James Newton Howard Piano vs Elegance

The primary distinction between these two grand piano VSTs lies in their sonic character, determined by their source instruments and recording philosophies. The James Newton Howard Piano captures a specific Hamburg-made Steinway Model D with a focus on cinematic warmth, while Elegance samples a Yamaha C5, emphasizing a clean and bright tone, additionally offering immersive audio delivery.

Technically, the James Newton Howard Piano features 25 velocity layers and six microphone positions, resulting in a 162 GB library size that prioritizes detailed capture of its specific Steinway. In contrast, Elegance offers 18 velocity layers and four mic positions, along with the notable inclusion of Ambisonic microphone recordings and Dolby Atmos-ready mixes, yielding a 34 GB library but supporting multi-dimensional audio formats.

Therefore, choose James Newton Howard Piano if seeking a deeply sampled Steinway Model D with professional, pre-mixed cinematic sounds ideal for film scoring and traditional stereo production. Opt for Elegance if the bright, clean character of a Yamaha C5 is preferred, and especially if production demands extend to immersive audio formats like Ambisonics or Dolby Atmos, beyond standard stereo.

Products Compared

• James Newton Howard Piano
• Elegance

Insights from Real-World Use

James Newton Howard Piano

• The James Newton Howard Piano offers incredible expressiveness and great value for money.
• The 25 dynamic layers make the James Newton Howard Piano expressive and beautiful to play.
• This piano inspires a lot of themes.
• Mic selection and width adjustment add beauty and control to the piano sound.
• Back mic has a nice ring but sounds distant.

Elegance

• This library has an amazing sound, wide dynamic range, and is suited for soft melodies and emotional piano.
• The addition of a soft pedal is excellent, and the reviewer highly recommends Elegance for a versatile piano experience.
• Elegance was so beautifully recorded it mixed itself, making it an amazing experience.
• The reviewer praises the stunning quality of the Elegance library and the effort in sampling the Yamaha C5.
• The sound is incredibly good, with a very good dynamic range and you can easily go from piano to forte. It can serve many genres and musical styles but it...