Product Reviews by KVR Members

I only have use for the Sonic Maximizer so I'll not comment on the other plugins.

The Sonic Maximizer has been one of my go-to plugins since I first used it because it doesn't add to the sound spectrum like classic enhancers, it just delays lower frequencies a bit so you can make higher frequencies more audible, it really cleans and clears up sound.

I try it on every channel with knobs at zero. If it doesn't improve the sound, often happens with digital synths or sampled instruments with well-processed samples, I remove it, if it improves the sound I tweak the knobs. Low settings are for good recordings, high settings for trying to fix bad recordings. After that I put EQ in front of it. You need less EQ because the Sonic Maximizer solves problems you want to fix with EQ. I don't use it on the master because every channel needs its own setting, it takes anything to the front.

The new version just sounds better. Less brittle, more silk.

Just a heads up: version 3.00 has a bug, it starts in silence and adds a fade-in of less then half a second when it starts processing. Version 3.10 fixes that bug but the current uploader still installs 3.00, I tested the win32 and OS X installers, same problem.

Read Review

This product has been replaced by the powered by Kontakt "Classic Piano Collection" which is part of Komplete 7 and Komplete 8 and as a seperate product works with the free Kontakt Player from Native Instruments. You can buy the piano's seperately for €69 or all four of them for €169.

The Steinway is the best Steinway I own, the sound is realistic for a top model; at the same time deep, clear and wide on its own and also fits in a mix without any tweaking. I have been playing on several Steinways at conservatories and I would go for this one any time for recording classical pieces because this model is in better condition, I must say the Chopin demo on the Native Instruments website was the first classical piano piece recording on a sampled piano that fooled me. The Steingraeber Upright has a great imperfect personality, it is the most realistic upright I have although I prefer an even more imperfect sound. The Bösendorfer and Bechstein are great piano's if you need something else then the standard Grand Piano sound of Steinway and Yamaha. The Bösendorfer doesn't seem to compete with the real thing and I can't compare the Bechstein.Read Review