Below is a selection of successful pianists/keyboardists, composers and record producers, who all use Pianoteq or Organteq in their projects.
Brian Eno - musician, producer, visual artist, activist. First came to international prominence in the early '70s as a founding member of British band, Roxy Music. His visionary production includes albums with Talking Heads, Devo, U2, Laurie Anderson and Coldplay, whilst his long list of collaborations include recordings with David Bowie, David Byrne, Grace Jones, Karl Hyde, James Blake among many. His visual experiments with light and video continue to parallel his musical career with exhibitions all over the globe. To date he has released over 30 albums of his own music, exhibited extensively as far afield as the Venice Biennale and the sails of the Sydney Opera House and is a founder-member of the Long Now Foundation, a trustee of Client Earth, and Patron of Videre Est Credere.
«I bought Pianoteq 6 a couple of weeks ago. I think it is the most well-realised and intelligently constructed piece of music software I've ever had the pleasure of using. It is an absolute milestone. Aside from its incredible power as an emulator of pianos, the possibilities that unfold when you start to edit the models are astonishing. I've been lost in it since I bought it, and keep dragging friends into the studio to show them this miracle. The randomisation possibilities are so intelligently constructed and are a great help in understanding the enormous variety of possibilities this instrument offer. I don't think I've ever been so impressed by a piece of software design and I just wanted to thank the team who put this together.»
Brian Eno's official website: https://www.beatinkuk.com/brian-eno
Glen Andrew Brown is a BAFTA-winning music producer, arranger, mixer, sound designer, and composer. Brown is known for his work on numerous AAA video game titles, including PlayStation’s ’Returnal’ (BAFTA-winning, Best Music, Ivor Novello-nominated, Best Original Video Game Score) and ‘Sackboy: A Big Adventure’ (BAFTA-nominated for Best Music). Brown’s next PlayStation score release will be ‘Climate Station’, a free-to-all collaboration between Sony and the United Nations, where he made extensive use of Pianoteq and its features.
«Pianoteq is truly incredible. It accurately recreates the billions of combinations of sympathetic resonances that occur between strings in real pianos, something impossible to capture with traditional samples. The sound and feel are scarily realistic! It's also incredibly lightweight; it barely takes up any space on my hard drive, making it super easy to take my setup anywhere. Plus, the ability to position virtual microphones anywhere in the room is a total game-changer for sound design and mixing, especially when working with Dolby Atmos and other surround formats.»
Glen Andrew Brown's official website: http://www.glenandrewbrown.com/
David Hein, a.k.a. Dramakid, is a Grammy Award-winning music producer and songwriter who has worked with many established artists. Among his collaborations is his production work on Ciara's track 'BRB', as well as Lecrae’s hit song 'Your Power', for which he received a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song. He has also recently produced on 'Push Ups' and 'Family Matters' by Drake.
«The physical modeling technology of Pianoteq offers exceptional flexibility and detail that cannot be achieved with traditional sampling methods. This flexibility allows me to shape and customize sounds precisely, greatly expanding my creative possibilities as a producer.»
David Hein's official website: https://genius.com/artists/Dramakid
Lewis Thompson, who is also one half of the dance duo Just Kiddin’, is a Leeds-based artist/producer who has worked with some of the biggest names in pop, writing and producing hits for Joel Corry (‘Sorry’, ‘Bed’, ‘Out Out’), Little Mix (‘Kiss My (Uh Oh)’), Becky Hill (‘Remember’), James Hype (‘Afraid’) and Digital Farm Animals (‘Last Night’).
«I've been using the Modartt Pianoteq for a couple of weeks now, and I couldn't be happier with it. The sheer number of high-quality, professional instruments available is astounding. Whether I need a grand piano, electric piano, or any other keyboard instrument, I can access them quickly and easily, making my workflow extra efficient. One of the standout features for me is how low the CPU intensity is. I can switch between different sounds rapidly without experiencing any latency, which is something I've never encountered with other similar plug-ins. This efficiency allows me to focus more on my music and less on technical issues. Pianoteq has really changed the way I create music, and I highly recommend it to any musician or producer looking for top-notch sound quality and performance.»
Lewis Thompson's official website: https://www.lewisthompsonmusic.com/
Mike Gorman is the keyboard player with The Manfreds (original members of the 1960’s group Manfred Mann) and musical director of Kid Creole and the Coconuts (for 12 years). He has toured extensively worldwide with many artists including Boy George/Culture Club, Incognito, Us3, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Marlena Shaw, China Moses, Trevor Horn. Currently, he runs a Patreon site dedicated to his approach to jazz piano playing and improvisation.
«I use Pianoteq every single day. It’s pretty much instant loading time and amazing quality of sounds make it my immediate goto for any writing, recording, working on ideas, learning repertoire for touring/gigs or just sitting and enjoying improvising at the keyboard. I’ll often come in from a gig, sit down, launch Pianoteq and just play a few chords, enjoying the immersive sounds and fantastic responsiveness of the instruments. All the acoustic pianos are outstanding and the electric piano modules are the best sounding and most versatile I’ve come across given how editable and flexible they are. The guitar is amazing too. I can get a great jazz guitar sound out of the inbuilt amplified preset which plays fantastically well on the keyboard! The great thing about the acoustic pianos is how individual and unique they all are in character, which is great for when you want to use the sounds to inspire the musical direction you’d like to pursue on occasion. Keep up the good work Modartt! I’m very excited for the future of this amazing software as well as completely taken with it’s present form..»
Mike Gorman's official website: https://www.Patreon.com/MikeGormanMusic
After leading the very popular funk/fusion group Rush Hour for many years in Santa Cruz, Ca, Rubén moved to L.A. to seek further fame and fortune. Soon after arriving, he was playing, recording and traveling the world with members of groups such as Santana, Aretha Franklin, Tom Jones, Natalie Cole, Tower of Power, Chick Corea, Elton John, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and others. After International tours with rock legend Glenn Hughes/Deep Purple and Blues legend Charlie Musselwhite, Rubén found himself touring and recording with Rock/comedy legend Weird Al Yankovic. When not touring, Rubén is active writing and producing, as well as leading the Valtierra Latin Orchestra featuring some of the best artists in the world of Latin Jazz.
«In studio and concert work with with Al, it is beyond imperative to have the very best pianos available. Pianoteq 8 is very happily exceeding All expectations. Thanks again Modartt!!»
Rubén Valtierra's official website: https://rubenvaltierra.com/
Producer and Composer Marius de Vries has been behind some of the most culture-defining recordings and soundtracks of the past three decades, and has won two BAFTAs and an Ivor Novello award for his film composition work, as well a Grammy and five Grammy nominations for soundtrack and record production. He is perhaps most widely known recently for his score for the 2022 Academy Award best-picture winner CODA, and his role as Music Director and Music Producer on Damien Chazelle’s multi-award-winning musical La La Land.
«Several versions in, I still find it miraculous that Modartt can do this without samples! Pianoteq sounds fantastic, and it’s as easy as can be, when you need it to be easy, and as deep as you could wish for when you need it to be deep.»
Marius de Vries's official website: https://www.mariusdevries.com/
Evan Shinners is the founder of the Bach Store and the host of the WTF Bach Podcast. He is a keyboardist and writer who studied at The Juilliard School. Devoted to spreading appreciation for Bach’s music, the Bach Store is a temporary concert venue that ‘pops up’ in various cities throughout the world. The WTF Bach Podcast (wtfbach.substack.com) breaks down sophisticated ideas about Bach in a way that's accessible to beginners or those with limited musical background.
«Organteq is absolutely brilliant! I can be at the console- or in the cathedral- with dozens of organs throughout different periods of history. An essential tool to hear different tunings and introduce the art of registration.»
Performed by Evan Shinners
Organteq 2: Historical Baroque Two-Manual II (Arnstadt)
Simon-Mary Vincent is a Hungarian-British performer and composer of acoustic and electronic music, who has been challenging the boundaries of genre and musical expression with a highly personal language since the early 1990’s. “Visionary, expressive”, “rich, surprising”, “incredibly individual”, “masterful compositions”, “an immersive experience”, her music has been performed worldwide, attracting praise from The Wire, International Piano, BBC Radio 3, Avant Music News and Jazzwise among many others. In 2024, she received an Innovation in Business award as Most Innovative Piano Music Composer 2023 (UK).
«I want to thank you for the amazing software. I have been working with Steingraeber Pianos in Bayreuth on their Transducer Piano since 2018. I was introduced to Pianoteq through them, and use it for all my compositions, practice, and performances, where no acoustic piano is available.»
Simon-Mary Vincent's official website: http://www.simon-mary-vincent.com/
Nashville based session keyboardist Steve Nathan is a 40 year veteran of the recording industry, who has played on hundreds of records spanning most genres of popular music. A list of artists with whom he’s recorded reads like a “Who’s Who” of American music. A frequent nominee and Winner of The Academy of Country Music’s 2005 Musician Award, he has also been named “Keyboardist of the Year” by Music Row Magazine for a record setting 13 consecutive years.
«Virtual Piano. The Great White Whale. I’ve spent my career playing great pianos, and for nearly 50 years, I’ve had the unbelievably good fortune of hearing those great pianos with many of the world’s greatest recording engineers applying their magic. From the 9’ Baldwin at Muscle Shoals Sound with a pair of Tommy Wright’s hand made microphones and Steve Melton on the board, to Blackbird D’s C7 with Julian King and 3 Elam 251s, to the Steinways, Faziolis, Bechsteins, and more in many of the best studios on the planet. It can spoil a guy! The downside, of course is that I was never satisfied with the piano sound in so many of the smaller rooms. And with today’s preponderance of Home Studios, often with no real piano at all, my quest for a satisfying substitute has been constant. Like a lot of players, I was intrigued by the technology of Pianoteq when it first came out. I bought a few of the earlier versions, but found I always fell back on whatever my favorite “sampled” piano was at that time. For years, Pianoteq has remained a close “second” to the best of the sampled libraries. Recently though my friends on the Keyboard Corner Forum convinced me to listen to Pianoteq 8, and man were they right. I truly believe that Modartt has taken the lead, bypassing the best of the sampled pianos. I own dozens of sampled piano libraries, and Pianoteq 8 is just richer, realer, and more inspiring than all of them. I’m especially blown away by the Steinway D and the Bechstein, but there are so many good choices, a near endless palette of piano sounds, I know I can set up in any room now, and not be hampered with an inferior sounding piano ever again.»
Toby Pitman is a Guitarist/Programmer/Sound Designer based at Air Studios in London. Working mostly in Film and TV production Toby has worked with a host of producers and composers including David Arnold, Giles Martin, Clint Mansell and Simon Franglen. Over the years he has worked on a number of diverse projects ranging from scores like Rocketman, Quantum of Solice and Paul to events and attractions like the London 2012 Olympics and Avatar World. Other musical credits include Paul McCartney, George Michael, Shirley Bassey and Clyde Stubblefield
«Pianoteq has been on pretty much every project I’ve worked on since 2013. It’s not just the Pianos that are fantastic either. Every single instrument in it goes way beyond any sample based product in terms of realism and customisation. Pair that with its layering and morphing functions, Pianoteq also becomes an incredibly fun and versatile sound design platform that is unmatched in my book.»
David Arnold is a multi award-winning British film and television composer known for scoring films such as Independence Day, Stargate, The Chronicles of Narnia, Godzilla, Zoolander and Hot Fuzz. He is most recognised for taking the mantle of composer from John Barry for the James Bond film series. Arnold has scored five Bond movies: Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough, Die Another Day, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Arnold’s television work includes Little Britain, Good Omens and Dracula, Together with Michael Price, he created the BAFTA-nominated and Emmy winning score for the BBC’s Sherlock. Further awards include Grammys, International Emmys, Ivor Novello and Royal Television Society Awards. In addition to his film and television work, Arnold is a highly esteemed artist, record producer, songwriter and conductor who has worked with some of the biggest names in music, including Queen, Chrissie Hynde, Iggy Pop, Paloma Faith, George Michael, Massive Attack, The Kaiser Chiefs, Shirley Manson, The Who, Ed Sheeran, Damien Rice, Dame Shirley Bassey and Sir Paul McCartney. Coming in 2022 is the film “Confess, Fletch” with Jon Hamm; “ Inside Man “ for BBC/Netflix written by Steven Moffat and starring David Tennant and Stanley Tucci; and Season 2 of Neil Gaimans “Good Omens”.
«I’ve been using Pianoteq for some years now and it’s become my go to instrument for pretty much all acoustic keyboard sounds. Its remarkable facility to not only faithfully reproduce classic piano and keyboard instruments but also give you the ability to control so many elements of the sound as well as blending together to create truly unique sounds is almost endless.»
