🎹Paid vs Free Piano VST Plugins in 2021 - Which VST Plugins Are Worth Paying For?🎹

0:00 - Intro
4:36 - Plugin Walkthroughs
22:50 - Ivy Audio Grand
25:53 - Steinway Grand (Included with Logic)
29:17 - Yamaha Grand (included with Logic)
31:47 - Cinepiano
34:16 - Garritan CFX
36:54 - VSL Synchron Pianos CFX

#Piano #VST #Plugin

Greetings! Welcome to the Merriam Pianos YouTube channel. We’re doubling back to our VST exploration series here and adding another entry. Specifically, we’re going to look at how some of the top free VST’s available out there compare to VST’s that cost money, and sometimes, quite a bit of money.

Specifically, we’ll compare three free sample-based plugins to three sample-based plugins of various price points, before laying down a MIDI track and hearing how the track sounds with each of the 6 plugins.

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Background

The challenge we encountered right away with trying to find some good free plugins to sample was a lack of compatibility with DAW software, which isn’t surprising given that these plugins are in fact free.

That said, after a bit of digging we were able to find some well-reviewed free plugins with good compatibility.

Free VST’s

Ivy Audio

This free VST offers controls over some effects, MIDI assignment controls, polyphony, tuning and transpose.

It’s obvious right away that this is an 88 note individually sampled sound engine given the differences in character from note to note (some notes aren’t even in tune.)

It’s quite authentic and realistic sounding - totally appropriate tonally for blues or rock playing. Now, it’s clear that there aren’t many sample layers here resulting in some clumsy sample stepping.

Usable? With some tweaking, for sure.

Steinway Grand (Logic Sample)

Right away, it seems as though this plugin only has a single sample layer - the character remains the same regardless of dynamic level.

There’s just not very much depth to the piano sound here, but, for a free sample, it’s certainly not a bad piano sound by any means.

Yamaha Grand (Logic Sample)

Definitely a better sample than the Steinway sample, but again, there’s very limited tonal variation as you move through different dynamic ranges.

Again, this sample is lacking in depth, but still usable, especially when you consider the fact that it’s free.

Paid VST’s

Cinepiano

This is an easy to use plugin that costs around $150 USD. There’s a fair bit of control of various parameters to help you in shaping the sound.

It’s apparent right away that this plugin is delivering a substantial upgrade in several areas over the free plugins. For one, the piano was recorded in a high-end studio, and the beautiful reverb and ambience really shine through to the sample.

The quality of the sample, number of sample layers, and overall fidelity of the sample is simply considerably better than the free plugins.

Garritan CFX

A step up from Cinepiano, the Garritan CFX runs $200 USD currently. Recorded in the UK’s legendary Abbey Road studios, the dynamic and tonal range of this sample is expansive.

The depth and richness here furthers the gap between the free VST’s and the paid ones.

Vienna Symphonic Library Synchron (Yamaha CFX)

VSL Synchron delivers what is probably the largest sample sets out there, and the price reflects this - even their basic package of a single piano starts over $300 USD.

The complexity and delacy of the detail is stunning, This is one of our favorite VST’s available.

Summary

The free samples might be giving everything you need, depending on your use case. But for many, the substantial depth of subtly and nuance the paid VST’s deliver, will be more than worth the cost, especially for major projects.

Connect with Merriam Music:

[svendtveskg]

I am an educated pianobuilder - klavierbaumeister here in EU - and I have to say your videos are absolutely top notch, thank you!

[martoneill]

Some recommended free plug-ins I have come across listed below, all of which are properly supported. If anybody else has come across good free options I'd love to hear about them: 1. LABS (by Spitfire Audio) - in addition to piano they have a range of other instruments. If you're tempted they also have excellent low cost paid for (Originals range) as an alternative to their full-blown expensive ones. 2. NUMA PLAYER: good range of piano, electric piano, keyboard, strings etc, all of which can be blended. 3. VIENNA SYMPHONIC LIBRARY: they offer a free version of an intimate, close-mic'd piano. Very nice but it's quite a coloured sound (good for Satie and similar but not necessarily anything that needs bite). Hopefully that's useful.

