they started their sale on November 25th.
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! I have quite a bit of experience with using Alicia's Keys. I certainly know what you mean, but I have found it to be quite a successful VST with some tweaks to the settings and a little bit of work on the backend with additional processing. Thanks for tuning in and all the best! :)
11:44 - Ravenscroft has 19 velocity layers, I got this from the official VI Labs Audio Ravenscroft 275 webpage. NOIRE has 22 velocity layers. THE GENTLEMAN has 16. I woould say, around 20 velocity layers is the minimum to have a really smooth feel of playability, but I would imagine that there might be some other factors that can improve the playability of a piano sample library (other then a high number of velocity layers, but velocity layers are probably the most important).
Thank you so much for your kind words! We sincerely appreciate it. Also, thanks for sharing the info. I am sure many of our VST-enthusiast community members appreciate it immensely. :)
We don't really need to see so much of the DAW, but it would be nice to see the plug-in's pop-up screen a bit bigger or closer up. Even on my desktop computer (and on full screen display) it's not easy to read the descriptions, and on smaller devices it must be next to impossible. And while I like watching Stu play, it would be good to mix in a few more shots of the plug-in, and not wait so long to see it. Anyway, I'm still enjoying these videos and feel very privileged to be able to watch such informative and personalised reviews. I imagine that the dryness of the sampling is best suited to professional applications such as recording, rather than pleasure at practice time. Likewise, you can tell whether a physical digital piano was designed for professional applications by the austerity of the default effects settings for the main patches. I hope Stu will make a summary video of all these piano VSTs with rankings for their respective advantages.
Hi Stu, It sounds really wonderful, it is incredible. Could you tell me which keyboard and speakers or amplifier is giving us this wonderful sound, the whole of all this and of course your mastery as a pianist are a large part of this result, Thank you very much for your music !!
Stu thanks so much for this review on Ravenscroft 275. Could you please tell me what settings you are using on the very first demo following your mentioning the thousand year spruce that the original Ravenscroft 275 is built with? I am trying to get mine to sound like your demo. Thanks.
Hi thomas from germany thank you so much now i watches quite a view videos of your channel; my question is now is ift it is necessary to care for the onboard sounds like kawais es 920 or better to invest in this software and a good piana i mean the vcd. Thanks thomas
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! I would have to ask Stu about his hardware setup. Perhaps, that can be covered in a future VST review/comparison video. :)
Is it a big improvement and a smart play to run a vst like this through an fp90x? Just ordered one, wondering if I should get some monitors and buy a vst to get most organic acoustic tone.
hello. great review. congrats! i need an advice. for best results with ravenscroft (sound quality and low latency) do i need an external audio interface? thank you
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! You don't necessarily need an external audio interface. It is a difficult question to answer without knowing your exact setup as there are a variety of elements that will factor into the over sonic experience and amount of latency. I would try to optimize these elements as much as possible with your current setup to see if you can find a satisfactory experience. If you are unable to, you may need to invest in more hardware to help improve the overall experience. Thanks and hope this helps! :)
I have another question if you don't mind: Do you have or maybe plan to get Modern U (even for just a review video)? Currently I'm hesitating between Ravenscroft and Modern U, and I like the sound of the Modern U a little bit more, but I have no idea how the Modern U's playability compares to Ravenscroft's playability. Thank you!
We try to tackle as many VST review and comparison videos as possible and will certainly add the Modern U to the list of potential candidates for upcoming videos. Thanks for the suggestion and idea! We appreciate it. :)
Hi! Brent here! I'm not particularly familiar with this specific piano VST, but, perhaps, one of our helpful community members that uses the Ravescroft 276 VI Labs plugin can chime in and help answer the question. :)
One really annoying thing about this plug-in is a bug in the patch where if you have a keyboard with triple sensors on the keys. If you play a note loud and then play the same note much softer without completely letting off the key the volume will very unnaturally clip. Or technically if you issue a note-on event over midi at high velocity and shortly after issue another note-on at a much lower velocity without issuing a note-off event for that key inbetween. Maybe if a higher profile user like yourself would bring this up to the creator it might motivate him to update the patch. I tried and he reponded as if the bug didn't even exist. I would make the modification myself in MachFive3, but of course the patch is encryption protected and therefore inaccessible for modification.
Hi! Brent here! Thanks for sharing this! I have not personally used Ravenscroft 275 enough to have come across these specific issues/glitches. Hopefully, an update to the patch that addresses these issues you are experiencing arrives soon enough. Thanks again and all the best!
Can you share the setup you used? I bought Ravenscroft hoping to have a superlative piano, but it was very disapointing. The "side" position mic is the best piano overall, but still sounds dull and not interesting, especially if you compare it with what is available in Pianotek 8, or with the piano sample that comes with Yamaha P515. I would love to have your comments and suggestions.
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! I would have to check with Stu as to what setup and settings he was using in this demonstration/review video. With that said, I know that the default settings and piano sounds are often used to demonstrate the piano tones unless otherwise specified.
@@MerriamPianos Thank you so much. I would appreciate any comments that he would like to make. By the way, I just love his reviews and am always impressed by his arragements and piano skills. Bravo to him.
