Best Stand Alone-Piano VST?
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- KVRer
- 1 posts since 5 Aug, 2025
Every piano VST I have as part of a package is lifeless and muddy. Does anyone know a good grand piano vst that I can buy as a stand-alone VST? Or a free one if there is one? I'm dying for lack of a good piano sound in my soft synth kit.
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- KVRAF
- 2048 posts since 13 May, 2004 from Germany
VI labs Ravenscroft runs in the free UVI WORKSTATION, does that count as standalone?
To me that is hands down the best virtual piano both in sound and playability. And the latter is as important to me as the former.
To me that is hands down the best virtual piano both in sound and playability. And the latter is as important to me as the former.
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- KVRAF
- 2727 posts since 15 Apr, 2004 from Capital City, UK
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- KVRAF
- 2307 posts since 27 Jan, 2011
Pianossimo is nice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tDj_Van ... uNbgY-4qFK
Circumcision's just another way of saying 'bye to the 'hood
Circumcision's just another way of saying 'bye to the 'hood
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- KVRAF
- 9102 posts since 28 Apr, 2013
+1 for Pianoteq
https://www.modartt.com/pianoteq_overview
Can also recommend Steinberg Grand 3 that fits the standalone need.
https://www.steinberg.net/vst-instruments/the-grand/
And both of those also have a built in recorder as well.
And no, anything requiring a host to run it (especially when that host also requires iLok), is not a standalone and defeats the idea of immediate one click and play.
https://www.modartt.com/pianoteq_overview
Can also recommend Steinberg Grand 3 that fits the standalone need.
https://www.steinberg.net/vst-instruments/the-grand/
And both of those also have a built in recorder as well.
And no, anything requiring a host to run it (especially when that host also requires iLok), is not a standalone and defeats the idea of immediate one click and play.
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- KVRian
- 1365 posts since 2 Mar, 2018
Nope....standalone means you don't need anything else to run it.rasmusklump wrote: Wed Sep 17, 2025 1:42 pm VI labs Ravenscroft runs in the free UVI WORKSTATION, does that count as standalone?
Soniculture's Hammersmith isn't cheap ($249) but IMO sounds great (and they have a free version which is my go-to atm...worth a look).
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- KVRAF
- 9102 posts since 28 Apr, 2013
Which requires Kontakt Player, so again, no, it's not a stand alone.mixyguy2 wrote: Thu Sep 18, 2025 8:15 pmNope....standalone means you don't need anything else to run it.rasmusklump wrote: Wed Sep 17, 2025 1:42 pm VI labs Ravenscroft runs in the free UVI WORKSTATION, does that count as standalone?
Soniculture's Hammersmith isn't cheap ($249) but IMO sounds great (and they have a free version which is my go-to atm...worth a look).
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- KVRAF
- 9102 posts since 28 Apr, 2013
According to this, it's not.
The standalone they are talking about is the Kontakt Player.This is a Kontakt Player instrument. This means that you do not need to own the full version of NI Kontakt to use it. It [Kontakt Player] will run as a plug-in instrument in any VST/AU/RTAS/AAX/WASAPI,compatible host program or DAW eg: Cubase, Logic, Ableton Live, DP, Reaper, Pro-Tools. No extra purchase necessary.
Requires KONTAKT 6 or KONTAKT 6 PLAYER version 6.6 or later.
*Installation initially requires 2x 52GB disc space. Once install is complete then disc space required is 52GB.
https://www.soniccouture.com/en/product ... mmersmith/
And this is the requirement for all their instruments. Although I do think they have an Ableton version for some?
I have a few of their libraries, and they are quite good. But none are able to run without Kontakt as far as I know.
If you're running any of them without Kontakt (or Ableton?) I would be very interested in how you're doing it.
(Because I like SonicCouture a lot, but am thoroughly disgusted with NI and would not currently suggest it to anyone if they aren't already using it.)
