Q. I would like to test myself the quality of Realistic Piano before buying it. Where can I download some samples?
A. You can download four of the original samples (stereo, 16 bit, 44Khz) here (2,7MB). You can load them into your soundbank editing program (like Vienna™ for soundfonts), your sample-enabled sequencer (like Cakewalk Music Creator™), or into your software sampler (Reason™, Reaktor™, Gigastudio™, etc.), then assign the samples to the proper keys ranges, and play your midi files. Please remember to assing every sample to more than one piano key, or only one key will have sound. The original Realistic Piano soundbanks use 21 carefully chosen stereo samples, but the package comes with 70 samples (over the whole keyboard range) that can be easily added.

Q. Realistic Piano is only 21 MB in size. Isn't that a small size, compared to the gigabytes of other sampled pianos?
A. As for other aspects of life, size is not everything ;-) . Realistic Piano's size is contained, because the high quality of the samples allows its assignement to more than one key; Typically, one sample is used for 3 to 4 adjacent keys. In a good (real) piano, the tone colour varies a little about every major third, still being homogeneous over the whole range, so, similarly, in Realistic Piano the timbre and quality of the soundbank is not so much affected if you assign one sample to a major second (three or four keys). A much larger soundbank also needs much more computer resources, especially in a large mix with many other instruments. The Realistic Piano will never choke up your computer.

Q. Is Realistic Piano a multilayer soundbank?
A . No. Please consider that most multilayer, multi-gigabyte-soundbanks are seldom real multilayers. A little research on the web will show how many people are unhappy with them, because the lower-velocity layers are obtained merely by manipulating with sound processors the higher-velocity samples. This proceeding is not satisfactory when quality is required. Of course there are some exceptions, but real (and always expensive) multilayer soundbanks are a rarity.
The Realistic Piano makes an intelligent and transparent use of filtering, in order to simulate the sound behaviour of a real piano (an approach that, for example, Yamaha uses for most of its digital pianos).
It took endless time and trials, with the aid of professional pianists, in order to find the optimal filter combination and apply it to our soundbanks. The result is a stupendous, continuos and stepless change of sound color over all velocities, that faithfully respects the original and legendary Bösendorfer sound.

Q. Realistic Piano costs only € 24,90, therefore it is one of the least expensive soundbanks to be found online. Why is it so cheap?
A. You buy the Realistic Piano soundbanks directly from its manufacturer (see more information in the Order page), so you avoid the costs that distributors and shops would add to the final product (up to 500%). No money is spent in advertising or promotion.
The soundbanks were sampled on an instrument that already belonged to the manufacturer of Realistic Piano, a professional classical pianist with an extensive concert and teaching career.
But moreover we truly believe that, especially today, love for music must be encouraged in every possible way. Take the very affordable price of the Realistic Piano as our modest contribution to enable everybody the access to a more elevated sound world, where music counts more that profit.

If you have any further question, please feel free to write us.