Can you tell me why all my vst pianos ( native instruments alicias keys, grandeur, the gentleman etc) sound so soft out of my monitors. I always need to change some settings to let them sound less soft and louder. Or is that because of the sound via monitorspeakers?
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! It is is possible that your actual speakers are voiced in a very mellow fashion without much top end. Alternatively, I would check to see the default volume/output setting on both the plug-in and/or the track that you are running through your DAW when using the VST.
Hi there! Do you mean a VST plugin that actually lights up the keys of your instrument? Unfortunately, that would not be possible without a a specially designed instrument and accompanying plugin.
The samples and most things are the same. You just have little or no ability to customize the sound (not really a big issue if you like the base sound), you only get the samples from the "close" mics (instead of all four positions), it doesn't have the una corda ("soft pedal") samples, and it doesn't support half-pedaling. Honestly, it's a pretty good deal considering the iOS app version is only $36. Makes me wish I had an iPad.
You can use any MIDI compatible digital piano/keyboard to control these VST piano plugins. You can do this either via the MIDI output or the USB connector. Thanks and hope this helps! :)
@@MerriamPianos thank you so much for your prompt response. Not sure if you’re the guy that does the demos but your playing is phenomenal and inspiring!!!
James Wood 0 seconds ago Thanks Stu for another great review. I think this VST is overrated. The half octave below middle C is highly metallic & nasal in tone. Maybe this came from the real piano or tuning on the recording day. This gives the whole instrument an overall unpleasant tone (instead I use VI´s Steinway D library, which is excellent, as well as Synchron). I didn't notice the Ravenscroft tone problems for a long time, only with careful listening on very good speakers (of my Kawai NV10S). Then once I had noticed it, I could not 'unnotice' it. The wooden / 'real' Ravenscroft piano is highly overhyped IMO. It also has a metallic or nasal tone (listen to the few concert videos online) and has not been reviewed or regularly in use by any famous players or pedagogues. Why it is often said it is one of the greatest grand pianos ever is a mystery. Marketing I guess. However I agree that this VST it is extremely playable (responsive), if you can get past the tonal issues.
Hi! Brent here! Thanks for tuning in and sharing your insights! Tonal preferences are very personal and subjective. Every player will resonate with a different sonic profile. Thankfully, there are a plethora of amazing VST plugins on the market to choose from, so, in theory, there is virtually something for everyone. :)
Well Keyscape doesn’t support half pedalling, doesn’t support soft pedal , doesn’t support sustenato. So imo , it’s the worst VST when it comes to pedals . Can’t play any score or ravel, Debussy and many others with it . Can’t even play the intro of the Beethoven pathetic sonata with it if you want to achieve the desired effect . So Keyscape is the best VST for electric piano sounds and the worst for acoustic piano
I'm sorry to hear you are not enjoying the plugin. Sometimes it takes a little bit of experimentation with settings and other post-processing work to really get the most out of a VST. In any case, I hope you find a VST plug-in that resonates with you and your playing style! :)
@@MerriamPianos Hello Stu. I suspect something is wrong with my pc configuration. It is not possible everyone loves this plugin and it sounds awful just at me ears. Thank's for your answer.
Some piano sounds are definitely more aligned with certain styles of music. The nice thing about VST pianos is that they don't take up any physical space, so you can have a multitude of them at your disposal. :)
@@blindwatchmaker7877 I really am not a fan of how the Imperial sounds, but the CFX is nice-better than Garritan, I'd argue-and the Steinway is pretty good too.
To be honest, not sure what you mean. I'll try to answer you the best I can. Well for various reasons. 1st, in one part of the market you have people who don't know much about vsts and just looking for a piano like a p45 korg b2 etc . 2nd they might know about them but are fine with the preloaded sounds they have. and some people (due to their hardware) might have delay so probably don't want it. And it's pretty expensive. You'll need a good cpu, storage, decent speakers or studio monitors, and a controller, which cost hundreds if you don't have those already. Now I'm not entirely sure If you are referring to the sound of a vst vs the sound in a digital. If so, IMHO if you have the hardware and software vsts are gonna be better. BTW you might need a digital piano are a midi controller regardless to trigger the sound. The reason why vsts might be better: So assuming you had that stuff, Let's say you had a p45 or CDP-S150 or something, you can get a quality vst and make your budget digital piano sound amazing. And for reasons other than personal use is, live performances, and recording. Decent Vsts may tend to sound better than these digital pianos from various price ranges: p45, px-3000, es90, fp90x, even (this is debatable) professional stage pianos and arrangers. Like rd2000, mp11se, stage 3, genos, etc. People who have high end digital pianos in the $2000 with amazing sounds, still might load up a vst like keyscape or pianoteq. My personal opinion, since you have the power of your cpu running a vst, and the amount of customization, the fact I can take my laptop and make my digital piano sound and feel amazing, I would say vsts win. TLDR: digital piano sound vs vsts sound. Vsts win!
The titanium components, the billion year old mythical woods and what not does nothing for me. Both the plugin and the actual piano (recording) just sounds nasal to me. I'm not convinced that pianos have made any leaps since the golden age.