Maor Levi is no stranger to the dance music scene. Since bursting onto everybody’s radar with his debut release ‘Lital’ on Anjunadeep at the tender age of 15, and then making his home at Anjunabeats, his glittering career now has him as an established global artist, dipping his toes into a variety of styles from trance and progressive, to bass and trap, working with a plethora of high profile artists, such as Major Lazer, Steve Aoki, Skrillex, David Guetta, and Above & Beyond along the way. As a leading influence in the scene, Maor continues to dominate and cross boundaries with a variety of aliases and side projects. His discography is a succession of charismatic productions, from the euphoria-inducing ‘Divino’ with Armin van Buuren, to the heart-pounding ‘Hold On’ with ilan Bluestone featuring Alex Clare on vocals, and the sumptuous remix of ‘Into The Sun’ by Weekend Players; just a few of his chart-topping anthems to date. Proven to be one of the most prolific producers around, Maor has made himself a feature in the DJ sets of many a global superstar and receives continued support from the likes of Above & Beyond, Armin van Buuren, Tiesto, and More.
«Pianoteq is an incredible piece of software, right from the get-go on the first launch It sounds so realistic, and unique. rich in dynamics and sounding flawless in every mix or any purpose, It feels real. Shaping the tonal characteristics of the piano is very easy, slick, and quick, It is truly inspiring.»
Maor Levi's official website: https://www.maorlevi.com/
Superorganism are an indie pop band, formed in 2017. Their first hit single, Something for Your M.I.N.D., was featured on the soundtrack of the immensely popular football simulation video game, FIFA 18, and it also became a part of the third season of the popular TV series, Legion. One of their most recents songs, Hello Me & You, became a part of the soundtrack of the popular animated adventure comedy film, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. Superorganism was nominated for the 2019 Sweden GAFFA Award in the category of Best Foreign New Act, and was also nominated for the 2018 MTV Europe Music Award in the category of Best Push. They have a new album out and are currently on tour using Pianoteq.
«We're so impressed by the wide range of incredible sounds in Pianoteq, particularly the soft muted piano sounds and the ability to make things sound a bit wonky and organic rather than clean and pristine (which it can also do of course). On top of all this it has an incredibly low CPU hit which has made it invaluable for our live show!»
Superorganism's official website: https://www.wearesuperorganism.com/
Singer, songwriter and pianist Jon Regen began his career as a sideman to jazz artists like Kyle Eastwood and Little Jimmy Scott. A protégé of the legendary pianist Kenny Barron, Regen made an abrupt left turn into singer/songwriter territory with a series of acclaimed solo albums including “Stop Time” (2015) and “Higher Ground” (2019), which featured musical legends like Andy Summers of The Police, Benmont Tench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Chuck Leavell of The Rolling Stones and Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran. Regen also hit Number One on the Billboard Charts with his instrumental album “Change Your Mind.” The Associated Press said of Regen, “His sturdy songs, pleasing tenor and seven-foot grand are a captivating combination.” The Wall Street Journal called Regen “a confident, soulful singer,” and DownBeat said “Regen’s music shoots from - and directly into - the heart.” The Philadelphia Inquirer said, “The piano man has always exuded an impeccable stylishness, a blend of earthiness and sophistication that recalls such fellow masters of the 88s as Allen Toussaint and Bruce Hornsby.” Hornsby himself also chimed-in, saying “Regen has a rare combination of elements - virtuosic playing ability, soulful singing, and a strong songwriting talent, all developing more and more as he grows and grows as an artist through the years. Give him a freaking listen!”
«I’m loving my upgraded version of Pianoteq. Your pianos are otherworldly!»
Jon Regen's official website: https://www.jonregen.com/
Matt Rollings is a Grammy Award-winning American composer, keyboard player and record producer. He has worked with many successful artists including Eric Clapton, Lyle Lovett, Billy Joel, Johnny Cash, Queen, Metallica, The Dixie Chicks, Mavis Staples, Sheryl Crow, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. In the producer’s chair, his credits including Willie Nelson’s two most recent GRAMMY®-winning albums Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin, and My Way: Willie Nelson Sings Sinatra, Mary Chapin Carpenter’s GRAMMY®-nominated The Age of Miracles, Keith Urban’s multi-platinum self-titled breakthrough opus, and the Edwin McCain Band’s multi-platinum Misguided Roses. Matt is a Steinway Artist. He regularly does clinics and masterclasses for students and professionals and hosts the online video series AskMattRollings, willingly dispensing wisdom accrued from nearly four decades in the business.
«When I sit down at my Steinway B, or any great acoustic piano, I am immediately connected to the instrument. The interface is seamless and the music seems to appear of its own volition. It has always been a challenge to play a virtual instrument and really “get lost” in the experience. The limits of the software, sonically and technically, almost always prevent that kind of connection. Pianoteq 7 is a revelation. Being a modeled instrument, the limits of sampling are removed. And the modeling itself is so masterfully done that I swear I am hearing the “real thing”. Both the D and the B are marvelous, and simply the best virtual piano instruments I have ever experienced. I am looking forward to playing, writing, and recording with these wonderful pianos. Bravo Modartt!»
Matt Rollings's official website: https://www.mattrollings.com/
Matthew Whitaker is a pianist and composer. Blind since birth, he has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center and the Apollo Theater, where, at 10, he was the opening performer for Stevie Wonder induction into the Apollo Theater's Hall of Fame. At 13, he became the youngest artist to be endorsed by Hammond. He was also named a Yamaha Artist at 15, becoming the youngest musician to join the stellar group of jazz pianists. Matthew has performed with an array of outstanding musicians: Ray Chew, Christian McBride, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Rhoda Scott, Cameron Carpenter, Regina Carter, Jason Moran, Jon Batiste, and many more. In 2019 & 2020, Matthew was a winner of The ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award for his original compositions “Emotions & Underground!
«I love that Pianoteq is accessible for all to enjoy. I really give credit to the entire team making sure people like me who are blind can use the product. I do like the customization options that are presented. It's super easy to dial in the piano to your liking. On top of that, it loads really quickly because of the small file size. I would totally recommend this plug-in for all styles of music.»
Matthew Whitaker's official website: https://www.matthewwhitaker.net/
Elwin Hendrijanto is a composer and pianist based in London and Jakarta. His fields of expertise include classical, film music, world music, orchestral, pop/rock, and traditional Indonesian music. Elwin has composed for feature films, advertisements, games, animations, as well as concert pieces. He is known for his specialty in composing traditional-modern fusion pieces in an attempt to keep traditional music alive in the modern world. He has worked on projects for the 2018 Asian Games, Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Libera, 88 Rising, Steinway & Sons, BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra. As a pianist, Elwin is currently working in a commercial piano duo project with British pianist/music producer Dominic Ferris known as The Piano Brothers supported by the international piano brand Steinway & Sons touring around the globe. He has performed in various prestigious venues including the Steinway Hall London, Kings Place London, Esplanade Sing apore, Abbey Road Studios, Vredenburg Utrecht, and many more. In 2019, The Piano Brothers was featured in the BBC Friday Night is Music Night.
«Pianoteq is the most musically expressive, realistic, and versatile piano software I have experienced. The colour and dynamic of the sound is so detailed and accurately connected to the touch sensitivity, that we feel like we are playing/hearing a real acoustic piano. This incredible software also allows us to convey our imagination as it gives us the possibility to design our own personal sound for each story we tell. Thank you Pianoteq for making this beautiful instrument.»
Elwin Hendrijanto's official website: http://www.elwinmusic.com/
Ilan Rubin is the youngest person to ever be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Widely known as the drummer for Nine Inch Nails and Angels and Airwaves, he’s also an expert guitarist, bassist, pianist, singer, composer and producer. In 2020, he started releasing grippingly timeless solo music — all of which he writes and performs himself. And with tour scheduling grinding to a halt due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Rubin finally had time to pursue his long-held passion of film scoring. He’s now working on his own music and three films, while also songwriting and producing for a wide variety of pop and alternative artists.
«Pianoteq goes far beyond any piano/keyboard software I have ever used. The modeling of so many legendary instruments is inspiring to play and write with. The presets sound fantastic and the level of detail you can tweak will satisfy anybody. And as a classical music enthusiast I love the models of antique instruments from various periods that I’d never be able to get my hands on otherwise.»
Ilan Rubin's official website: https://ilanrubinmusic.com/
Led by childhood friends Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland, musicians originally identified as J and T, Jungle formed in early 2013. Their hypnotic and relaxed dance grooves with striking accompanying videos have racked up millions of plays. Their current touring schedule includes festivals and large venues throughout the UK, France, Germany, USA and Canada. Their latest album "Loving In Stereo" includes the hit single "Keep Moving".
«We have an upright in the studio which has been used heavily in the creation of Loving In Stereo; it's been moved multiple times between studio spaces and never tuned. Pianoteq allows us to dial in the unique character of this instrument by simply adjusting the condition slider, in a plugin which is low in CPU overhead and ideal for live use. We tested multiple sample packs and comparable piano modelling plugins in the process of deciding what was best for us to perform this album around the world: Pianoteq was the clear winner.»
Jungle's official website: https://www.junglejunglejungle.com/
Cyril Morin is an Academy member and a multi-faceted film composer, producer and musician. He has scored over 120 soundtracks, among these being the critically acclaimed “Samsara” (directed by Pan Nalin with Christy Chung) which won honors at AFI and fests in Santa Barbara and Melbourne. The soundtrack continues to sell internationally, garnering many dedicated fans, and has made Morin something of a cult composer. His works often combines various sources of instruments, a mix of orchestra, traditional instruments and electronics. He has collaborated as orchestrator with Madonna and with the multi-platinum French rapper Kerry James. Cyril Morin continues his musical journey, composing for production based in Indonesia, Africa, Germany, France and in the US.
«I think Pianoteq is the best piano if you want to go in detail into the sound and adapt it to your projects.»
Cyril Morin's official website: http://www.cyrilmorin.net/
Jean-Michel Bernard is a pianist, composer, educator, orchestrator, and music producer. He has toured with Ray Charles Quartet and scored many movies, commercials and documentaries. Ray Charles once said about him: "I love him because he’s better than me! This guy is a genius, in my mind." He has collaborated with masters such as Lalo Schifrin and Ennio Morricone. Examples of movies he has scored are Chimères Absentes (starring Fanny Ardant and Gerard Depardieu), Hugo (directed by Martin Scorsese) and Love Punch (starring Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson). He is a Steinway Artist and teaches since 2014 film music classes at the Paris Conservatory and tours worldwide. His latest album "Sally Stevens sings, JMB plays" will be released at Lakeshore in 2021.
«Pianoteq inspires me and is nowadays one of my main pianos during scoring and performing. The latest upgrade is a profound improvement of an already impressive instrument. I warmly recommend it to everyone.»
Jean-Michel Bernard's official website: http://www.jmbernard.net/
J. Ralph is a three-time Academy Award® nominated composer, producer, singer/songwriter & social activist who focuses on creating awareness and change through music and film. Over the last ten years, Ralph has written and produced the music for eight Oscar-winning/nominated documentary feature films. Moreover, his music has been featured in the world’s biggest television events including The Olympics, The World Cup, The Academy Awards® , The Super Bowl, The World Series, The Grammys, The Emmys, The Golden Globes, and The NBA playoffs.
«Organteq is incredibly lifelike and transportive. It is super fast and easy to use, Immediately inspiring for writing and greatly elevated the production to another level.»
J. Ralph's official website: http://www.jralph.com/
Steve Lindsey, starting as a top call LA studio musician songwriter and arranger. Made his way to producing artists including Leonard Cohen, Aaron Neville, Elton John, Celne Dion, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, and Alice Cooper.
After taking a break from production Steve started the first Hip-Hop music publishing company on the west coast "Blotter Music" where he published Mike Elizondo, JR Rotem, and currently Brody Brown, Bruno Mars and Sasha Sloan, now selling over 250 million albums. Currently Steve is a partner with Hans Zimmer in there label, A Tone, distributed exclusively by Extreme Music.
«Pianoteq has been etched in my template since I received it. Even though I do love samples... when physical modeling is done right, I find it to be superior in every way. Plus Pianoteq allows me to be experimental in creating new sounds that are truly inspiring. And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it!!»
Pianist, writer and producer Daniel Mandelman has performed and recorded with Jason Mraz, Colbie Caillat, Natalia Lafourcade, Ziggy Marley, Paulina Rubio, Paul Simon, Robin Thicke, and many more.
«On top of the great sound and excellent end result, I truly enjoy Pianoteq and the process while recording it as I can really express myself and not just "emulate" textures or sounds.»
Daniel Mandelman's official website: https://www.danielmandelman.com/
Richard Cardwell is a London based musical director, keyboard player and producer. He has performed, toured and recorded with many of the UK’s biggest artists including: Annie Lennox, Eurythmics, Take That, Rod Stewart, Robbie Williams, James Blunt, Imelda May, James Morrison, Dido, James Bay and Anastasia. Since 2018 he has also been the MD / keys player for Bryan Ferry and also took that role with Roxy Music who re-formed to perform at last years Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame where they were inducted.
«Pianoteq is an amazing instrument and sound source for this gig, both in terms of faithful sound re-creation and playability. I'm particularly blown away by the CP-80 which is such an important part of Bryan’s music and so now central to my set-up.»
