Compiling a list of piano sample libraries that are available to buy today is extremely difficult. The sheer number of companies that have produced top-quality piano and/or keyboard virtual instruments is ever increasing. Composers that work in the digital domain have so many choices these days when it comes to choosing a piano instrument, how on earth do they find the best one? If you are currently in the market for a new piano instrument hopefully this list of 30 piano instruments will help you find the best instrument for your needs.

We in the audio tech world revel in choice and variety, not least when it comes to virtual instruments as the quantity and quality of piano libraries available today is frankly staggering. This list is by no means complete, but we at Production Expert feel that these 30 virtual instruments represent the latest and greatest piano libraries currently available.

This list is in alphabetical order, we have also organised the products into four categories; Grand Pianos, Upright Pianos, Electric Pianos & Creative Sound Design Pianos. All the piano and keyboard virtual instrument libraries in this list are AAX, VST and AU compatible.

The 30 Best Piano & Keyboard Libraries And Virtual Instruments

Grand Piano Libraries

AIR Mini Grand

AIR Mini Grand is an extremely popular piano virtual instrument as it offers a wide range of tonal possibilities.

Mini Grand comes free with Pro Tools and can be purchased as a VST or AU instrument for other DAWs. Unlike many piano VIs, Mini Grand doesn't require a massive amount of CPU power in order to run nor does it take up much room on sample hard drives.

Visit the Air Music Tech website for more info.

e-instruments Session Grand S

A Steinway Concert Grand was used to sample Session Grand S Kontakt Instrument, not a bad starting point at all! This piano virtual instrument isn't just one piano though, it features two sound banks "Studio" and "Concert".

The UI has a Sound Control dial that enables users to change the overall tonality of the piano. Twist the dial and you'll get faitful sounding pianos through to creative atmospheric textures, great for both composers and sound designers.

All e-instrument piano and keyboard instruments sound epic, check them out for yourself at the e-instruments website.

e-instruments Session Grand Y

Session Grand Y uses exactly the same UI as Session Grand S and features the same control set and backend engine. The only difference between Session Grand Y and S is that this piano libraries was sampled using a Yamaha Concert Grand.

Yamahas are typically the first choice piano brand for music producers as Yamahas seem to fit perfectly into any pop production and sit in mixes without too much effort.

The Session Grand Y is a beautiful sounding instrument that also feels amazing to play.

Learn more at the e-instruments website.

IK Multimedia Brandenburg Piano

The Brandenburg Piano is a piano library for IK Multimedia's popular instrument engine SampleTank 3. A 1958 Bechstein grand piano sampled to produce this library.

Overall this instrument delivers rich tones that resonate deep and wide whilst also sounding very natural. If you like your pianos to sound slightly "muted" in the top end then you've got to check this out.

Like Mini Grand, the Brandenburg Piano is also very light on CPU power.

Visit the IK Multimedia website for more information

Impact Soundworks PEARL

A personal favourite piano instrument of mine is Impact Soundworks PEARL. This was sampled from four different points within a beautiful sounding concert hall using one of the most popular Yamaha Pianos ever made, the C7.

The UI features a powerful built in effects section which enable users to produce a wide variety of sounds.

Watch our video review of PEARL and visit the Impact Soundworks website for more information.

Garritan Abbey Road Studios CFX Concert Grand

Garritan knows a thing or two about producing great sounding sample libraries. A Yamaha CFX Concert Grand Piano was sampled in Abbey Road's Studio One to produce this library and it sounds epic! It's an extremely detailed and dynamic sounding piano instrument. The natural ambience of the live room compliments the tone and natural resonances of the piano perfectly.

Check out our video review of Abbey Road Studio CFX or visit the Garritan website.

Native Instruments Alicia Keys

Fun fact - Alicia Keys actually played each of the keys when this instrument was sampled. The piano samples come from Alicia's own Yamaha­ C3 Neo grand piano which is a very rare instrument that was built to celebrate Yamaha's 100th anniversary back in 2002. This is a very warm and soulful sounding piano that lends itself to a wide range of playing styles.

Visit the Native Instruments website for more information.

Native Instruments The Maverick

The Maverick is a piano virtual instrument that has loads of charm and character. Out of the box this instrument sounds big, rich and traditional... don't worry it's not a one trick pony, users have an unlimited amount of tonal tweakability available to them within the UI.