Hey Adam - can't argue against a preference for the sound of a great golden age piano. If that's your ideal, fair enough. I do think it's quite possible to argue that there are several components, on several different brands, that have improved aspects of the instrument - but that's of course in pursuit of a subjective ideal. So for example, if we agree that longer sustain is a good thing, well we're in a different galaxy now than the 1920's, with a few instruments such as Fazioli, this Ravenscroft, Stuart & Sons, or one of the newer Bechsteins. If we agree that more consistent and higher levels of harmonics are a good thing, same deal - no piano from the 20's can compete. Termination points are more accurate and duplex lengths are much longer. But as I opened my response with, I love the tone of a great golden age instrument, so full agreement there. Thanks! -stu
@@MerriamPianos Fair points, though I don't necessarily agree about sustain. I've heard some antique pianos with absurd amounts of it, that just sing and sing.
@@dynoroad There are definitely pianos that have aged well from that era that have insane sustain. I'm intrigued by this thought though: did they start out that way, or are the ones we have left just the lucky few that aged really well, and the sustain is the result of the wood being that much more seasoned? If the first is true, then you're right - my point is bunk. Or perhaps all we've improved is how consistently we can achieve the sustain, not necessarily pushing the absolute bounds of it. I'll give you this, much easier to find tight growth rings and high alpine spruce back then, so for all the CNC shaping we can do now, the raw material may not surpass what they had... Thanks so much for the comments Adam! -stu
I think this is possibly the best sounding VST piano you have demonstrated. I also saw this NAMM 2015/16 on CZcams and loved it since then. Also bought the library. Well worth it. Need to add superbly played and expertly presented!
Really enjoying this series!!
Referred today by trusted Forum member while deciding on Ravenscroft 275 UVI library.
Must echo other comments in terms of being one of most thorough, useful, enjoyable reviews experienced in recent times. Talented demonstration, fine audio, excellent GUI coverage, relevant personal impressions. Subscribed and looking forward to much more !
What a pleasure to hear someone demonstrate this piano so sensitively and musically, I have the Ravenscroft and Pianoteq 7, and love them both for their different qualities. With the Ravenscroft I tend to use only one mic at a time (usually the Close or Player) rather than mixing them - I find that the sound seems to lose something indefinable when they're combined. The Una Corda is wonderful too - to my ears the perfect 'felt' piano.
Hi Stu, Great to see you reviewing a VST piano for a change;). I've owned this for a couple of years, after working my way through many other sampled pianos. I play this trhough choice virtually all the time now, it has a beautiful tone and some of the best sympathetic resonance of any sampled piano I've heard. I only wish my playing was as good as yours!. Look forward to many more of your reviews & listening to you play. Best Wishes, Andy
Thanks for making all these _piano-plugin-demos_ enjoyable on a purely musical level as well.
Amazing playing!
Thanks for the kind words and thank you for tuning in! We appreciate it! :)
You are a great reviewer, Stu. When I see you smiling at 15:38 I say to myself: this Vst has to be great! It´s like get a Simon Cowell´s smile in a Got Talent show...
I've watched your videos for about a year now Stu, and I always enjoy/find them informative as well as your great playing. This video was a bit different IMO because you played more slow music which let the piano VST 'speak' tonally more than with fast pieces. I've owned this for a while but have only recently begun to explore it's possibilities. And I've purchased the VSL Synchron Steinway thanks in part to your excellent review. It's terrific.
Hi there! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thank you for tuning in and supporting our channel over the last year! We really appreciate it. I will be sure to pass on your kind words to Stu for you. :)
We're happy to hear that our reviews helped you a bit in your decision making process! Thanks again and happy playing!
I was at the same show and I had been going to NAMM for 20 + years. I thought this VST controlled by the Kawai VP-1, was astonishingly close to the actual Ravenscroft Grand that I also played. Yes I would also say it was the highlight of the show for me. Check Ruslan Sirota and Robi Botos playing the Ravenscroft plugin at that same NAMM show - Ruslan's playing is stunning!
This is the One VST that I wanted to hear your review on.
I've had this plug in for quite a while now and keep coming back to it. I totally agree with your last comments re this being great for solo playing. The depth of expression you can get with Ravenscroft is quite stunning and it's inspirational to play. But I also agree it can get a bit lost in a more complex mix. I so wanted to use it in a track as it's so good, but in the end I got lazy and used Native Instruments "Grandeur" Piano which cuts through well. Love your playing and in depth reviews. Looking to replace my old Yamaha P200 with either the Kawai ES920 or Yamaha P515. I'll choose when I can finally get to test the key actions on both and look forward to playing the Ravenscroft on whatever I go for.
I couldn't help but smile when I read that you have a Yamaha P200. I too had a Yamaha P200, and that thing was a tank. It came with me to undergrad (my freshman roommate disliked how big it was), but after 15 years of use I decided to get the Kawai VPC1 a couple years ago. I'm not necessarily disappointed with it, but it made me realize how far ahead of its time that P200 really was.
Well, I've recently gotten into the VST world, since I've transitioned from becoming a straightahead pianist to a keyboardist and producer, and I can definitely agree with you on this one.
I've got to hear The Garritan CFX, the VSL Syncron, another CFX, and even lots of people say that Syncron is the best plug-in on the market, which could be true, this would be the first piano vst that I'm gonna get.
It has a specific warmth to it, a specific gentleness that it keeps me coming back to it.
