Soft Imperial vs Intimate Grand Piano

The fundamental difference between these two free grand piano VSTs lies in their source instruments and recorded environments, which shape their distinct sonic characteristics. Soft Imperial features a Bösendorfer Imperial grand piano known for its transparent sound, while Intimate Grand Piano samples a vintage Steinway Model A.

Sonically, Soft Imperial emphasizes a clean and natural tone, recorded in a relatively dry ambience on the Silent Stage, enabling flexible integration into mixes. In contrast, Intimate Grand Piano was expertly recorded in the intimate acoustics of Castlesound Studios, Scotland, offering a more up-close and personal sound with seven distinct presets ranging from bright to profoundly deep and cinematic. The latter also explicitly references a soft tone achieved by placing felt between hammers and strings.

Choose Soft Imperial if you prioritize a transparent Bösendorfer sound with a dry recording environment for maximum mixing flexibility, suitable for classical and film scoring. Opt for Intimate Grand Piano if you desire the distinct character of a vintage Steinway Model A, with multiple presets and a more pronounced intimate acoustic, ideal for songwriting, ambient music, or film scoring where diverse character is valued.

Products Compared

Insights from Real-World Use

Soft Imperial

  • Praises Soft Imperial as a beautiful, free, intimate, quiet, and unfelted instrument.
  • Positive evaluation of the tuning simulator feature.
  • Describes Soft Imperial's beautiful sound, soft dynamics, clear tone, and not being felted.
  • Highly praises Soft Imperial's beauty and value as a free instrument.
  • Achieves a very intimate, quiet, non-felted soft piano sound, which is a great quality.

Intimate Grand Piano

  • This piano's ability to inspire is unmatched, making me a better producer.
  • I bought this library a week or two ago. I especially appreciate your observations in areas that other piano library reviewers don't seem to notice, such as the skillful tuning that brings out the bea
  • Beautiful tone for a low price, excellent value, and a truly beautiful and impressive product.
  • The Intimate Grand Piano offers gorgeous, warm, and beautiful sound quality, especially in the low mids.
  • The 'dynamic' preset is a favorite due to its clear dynamic layers and lifelike key response, offering excellent expressiveness.

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