Hello everyone,
I'd also like to contribute to this discussion to share my perspective. I've been a pianist for 30 years, and I mostly play Keith Jarrett solos like Bregenz, Carnagie Hall Concert, etc. I currently own a VPC1 accompanied by an HD660S.
Since there are beginners, I was a reseller of digital keyboards and acoustic pianos for a few years. You should know that nothing beats VSTs for digital pianos. Sound is a very secondary consideration when purchasing if you have the opportunity to use them. However, it's important to buy good headphones (or good speakers, depending on the configuration). I've seen so many people buy €3,000-4,000 machines with €50-70 headphones. Headphones greatly change the playing experience, and you have to pay the price.
My VSTs: Ivory 3, all VSLs, CFX Garritan, Arturia, Pianoteq 8, Roland Earth Piano (don't buy it, it's a shame Roland offers it for sale), Vi Labs Modern D, Walker 1955, SoundPaint 1928, Ravenscroft, American True Keys, and a few others.
Regarding Pianoteq, I'm a true advocate of modeling for the playing comfort and versatility it provides. Sound is a matter of habit; by playing only with Pianoteq, you end up appreciating it because you lose the sense of comparison... But in practice, we're still a long way from the apparent credibility of sampled pianos, but I think we should support modeling because it could be the future of the virtual piano.
However, if we're talking about the present, Pianoteq 8 would be my second choice with VSL, and the first is, like some here, undoubtedly Vi Labs' Modern D, which for me marks a significant step forward in terms of credibility in all aspects.
It approaches the playing flexibility of Pianoteq 8 while offering incomparable realism. It's not clinical and distant like VSL pianos (and that invasive reverb...). It has so many more levels of playing nuance than the CFX Garritan, which gives it excellent dynamics. The sense of presence and reverb are far superior to what Ivory 3 offers. Add to all this excellent optimization, and it takes up little space compared to other VSTs. I was completely tired of sampled pianos, which I found too flat, not credible enough, not nuanced enough, etc. Vi Labs has shaken everything up for me.
I completely agree that it's incomprehensible not to be able to try it before buying, while their competitors do. They have everything to gain by offering this, given the level of their products.
In my opinion, there's currently nothing better than Vi Labs., and a very important step has been taken with this VST.