I do get the feeling that it would get lost in a wider mix, but overall it sounds gorgeous!!!
Thanks. Your VST Plugin Review series is outstanding. It would be nice to do a review of the Vienna Symphony piano collection. As you no doubt know they have the CFX, BosenD & Hamburg there. Top price for the (currently) most complete sampled set available. Please consider doing a "Setting up a play back system 101" presentation. It would complete the picture, especially for us VST 'beginners'.
Agreed, with earphones this piano is absolutely splendid. I mean gorgeous. Going through a monitor takes some adjusting and although it’s been out a while I’m new to it. Definitely doesn’t give me the same feel through a monitor but thanks for the options. To practice with such a beautiful sound is simply Godly.
Thanks so much for tuning in and sharing your insights! We appreciate it. Glad you're enjoying the piano tones you're getting from the plugin!
I'd like to hear more Classical music on these, it tells how good they are. When I think of Concert Grands I think Classical.
Hi, here you are. Played on RC275 VST, music.czcams.com/video/xggiQXU7vnQ/video.html&feature=share
First let me observe that most of these comments are written to Stu but he is not responding, it seems Brent is answering everything. With that in mind let me say...
It is so refreshing to see someone review a piano demo who knows how to actually PLAY the piano. Most of these guys just know a few little blues or Jazz licks, but they never actually make music with the piano. Stew is letting us hear what the software actually sounds like as if someone played it like a piano. It's so refreshing. Plus he's a heck of a player, I'd like to have some of his recordings.
I love the sound of this piano, I bought it over a year ago. But I can't get past the ILok problems.
I can't get the piano to play. I did several emails back and forth with someone I assume with the company. But we never got anything settled and I still can't play the dang piano.
I hope to see more reviews from Stu and I wish he would release at least one album.
Hi! Brent here! Thank you for tuning in! I know that a lot of these questions are directed towards Stu, but, as the president of Merriam Music, he is an extremely busy guy as you can imagine. A lot of his efforts are put towards producing these videos. But, with that said, we really value the questions and comments by our community members and try to respond to as many of them as possible. In order to do so, we need to rely on other team members (like myself) to pitch in.
I know Stu appreciates the kind words and support. I'm always happy to share them with him when I chat with him.
I'm sorry to hear that you've been having issues with the iLok. I hope you're able to get that resolved. I know getting some of this stuff configured can be tedious, but it can be well worth it.
Also, Stu has released an album, which you can check out samples for and purchase here:
www.stuharrison.com/
Absolutely stunning!
This is an extremely realistic sounding plugin. Might not be the sound you want on every track, but it captures this cinematic, vintage, woody slant of piano sounds - exceedingly well.
EDIT(several months after the comments above:
Listening again on a better reproduction system leaves me with an impression that either the piano has a soft attack, more like a harp or a guitar, also with a quick decay
OR
With a bit of adjustment, it might be better to adjust the velocity sensitivity, for a slightly higher sharper attack. A unique sound definitely, well suited to ethereal music. Now I appreciate my first impressions. Might be difficult to cut through a mix. It's sound is too polite.
Is it also possible that the sample start point could be adjusted to increase the attack portion?
Yes! Thanks, Stu!
Stu, awesome review, any recommendation on studio monitors to really enhance the sound?
My man! Your touch is Amazing on this Piano! Geez! I already knew Ravenscroft was the Best Piano Library, and you just re confirmed!! Great stuff man!
Wow, this sounds good!
One really cool thing about this particular VST is that there is an AUV3 version that you can run on an iPad. Just the close mics, but none-the-less, it is there and it sounds fantastic!
That's awesome! Very cool and very convenient! Thanks for sharing! :)
I love your reviews by the way. It is nice to not be the only one geeking out about piano sounds like this!
Just to point out as wonderful as this VST sounds, I've attempted to use piano VST's at gigs, but always find they lack body and warmth in a live setting as compared to a standalone keyboard such as a Kurzweil or Yamaha. Not sure why? I always used a quality sound interface (Focusrite Scarlett etc). That's why I recently purchased a Kawai ES920 for live settings. VST's are particularly convenient in recording settings.
How is the es920 working out?
@@JoeLinux2000 es920 is a quality instrument with warm fully bodied tone and very realistic piano keyboard action
even keyscape?
I agree. Awesome for solo and light arrangments
I do really want this, waiting for sale from Vilab this 2022
I purchased the ios version. When I moved to Logic, I had to purchase the plug in even though it was 5 times more expensive because I just couldn't find the alternatives... Just purchased the plugin and am excited to try it out on my Logic. Thank you for the review!
How do you like the Ravenscroft computer version compared to the iOS version?
Thank you for your help!
(PS. I'm simply asking because actually I'm thinking of doing the same,
buying and testing the iOS version (although it surely a "dumbed down" version, but still using some of the same samples at least),
and later I buy the Ravenscroft computer plugin version too.)
@@kaisfp I am enjoying the computer version because, honestly, there is no different that I can notice except the user experience. Sound quality-wise, they are exactly the same in my opinion. With that said, I've never gone back to iPad because now I do all my mixing work and recording on the computer. I just love the sound of ravenscroft.
Stu !!!
