Alicia's Electric Keys vs C7 Grand
The fundamental difference between these two VSTs lies in their instrument type and sonic character. Alicia's Electric Keys is an electric grand piano simulation, specifically a Yamaha CP-70, designed to emulate the distinct sound of Alicia Keys' personal instrument. In contrast, Acoustic Samples' C7 Grand is a traditional acoustic grand piano, modeled after the widely used Yamaha C7 acoustic grand.
Sonically, Alicia's Electric Keys offers a warm, character-filled electric grand tone, enhanced by custom effect chains inspired by Alicia Keys' productions, making it suitable for modern pop and songwriting. The C7 Grand provides a bright, clean, and balanced acoustic grand sound, with three mic positions for detailed control and advanced sympathetic resonance modeling, catering to classical and jazz genres. Its smaller library size also indicates a more focused sample set compared to the electric grand.
Choose Alicia's Electric Keys if you seek the iconic electric grand piano sound, particularly Alicia Keys' signature tone, for contemporary music production. Opt for the C7 Grand if you require a versatile, high-quality sampled acoustic grand piano with detailed control over mic positions and resonance for a natural, expressive performance in a broader range of musical styles.
Products Compared
Insights from Real-World Use
Alicia's Electric Keys
- Thinks Alicia’s Electric Keys is excellent for mellow CP70 sound and natural touch.
- Says the 82 presets sound pretty good and outnumber Alicia's Keys.
- Acknowledges steep price but argues presets and deep controls deliver professional, sound-design value.
- Praises UI meter words that illuminate and flicker with playing intensity.
- Says it sits well in dense mixes without overpowering like some grand pianos.
C7 Grand
- I did not add any external effects, just played with the instrument settings like mics and velocity. Velocity curve can give a big difference to sound and playability.
- I have this piano VST but can't get it to sound this good. May I ask what mic settings/amounts you had loaded? Did you do any other mixing to the piano track or was this stock right from the VST?
- I compared the White Grand from the Nord Piano 5 with the Keyscape C7 Grand ... samples or 704 individual audio files just for that patch. I can assume the...
- 3 the pedal issues are the worst part, there's no Una Corda simulation (let alone samples) ... The actual “LA Custom” Keyscape Yamaha C7 grand piano has been used.
- I compared the White Grand from the Nord Piano 5 with the Keyscape C7 Grand ... samples or 704 individual audio files just for that patch. I can assume the...