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- KVRAF
- 7664 posts since 2 Sep, 2019
+1 for Pianoteq. Pianoteq has won the KVR Readers' Choice Award so many times that it's been banned from being nominated again.CinningBao wrote: Wed Sep 17, 2025 2:03 pm Tried Pianoteq? Physically modelled - no samples.
https://www.modartt.com/pianoteq_overview
Pianoteq has a ton of certified models from Steinway, Bösendorfer, Bechstein, Kawai, Blüthner, Petrof, Steingræber, Grotrian...
THIS MUSIC HAS BEEN MIXED TO BE PLAYED LOUD SO TURN IT UP
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- KVRian
- 1365 posts since 2 Mar, 2018
Yeah my bad...I guess it depends where you want to draw the line on "standalone," like does that mean "don't need a DAW" or "don't need anything else at all." Based on #2, never mind.
Based on #1, VI Ravenscroft comes back into play (perhaps others...?).-
- KVRist
- 329 posts since 25 Jan, 2021
I've really been enjoying UAD's Ravel. Sounds great, plays amazing. You should demo it.
And yes, Pianoteq.
And yes, Pianoteq.
Pianist, composer. Check out my OSC (One Synth Challenge) entries,
and more Logic Pro and ııı☰ Ableton Live sequences on SoundCloud.
and more Logic Pro and ııı☰ Ableton Live sequences on SoundCloud.
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- KVRAF
- 7664 posts since 2 Sep, 2019
I got all 9 Pianoverse pianos for free in the IK group buy. If I wasn't using Pianoteq and used sampled pianos instead, these would be the ones I would be using.
THIS MUSIC HAS BEEN MIXED TO BE PLAYED LOUD SO TURN IT UP
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- KVRAF
- 16799 posts since 8 Mar, 2005 from Utrecht, Holland
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- KVRer
- 1 posts since 14 Nov, 2025 from Porto, Portugal
Worth calling out that “standalone” gets used in two slightly different ways here, which is why some of the replies seem to disagree even though they’re mostly talking about the same things.
Some people mean “no DAW required" — i.e. you can launch an app and play immediately. By that definition, things like UVI Workstation + Ravenscroft, Spitfire LABS, SINE Player, etc. all qualify, and I think that’s a totally reasonable way to use the term.
Others mean “no host of any kind” — the piano itself ships as a self-contained executable. Under that stricter definition, you’re basically down to Pianoteq, Pianoverse, Keyscape, UA Ravel, and a few older VSTs like The Grand 3.
Neither definition is wrong — the confusion comes from the fact that Kontakt, HALion, UVI, SINE, etc. all blur the line in different ways. The practical test I usually use is: can you install it, launch an app, and play without opening a DAW or learning a sampler firstt? If yes, most users will experience it as “standalone,” even if there’s a player involved under the hood.
If the original question is simply “what should I try first?”, the boring but safe answer is Pianoteq. It’s a true standalone app, installs cleanly, sounds great out of the box, and avoids all the host / player ambiguity that caused most of the back-and-forth above.
Some people mean “no DAW required" — i.e. you can launch an app and play immediately. By that definition, things like UVI Workstation + Ravenscroft, Spitfire LABS, SINE Player, etc. all qualify, and I think that’s a totally reasonable way to use the term.
Others mean “no host of any kind” — the piano itself ships as a self-contained executable. Under that stricter definition, you’re basically down to Pianoteq, Pianoverse, Keyscape, UA Ravel, and a few older VSTs like The Grand 3.
Neither definition is wrong — the confusion comes from the fact that Kontakt, HALion, UVI, SINE, etc. all blur the line in different ways. The practical test I usually use is: can you install it, launch an app, and play without opening a DAW or learning a sampler firstt? If yes, most users will experience it as “standalone,” even if there’s a player involved under the hood.
If the original question is simply “what should I try first?”, the boring but safe answer is Pianoteq. It’s a true standalone app, installs cleanly, sounds great out of the box, and avoids all the host / player ambiguity that caused most of the back-and-forth above.