Oh My Gosh, Thank You Soooooo, Much! Like I said before, I couldn't get my VI Labs and rig to work correctly. It has to be my DAW and rotten old P/C .
Again Thanks from an Old Piano Banger
Truly Appreciated!
Stu....I love your arrangemet of "Here's That Rainy Day" The piano plugin is a beaut, for sure. I peaks my interestin the exploration of this particular plugin. The Ravencroft is one of those pianos of a ratified nature. Not your standard concert instrument, waaaay out of ther reach of the ordinary pianist. Thank you for this eye opener, and yes this is the rabbit hole that almost impossible and undesirable to leave. It's a good thing the is not a consumable product, OD all around.
Thanks for all the great reviews of these VSTs. I’m planning on doing more sound design work and while you can use a digital piano as a MIDI interface, a dedicated one will always have better integration with a DAW. I’m looking at some 88 key interfaces, like the Arturia KeyLab 88 MkII, Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S88, Studiologic SL88 Grand & Roland A-88 MKII . I can find all the information I need about the MIDI functions of these boards, but except for the Roland (I’m very familiar with the PHA-4), there are conflicting reviews on their keybeds. I know most are made by Fatar, but they are different models.
Read any reviews of these keyboards and you will get comments from players who say they are fantastic and others who say they are squishy or the action is too heavy or it is inconsistent. There is nowhere around here where I can go and try these. If it were possible it would be a great help if you could get these to review the action and the keybed. Maybe play the same VST and compare them. Having you relate these actions to those that I and others are familiar with like PHA-4 and RHIII would be a great help.
I just bought this VST to replace my Alicia’s Key’s. There is a mind blowing difference! It’s absolutely addictive to play and gorgeous sound!
That's fantastic! Congrats on making the plunge into the Ravenscroft 275 VST! We're happy to hear that you're enjoying it! Thanks for tuning in and happy playing! :)
Amazing playing as always!🔥
I'll be sure to pass on the kind words to Stu for you! :)
So the spruce tree worked 8760 times as long as the piano craftsmen.... Nature rocks!
Very nice playing. You recorded into the YT video from the computer line out? Could you make the sound a bit more cinematic with the controls in the plugin and workstation. Cinematic as example, it is a bit of a hype.
Thank you for sharing.
Fantastic video and description of a plugin. Love it. I would love to know, what kind of masterkeyboard you recommend. Thanks and greetz. ✌🏼
One of the many things I like about Pianoteq is that the audio sounds like it’s already been mastered. The Ravenscroft comes as close to a similar sound in that regard as any of the sample-based piano VSTs I’ve heard.
I certainly know what you mean! There is a refinement and gloss to the sound, which makes it sound like a truly finished product. :)
This is definitely one of my favorite piano samples in existence. Seriously considering plunking down the $200 just to connect my CA49 to my laptop and listen to it through headphones.
If I could also somehow get access to Nord's White Grand sample without buying one of their (expensive) instruments, then between it, the Kawai SK-EX, and the Ravenscroft samples, I'd be in piano heaven.
There is also ios version of this plugin, that is much cheaper. For headphones it should be sufficient. Did you consider it? I have it and like it a lot.
@@zbigniewbohdanowicz8897 Yeah I would go that route, except I don't own any iOS devices. C'est la vie.
I hope that in the future, most digital pianos and controllers will have an extra USB A input dedicated to plugging in additional sounds made by third parties. The sounds could be sold individually on separate thumb drives, and these could be controlled via a mobile or tablet which is also connected to the piano. There must be some great pianos (or other instruments) that you can fit onto a high capacity thumb drive.
I really love this VST to death. It just seems to 'sing' in a way very few other VSTs do. Though I'm just an adult beginner/intermediate, I've listened to pianos forever and I've just gotten used to the sound of a Steinway, Yamaha, or bosendorfer, and the Ravenscroft really does seem to have a unique tone quality. It manages to be 'bright' without losing the ability to handle soft passages in a way I feel some other 'bright' pianos do.
My one caveat with this VST, and I don't know how much of it is the a tual piano vs VST, is that I don't feel like I get the same dynamics in the bass as I do with the rest of the range or some other pianos. But maybe it's just the player =]
This and Pianoteq are my favorites, with Embertone closely behind. I just feel the Embertone is hard to get a softer quality from, and its way more taxing for weaker PCs. Even on a top-end laptop, it took me a while to get the settings right for smooth playback.
How does it compare with Pianoteq? Beautiful playing
The curious thing about this is the sound waves are being generated by a series of 1's and 0's that are converted to analog, and then amplified and projected with an electromagnet vibrating a thin, but stiff, paper cone. It's a long way from a physical instrument constructed of wood, cast iron, vibrating steel wire, amplified by a large thin sheet of wood composed of several thin planks glued edge to edge. As an aside I'm wearing my budget level Sennheisers for this experience. Your headphone demonstration was stellar. If the es920 sounded like this out of the box, I would not have cancelled my order.