[MartyGerman]

Great, useful content … thank you, very much! Mostly due to your vids, I’ve just started my studying piano at 67 with my new, Roland RP102. And I’m Loving it! Thank you, again!

[qubix]

Stumbled across your channel yesterday by chance. Really great stuff! And your playing isn’t too shabby either ;-) (right good, actually!) Nice insightful appraisal of all of these virtual pianos (that includes your other videos) without the usual deceptive marketing trickery (fluffing up sounds with effects, etc.).

[adamyohan]

18:00 this little piece you played here was incredible holy hell

[chanya]

im exploring vst and here is the diffulties you may have for pianist :
1- midi curve is not so easy to set up depending your keyboard & vst, sustain could also have a specific curve
2- sound amazing with headphone but very bad with speakers unless you have a very very good equipements. so can be very frustrating if you want to share it with friends or family
3- stereo or binaural as pianist you excpect to have variation between uper/low right/left and its difficult to have something well balanced (for player point of view, there is no prb for recording)
I'm very happy with garritan cfx for now (classical, jazz, pop) havnt tried keyscape or vienna vsl cause too expensive

[QWERD]

Man, you're such a talented pianist. Very informative and in-depth overview as well.

[adriangeyer]

One of best videos of its kind on youtube. Just what I was looking for and with brilliant expertise and experience to boot. Thanks for the great content

[davidefuzzati]

love your playing Stu... You definitely know how to make a "lively" sound...

[inzanestrings]

I'm loving the sound of that garriton piano, im definitely going to be looking into that soon.

[AdemVessell]

I love this content. I just bought and received my Roland FP-30X largely from seeing your channel, I AM SO HAPPY with it! I use it 80% for VST home recording. I have EZKeys Studio Grand, and it sounds really amazing to my ear. That said I am still looking around for something else. I am eyeing Native Instruments offerings as well. PLEASE if possible do more like this? Perhaps an entire video on great Modeled options and a video comparing Modeled to Sampled.

[adamyohan]

Fantastic video, just as expected. Never get bored of these.

[headsman]

We pay more for a lot of things when it comes to piano vsts
1 the amount of dynamic layers
2 the actual piano (source material)
3 more acoustical possibilities (more mic positions)
4 the amount of control (for example the vsl : velocity curve (general and per note) resonance control and ext

I'm a producer too and it's not always about the simple sound.. we always pay for more

[faautobahna]

I would take Ivy Audio. Loved its rawness, gives it a character that would go well with a certain type of song. Character of paid ones is suitable for classical music, in my opinion.

[estebanod]

Have tested pretty much every good piano vst except Noire and VSLs, so far, I only ever use Garritan CFX Grand, incredible piano, nothing has ever matched it yet

[chezbugga]

You provide the best content, answering questions I didn't even know I had. Your playing is also superb such a pleasure to listen to

[AdemVessell]

One more thing! If possible in a future video can you do blind tests so we can guess which is the most expensive or free or even which is modeled vs which is sampled?

[gisellechacon]

Thanks for illustrating beautifully why I can't stand piano plugins without enough dynamic range samples. The two Logic pianos smothered a great deal of your beautiful technique with one-dimensionality. The Ivy piano sounds like it's worth exploring. And while I hoped my dissatisfaction with piano vsts would dissipate with better plugins, you have shown me just that- I need a higher end piano plugin. Thanks for a useful vlog!

[atlasroyale]

I feel like you got cheated out of some really decent stuff by those obnoxiously predictable listicles. It’s always the same like four or five plugins, usually Ivy Audio, Spitfire Soft Piano, DSK Grand, and Keyzone Classic. Anyone who thinks offering DSK Grand as an alaternative to Cinepiano is a good idea probably hates you. If you want something really nice, get the Dark Chateau Grand Piano sound font which can be used in Sforzando. It’s beautiful and really mellow. Perfect for emotional or romantic pieces. And if you want something more dynamic and overall just more realistic: Hammersmith Piano for the free Kontakt Player all the way. It’s my absolute favorite piano plug-in so far, so even though I’m too broke for the expensive plugins, this one keeps me going for the time being. I hope you consider looking at those in the future.

[hireality]

Brilliant and very interesting comparison Stu👍