Richard Cardwell's official website: http://www.richardcardwell.com
Eve Egoyan has firmly established herself as an internationally recognized interpreter of contemporary piano concert music. She has released twelve critically acclaimed solo discs, eleven of works by living composers and one disc of works by Erik Satie. She holds a M.Mus. in performance from the University of Toronto and was selected as one of 25 top Canadian pianists of all time by the CBC.
«I am creating a series of works which delve into the space between "what a piano can do" and "what I wish a piano could do" combining acoustic piano with new technologies. I use Pianoteq to match the sound of pianos I perform on to create the perception of twin piano rising from the acoustic piano as I play. I then use Pianoteq to create an infinite sustain which enables me to transform the piano sound in various ways. I want to give the impression that the piano is doing things that it really cannot do, creating duets between the piano as we know it in conversation with its imagined self.»
Eve Egoyan's official website: http://eveegoyan.com
Voted "Best Keyboardist of All Time" by Music Radar Magazine, Jordan Rudess is best known as the keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire for platinum-selling Grammy-nominated prog rock band, Dream Theater. He has appeared on the live albums and DVDs Live Scenes From New York, Live at Budokan, Score, Chaos in Motion, Live at Luna Park, and Breaking The Fourth Wall which went to #1 on the Billboard charts. His latest solo album ‘Wired For Madness’ is available via Music Theories Recordings / Mascot Label Group.
«I can remember when Pianoteq arrived on the scene at one of the big music trade shows. I was blown away from the moment I experienced it. In a world of sample libraries, my friends at Modartt continue to offer beautiful and incredibly flexible models of pianos, chromatic percussion, harpsichord and beyond! As a pianist, when I need something sonically unique, musical, and one of a kind for my scoring work, I know I can find it here!»
Jordan Rudess's official website: http://jordanrudess.com
David Baron is an internationally recognized composer, keyboardist, producer, arranger and engineer. He produced the upcoming artist Jade Bird, with the hit songs "Lottery" and "Uh Huh", and co-produced the Mercury nominated "The Bride" for Bat For Lashes. He also produced and co-wrote all the songs for goth-legend Peter Murphy’s "Ninth", and was one of the two musicians on Meghan Trainor’s "All About That Bass" for which he received an RIAA Diamond Award for his role (10 million+ in sales). He orchestrated on records such as Shawn Mendes’ "Illuminate Deluxe", "Shawn Mendes", Meghan Trainor’s "Title", and Lenny Kravitz’s "Raise Vibration", and is the keyboardist on The Lumineer’s "Cleopatra". He also has appeared on records with Michael Jackson, Lenny Kravitz, Vance Joy, Fifth Harmony, and Simone Felice. Recently, he finished the new Lumineers record and projects including Jade Bird and Conor Oberst. Currently, he is scoring the follow up to the feature film "Ashes and Snow" for Gregory Colbert and is releasing cinematic music under his own name on the UK based Here & Now Recordings label.
«I’m always looking for better pianos. I recently tried out Pianoteq and was very impressed. Really incredible. I’ll be using it in my new projects for sure.»
David Baron's official website: http://thedavidbaron.com
With over 220 world premieres to his name, Sebastian Berweck is one of the most sought-after interpreters of experimental contemporary music. He is known for his energetic interpretations of unusual repertoire in- and outside the piano as well as working with electronics. Sebastian Berweck holds a PhD from the University of Huddersfield, is a member of stock11, and lives in Berlin.
«I’m using Pianoteq every time I want to do something with the piano that I can’t do on a real piano. What immediately comes to mind is changing the tuning on the fly. For a new concerto for piano and orchestra by Malte Giesen - which will be premiered with the Wiener Symphoniker this Fall - we use Pianoteq in conjunction with Yamaha’s transacoustic piano and Cycling ’74 Max. Yamaha’s transacoustic piano looks and feels like a grand piano. However, it uses transistors on the soundboard and the piano sound that will be heard will indeed be that of Pianoteq going through the body of a real grand piano. Max is then used to transform the piano in real time, like shortening and prolonging the strings to achieve a glissando effect. It will indeed sound like a electric guitar’s whammy bar has been attached to a grand piano. With Pianoteq I can go where no piano has gone before.»
Sebastian Berweck's official website: http://www.sebastianberweck.de
Sonya Belousova’s unique career presents a rare blend of contrasting genres and forms bringing her equal recognition as a composer and pianist. Through her Youtube channel PlayerPiano, in cooperation with director Tom Grey, she has gathered millions of fans across the globe. Belousova is known for frequently collaborating with 28-time Grammy nominated producer Jorge Calandrelli. Most recently, Belousova scored Lionsgate’s Reprisal starring Bruce Willis, SXSW hit M.F.A., which earned her a coveted spot on Taste of Cinema’s 10 Best Film Scores of 2017, produced & co-composed the critically acclaimed haunting soundtrack to Stephen King’s thriller-drama The Mist, composed three original ballets, starred and served as a music producer for Mitsubishi Luxury commercial.
«As a composer and a concert pianist, I am incredibly picky when it comes to choosing a piano library. I've been struggling for years with finding a library that could offer the dynamic range, touch, and responsiveness of an acoustic piano. Until I learned about Pianoteq! Each piano is incredibly customizable. Just the fact alone that you can detune every single note and tweak any parameter you could even think of per note is what makes this piano library by far the most versatile and best sounding on the market today and definitely my go-to library from now on.»
Performed by Sonya Belousova
Pianoteq 6: Blüthner Model 1
Sonya Belousova's official website: https://www.sonyabelousova.com/
Robert Martin is a talented multi-instrumental performer, producer and composer, with a background of intensive classical training on French horn at the prestigious Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. He performed on all of Frank Zappa's tours and live albums from 1981 on, and has also performed with Paul McCartney, Michael McDonald, Stevie Nicks, Boz Scaggs, Etta James, Patti LaBelle, Bonnie Raitt, Kenny Loggins, Prince, the Moody Blues, Lyle Lovett, Gladys Knight, Glenn Frey, Bobby Caldwell, Michael Bolton, David Sanborn, The Stylistics, The O'Jays, Sheila E, The Blues Brothers, and many others. Robert was also Musical Director for Bette Midler and co-produced a Grammy nominated album for Wilson Pickett on Motown. Since 1986, Robert has owned and operated his own studio and branched out into programming, engineering, mixing, mastering and producing music for advertising, film and television. He will feature Pianoteq on the upcoming Zappa Hologram tour beginning in December 2018.
«I’ve been following Pianoteq technology for many years now, and it’s clear that the promise I heard years ago has now matured and been fully realized. The sound of the various grand models is rich, lush and complex, and the electric models capture the vintage warmth of their namesakes beautifully. As a former owner of an 1899 Steinway grand and various examples of Rhodes and Wurlitzer electric pianos, I’m hard to please - and now I’m pleased! I’ve used various top tier sampled keyboard systems over the years, and I’m very excited by what I hear now. You’ve taken over at the top of the heap!»
Performed by Robert Martin
Pianoteq 6: Blüthner Model 1 BA
Robert Martin's official website: http://multimartinmusic.com
Steinway Artist Nadia Shpachenko is a gifted and versatile pianist. She recently received a GRAMMY® award for her Reference Recording CD The Poetry of Places. She enjoys bringing into the world things that are outside the box – powerful pieces that often possess unusual sonic qualities or instrumentation. Nadia’s concert highlights include recitals at magnificent concert halls and with numerous orchestras in Europe and the Americas. An enthusiastic promoter of contemporary music, Nadia premiered more than 70 works by Elliott Carter, Paul Chihara, George Crumb, Tom Flaherty, and many others. Nadia is currently Professor of Music at Cal Poly Pomona University, where she leads the Piano Performance program and was awarded the 2017 Provost’s Award for Excellence in Scholarly and Creative Activities.
«As a Steinway Artist and performer of the classical repertoire and much new music, I am used to playing and hearing the best acoustic pianos in the world. However, there are situations these days where using an acoustic piano is not possible. Pianoteq offers professional classical pianists the next best thing to a Steinway, making it possible to perform new music requiring different sounds, micro-tunings and remapping of the keyboard. The physically modeled sound is fabulous and requires a fraction of the computer load-time and power required for sample sets, and gives the performer much more control over transferring their individual technique in an acoustic environment to an electronic one of the highest quality. I believe that Pianoteq is the wave of the future for keyboardists of all genres of music making.»
Performed by Nadia Shpachenko
Pianoteq 7: Steinway D New York
Nadia Shpachenko's official website: http://nadiashpachenko.com
Jonathon Long is the Keyboard player and Musical Director for the grammy awarded country music group Lady Antebellum. They have sold more than 10 million albums in the USA alone with nine number-one singles including 'I Run to You' and 'Need You Now'. Jonathon has also played for top country artists such as Kevin Sharp, Jamie O'Neal, George Canyon and Sara Evans. He has also enjoyed a world tour with Engelbert Humperdinck.
«I am constantly finding new favorite patches and settings with Pianoteq! As soon as I think I've found the ultimate piano, I dig a little deeper, tinker with some settings and discover something even more beautiful and brilliant. The electric pianos, don't forget about the electric pianos either - they are incredible! I love the versatility of the whole program, and of course the low CPU draw. Pianoteq is now my go-to soft synth for piano and more!»
Wang Leehom is a Chinese-American singer-songwriter, music producer, actor, and film director. Known as the "King of Chinese Pop", Leehom has repeatedly revolutionized the Chinese pop music scene with his evolving blend of pop, rock, jazz, hip-hop, R&B, classical, and traditional Chinese music ranging from aboriginal folk music to Beijing opera. The best-selling Mandarin-language musician of his generation, Leehom came to prominence as a teen idol at the age of 19 and has since released 15 solo studio albums and contributed to dozens more.
He has earned numerous prizes at Taiwan's Golden Melody Awards and the Chinese Music Awards, and is currently touring to sold-out venues in over 100 cities worldwide. In addition to his music career, Leehom has also starred in several movies, including Love in Disguise (2010), a romantic comedy which Leehom wrote, directed, and scored, setting the record for the highest-grossing film for a first-time director in Chinese history. As a native of both the eastern world and the western one, Leehom strives to serve as a cultural ambassador by bringing Chinese music and culture to English-speaking audiences.
«Writing, arranging and recording are all part of the same process for me, so it's important that the piano sound I begin with can make it all the way to the final mix. Pianoteq is my go-to plug-in. It's super easy to use and easily configurable with parameters that matter. They've put a lot of heart into designing Pianoteq, right down to the sound of stepping on and releasing the damper pedal.»
Wang Leehom's official website: http://www.wangleehom.com
More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leehom_Wang
Warren Hartman has worked with Kenny Rogers as music director and conductor for 23 years. Kenny, being one of the best-selling music artists of all time, had three albums co-produced by Warren together with Randy Travis producer Kyle Lehning, and another produced by Warren, Kyle, and Dann Huff. Since 2014, Warren is pursuing his own career as a composer/pianist, compiling music from several genres. He is currently involved in new piano/orchestral underscore for Spoken Word pieces by John David Teems, and several album projects.
«Pianoteq is my favorite piano plugin. Attached below is a short composition using Pianoteq 6. Very distinct and present. Great sound!»
Performed by Warren Hartman
Pianoteq 6: Steinway Model D
Known in the industry as Wix, He has recorded and performed with many of the leading Artists in the business also having number one success as a record producer. He is musical director for Sir Paul McCartney with whom he has worked since 1989.
He was musical director at The Concert For Diana from Wembley Stadium and also for a multi-artist concert in The White House for President Obama. Not only has he has performed around the world to millions of people but also in his daughter's school playground for the summer fair.
«I have been a fan of "Physical Modelling" and it's potential since the earliest days and Pianoteq has been on my computer from it's beginning. The low cpu load makes it ideal for smaller set-ups and whether you are looking for realism to play, or to push the boundaries of sonic experimentation it's all here. Modartt are turning their attention to other areas to "model" and I look forward to what is to come from them»
Grammy nominated arranger/composer Carl Marsh has been an integral part of the North American recording industry for over 3 decades. His ability to draw from pop, rhythm and blues and classical roots give Carl's work a richness and depth that is uncommon in music today. In the seventies he worked for R&B artists such as Steve Cropper, The Bar-Kays, The Temptations, Joe Cocker, James Brown and Isaac Hayes. Based in Nashville since 1986, Carl has expanded his client roster for his string and orchestra arrangements to include such country artists as Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Trisha Yearwood, Wynonna, Vince Gill and Willie Nelson. On the rock side, he has been an integral part of the success of ZZ Top in the late eighties and early nineties, and has contributed to projects of REM, Bonjovi and Bad Company.
At present, Carl is regularly writing for, and working with orchestras in Nashville, Montreal, Prague and London, and frequently conducts his arrangements for orchestra in the famous Abbey Road studios.