Keep in mind that when you record your impressive "physical instrument constructed of wood, cast iron, vibrating steel wire," you'll be using a little device called a microphone that has a tiny, vibrating membrane to pick up all that sound.
thanks for this review Stu....i bought this 275 plugin...got a Yamaha N1X hybrid digital piano...it's much much cheaper than the VSL plugins that i have though
Hi! Brent here! Thanks so much for tuning in and happy playing! :)
11:44 - By the way, Alicia's Keys has 12 velocity layers and it is pretty steppy when it comes to playability,
I bought it 50 off 49bucks yesterday and I regret it, so now I'm planing to buy the Ravenscroft, I've read that last year they started their sale on November 25th.
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! I have quite a bit of experience with using Alicia's Keys. I certainly know what you mean, but I have found it to be quite a successful VST with some tweaks to the settings and a little bit of work on the backend with additional processing. Thanks for tuning in and all the best! :)
11:44 - Ravenscroft has 19 velocity layers, I got this from the official VI Labs Audio Ravenscroft 275 webpage.
NOIRE has 22 velocity layers.
THE GENTLEMAN has 16.
I woould say,
around 20 velocity layers
is the minimum to have a really smooth feel of playability,
but I would imagine that there might be some other factors that can improve the playability of a piano sample library (other then a high number of velocity layers, but velocity layers are probably the most important).
By the way, I just found your channel, and I just want to say thank you so much for your exceptional and detailed review. It is so helpful!
Thank you so much for your kind words! We sincerely appreciate it. Also, thanks for sharing the info. I am sure many of our VST-enthusiast community members appreciate it immensely. :)
Have you tested the iOS version of this? For headphone practice an iPhone with headphone and Bluetooth midi could be an amazingly convenient option
We don't really need to see so much of the DAW, but it would be nice to see the plug-in's pop-up screen a bit bigger or closer up. Even on my desktop computer (and on full screen display) it's not easy to read the descriptions, and on smaller devices it must be next to impossible. And while I like watching Stu play, it would be good to mix in a few more shots of the plug-in, and not wait so long to see it. Anyway, I'm still enjoying these videos and feel very privileged to be able to watch such informative and personalised reviews.
I imagine that the dryness of the sampling is best suited to professional applications such as recording, rather than pleasure at practice time. Likewise, you can tell whether a physical digital piano was designed for professional applications by the austerity of the default effects settings for the main patches.
I hope Stu will make a summary video of all these piano VSTs with rankings for their respective advantages.
What headphones and monitors do you recommend for best piano experience?
Sennheiser HD 580
Hi Stu,
It sounds really wonderful, it is incredible. Could you tell me which keyboard and speakers or amplifier is giving us this wonderful sound, the whole of all this and of course your mastery as a pianist are a large part of this result, Thank you very much for your music !!
Hey, Yamaha hs5 is what I recommend
Stu thanks so much for this review on Ravenscroft 275. Could you please tell me what settings you are using on the very first demo following your mentioning the thousand year spruce that the original Ravenscroft 275 is built with? I am trying to get mine to sound like
your demo. Thanks.
Hi thomas from germany thank you so much now i watches quite a view videos of your channel; my question is now is ift it is necessary to care for the onboard sounds like kawais es 920 or better to invest in this software and a good piana i mean the vcd.
Thanks thomas
Excellent video. It would be helpful to know what Mac and specs you are running with the plug in.
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! I would have to ask Stu about his hardware setup. Perhaps, that can be covered in a future VST review/comparison video. :)
Is it a big improvement and a smart play to run a vst like this through an fp90x? Just ordered one, wondering if I should get some monitors and buy a vst to get most organic acoustic tone.
hello. great review. congrats! i need an advice. for best results with ravenscroft (sound quality and low latency) do i need an external audio interface? thank you
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! You don't necessarily need an external audio interface. It is a difficult question to answer without knowing your exact setup as there are a variety of elements that will factor into the over sonic experience and amount of latency. I would try to optimize these elements as much as possible with your current setup to see if you can find a satisfactory experience. If you are unable to, you may need to invest in more hardware to help improve the overall experience. Thanks and hope this helps! :)
@@MerriamPianos thank you. best regards
Great!! What MIDI interface you use? Brand?
please review Yamaha DGX-670, many reviewers are amazed with?
Question, if I want to use this but add a pad along with it, what's my best option? I'd rather not have to go to a computer if possible.
Could you please compare fp30x vs rd88 just piano sound? ( No features comparation)
Thank you
I can't decide between the Roland FP90x and the Kawai ES920.
I think your ES920 v FP90x answers my question.
I’m in the same spot… what did you end up buying and how did it go? :)
I have another question if you don't mind:
Do you have or maybe plan to get Modern U (even for just a review video)?
Currently I'm hesitating between Ravenscroft and Modern U,
and I like the sound of the Modern U a little bit more,
but I have no idea how the Modern U's playability compares to Ravenscroft's playability.
Thank you!
We try to tackle as many VST review and comparison videos as possible and will certainly add the Modern U to the list of potential candidates for upcoming videos. Thanks for the suggestion and idea! We appreciate it. :)
Hi everybody. In your opinion, which is best? This VST or Garritan CFX?
Is there a way to increse the note release time; how fast or long it takes the note to decay?
