CFX Concert Grand by Garritan

by Garritan · $199.95

Overview

The Garritan Abbey Road Studios CFX Concert Grand is a virtual instrument library featuring the Yamaha CFX Concert Grand Piano recorded in Abbey Road Studio One.

Key Features

  • Powered by ARIA Player
  • Dozens of Presets
  • EQ Controls
  • Customizable Velocity
  • Convolution Reverb
  • Full and Compact Versions
  • Additional Convolution Impulses
  • Partial Pedaling
  • ARIA Player Included
  • Classic Mic Perspective
  • Contemporary Mic Perspective

Technical Specifications

Library Size
133 GB GB
Velocity Layers
20 layers
Mic Positions
3 mic perspectives
Presets
Dozens
Plugin Formats
AAX, VST, AU
Standalone
Yes
Convolution Impulse Responses
Additional impulses including outboard reverbs from Abbey Road Studios

Ideal Use Cases

  • Concert pianists seeking a premium virtual grand piano for studio recordings and practice sessions.
  • Film and TV composers needing an expressive, dynamic concert grand for orchestral scores and cinematic cues.
  • Classical music producers requiring authentic Yamaha CFX tones with Abbey Road's legendary acoustics.
  • Piano educators and students wanting a world-class reference instrument for technique development.
  • Pop and ballad producers looking for a rich, full-bodied grand piano sound with multiple mic perspectives.

Included Presets

  • Default
  • Classic Rock
  • Dark Cinema
  • Dull Resonance
  • Glimmer
  • Goldberg1981
  • Paul’s Perfect Piano
  • Solo Piano 1
  • Solo Piano 2
  • Solo Piano 3
  • Vintage Evans
  • Default
  • BBBBennie
  • Big and BOLD
  • Bright Poke
  • Brighton Rock
  • Chicken Wire
  • Dark and Distant
  • Mirek’s Rock Sound
  • Newman Beauty

Insights from Real-World Use

Strengths

  • different character of piano
  • manipulate and use that piano tone within the plugin
  • gigantic samples
  • quality and quantity of sample layers
  • different microphones in different settings
  • nail the ideal capture for the tonalities that you're selecting with the presets
  • player-only perspective
  • detail of the samples is just absolutely insane
  • captured the room as nicely and as well as they've captured the piano
  • best VST money can buy in the sampling world
  • True Una Corda samples
  • True Half Pedalling and Repedalling
  • Support for Sustenato pedal
  • Notes sampled at full decay
  • best natural reverb ever sampled at the magic Abbey Road
  • great given the price

Weaknesses

  • beats your computer up
  • CFX default with Open lid can be quite bright
  • tinny sounding...too bright or something

Tone: complex tonally, highly versatile, detailed, natural, sweet, gentle, tinny, bright, warmer, low-mid, round, powerful bass, great clarity of the treble, beautiful timbre, realistic, real-sounding

Review Snippets

  • IMHO, the sound quality of VSL is way above Garritan. At least when I tested them with my Hifiman Sundara headphones. Yesterday I played for 30 minutes using Garritan until my ear got used to it, and then I switched to my already tweaked VSL 30-day-trial with 5 mikes: unbelievable! So many thanks fo
  • All I can say is this: after extensive research a year or so ago, I found lots of people talking about Ravenscroft, and once I listened to the examples on their site I decided to buy it, and still glad that I did. I find that is very full, warm, dynamic, and 'real' sounding to me. But like you, I al
  • The CFX Concert Grand is worth it, feels great, is well-priced, well-done, and highly recommended.
  • The CFX Concert Grand is an awesome library, ranking among the top three with Keyscape and Pianoteq, perfectly excelling in its category.
  • The CFX Concert Grand is recommended for its authentic recording, making it ideal for piano lessons or college courses.
  • CFX Concert Grand is a cool, versatile, detailed piano with excellent mic techniques, player perspective, and room capture.
  • The CFX Concert Grand sounds bright and shrill in a good way, feeling really good.
  • The CFX Concert Grand plugin offers a crazy detailed and comprehensively captured sound.
  • VSL is brighter for concert halls, while CFX is darker, more intimate, and better for certain moods.
  • Immersive, authentic playing experience, natural sound, not digital or processed.
  • Excels as an easy, accessible, great-sounding piano for straightforward use.
  • IMHO this is the best VST money can buy in the sampling world. It has it all: True Una Corda samples, True Half Pedalling and Repedalling, Support for Sustenato pedal, Notes sampled at full decay, and best natural reverb ever sampled at the magic Abbey Road. (VSL: No Una Corda samples; Keyscape: No
  • IMHO this is the best VST money can buy in the sampling world. It has it all: True Una Corda samples, True Half Pedalling and Repedalling, Support for Sustenato pedal, Notes sampled at full decay, and best natural reverb ever sampled at the magic Abbey Road. (VSL: No Una Corda samples; Keyscape: No
  • CFX Concert Grand captures a unique piano character and offers uncommon manipulation of its tone.
  • The CFX Concert Grand plugin uses gigantic, high-quality sample layers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What host or player is required for this plugin?
No separate sampler purchase is required as it is powered by the included ARIA Player. It is also compatible with AAX, VST, and AU plugin formats and has standalone support.
Is the piano sound modeled or sampled?
The CFX Concert Grand is a sampled instrument, featuring the Yamaha CFX Concert Grand Piano recorded in Abbey Road Studio One.
What is the library size and installation requirements?
The full installation requires 133 GB of free hard drive space. A compact installation is also available, requiring 24.5 GB.
What are the recommended genres and use cases for this piano VST?
It is suitable for a wide range of genres including classical, jazz, pop, rock, film/scoring, and contemporary. It's ideal for recording, film scoring, practice, and live performance.
Does this plugin support half-pedaling or repedaling?
Yes, it features Half Pedal and Repedal/Catch, requiring a continuous pedal controller for partial pedaling and supporting re-pedaling.
How many velocity layers and microphone positions does it have?
This plugin features 20 velocity layers and 3 mic perspectives: Classic, Contemporary, and Player.
What are the minimum system requirements for Mac and Windows?
For Mac, it requires Intel-based Apple hardware and macOS 10.12 or higher. For Windows, it requires an Intel or AMD processor and Microsoft Windows 8.1 or later (64-bit). Both platforms need a multi-core processor and 4 GB RAM minimum (8 GB recommended).

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