«As a pianist that has, in the past, preferred acoustic instruments, I'll have to say that Pianoteq is the first electronic piano that I've seen/heard that allows me to fully shape parameters and end up with the piano sound and performance that I expect from an acoustic instrument. I'm enjoying using Pianoteq on my current 2 projects. I'll have to say that so far it's passed every test I've thrown at it, and it record times ! I find the editing functions are quite fast and effective. And I LOVE the eq.»
Carl Marsh's official website: http://carlmarsh.com
Mark Kelly is the keyboard player with the Progressive rock band Marillion. He joined the band in 1981 and has co-written many of their songs and played on numerous tours all over the world. Marillion have made 19 studio albums, which together have sold in excess of 15 million copies worldwide. Marillion are widely acknowledged as one of the first bands to truly embrace the Internet and tap into its potential to interact with their fans by inventing Crowdfunding in 2001. In addition to his role with Marillion, Mark is an elected performer director of PPL (Phonographic Performance Ltd) and a founding member and CEO of the Featured Artists Coalition, an organisation set up to give artists a voice in the fast changing music industry.
«I have been using sampled based digital pianos for over 20 years and have always been skeptical that physical modelling would ever be capable of reproducing the sound of an acoustic piano with any realism. When I heard Pianoteq 5 I realised that goal had been achieved but what was a revelation to me was how it feels to play. Even the best sounding sampled pianos leave you feeling somehow detached from the instrument by comparison. Pianoteq has such a great touch and expression it’s inspirational to play like a beautiful Steinway or Bosendorfer but at a fraction of the price! I also love the fact that under the hood there are so many adjustable parameters giving you the freedom to create some unearthly pianos if you desire.»
Mark Kelly's official website: http://www.marillion.com
Tim Hinkley is one of the world's top session musicians. He has recorded and toured with Humble Pie, Van Morrison, George Harrison, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Tom Waits, Bad Company, Whitesnake, Tim Buckley, Al Stewart, Thin Lizzy, Roger Daltrey and many others.
From Jody Grind, Tim's Hammond organ trio that impressed audiences across Europe in the sixties to Hinkley's Heroes, the loose jamming band made up of seventies fugitives from the top British rock acts of the time, Tim has always been there playing his music. Beside his work as a musician, Tim produced records by the likes of Johnny Hallyday, Chris Farlowe and Steve Marriott. Tim continues to play in a duo with guitarist Andreas Werner and with his Tim Hinkley Trio featuring the mighty Hammond B3.
«It's a great instrument and I stress, this is an instrument par excellence. Although it is based on what we accept as the natural sound of an acoustic piano, Pianoteq is much more realistic than any other digital or software based piano that I have tried. It really shook me when I discovered that a software instrument can beat a miked up real piano. The sound, the many parameters available for editing, the playability, and the small computer footprint, add up to a Pianoteq being a truly sensational product. Unbeatable!»
Tim Hinkley's official website: http://www.timhinkley.com/
Elvio Fernandes is a Rochester, NY-based musician, songwriter and producer, best known for his work as a keyboardist, rhythm guitarist and vocalist for multi-platinum-selling artist Daughtry. Elvio’s writing credits include multiple Daughtry songs including the single "Witness" and "Crazy" from the band’s "Break The Spell" record. In addition to his work with Daughtry, Elvio has worked with national recording artists such as Richard Marx, Brad Arnold of 3 Doors Down, Brian McKnight, Claude Kelly, Greg Howe, and American Idol finalist Ace Young whose Top 50-debut single "Scattered" was produced and co-written by Elvio.
«I'm in the process of doing some production and writing for our next major label release and I've been frustrated with my piano sample libraries. None of them are doing it for me. Then I tried Pianoteq. It sounds great and gives me so many new options to tailor the sounds. I love it.»
Elvio Fernandes's official website: http://www.daughtryofficial.com/?band-member=elvio-fernandes
Vahagn Stepanyan is a gifted Armenian-born keyboard player, songwriter, composer, arranger and producer. His talents have been recognized by Grammy Award-Winning artists and well-known musicians across the world, collaborating with many of them in the studio and on tour, including: Eric Marienthal, Nathan East, Eric Moore, Melvin Lee Davis, Wojtek Pilichowski, Anthony Crawford, Cleverson Silva, Adam Hawley, Feodor Dosumov and many more. He continues to collaborate, tour & produce music for world class musicians and artists around the globe.
«Pianoteq is one of my main piano VSTi's. When I first tried it out, I thought WOW! Very natural! I will use Pianoteq in my next music videos and I will enjoy it for sure in many other projects.»
Vahagn Stepanyan's official website: http://www.vahagnstepanyan.com
Jimmy Bralower was born to make records. He was an early believer in the new electronic music technology and was the first studio drummer to adapt programming into his work. He's responsible for crafting unique sounds and exploring previously uncharted territory, paving the way for contemporary hip hop and innovating beat making techniques that are firmly established as part of the lexicon of modern recording. We have all heard his work in many hit records of the 1980's and 1990's by Madonna, Duran Duran, Mick Jagger, Peter Gabriel, Cyndi Lauper, Hall & Oates, Steve Winwood, Carly Simon, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, just to name a few. In 2006, Bralower signed soul singer Ryan Shaw to his production company, and through a deal with Columbia Records received a Grammy nomination for the debut album This Is Ryan Shaw. Shaw's first Dynotone release, the album Real Love, has generated two more Grammy nominations. Sax man Mark Rivera's album Common Bond, featuring guest appearances by Ringo Starr and Billy Joel, was recently released to critical acclaim.
«At my studio, I work with some excellent keyboardists who can be very picky about piano sounds, touch, feel etc. The minute I would put the Pianoteq sounds up for my keyboard players, there's been a constant reaction of What's THAT?! They not only sound and play great on their own, but more importantly, they translate straight to the track & sound amazing in a mix. The biggest problem is figuring out which one to use. Pianoteq has set a high bar & the modeling technology not only sounds awesome, but is taking up a fraction of the memory of other similar instruments in my system.»
Jimmy Bralower's official website: https://www.jimmybralowerproductions.com/
Grammy Award winner Jason Miles is a producer, arranger, composer, and keyboardist. Miles has worked over the years with a proverbial who’s who of contemporary music: Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Sting, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Michael Brecker, The Crusaders, Ruben Blades, Freddy Cole, George Benson, Joe Sample, Herb Alpert, Vanessa Williams, Grover Washington Jr., Lea Salonga and many others.
His 2015 album Kind of New has received great acclaim from the Global press and is one of the top reviewed albums. His latest album Black Magic is co-produced with Gene Lake, Reggie Washington, Jay Rodriguez and Philip Dizack. Jason has performed at top festivals and venues throughout the world, including Monterey Jazz Festival, Jazz Aspen, Umbria Jazz, North Sea, Jacksonville Jazz Fest, Jazz Fest NOLA and Tokyo Blue Note.
«I love Pianoteq. Through Arturia, I started to use your Rhodes, Clav etc and really think that is an outstanding set of sounds that I use often. Keep up the good work!»
Jason Miles's official website: http://www.jasonmilesmusic.com
For the past 30 years, Jon Carin has played on record and in concert, with Pink Floyd, and also with David Gilmour and Roger Waters, as solo artists. He co-wrote Pink Floyd’s first Post-Waters’ hit Learning To Fly. He has also played with The Who, Pete Townshend, Bryan Ferry and many other artists, most recently Kate Bush on her Before The Dawn run of concerts in London.
«The Pianoteq products are incredibly interesting, very usable, tweakable, CPU friendly instruments that are extremely enjoyable to play and manipulate. I highly recommend them. I'm honored to be included in the very impressive list of talented musicians on their artist page.»
Hugh Sung is one of the most sought after collaborative pianists in the Classical Music field today, having worked with the likes of violinists Aaron Rosand, Hilary Hahn and Leila Josefowicz, flutists Julius Baker and Jeffrey Khaner, and leading composers such as Jennifer Higdon and Richard Danielpour. A graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music, Hugh joined the faculty in 1993 and currently serves as Director of Student Recitals and Instrumental Accompaniment.
«Working with digital pianos had always been an exercise in frustrating limitations, a bit like being forced to color by numbers with no more than 10 crayons at a time. Even high-end piano sample libraries have been extremely disappointing, offering exquisitely recorded piano sounds completely divorced from any real interaction or control of the sound beyond a relatively sparse range of touch.
MODARTT PIANOTEQ, on the other hand, represents a stunning breakthrough, making it possible for the first time for a serious musician to work with a digital instrument that gives virtually the full color palette of a 'real' acoustic piano. PIANOTEQ responds in the widest dynamic range I've ever experienced in a computer instrument, from the most delicate pianissimos to keybed-thumping fortissimos, complete with all the physical phenomena that accompanies such deliveries like sympathetic vibrations, soundboard echo, and an amazing variance of hammer/string interactions. Damper control is amazingly continuous and realistic, enabling the most subtle tapers of note-ends and flutter pedal effects.
You can actually work on this virtual piano and start to discuss possibilities of tone, color, articulation - all the expressive qualities normally associated only with fully acoustic counterparts! Any digital piano will sound decent at a loud, narrow dynamic range, but PIANOTEQ really shines in the subtleties of pianissimo colorations and the full feel of control throughout sound production.
As Josef Hoffman once marveled at the Duo-Art Piano Roll's capability to capture the essence of a great musical performance, I'm similarly inclined to marvel at the way PIANOTEQ is able to express the full musical intentions of the pianist, lending itself elegantly as an artistic tool for the pianists of today's digital age»
Performed by Hugh Sung
Pianoteq 7: I. Pleyel (1835)
Performed by Hugh Sung
Pianoteq 7: YC5 Grand Piano
Hugh Sung's official website: http://www.hughsung.com
Giordano Mazzi is a keyboardist and programmer. Since the 1980's he has worked with some of the best Italian artists and producers, just to name a few: Vasco Rossi, Adriano Celentano, Mia Martini, Anna Oxa, Laura Pausini, Ivana Spagna, Gianni Morandi, Noemi, Il Volo. He is a frequent participant in popular Italian TV shows and music festivals.
«It's not easy to explain in a few words how this small and powerful piece of software can be far more more better than other similar emulations based on samples. Pianoteq is an excellent product both for live and studio situations through its great presets, and it’s really very easy to modify the parameters in order to obtain fantastic and new sounds. Is a must.»
Giordano Mazzi's official website: http://www.giordanomazzi.com
Hannah Vasanth is a talented keyboard player, song writer and producer. She currently plays for Jessie J and has previously toured with many other successful artists: Rihanna, Anastacia, Sugababes, just to mention a few.
«Pianoteq is a stunning plugin! It is hard to believe that it is based on physical modelling - the tone and playability make this my main go-to piano in my studio. The sounds can be tweaked with ease and the interface is incredibly user friendly. The low CPU usage makes this the perfect instrument when writing on the road - thank you Modartt for raising the bar in terms of piano plugins!»
Hannah Vasanth's official website: http://www.myspace.com/hannahvasanth
Leon Pendarvis is the musical director of NBC's Saturday Night Live Band and is the longest standing musician in the show's history. Pendarvis has also written, produced and performed for artists like Eric Clapton, Marvin Gaye, Ike and Tina Turner, Roberta Flack, Quincy Jones and B.B. King. In addition, Pendarvis owns and operates Pinwheel Productions, a world-class recording facility that has hosted such talented artists as Pink and Avril Lavigne.
«As you can imagine I have many plug-ins from several companies, and whereas some of their content is great, I find myself always looking for a definitive piano that sounds more "organic", and closer replicates the real thing. I have been aware of Pianoteq for quite some time, and now finally getting around to interfacing it into my workflow. I am intrigued by the approach to replicating, in that this is a model, and not samples. From what I can discern so far, the rendering is pretty faithful to the real thing, and I can definitely see it being one of my "go to" software pianos»
Kevin McAlea played keyboards on the first Kate Bush tour and again in 2014 on Kate's "Before The Dawn" series of concerts at the Hammersmith Apollo. In 2015/16 he was on tour with David Gilmour in Europe including five concerts at the Royal Albert Hall. Then North and South America including New York’s Madison Square Garden and Radio City and the Hollywood Bowl and Forum in LA. He has toured / recorded with Kate Bush, Kirsty MacColl, Clannad, Seal, Roy Harper, Pino Danielle, Enya, Polystyrene, Richard O'Brien, Dr Feelgood, Bees Make Honey, Barbara Dixon, Barclay James Harvest, Kim Wilde and others. He has written music for film, TV and songs for Pearson education. He wrote the English lyrics for Nena's 99 Red Balloons.
«I have always been a fan of physical modelling to create a virtual piano as they sound more realistic. As with a real piano the timbre changes with the dynamics you put in, so for example play it harder and it gets brighter. Using samples to emulate this can be hit and miss. The range of historic pianos available in Pianoteq is remarkable. The Pianoteq electric pianos are excellent with a wide range of modelled classics to choose from. I also like the cimbalom and harpsichord.»
