

And these settings can have a dramatic effect on tones, which is why Arturia felt to include them. Room type, mic positions, and the EQ can all be used to affect outcomes. Using Piano V2, you can tweak the room as well as the recording setup to dial in your favorite timbres.

And the sounds range from practical and highly usable all the way over to unconventional and distinct. How many pianos, you ask? Piano V2 comes with 12 world-class pianos (grands and uprights) crafted using Arturia’s acclaimed modeling technology. More than a mere virtual piano, Arturia calls it a “modeled piano studio.” No surprise, really – this VST comes with a variety of piano sounds along with an array of tone shaping options that truly make it worthy of the title “piano studio.” If you want quality piano sounds you can use in practically any situation, this VST is sure to captivate and delight.ĪSCEND: Modern Grand is compatible with Windows and Mac.Īrturia has quite the track record in developing amazing sounding virtual keyboard instruments. That said, the instrument is versatile and beautiful sounding enough that it could be used for other purposes too.Īll these factors make ASCEND: Modern Grand our best overall pick. This Kontakt instrument, though, also comes with a library of rhythmic convolutions, dozens of layered sources, and of course, FX.ĪSCEND: Modern Grand features a stunning 47.8 GB wroth of content, 110 snapshot presets, (25 Ascended, 10 Core Concert D, 25 Extended, 25 Rhythmic, 25 Rhythmic Melodic, 16 Sound Sources), sample browser, arpeggiator, and three-point mixer.Īs the video below shows, ASCEND: Modern Grand is well-suited to composition right out of the box, especially the presets. These help you achieve added realism in your performances. The instrument was recorded in New York City by Heavyocity, who opted to deep sample the stunning grand piano in detail.īrushes, hammers, ebow, chains, and twine were all captured with the top-quality vintage and modern microphones with the help of film score mixer Satoshi Noguchi. Composer Paul Haslinger thought it was “instantly inspiring,” composer Kevin Riepl said it was “beautifully sampled,” and composer Jason Graves dubbed it “beautiful and emotional.”ĪSCEND: Modern Grand, as you may have gathered, is a cinematic grand piano virtual instrument, taking after the Concert Model D grand. Heavyocity’s ASCEND: Modern Grand is a highly rated Kontakt instrument.