Hi! Brent here! I'm not particularly familiar with this specific piano VST, but, perhaps, one of our helpful community members that uses the Ravescroft 276 VI Labs plugin can chime in and help answer the question. :)
nice vid but I,m old school and dont like VSTs.enjoyed this ,thanx
One really annoying thing about this plug-in is a bug in the patch where if you have a keyboard with triple sensors on the keys. If you play a note loud and then play the same note much softer without completely letting off the key the volume will very unnaturally clip. Or technically if you issue a note-on event over midi at high velocity and shortly after issue another note-on at a much lower velocity without issuing a note-off event for that key inbetween. Maybe if a higher profile user like yourself would bring this up to the creator it might motivate him to update the patch. I tried and he reponded as if the bug didn't even exist. I would make the modification myself in MachFive3, but of course the patch is encryption protected and therefore inaccessible for modification.
Hi! Brent here! Thanks for sharing this! I have not personally used Ravenscroft 275 enough to have come across these specific issues/glitches. Hopefully, an update to the patch that addresses these issues you are experiencing arrives soon enough. Thanks again and all the best!
Can you share the setup you used?
I bought Ravenscroft hoping to have a superlative piano, but it was very disapointing. The "side" position mic is the best piano overall, but still sounds dull and not interesting, especially if you compare it with what is available in Pianotek 8, or with the piano sample that comes with Yamaha P515. I would love to have your comments and suggestions.
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! I would have to check with Stu as to what setup and settings he was using in this demonstration/review video. With that said, I know that the default settings and piano sounds are often used to demonstrate the piano tones unless otherwise specified.
@@MerriamPianos Thank you so much. I would appreciate any comments that he would like to make. By the way, I just love his reviews and am always impressed by his arragements and piano skills. Bravo to him.
Can you tell me why all my vst pianos ( native instruments alicias keys, grandeur, the gentleman etc) sound so soft out of my monitors. I always need to change some settings to let them sound less soft and louder. Or is that because of the sound via monitorspeakers?
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! It is is possible that your actual speakers are voiced in a very mellow fashion without much top end. Alternatively, I would check to see the default volume/output setting on both the plug-in and/or the track that you are running through your DAW when using the VST.
@@MerriamPianos i will take a look Brent! Thanks!, Wouter
Could I run the same setup thru a Kawai ES 920?
How to install and run this VST in FL studio what additional software i need ? the video is confusing in their website. Can somebody summarize for me?
Just like any other VSTi would work in FL Studio or another DAW.
What piece is playing at the 5:58 mark. Absolutely timeless damn near hypnotized me. Do you have midi for this?
Blame It On My Youth
Have you reviewed Ivory American d yet
So where does the sound come out of this system?
headphone jack..
Through an audio interface (PreSonus, Focusrite, Motu, Steinberg etc) to speakers or headphones.
Thankyou very much..how about the latency…
Latency would be determined by your computer and audio interface, not the VSTi.
ooooo he can play play too nice
:)
As a beginner, any VST that can light up a keyboard is a good Vst. So far I see there is none on this channel.
Hi there! Do you mean a VST plugin that actually lights up the keys of your instrument? Unfortunately, that would not be possible without a a specially designed instrument and accompanying plugin.
'Blame It On My Youth'?
275cm is 9.02231 feet. Or, if the instrument is actually 247.32cm long, then it is precisely 9 ft.
People don't think you're cool or clever. FYI
I have seen a ravencroft app for iPad, do you think it has the same quality ?
The samples and most things are the same. You just have little or no ability to customize the sound (not really a big issue if you like the base sound), you only get the samples from the "close" mics (instead of all four positions), it doesn't have the una corda ("soft pedal") samples, and it doesn't support half-pedaling.
Honestly, it's a pretty good deal considering the iOS app version is only $36. Makes me wish I had an iPad.
@@Kyuuketsuki02 Thanks for your answer. I think I will try it....
Does anybody know the exact digital piano he is using?
Roland RD2000
How do you trigger this app from your Korg Kronos?
You can use any MIDI compatible digital piano/keyboard to control these VST piano plugins. You can do this either via the MIDI output or the USB connector. Thanks and hope this helps! :)
@@MerriamPianos thank you so much for your prompt response. Not sure if you’re the guy that does the demos but your playing is phenomenal and inspiring!!!
James Wood
0 seconds ago
Thanks Stu for another great review. I think this VST is overrated. The half octave below middle C is highly metallic & nasal in tone. Maybe this came from the real piano or tuning on the recording day. This gives the whole instrument an overall unpleasant tone (instead I use VI´s Steinway D library, which is excellent, as well as Synchron). I didn't notice the Ravenscroft tone problems for a long time, only with careful listening on very good speakers (of my Kawai NV10S). Then once I had noticed it, I could not 'unnotice' it.
The wooden / 'real' Ravenscroft piano is highly overhyped IMO. It also has a metallic or nasal tone (listen to the few concert videos online) and has not been reviewed or regularly in use by any famous players or pedagogues. Why it is often said it is one of the greatest grand pianos ever is a mystery. Marketing I guess.
However I agree that this VST it is extremely playable (responsive), if you can get past the tonal issues.
Hi! Brent here! Thanks for tuning in and sharing your insights! Tonal preferences are very personal and subjective. Every player will resonate with a different sonic profile. Thankfully, there are a plethora of amazing VST plugins on the market to choose from, so, in theory, there is virtually something for everyone. :)
In my opinion, the best VST in the world is Spectrasonics Keyscape for piano !