More info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_McAlea
Keyboard man and confidante to the likes of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Sheryl Crow, Oasis, Stevie Nicks, Superheavy, Mick Jagger, Damian Marley, Nas, Bill Fay, Jeff Tweedy, Stereophonics, Sarah McLachlan, Ben Taylor, Mike Scott & The Waterboys, A R Rahman, Doyle Bramhall II, Travis, Lighterthief, Andy Partridge, Amorphous Androgynous & Dave Stewart amongst others.
«Pianoteq works. It's small, believable & playable. I find myself playing it for enjoyment as well as getting it to work within a track.»
Mikey Rowe's official website: https://mikeyrowe.co.uk/
Richard Maheux hails from Quebec, Canada. After making the move to New York City he performed with acts such as Rihanna, Cirque du Soleil (Delirium), Patty Smyth & Scandal and conducted on various Broadway productions including Rock Of Ages.
Richard also enjoys being in the studio and his production skills have led him to work on many successful recording projects such as Star Académie 2005 which won the Best Selling Album Award at the Gala de l'Adisq.
Richard joined Enrique Iglesias's band as keyboardist in early 2012.
«Pianoteq 4 is very expressive and inspiring. It brings back the joy of playing on an acoustic instrument. I especially enjoy the new electric pianos MKI (R2) and W1 but all instruments are great and deeply customizable. The ability of being able to change the mic placement and also the amount of control you get with "Note Edit" opens quite a lot of possibilities. Best of all, it doesn't require a dongle, loads in an instant and has a very small memory footprint so I can make use of my precious SSD memory for something else. That makes it perfect for my live gigs.»
Richard Maheux's official website: http://www.richardmaheux.com
Best known for his 13 notes heard around the world that spawned Eminen's biggest hit "The Real Slim Shady", Tommy Coster isn't just a hip hop producer and composer. Yes, he co-wrote "The Real Slim Shady" with Dr. Dre and Eminem but he also co-wrote a song entitled, "Zulu", with Carlos Santana in 1977 at age 11. Coster has scored several films, and film trailers and continues to be a driving force in the development of upcoming artists. His musical compositions and performances have sold over 70 Million units and he continues to write and produce for artists and labels internationally.
«I own a Yamaha C7 Grand Piano and It's one of my favorite and most inspiring instruments. Unfortunately it weights about 900 pounds and is over 7 feet long and 5 feet wide, it just will not fit into my carry-on bag. Pianoteq's AU instrument is not only convenient, it's solid and it sounds amazing. It loads fast, doesn't crash and gives you control over its many parameters that allow the user to shape and contour each sound in any way you can imagine. Whether I'm writing, performing, or recording this piano covers it all. Thank you Pianoteq for making my life a little bit easier in a getting a great piano sound out of my DAW, and for the addition of this great instrument in my music.»
Tommy Coster's official website: http://www.tommycoster.com
Born in Paris to American parents, "tremendously gifted" (LA Times) pianist-composer Dan Tepfer has translated his bi-cultural identity into an exploration of music that ignores stylistic bounds. His 2011 Goldberg Variations / Variations, which pairs his performance of Bach’s work with improvised variations of his own, has received broad praise as a "riveting, inspired, fresh musical exploration" (New York Times). He has worked with the leading lights in jazz, including extensively with saxophone luminary Lee Konitz, while releasing seven albums as a leader. As a composer, he is a recipient of the Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters for works. Awards include first prize and audience prize at the Montreux Jazz Festival Solo Piano Competition, first prize at the East Coast Jazz Festival Competition, and the Cole Porter Fellowship from the American Pianists Association. His recent soundtrack for the independent feature Movement and Location was voted Best Original Score at the 2014 Brooklyn Film Festival.
«Of all the piano sounds I've tried, Pianoteq is by far the most versatile. I love being able to play with every aspect of the sound of the instrument, from the length of the strings to the placement of the mics used to record it. It's also one of the most expressive digital piano sounds I've used. In a live setting, its notes speak with integrity and musicality. As a pianist who is also passionate about math and programming, I particularly appreciate the elegance and economy of Pianoteq — it's amazing that it can achieve what it does with such a minuscule footprint, when sampled pianos can take over entire hard drives. Congrats to the Pianoteq team for digging deep into what it means to build a digital piano from raw math and physics!»
Performed by Dan Tepfer
Pianoteq 5: D4 Grand Piano
Dan Tepfer's official website: http://www.dantepfer.com
Sven Martin is an in-demand performance keyboardist and studio producer/songwriter. He has been touring some of the most popular and most remote parts of the globe as musical director and keyboardist for Russia's No.1 export, t.A.T.u.. He has played to 100,000 people in Kazakhstan, shared the stage on Red Square with Shakira and the Black Eyed Peas, and turned a sold-out show in St. Petersburg into a live DVD. Add to that performances with Liz Phair on the Chicks with Attitude tour, and television appearances on several shows including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Sven's prowess and popularity as a musician become irrefutable. Sven currently works on the debut of Lena Katina's first solo album, starting with a release of the first single "Never forget", which reached #1 on the Billboard Club Charts as the Dave Aude Remix.
«I just finally took the time to authorize and run Pianoteq 4 Pro and what can I say??? Unbelievable! The dynamic range of the piano makes me forget I'm using a midi keyboard and the Celeste is so dreamy, I can't even describe my excitement. It's exactly what I was looking for! This is where samples fall flat and the difference is night and day! I have tried just about every Celeste sample on the market for my lullaby music and my search is finally over! Thank you!»
Sven Martin's official website: http://www.svenmartin.com
Born blind in 1961, Jean-Philippe Rykiel taught himself piano from a very early age. His technical mastery of the instrument and his musical intuition brought him recognition by his contemporaries, which provided him many experiences and collaborations as programmer (from Vangelis to Vladimir Cosma), instrumentalist (Steve Hillage, Jon Hassell, Didier Malherbe and numerous African projects) or arranger (Xalam, Salif Keita, Leonard Cohen, Youssou N’Dour). During the last three decades, Jean-Philippe Rykiel has been involved in many pioneering projects - from Salif Keita's "Soro" to "The Lama's Chant" and has gained a reputation as one of the world's foremost keyboard players who also has impressive talents as a writer, arranger and producer.
«I have always admired the wonderful work and innovative concept of Pianoteq. When I tried out version 4, I found a real physical pleasure in playing the D4. I didn't want to fiddle with settings or anything, I just wanted to play and it felt real good. In the following audio demo, I used the unique possibilities of Pianoteq Pro. I made a sound derived from the D4 Jazz B/A preset where I tried to simulate what happens when you put your hands on the strings. So the middle of the keyboard has this handMute effect, while the low and high octaves remain unchanged. I alternate this sound with the original D4 Jazz B/A preset, guaranteed without overdubs! Below is a song I wrote as a tribute to Vangelis, who I had the privilege to know and play with. It shows Pianoteq in context. I used the harp in the 1st part of the song and the D4 piano in the 2nd part.»
Now established as a composer in the world of film music, John 'Rabbit' Bundrick divides the year between writing and world tours with world class artists. It all started at the age of seven when he received his first piano and began banging on it straight away. Soul music and sessions soon followed, most particularly work with Johnny Nash. Eventually he found his own unique instrumental voice on the Hammond Organ. He worked with Bob Marley, Free and finally, The Who.
«I don’t know how Pianoteq do it, but they just keep on getting better and better. They are my go-to software for all sorts of instruments now. This should be your 1st Stop if you’re searching for fabulous software. GO TO PIANOTEQ... And ORGANTEQ: Never mind the other organs. USE THIS ONE. I was using the demo for while, just to see what it was like. I told myself, "I wish I could use it in Logic." So I bought it, and it is absolutely fabulous. Classical-Church organist? Be Aware! Organteq may take your job away someday in the near future as the world becomes Overblown with Organteq.»
John 'Rabbit' Bundrick's official website: http://www.rabbitwho.com
The man on keys for London Ska legends Madness has been the driving force behind many of their 20 Hits over almost 30 years. Their debut album "One step beyond" catapulted them into the charts all over Europe, giving the teenagers multiple platinum status.
Every kid in the UK and Europe danced to Songs such as "Baggy Trousers" or "Night Boat To Cairo", their trademark 'nutty sound'. After their world smash "Our House", with which they entered the US charts for the first time in 1980 Madness became a household name all over the world. The string of hits continued until the band took a break in 1985. They returned with a bang when they organised the 1992 Madstock concerts in London's Finsbury Park, the only Live event to date to literally register on the Richter scale due to the enthusiastic pogo-ing of the 70.000 punters over the two days. Since then Madness have enjoyed continued success of the live circuit worldwide and are currently working on the follow up of the 2005 album "The Dangermen Sessions".
Mike's keyboard sound has, although intricately layered with strings, mallets and other, more synthetic colours of the sonic spectrum, always had a firm base in the piano. Since most Madness songs are essentially written around a piano part the quality of this instrument is crucial to band's overall sound.
Recently, Mike has changed his hardware rack for a computer set-up, and while a lot of the synthesizers and sample based natural sounds such as strings were relatively easy to port across, even some of the most high-end piano sample libraries ultimately disappointed him. Moving away from samples he discovered in PIANOTEQ the perfect tool, both in the studio and on the road. The moderate CPU load it puts on a system, combined with superb sonic performance and low inherent latency make it the ideal base for his key rig now. In a series of recent concerts PIANOTEQ has proven to be exactly what was called for, both musically and technically.
«PIANOTEQ plays like a real piano and sounds natural like a real piano. I like the fact one can change the different elements, it's very versatile. Unlike many of the other software pianos I tried this one really sounds good, is simple and can deliver drastically different types of Piano sound... they all sound good, which is just what I want!»
Performed by Madness
Pianoteq 4: D4 Grand Piano
Mike Barson's official website: http://www.madness.co.uk/
Currently based in Vancouver, Miles has a wealth of musical experience as an arranger, producer, composer, session musician, guitarist, bassist, saxophonist, songwriter, musical theatre director, music therapist and college level music instructor. He has performed on countless albums, and has played with many music greats around the world - Mark Murphy, Lee Konitz, Slide Hampton, Chuck Israels, Dee Daniels, Jane Siberry, The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and many others.
Currently, Miles is involved in several projects: He is co-leading a modern jazz quartet called "Altered Laws" with Tom Keenlyside. In 2003, Miles set up Carltone Studios and Carltunes Recordings with engineer/percussionist Chamberlist. Since 1991, Miles has been working for PG Music, with whom he has helped to produce and performed on music software programs, including "The Jazz Pianist 1&2" and "The NewAge Pianist".
«PIANOTEQ, in my opinion, stands head and shoulders above most of the other piano imitations. It was obviously created by people who really understand the amazing acoustic properties of pianos, including all of the important peripheral sounds (pedals, hammers, string resonances, etc..) that form the highly complex and beautiful sonorities that a piano can produce. Carefully crafted and clear and concise in its presentation, PIANOTEQ is a joy to use»
Performed by Miles Black
Pianoteq 7: K2 Grand Piano Bass & Piano split
Performed by Miles Black
Pianoteq 7: K2 Grand Piano Mix Recording
Miles Black's official website: http://www.milesblack.com
William Lecomte is a French jazz pianist, composer and arranger. He studied the harpsichord, piano and harmony at Conservatoire de Poitiers, France, and continued his studies in jazz with Bernard Maury. He is currently touring with Jean-Luc Ponty and has toured and recorded with Vaya con Dios, Eric Séva, Ines Martinez and many others.
«I'm impressed by the way you have adapted mathematics to the service of Art. The design variations provides the ability to adapt to any situation I can imagine. Bravo for the concept of Pianoteq!»
William Lecomte's official website: http://www.myspace.com/williamlecomte
Johnny McDaid is the prolific songwriter and producer behind a wide array of recent chart hits with Ed Sheeran, Rag n Bone Man, James Blunt, Zara Larsson. Along with his role as executive producer on Kodaline’s third Album (due in 2018), Johnny’s next project is a full album with Irish traditional band Beoga, who brought their distinctive sound to Ed Sheeran’s Irish number one single, "Galway Girl". Born in Dublin and raised in Derry, Northern Ireland, McDaid moved to London in his late teens and spent a decade leading his band Vega4 before signing to Polar Patrol Publishing. Johnny has since written soundtracks and numerous songs for movies alongside Snow Patrol frontman, Gary Lightbody. McDaid went on to tour with Snow Patrol during the Fallen Empires Tour and subsequently joined the band as a full time member.
«I use Pianoteq as my main Piano Plugin for my live setup and in my studio rig. It is an extraordinary instrument. I have never played such a versatile keys plugin that responds so dynamically to your playing style and is so light on resources without compromising on sound. It can be whatever you want it to be. On stage and in the studio, Pianoteq is a must. The addons are a world of inspiration too. This is, by far, my favourite keys plugin.»