This doesn't have an effects section but the shear varity of tones that can be had out of this makes up for that.

Visit Native Instruments for more information.

Native Instruments The Grandeur

The Grandeur features the same controls as The Maverick, of course the difference here is in the piano sound.

Native Instruments and the developers Galaxy Instruments don't actually tell us what pianos they sampled... and I don't care because they all sound great.

The Grandeur has a tone that would work in any production straight out of the box - This is a piano you've got to hear!

Visit Native Instruments for more information.

Toontrack EZkeys Studio Grand

Toontracks EZkey Studio Grand is a solid production ready piano that actually doesn't require any MIDI input performances, although you can play this instrument like any other piano VI. If you cannot play the piano but want piano parts in your songs then you must check out the entire EZkeys line.

Watch our free EZkeys video tutorial and check out Toontrack's website for more info.

UVI Grand Piano Collection

This instrument is a suite of 5 beautifully sampled grand pianos:

• Model D Concert Grand

• Fazioli F278 Concert Grand

• Erard Baby Grand Piano

• Seiler Upright Grand

• Yamaha C7 Concert Grand

The purchase price of $129 represents fantastic value for money. You'll be hard pressed to find a better pack of pianos for less

Visit the UVI website for more info.

Waves Rhapsody

Rhapsody was Waves first attempt at sampling a grand piano, and they did a great job. User can choose between SD or HD sample libraries, which is great if you are short on hard drive space.

8 pairs of stereo microphones were used to capture the piano which gives the end user lots of choice when it comes to getting the tone right. Waves also included plenty of built-in processors which makes Rhapsody a breeze to mix.

Watch our review of Rhapsody and visit the Waves website for more information.

Upright Piano Libraries

e-instruments Session Keys Upright

Session Keys Upright is a piano instrument on steriods. The samples alone take up a massive 40GB of space on a hard drive but it's well worth it! Like e-instruments grand piano instruments, Session Keys Upright features two instruments in the library that both sound deep and upfront. One sounds very tight and pop like, the other more natural and real-world like.

Besides the great feel and sound of the instruments the built-in effects section is a stroke of genius.

Watch our review of Session Keys Upright and visit e-instruments for more info.

Native Instruments The Gentleman

The Gentleman is a versatile and dynamic sounding large upright piano. It has a sweet "in the room" quality and a richness to the sound that lends itself to a range of jazzy laid back playing styles

If you like your tradional upright piano sounds then The Gentleman will not disappoint.

Visit Native Instruments for more information.

Spitfire Audio Hans Zimmer Piano

Spitfire Audio have produced several sample libraries with Hans Zimmer over the years. In this fourth collaboration they produced what they call the "ultimate piano library for discerning composers the world over".

This instrument runs in Kontakt. Users will need over 400GB HD space for install and over 200GB for the samples on their sample hard drive! Spitfire clearly deserve a World Record for "The Largest Piano Sample Library".

Visit Spitfire Audio for more information.

Synthogy Ivory II Upright Pianos

Ivory II Upright Pianos is a suite of 4 upright pianos that range modern to vintage styles. The Ivory engine has a smart harmonic resonance model system that reproduces true sympathetic string vibrations. You are going to need a whooping 84GB free on your hard drive to get the full Ivory experience.

Check out the audio examples on the Synthogy website.

Toontrack EZkeys Upright Piano

This piano virtual instrument was sampled from a classic Swedish Östlind & Almquist piano that dates back to the late 1800s.

It delivers a rich and warm tone with just the right amount of hammer action in the sound. Basic controls includes Detail, Compression, Reverb & Tone.

Visit Toontrack for more information about EZkeys Upright Piano and the EZkeys line.

Toontrack EZkeys Vintage Upright

I can't decide which of the EZkey upright pianos I like most. They both sound great, but the Vintage Upright just has a slightly sweeter tone to my ears that I prefer in piano libraries.

The control set is great for quickly changing the style of piano from tight and pop like to "Mamma Mia" honkey tonk. Controls include Detune, Detail, Sustain Pedal & Hammer level.

Visit Toontrack for more information about Vintage Upright.

Electric Piano Libraries

AIR Music Tech Velvet 2

AIR Velvet was once only available in Pro Tools. In recent years it was made available for AU and VST DAWs. This isn't one instrument, no, it is five featuring Fender Rhodes Suitcase, Fender Rhodes MK I and MK II Stage Pianos, Wurlitzer 200A and Hohner Planet-T.