Well Keyscape doesn’t support half pedalling, doesn’t support soft pedal , doesn’t support sustenato. So imo , it’s the worst VST when it comes to pedals . Can’t play any score or ravel, Debussy and many others with it . Can’t even play the intro of the Beethoven pathetic sonata with it if you want to achieve the desired effect . So Keyscape is the best VST for electric piano sounds and the worst for acoustic piano
I bought this plugin because the reviews and now I'm unsatisfied: the high notes are too thin and the attack is very slow. I never use it.
I'm sorry to hear you are not enjoying the plugin. Sometimes it takes a little bit of experimentation with settings and other post-processing work to really get the most out of a VST. In any case, I hope you find a VST plug-in that resonates with you and your playing style! :)
@@MerriamPianos Hello Stu. I suspect something is wrong with my pc configuration. It is not possible everyone loves this plugin and it sounds awful just at me ears. Thank's for your answer.
85Euro (50% off) at VSTbuzz now 😉
thank you!
Hope soon you will take a look and listen to ik multimedia Pianoverse
Thanks for the suggestion! I will pass it along to our production team. :)
Great VSTI for Jazz but perhaps not so suited for classical.
Some piano sounds are definitely more aligned with certain styles of music. The nice thing about VST pianos is that they don't take up any physical space, so you can have a multitude of them at your disposal. :)
Ravenscroft 275 is definitely one of two professionally "usable" VST's. While it's not as amazing as Garritan, but totally worth your money.
When you buy Synchron Imperial, your thoughts will change.
@@blindwatchmaker7877 I really am not a fan of how the Imperial sounds, but the CFX is nice-better than Garritan, I'd argue-and the Steinway is pretty good too.
Still a big fan of NI Grandeur for my daily playing.
If these vsts are really so good, why would someone buy the digital pianos in today's time?
To be honest, not sure what you mean.
I'll try to answer you the best I can.
Well for various reasons. 1st, in one part of the market you have people who don't know much about vsts and just looking for a piano like a p45 korg b2 etc .
2nd they might know about them but are fine with the preloaded sounds they have. and some people (due to their hardware) might have delay so probably don't want it. And it's pretty expensive. You'll need a good cpu, storage, decent speakers or studio monitors, and a controller, which cost hundreds if you don't have those already.
Now I'm not entirely sure If you are referring to the sound of a vst vs the sound in a digital. If so, IMHO if you have the hardware and software vsts are gonna be better.
BTW you might need a digital piano are a midi controller regardless to trigger the sound.
The reason why vsts might be better:
So assuming you had that stuff,
Let's say you had a p45 or CDP-S150 or something, you can get a quality vst and make your budget digital piano sound amazing.
And for reasons other than personal use is, live performances, and recording.
Decent Vsts may tend to sound better than these digital pianos from various price ranges: p45, px-3000, es90, fp90x, even (this is debatable) professional stage pianos and arrangers. Like rd2000, mp11se, stage 3, genos, etc.
People who have high end digital pianos in the $2000 with amazing sounds, still might load up a vst like keyscape or pianoteq.
My personal opinion, since you have the power of your cpu running a vst, and the amount of customization, the fact I can take my laptop and make my digital piano sound and feel amazing, I would say vsts win.
TLDR: digital piano sound vs vsts sound.
Vsts win!
The titanium components, the billion year old mythical woods and what not does nothing for me. Both the plugin and the actual piano (recording) just sounds nasal to me. I'm not convinced that pianos have made any leaps since the golden age.
Titanium is mostly light and strong. They use for the bolts on Sprint Cars. I can't see where it has much purpose for anything in a heavy piano.
Hey Adam - can't argue against a preference for the sound of a great golden age piano. If that's your ideal, fair enough. I do think it's quite possible to argue that there are several components, on several different brands, that have improved aspects of the instrument - but that's of course in pursuit of a subjective ideal. So for example, if we agree that longer sustain is a good thing, well we're in a different galaxy now than the 1920's, with a few instruments such as Fazioli, this Ravenscroft, Stuart & Sons, or one of the newer Bechsteins. If we agree that more consistent and higher levels of harmonics are a good thing, same deal - no piano from the 20's can compete. Termination points are more accurate and duplex lengths are much longer. But as I opened my response with, I love the tone of a great golden age instrument, so full agreement there. Thanks! -stu
@@MerriamPianos Fair points, though I don't necessarily agree about sustain. I've heard some antique pianos with absurd amounts of it, that just sing and sing.
@@dynoroad There are definitely pianos that have aged well from that era that have insane sustain. I'm intrigued by this thought though: did they start out that way, or are the ones we have left just the lucky few that aged really well, and the sustain is the result of the wood being that much more seasoned? If the first is true, then you're right - my point is bunk. Or perhaps all we've improved is how consistently we can achieve the sustain, not necessarily pushing the absolute bounds of it. I'll give you this, much easier to find tight growth rings and high alpine spruce back then, so for all the CNC shaping we can do now, the raw material may not surpass what they had... Thanks so much for the comments Adam! -stu
@@MerriamPianos Interesting point about aging! Didn't think of that at first.
My opinion of this VST? Yawn.
This is the GS people favorite plugin