More info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_McDaid
Nick Glennie-Smith (born 3 October 1951 in London) is an internationally recognized English composer and conductor whose talents were sought out by the Hollywood movie industry some years ago. He has scored many well known movies including: "Heaven Is For Real", "Secretariat", "We Were Soldiers", "Lion King 2", and "The Man in the Iron Mask". He has also worked with Hans Zimmer on many films writing additional music. He has conducted the scores of many Hollywood movies and was Musical Director for the 2012 Oscars. Before moving to the USA in 1990 he was a keyboard session player in London working on many hit records, and as a youngster he was a chorister and head soloist at New College, Oxford. He has currently finished a world tour with Hans Zimmer.
«The Pianoteq piano module is not only the most realistic sounding piano plug-in I have ever played, but also seems so efficient in its miserly use of CPU power. How they can get that much piano to be such a small drain on computing power is as magic to me as how, when you plug two wires into a speaker, music comes out!!»
Paul Haslinger is an Austrian musician and composer. He lives and works in Los Angeles. Paul began his career as a member of Electronic Music pioneers Tangerine Dream. His career in film composing began with the scoring of HBO’s Cheaters in 2000. He received an Emmy nomination for his work on the Showtime Series Sleeper Cell. Notable projects include Fear The Walking Dead, Halt And Catch Fire, Rainbow Six Siege, Underworld Awakening, and Minority Report. He is currently working with the score of the upcoming film Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, starring Milla Jovovich.
«Pianoteq has been part of my writing templates for quite some time. I particularly appreciate the modeling of historical instruments, and the "per key" customization features.»
Paul Haslinger's official website: http://www.haslinger.com
Ramin Djawadi is known for his melodic and memorable thematic scores. His compositions vary stylistically between classical orchestral, electronic, rock and modern genres. Ramin blends elements with careful consideration to the emotionality and narrative of each scene. The three time Emmy® and Grammy® nominated composer challenges himself with each new project. Ramin has scored an array of Film, TV, and Videogame projects. Some of these films include: "Pacific Rim," "Safe House," "Clash of the Titans", "Iron Man," as well as notable television series such as, "Game of Thrones," "Person of Interest," and "The Strain." Over the years, Ramin has strived not only to create beautiful scores but to establish his identity through his unique sound.
«Pianoteq continues to create the most beautiful piano and acoustic sounds. The organic nature of these instruments shine when used in a piece of music. The interface is functional and intuitive, making for an easy creative process. Pianoteq provides me with the tools and sounds necessary for a great sounding score. I have also begun using Organteq, which is modeled with such detail that it feels and sounds like a real instrument of the highest quality. This instrument contains a vast array of distinct, colorful pipes complemented by organically integrated noises that make for incredibly natural and compelling performances.»
Ramin Djawadi's official website: http://www.ramindjawadi.com
Two-time Emmy-award winning composer/arranger Hummie Mann has composed and orchestrated for such top-rated television series as "Fame", "Moonlighting", "Knots Landing", "ALF" and "The Simpsons". His motion pictures projects have ranged from Mel Brooks' "Dracula: Dead & Loving It" and "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" to Peter Yates' "Year of the Comet". Mann co-produced the Marc Shaiman scores for such hits as "Sleepless in Seattle" and "A Few Good Men", and both orchestrated and conducted the Shaiman scores for "City Slickers" and "The Addams Family". He also composed the main title theme and underscore for Rob Reiner's cult series "Morton & Hayes".
Besides his busy composing career, Mann is also the principal instructor of the Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program and a guest lecturer at Napier University in Scotland as well as Artlab in Copenhagen, Denmark.
«Since discovering Pianoteq, these libraries have become my first choice for piano, celeste and keyboard percussion - great sounds and easy usability. I want to spend my time composing and not messing with sounds to make them sound right - these are great right out of the box, but also highly adjustable as well!!»
Hummie Mann's official website: http://www.hummiemann.com
Mati Moon is a Music Producer & composer based in LA, Tel Aviv and Berlin. He has worked with some of our most important songwriters in the music business (Diane Warren). Currently he is working on pop music with a variety of artists and also composing for film & TV. His most recent clients include T-Mobile, Mercedes Benz and Netflix. He was signed as a writer to BMG Rights and as an artist to Warner Music Group.
«The most important thing as a songwriter is to feel good about what you are making. With Pianoteq I instantly find the sound of a piano that sets the mood I am looking for. It´s so versatile, creative and the best sounding plugin out there. No need for any huge libraries anymore. It´s my go to Piano and I love it!»
Mati Moon's official website: http://www.miraclerecord.com
French of Moroccan origin (born in Jerusalem), Armand Amar spent his childhood in Morocco. Imbued with the sounds of instruments considered exotic at the time, the pull of that "world apart" exercised by extra-European music soon fascinated him. The musical and spiritual influences at play show through in his film scores, such as Eyewitness (2000), Live and Become (2006), Days of Glory (2006), and The Concert (winner of the César Best Soundtrack of the Year Award 2009). He recently worked on the music for Nicolas Vanier’s, Belle et Sébastien, for the Norwegian director Erik Poppe’s movie Thousand Times Goodnight, Alexandre Arcady’s 24 Jours, and Philip Muyl’s new film Le Promeneur d’oiseau. In 1994 in partnership with his friend Alain Weber, he founded the record label Long Distance for traditional, world and classical music; it now boasts more than 60 titles. His own work is released through naïve, Long Distance, Universal and Sony.
«I have for a long time been looking for a virtual piano with a beautiful sound, user-friendly interface and tiny system footprint. I found all this in Pianoteq which has now become my favourite piano plug-in.»
Armand Amar's official website: http://www.armandamar.com
Renown film composer Klaus Badelt has worked with some of the greatest filmmakers of our time, received many international awards and honors of distinction, scored more than 35 major motion pictures, and set the tone for both critically acclaimed films and top-grossing franchises and blockbusters.
After writing scores for such films as Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, The Recruit, K:19 The Widowmaker, Rescue Dawn, The Time Machine, Premonition, 16 Blocks, Poseidon and many others, Klaus cemented his place as one of Hollywood's most in-demand, touted, and versatile composers.
In order to write these great scores, Klaus' Los Angeles and International studios must utilize only cutting edge music technology, tools, and equipment, and include only the finest virtual instruments and plug-ins. Klaus is currently using Pianoteq for "Asterix & Obelix: God Save Britannia", "Fly me to the Moon", and the recently finished "Shanghai Calling".
«PIANOTEQ is one of the most exciting products I've seen in quite some time. Some of my film cue arrangements are realized with over 75 tracks of audio and virtual instruments, with dozens of effects plug-ins. In these instances, it's vital to have a solid, expressive piano sound that loads quickly and requires a minimum of CPU resources. PIANOTEQ's customizable capability provides me with every type of sound required for every type of mood and situation. PIANOTEQ has become my 'go to' instrument for sketching and final production»
Klaus Badelt's official website: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0046004/
Composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi has been described as minimalist, classical, ambient, contemporary and deeply touching the welcome sound of stillness in a hectic world. His hauntingly beautiful and evocative music has kept him among the best-selling and most requested recording artists in the UK and Italy in particular. Besides involved in many collaborative ventures in theatre and dance, he has scored many official movie soundtracks such as This Is England and The Intouchables.
«I have been using Pianoteq for a few years and it's my favourite piano software. The sound is great, it's very easy to use, and I can easily adjust it to my sound needs. Not to mention the important fact that it's very light and it never slows down my computer when I work»
Ludovico Einaudi's official website: http://www.ludovicoeinaudi.com
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Steve Nieve, has provided the signature sound to Elvis Costello from the first note of the Attractions right up to the present day Imposters. In addition to all the Costello Albums Steve has, Steve's remarkable keyboard stylings have accompanied Sting, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Madness, Squeeze, Burt Bacharach, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Morressey, Lou Reed, Annie Clark (St. Vincent), Vanessa Paradis, Robert Wyatt, Francois Hardy, Jane Birkin, Sandy Shaw, Allen Toussaint, Paul Weller, Kirsty Maccoll, Mick Jagger, Smokey Robinson, Barbara Bonney, Laurie Anderson, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and many others...
Steve resides in Paris, where he works as a film composer. A handful of solo albums the most recent ToGetHer features many of the artists Steve is associated with, singing Steve's compositions in duet. Always the piano remains at the center of his work. His hybrid-opera Welcome to the Voice, music by Steve Nieve and lyrics Muriel Teodori, (Deutsche Grammophon) fused together classical female singers like Barbara Bonney and Amanda Roocroft and rock male singers like Sting and Robert Wyatt, receiving sell out shows at the Chatelet Theater in Paris. Steve and Muriel are now creating a completely digital opera and Pianoteq software will be an important part of this creation.
«I have always been impressed by the results I am able to achieve with Pianoteq. It sounds as natural or as unnatural as I want. Pianoteq's sound editing facilities make it extremely versatile for the modern pianist with an ear to fine audio tuning. I love the slider that sets the condition of the piano from pristine to totally destroyed. The designers have thought to everything, but have managed to maintain a simple interface which never gets in the way of musical creativity. All the add ons sound equally realistic and the other important dimension is the effects section, absolutely wonderful and simple to operate. Another important consideration, the superb responsiveness of this software, that sets it apart from all other virtual pianos. Every style of music that I'm interested in is instantly playable on Pianoteq. I love working, playing and creating music with this incredibly powerful, deceptively simple software.»
Performed by Steve Nieve
Pianoteq 4: Bluethner (Studio)
Performed by Steve Nieve
Pianoteq 4: U4 (Midnight)
More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Nieve
Jimmy George is a multiple Grammy nominee for best songwriter. His songs, "I'll Always Love You", and "Just To See Her", won nominations for Jimmy, Taylor Dayne, and a Grammy for Smokey Robinson, as "Best Vocal Performer". As a studio guitarist in Los Angeles, he has played on major number one hit records, arranged and produced top recording artists such as The Temptations, The Commodores, and George Benson. Jimmy played guitar on many Motown hits for Michael Jackson, The Jackson Five, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Thelma Houston, and others. He has also appeared in concerts with Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Miles, Sly and the Family Stone, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Janis Joplin, Three Dog Night, and many others.
«When "digital" software and recording equipment first came on the scene, every serious musician was frantically searching for the most accurate sounding grand piano, software and hardware. There weren't really any that could be used professionally, and that was frustrating to me, as I had sold my grand piano when I moved. I was looking for a new one, and, (as an equipment guru), noticed this brand new program at the Guitar Center in Hollywood. The salesman informed me that it had just arrived, and they had not had time to set up a demo. I was a customer they did not want to lose, so I insisted they set it up so I could hear it. I still recall when I plugged in the earphones to the Korg 88 controller, the first note I played, blew me away. At first I thought it was this expensive Korg, but then I had never heard any digital keyboard sound this authentic.
Not only was I amazed, and sat there for two hours, but a line was beginning to form when we put it through some decent stereo speakers. Needless to say, they sold out that day. I was very fortunate to be one of the first to own it. Since then, I've been using my Pianoteq for almost all of my sessions. I strive to get the finest pianists in Los Angeles, and I would get the same reaction from them, that I had, when they first played it. They couldn't believe it either.
I now have Pianoteq 4 Pro, and I love it! It is rock solid as a stand-alone, or a plug-in, and the user interface is classy and beautiful. The presets are incredibly authentic, but you still have the option to tweak any sound from any preset, to your own ears, which is more fun than a task. You can save it as your own, and recall it in a second. You really have to own this, before you can truly appreciate the genius behind this product. It's that one ultimate software you didn't know you could not live without.»
Jimmy George's official website: http://www.jimmygeorge.com
Composer and technologist BT is one of the most cutting-edge artists and producers for a dizzying array of musical styles. Whether composing intricate scores for blockbuster films such as Fast and Furious, and the Oscar winning Monster; writing and producing for Sting, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel and Madonna to creating cutting edge proprietary software tools from scratch to make it happen - BT is at the heart of it all. Juxtaposing memorable songwriting with sonic innovation and hand- designed technologies, BT crafts classically influenced, electronic overtures, ringing with living textures that are an industry source book of new and highly copied signature techniques and ideas.
«As an avid fan of the IRCAM physical modeling work, I predicted many years ago this day would come. Finally it is here, a piano model that surpasses in detail, nuance, accuracy, playability and elegance the most sophisticated of sample based libraries. Math can be beautiful, Pianoteq is proof. Play this now, you won't believe it»
BT's official website: http://www.btmusic.com
Thomas G:son has written many songs in different national pre-selections for the hugely popular Eurovision Song Contest which is watched by a hundred million television viewers every year. G:son has so far written 31 songs for Sweden and 25 songs for other European countries.
In 2012 he contributed with the winning entry Euphoria, performed by Loreen, and the Spanish entry Quédate Conmigo, performed by Pastora Soler. Other artists he has written for include Arash, Jonas Brothers, Tsukasa Maizu, NewS, Carola, Charlotte Perrelli, Nikki Ponte, Guri Schanke, Kandis, Vikingarna, Lasse Stefanz, Thorsten Flinck & Revolutionsorkestern, Dynazty, Masquerade, Sanna Nielsen, Chanée & n'evergreen, Jenny Silver, Reidun Sæther and Coral Segovia.