Velvet 2 is very responsive when playing live through it and the controls offer users with endless hours of creative fun.

Visit AIR Music Tech for more information.

e-instruments Session Keys Electric R

This was based on a vintage 1976 Mark I Stage Piano that was modified with eight individual outputs in order to capture every tiny nuance of its sound. It features two sound banks "studio" and "live".

Like other e-instruments products, this feature an Animator section which has over 400 licks and phrases covering a massive variety of styles and genres.

Visit e-instruments for more information on Session Keys Electric R.

e-instruments Session Keys Electric S

e-instruments used a restored 1973 suitcase to produce this instrument. 

Like other e-instrument products this features a Smart Chord page which is great for getting ideas down quickly if your creativity tanks are running a bit dry.

Visit e-instruments for more information on Session Keys Electric S.

Scarbee EP-88 S

Over the years Scarbee has produced many great sounding keyboard instruments. The Scarbee EP-88 S is the best sounding and most rounded one yet.

EP-88 S was in development for a number of years with many of the features being requested by the legend George Duke.

Watch our review of Scarbee EP-88 S and visit Scarbee for more information.

Toontrack EZkeys Classic Electrics

EZkeys Classic Electrics offers two amazing sounding instruments for the price of one! The Rhodes MK I and Wurlitzer 200A have both been hugely popular keyboards for decades.

Over 20 production ready presets are included along with four main controls for bass, chorus, drive and reverb. Instruments don't come any simpler to use than this, and the instruments sound mighty fine as well.

Visit Toontrack for more information about EZkeys Classic Electrics.

UVI Attack EP88

Attack EP88 is a beautiful sounding instrument that's deeply customizable. It was sampled in great detail including DI, tube, contact mic, mono mic and stereo pair. The effects section is at the heart of the UI which offers users endless creative choices.

Watch our review of VUI Attack EP88 and visit UVI for more information.

Creative Sound Design Piano Libraries

Impact Soundworks Curio Cinematic Toy Piano

Impact Soundworks says Curio is perfect for film, TV & scoring... though we believe it's creative applications can extend much further. Who ever thought a miniature toy piano could sound so mangled and haunted? The UI features a cool selection of effects that can take moods to darker and emotive realms.

Visit Impact Soundworks for more information.

Native Instruments THE GIANT

The world's largest upright piano measuring up to 370cm tall is called the Klavins Piano Model 370i, this was used to sample THE GIANT.

It sounds like no other piano library available to buy today. It's big, it's intense and lots of fun to play. The low end resonances from this piano is jaw dropping, along with the detail in each note... trust us when we say you'll never want to put this instrument down.

Watch our video review of THE GIANT and visit Native Instruments for more information.

Toontrack EZkeys Dream Machine

Toontrack describes EZkeys Dream Machine as a hybrid "preset-driven" instrument. It’s centred around two instruments, a Rhodes Mark 7 electric piano and celeste. Both  instruments can be played separately however magic happens when both are used together. This instrument produces so many different textures and timbres we couldn't possibly list them all here.

Visit Toontrack to hear the audio examples for yourself.

UVI Augmented Piano

What I like about Augmented Piano is that UVI clearly, and quite literally, thought outside of the box with this instrument. UVI sampled a 1909 Pleyel Grand Piano and covered a vast range of timbres by striking the strings with brushes, plucking the strings with fingers to haunting eBow resonances and brilliant metallic sounds by way of tacked hammers. This instruments has edge and personality.

Watch our video review of Augmented Piano and visit UVI for more information.

UVI EPG

UVI say EPG is the most comprehensive hybrid electric grand ever made. It features 5 mixable channels including both L/R Sand M/S and was sampled using sticks, bows, ebow brushes and whatever else interesting UVI had laying around their studio. Like all UVI instruments this works in UVI's free Workstatoin and Falcon.

Visit UVI for more information.

Wavesfactory Old Tape Piano

Wavesfactory say Old Tape Piano is a Kontakt piano with a difference... and they are not wrong!

Old Tape Piano was sampled from a grand piano recorded using a lo-fi cassette recorder... how old school is that!?

Out of all the pianos in the list Old Tape Piano definitely has the most amount of personality and charm.

Visit Wavesfactory to hear audio examples of Old Tape Piano.