«Pianoteq is one of my main go-to plugins when creating new projects. I appreciate that it's so flexible to work with - small and fast loading, easy to adjust the sounds to what I really want, and it offers an excellent selection of factory presets to quickly get started.»
Thomas G:son's official website: http://www.g2publishing.net
More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_G:son
Philippe van Eecke is a well-known, multiple platinum selling composer, producer, engineer, remixer and sound designer from Mannheim, Germany. He has been working together with Xavier Naidoo, Söhne-Mannheims, Carl Carlton and Yvonne Catterfeld only to name a few. His work includes composing, engineering and producing 10 out of 14 songs on the number one album "Telegramm für X" by Xavier Naidoo which sold over 1.4 million copies. Philippe van Eecke's philosophy "Everything is music and music is everything" describes best what drives his work as a composer and producer with a musical spectrum ranging from "acoustic photography" to the recording of natural sounds, all the way to experimental sound mutation - it all exists within the essence of music.
«Pianoteq is the best piano plugin ever! From day one I've been using it in literally every production and I'm always mesmerized and inspired by its sound! Playing Pianoteq just feels fantastic - like painting music with a natural instrument, offering a huge arsenal of colours to paint the picture in the way you want it. You can tweak the acoustic textures and materials whenever necessary, at any time! I love it for the amazing acoustic and e-piano sounds and the add-ons are incredible! But its physical modelling engine is also one of my secret weapons for sound design. It is the perfect studio tool for sculpting new, fresh or inspiring (and sometimes) crazy sounds! Pianoteq has become the number one choice VSTi for my inspiration and my daily work.»
Philippe van Eecke's official website: http://www.klangzeuger.de/
Gunnar Örn Tynes is a front member of the experimental Icelandic musical group múm. Their music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects, and a variety of traditional and unconventional instruments. They are regularly touring worldwide and have released 7 albums.
«Amazing things are happening in the world of physical modeling and I think Pianoteq is the cutting edge when it comes to quality in sound and realistic feel. I have always had a problem with most digital pianos / instruments, they never capture my creative side but since getting to know Pianoteq I haven´t been able to stop playing. The idea of preserving old instruments this way is encouraging for musicians and enables them to explore a huge world of historic instruments, sounds that are actually shaped from a physical world. Musicians that travel a lot know the burden of having to carry around say a wurlitzer, vibraphone and a celesta. They now can save their backs because at last there is a fantastic, realistically sounding plugin that doesn´t deplete your computer's processing power»
Gunnar Örn Tynes's official website: http://mum.is/
Richard Harvey is a sought after film composer and conductor, collaborating with major contemporary composers including John Williams, Stanley Myers, Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Maurice Jarre and many others. He has scored over 70 film and television projects up to date, from countless British television series, documentaries and feature length TV films, to major Hollywood titles, contributing to Hans Zimmer's score for the huge box office hit The Da Vinci Code (2006). He has also scored the moving historical drama feature film Eichmann (2007), the idiosyncratic French fantasy Les Deux Mondes (2007). Most recently he has conducted and arranged the score of Interstellar (2014) for Hans Zimmer and will be appearing with Zimmer at his two upcoming London concerts.
Richard has also an important presence in the Thai film industry and was honoured a Royal Invitation to work closely with executive producer Francis Ford Coppola and to score for the major historic movie "Suriyothai". His talent as a composer of film and television music has been recognised with several awards including a British Academy Award. Richard has also made several classical albums, including a Classical Record of the Year, "Italian Recorder Concertos" (1982), which remains in Gramophone Magazine's Top 100.
«Terms like sampling, modelling or plug-in, are not entering my head here... because for me, Pianoteq quite simply IS a piano! Having said that, it is much more than that, it gives you many pianos with many ways to hear and feel those pianos. Paired with a good physical keyboard the experience is tactile and inspiring and as such I feel drawn to sit and play Pianoteq in the same way that I'm am drawn to a beautiful 9' grand sitting in the corner of a a studio or on a concert stage. It has that magnetism. There have been very creditable attempts at sampled pianos around for a long while. Some are impressive (though profligate with your drive space and processing power!) but they all lack what I call the heart of a piano.... the ability to really "sing" in the middle range between A=220 and A=880. This, for me, is the the most significant edge that Pianoteq has over its likely competitors and as such feels to me rather like the dawning of a new age!»
Richard Harvey's official website: http://www.richardharvey.net
More info: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006124/
Jon Vezner is a songwriter/singer/producer. He has written songs for Kathy Mattea, Reba McEntire, Faith Hill, Nancy Griffith, Janis Ian, John Mellencamp and more. He has produced projects on Victory Shaw, Kathy Mattea, Dougie McLean, Danny O'Keefe and the legendary Patti Page. "Where've You Been", a song he co-wrote with Don Henry, won the ACM (Academy of Country Music), the CMA, (Country Music Association) the Grammy and the NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International) awards for song of the year. He was also NSAI songwriter of the year.
«PIANOTEQ is one of the most exciting new plug-ins I've come across in sometime. It's as closer to the real thing than anything I've heard. I've found it to be very inspiring. And to add to that, being a modeled piano it requires no samples and uses hardly any resources I see no need to go through trying to mic a real piano. And especially for the project studio it is a dream come true»
Jon Vezner's official website: http://jonvezner.com
Stuart Crichton is a successful, Australian based, international songwriter and producer who has garnered several Top 10 UK and international hits. Stuart has worked with a number of world-renowned artists such as: Kylie Minogue, Delta Goodrem, Guy Sebastian, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Elton John, Brian McFadden, Sugababes, Jamelia and Dame Shirley Bassey as well as contributing several top 10 UK and international hits.
«PIANOTEQ is amazing on many fronts for me, but the two most important are:
1. Quality of sound, which is unbelievable!!
2. Very low CPU usage. Which is very important to me when I am writing on my portable laptop rig.
I am currently using PIANOTEQ on numerous new productions that I am doing.
If you want quality piano sounds, then PIANOTEQ is as near to the real thing I have used. And it's a great price too!!»
Performed by S. Crichton, D. Ehrlich, J. Green
Pianoteq 4: D4 Grand Piano
Joel Corelitz is a Chicago-based composer/sound designer. His personal brand, Waveplant, provides original music for television, film & media as well as bleeding-edge musical sound design for motion graphics. He has scored commercials on the Super Bowl as well as work featured in Stash, Motionographer, OneDotZero, and Smilefaucet. He has also been written about in both Keyboard and Future Music magazines for his production work.
«I tend to approach composition as design – focusing first on rhythm and texture, and second on melody and chords. Pianoteq is absolutely perfect for this approach. Not only is it hands down the most expressive virtual piano out there, its interface enables me to design the perfect piano for my application. It's the only emulation I can think of that is quite possibly better than the real thing»
Performed by Waveplant studios
Pianoteq 3: preset created by the composer (in a mix)
Performed by Waveplant studios
Pianoteq 3: preset created by the composer (in a mix)
Joel Corelitz's official website: http://www.waveplantstudios.com
Guillaume Roussel is a French composer/orchestrator. His career started off in 2005 when he wrote scores to several popular French TV series. In 2007, his first soundtrack of an independent movie, "Tomorrow Is Today", won the Best Score Award at the California Independent Film Festival.
Since 2010, Guillaume is part of the film score company Remote Control Productions, run by veteran composer Hans Zimmer. In 2011, Guillaume wrote the soundtrack of "Les Seigneurs" and composed additional music on "Pirates of the Carribean 4" and "The Smurfs". He has also worked as additional composer on "How Do You Know", starring Owen Wilson and Jack Nicholson, and "Rango" the Video Game.
«Pianoteq is simply the only plug that allows you to work the sound of the piano like a real one, and more than that! The world of prepared music is right here with Pianoteq. That's really unique. Furthermore, the musicality of this plug is as realistic as a normal sample library. I will definitely use it a lot!»
(© Ben van Duin) The Dutch composer Michel van der Aa (1970) is one of Europe's most sought-after composers today. Van der Aa is a child of his time. Not only the use of soundtracks but also the inclusion of visual elements in Van der Aa's compositional pallet enhances the theatrical aspect of his art. In 2002 Van der Aa completed a program in film directing at the New York Film Academy, where he learned the art of 16 mm filmmaking. In applying film images and soundtracks as additional instruments, he effectively extends the vocabulary of his music. Michel van der Aa is today 'house composer' for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam and is currently working on a new film-opera in collaboration with librettist David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas.
Van der Aa's music has been performed by ensembles and orchestras worldwide at festivals ranging from the Berliner Festspiele to Festival d'Automne á Paris, Donaueschinger Musiktage, Venice Biennale, Lucerne Festival, Autumn in Warsaw and others.
Michel Van der Aa was awarded the International Gaudeamus Prize (1999), Matthijs Vermeulen prize (2004), Siemens Composers Grant (2005), Charlotte Köhler Prize (2005) and the Paul Hindemith Prize (2006). Michel van der Aa is published by Boosey & Hawkes.
«It's hard to believe that such an impressive piano sound can come from a 15 MB software plug-in. It sounds far more vivid and realistic than the sample libraries I've tried. As a composer the next thing I did was of course to push the controls far beyond the natural limits. Very creative and wonderful for sound design! PIANOTEQ won't leave my computers hard disk anymore»
Michel van der Aa's official website: http://www.doubleA.net
Grammy nominated writer/producer, worked with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Cher, Gladys Knight, Chimene Badi, Dru Hill, Brandy, Judith hill among others.
«Pianoteq 5 is my go to plugin for pianos, electric pianos and pitched percs. First I love to use it as a writing tool, I particularly like the Bluethner Model One BA, I find it very inspiring to start on a new ballad. The Bluethner Studio Recording BA sits very well in a busy track played hard. I absolutely love the upright piano, the living room patch is awesome, very intimate and in a way very contemporary to use in pop music. Another patch is the clavinet, auto wah or overdriven, very organic, love it for rhythmic parts.»
More info: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/guy-roche-mn0000546309/credits
Luca Bignardi is an Italian sound engineer and producer, well known for his collaborations with many Italian and international artists. He received 3 Latin Grammys, along with several nominations, and 1 Grammy for his collaboration with Laura Pausini. Since 1979, he has worked with famous producers such as Mauro Malavasi and Celso Valli, and with famous artists such as Adriano Celentano, Eros Ramazotti, Vasco Rossi, Alex Ubago, and Andrea Boccelli. He recently finished a recording project with Sergio Dalma and which album has hit the top position in the Spanish charts. Since 2014, Luca lives in Shanghai where he collaborates with many Chinese top artists and producers.
«I've used many sampled pianos in my productions but I was never satisfied. Even if very good sounding, I’ve always felt that something was missing when listening to the final result. In 2006, I discovered Pianoteq. Maybe in the beginning the sound was not perfect, but the performance on the other hand was so realistic that I decided to use it instead of sampled pianos. With every new release, the sound became better and better, and this is why I still use it in every occasion.»
Luca Bignardi's official website: http://www.lucabignardi.com
Two-time GRAMMY-nominated Producer/DJ Morgan Page is ubiquitous within the dance music scene - his latest album, DC to Light, is set for release this summer. The record features numerous guest appearances, including tracks with Angela McCluskey and frequent-collaborator Lissie, the folksy starlet who worked with Page on 2009’s GRAMMY-nominated "The Longest Road." Over the years, Page has performed landmark sets at festivals across the world, including the Coachella Arts & Music Festival, Electric Daisy Carnival, Electric Zoo, and Ultra Music Festival, as well as countless shows in North America's biggest clubs.
Page also hosts a weekly radio show on national satellite broadcaster Sirius XM. DC To Light follows In The Air, which debuted at #1 on Beatport's "Top 100 Albums" Chart and #6 on Billboard's Heatseeker's Chart. The title track reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay Chart, and held a Top 10 spot for an impressive 25 weeks.
«I've been looking for a amazing piano plugin for years, and never found a match until now. Other piano plugins sound clinical, but Pianoteq sounds big and robust - and it's extremely versatile. Thanks for making an amazing product. This is now a permanent part of my songwriting template»
Morgan Page's official website: http://www.morgan-page.com
Guy Sigsworth is a successful electronica producer with a background as former band member in the band Frou Frou and in the European Baroque Orchestra in Oxford. He has worked with dozens of artists, including Alanis Morissette, Madonna, Björk, Seal, Talvin Singh, Jem, Britney Spears, Lamb, Robyn, Sugababes, Juliet, Temposhark and many others. His latest projects include Britney Spears' latest album "Circus" (2008) and Kate Havnevik's forthcoming album (due out in 2009). In 2007, Sigsworth produced the whole of Alanis Morissette's latest album "Flavors of Entanglement". There he made use of Pianoteq in the bonus track "Madness" where he created an acoustic piano tone, but with a discreet, "tucked in", Wurlitzer-like softness (audio excerpt below).
«I've always liked the idea of Physical Modeling, ever since I tried a Yamaha VL-1 in a Tokyo music shop back in the early 1990s. There's a certain way good models react to velocity and performance inflection. Even the most complex multi-sampled virtual instruments don't have that flexible response under the fingers. I really like Pianoteq. As a conservatory-trained harpsichordist I really like the harpsichord models too. It feels like we're in at the start of an instrument that's going to develop in all kinds of exciting ways»
"Madness" as recorded on Alanis Morissette's album Flavors of Entanglement (DELUXE EDITION), appears courtesy of Warner Bros. Records.
Performed by Alanis Morissette
Pianoteq 2: C2 customized, as accompaniment
More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Sigsworth
Marco 'Borso' Borsatti has gained a Grammy Award as sound engineer, working with the most important Italian artists of today: Laura Pausini, Vasco Rossi, Eros Ramazzotti, Andrea Bocelli, to name a few.
Borsatti's career started in 1989 as studio and live sound engineer. In 1992 his first approach to the audio professional world began in the Fonoprint recording studios, where he had the possibility to work with the best recording devices on the market, from analog tapes to the most advanced hard disk recording workstations. It was then he met the arranger and composer Celso Valli, one of the most influential musicians in Italy. He then started his research in finding the best way to manage the piano sound in his productions. He regarded his research as complete the day he first tried PIANOTEQ. In the latest album by Laura Pausini, Primavera In Anticipo (2008), Pianoteq was used as the acoustic piano in all songs (audio excerpt below).
«PIANOTEQ plays like a real piano and sounds natural like a real piano. It is a virtual instrument of a very high level and you can really get the same feeling with it as with a true grand piano»
'Invece no' as recorded on Laura Pausini's album Primavera In Anticipo, appears courtesy of Warner Music Italia.
Performed by Laura Pausini
Pianoteq 2: C2 customized, as accompaniment
Marco Borsatti's official website: http://www.marcoborsatti.com
Ed Cash is a GRAMMY award winning producer / songwriter based in Nashville, the GMA Producer of the Year in 2005, 2006, 2007,2012, 2013, 2014, the BMI Christian Songwriter of the Year in 2007, and more recently winner of Song of the Year in 2014. He has 25+ Dove Awards, and has produced multiple Gold and Platinum selling records. Some of those artists include Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Dolly Parton, Chris Tomlin, Steven Curtis Chapman, Needtobreath, David Crowder, Kari Jobe, Jeremy Camp, Casting Crowns, and TobyMac.
«Pianoteq is an incredible addition to our piano arsenal. The ability to control the tone from within the program is hard to compete with, and it is definitely the most flexible virtual piano we’ve come across. Beyond a doubt, it is the most realistic piano synthesizer that we’ve seen to date. It works really well in pop tracks as a clean, sharp pop instrument that doesn’t sound like a VI. We dig pianoteq!»
Ed Cash's official website: http://www.edcash.com
New York native Jayson DeZuzio inked a deal with Kid in a Korner/Universal recently and has been nonstop since. Now based in Los Angeles, Jayson has penned and produced songs for Imagine Dragons, X Ambassadors, Jamie N Commons, Christina Aguilera, Skylar Grey, and Lana Del Ray.
«Pianoteq 5 is the past and future in a tiny package. Nothing comes close to the flexibility, playability and tweak ability. Amazing product truly.»
Ted has produced, played guitar, arranged, recorded, & toured with major artists such as Whitney Houston, Harry Belafonte, Bob Dylan, Diana Ross, Burt Bacharach, Dr. Dre, Ronald Isley, Alessandra Rosaldo, The Manhattans, Blush, Ringo, Joe Cocker, Chicago, Engelbert Humperdink. He has also done extensive work in TV & Movies. All this has made Ted proficient in a variety of musical styles.
«I've been using Pianoteq for years now as my main acoustic piano emulation. I have worked, recorded, and played with some of the best pianists ever to walk the planet, from George Duke to Billy Preston to Lalo Shifrin to Richard Tee to Jorge Dalto to Burt Bacharach. The sound they got from an actual acoustic piano is the same sound you get in Pianoteq. I mixed for Sony Records the most complicated piano album ever, by the "Five Browns", five Julliard graduate siblings. It would have been so easy with Pianoteq because it has so many varied Colors and tones. More than the five grand pianos they used at Capitol Studios here in Los Angeles. From a natural hall sounding classical model to a funky New Orleans blues one to a jazzy Herbie Hancock sound to a super pop David Fosterish style, it’s all here. One of my favorites nowadays is the brilliant UK pianist composer Alexis Ffrench. He’s a friend of mine and I’m a huge fan of his. I can almost get his same heavenly piano sound with chorus,reverb, and compression as is on his records with Pianoteq. It’s all here. The words "stunning", "absolutely beautiful" and "gorgeous" come to mind when describing this brilliant instrument. Bravo!»
Ted Perlman's official website: http://www.tedperlman.com
Rik Simpson is a Grammy award winning producer responsible for many platinum selling records from the likes of Jay Z, Portishead, PJ Harvey and Coldplay. He used Pianoteq in the latest Coldplay album Ghost Stories.
«I do a lot of work on my laptop. To be able to have an amazing sounding piano with such a tiny footprint, both in terms of CPU and disk space is indeed a wondrous thing. The piano's sound absolutely real to my ear yet because they're modelled they can also be adapted to defy physics.... I made myself an upright piano with a 30 metre soundboard the other day!!»
Rik Simpson's official website: http://www.riksimpson.com
Jurij Gianluca Ricotti is a talented musician, working in many fields: guitarist, keyboardist, singer, synth programmer, drum programmer, teacher, reviewer, composer, studio engineer and producer. Since 1995 he has worked with a wide range of distinguished artists and producers such as Ennio Morricone, Britney Spears, Brian May, Yngwie Malmsteen, Salvatore Russo, Tony Renis and Humberto Gatica. He currently tours with the new and very promising opera trio IL VOLO. He played synth guitar and programmed all drums and synthesizers during their writing and pre-recording sessions in which Pianoteq was used in all piano tracks. Jurij teaches at the Roma Rock School where he has the position as Vice Didactic Director.
«I love Pianoteq, it's the best piano instrument ever. I've use it in all my projects, mostly in pop because the sounds match perfectly the synthetic drums and guitars and the harmonics are much better than sampled pianos, the voices are not disturbed by the frequencies»
Jurij Gianluca Ricotti's official website: http://www.jurij.net
Morelli has worn many hats over the years such as MD, to studio ace, as well as playing guitar for artists such as Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Roberta Flack, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Grace Potter, Ne-Yo, The Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Hunter Hayes, The Jonas Brothers, Esperanza Spalding, Nicole Scherzinger (Pussycat Dolls), Rodney Holmes (Santana), K’Naan, Wes Morgan, & Musiq Soulchild to name a few.
«I find Pianoteq truly amazing, super musical and realistic, and is a true joy to use for sure! It makes me feel really inspired. Thank you and kudos on the awesome products.»
Jake Morelli's official website: http://www.jakemorelli.com
Jason Graves is a British Academy Award-winning composer who has brought his passion for music to video game franchises such as DEAD SPACE (EA), STAR TREK (Bethesda) and SILENT HUNTER (Ubisoft). His Hollywood expertise allows him to move effortlessly between film, television and games, and he is renowned worldwide for his cinematic, immersive and award-winning music. Jason's diverse musical background as a classically-trained composer, jazz drummer, keyboardist, guitarist and world percussionist allow him to expertly compose in many different genres of music. As a result, his game credits alone include more than eighty titles, ranging from electronic and rock to full symphonic scores. He performs world percussion and guitar on many of his own scores and has conducted and recorded his live orchestral scores at Air Studios London, Capitol Records, Paramount Pictures, Skywalker Sound, and with the Seattle and Salt Lake City Philharmonic orchestras.
Recent projects include two hybrid electronic/orchestral game scores - one for the popular CITY OF HEROES franchise, entitled GOING ROGUE (N.C. Soft) and a second for SECTION 8 (Southpeak Interactive), a first-person shooter set in the distant future. Jason also provided a live orchestral score for DEAD SPACE EXTRACTION, the Electronic Arts prequel to the popular and critically-acclaimed horror hit DEAD SPACE. Jason is currently working on the epic new score for the third episode of the FINAL HOURS OF TOMB RAIDER, due for release in March 2013.
«Pianoteq PRO is by far the most flexible and best-sounding virtual piano in my arsenal of plug-ins, and I have them all! It also is working extremely well as a "treated" piano for some to-be-announced horror scores I'm currently working on. The ability to customize everything for EACH string on the piano has opened up a whole new world of sonic possibilities. Whatever piano sound I hear in my head can be realized quickly and easily and sounds great with the rest of my instruments»
Jason Graves's official website: http://www.jasongraves.com
When it comes to positioning music in Spanish to thrive in an international market, Italian producer Bob Benozzo has become a force to be reckoned with and an essential part of its growth. His work has become synonymous with the cutting edge success of many recent musical productions, establishing him as one of the most sought after producers in the industry. His remarkable career is almost too good to be true. At the young age of 34 he has already amassed an unbelievable number of Gold and Platinum records, in addition to countless awards that have earned his productions a permanent spot on Billboard and other international music charts. Benozzo's credits list counts renowned artists like Olga Tañón, Emmanuel, Juan Velez, Ricardo Montaner, Chambao, Esterlla Morente, Gloria Trevi, Xtreme, Ornella Vanoni.
«I have tried almost all sampled piano libraries available. One of the main differences of Pianoteq is that it loads quickly, in just a few seconds you can play a fantastic piano. What I really love about Pianoteq is the dynamic response, it reacts like a real instrument, with no gaps in the dynamic range. Another great feature is the sound presence and the natural sounding low/mid range. Pianoteq is an amazing instrument and useful tool. Ever since I put my hands on it, Pianoteq has become my first choice piano!»
Bob Benozzo's official website: http://www.myspace.com/bobbenozzo
More info: http://www.altavox.com
Jeff Wolpert is a multi-award winning engineer, mixer, producer, editor and educator. He has recorded some of the biggest names in today's music industry, in addition to a successful career working in film and television. Some of his projects include recordings for Loreena McKennitt, Holly Cole, The Cowboy Junkies and soundtracks to Blues Brothers 2000, American Psycho and Disney's Cars. He is also an associate professor at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, which is the oldest and largest Recording Arts program in Canada, and in the Music faculty at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.
«I recently used Pianoteq on a CD for The Canadian Tenors. I appreciate the low processor overhead and the quality of sound»
Jeff Wolpert's official website: http://www.jeffwolpert.com
Allan Watson is a Timpanist and Percussionist with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra resident at the Sydney Opera House. He has more than 25 years experience performing a huge range of Opera and Ballet repertoire with some of the worlds finest conductors. He has worked on a variety of Movie soundtracks and Television shows and taught at the University of NSW and Australian National University. Allan also owns Optimum Percussion, a store specialising in the supply of orchestral percussion instruments imported from all parts of the globe to the finest orchestras and bands in Australia and New Zealand.
«The Pianoteq bell sounds are outstanding and provide a genuine alternative to acoustic bells for live orchestral performance. It is difficult to get real volume and fullness of tone from acoustic tubular bells in the range below a standard chimes set and the lower they get the harder it becomes. The resonance, dynamic control and tone that we are able to achieve from the Pianoteq Bells in this low register answers a problem that has existed for a very long time. The easy to use velocity curve adjustment on the Pianoteq software has enabled me to create a very realistic feel to the playing of all dynamics. The way the bells complex harmonics resonate together is remarkable and above all, our conductor is happy.»
Masaya Yamaguchi is not only a musician but also a conceptualist who established his own system to explore the imaginative formation of musical scales by The Complete Thesaurus of Musical Scales, which is a meta-contribution to music pedagogy of a high standard. Jazz Education Journal wrote, "It's worth mentioning that this book comprehensively covers all theoretical possibilities in constructing scales (July-August 2002)". The concept is revealed in many of his writings and compositions.
At the end of the 20th century, Masaya Yamaguchi became the first native Japanese to complete the master's program in Jazz Performance at the City College of New York (M.A. 1999). Because of the reference value of his outstanding achievements, Marquis Who's Who has selected his biographical profile for inclusion in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World and Who's Who of Emerging Leaders.
«PIANOTEQ can take you anyplace. Having tried many of sampled piano libraries available, I know PIANOTEQ is exceptionally non-sample based and it is the best. I still can't believe that PIANOTEQ is only taking 17MB hard disc space of my computer. Quick loading PIANOTEQ is a cutting-edge of technology that emulates the piano sound. Sound can not propagate in a vacuum except human brain which is like space – a deep vacuum. PIANOTEQ encourages the creation of piano sound that bridge between your ideal piano sound in your mind and the imaginative sound in your brain. Enjoy your space travel with PIANOTEQ! Bon Voyage!» audio1 = Crossings 2011 Masaya Yamaguchi»