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Pianos Virtual Instrument
Overview
After two years of recording, editing, and programming, EastWest and Quantum Leap proudly present the most detailed collection of the world's finest grand pianos ever recorded in one of the 'temples of sound', EASTWEST STUDIOS (more RIAA certified platinum and gold records awarded than any other recording studios) with 3 mic positions for each piano.
This virtual instrument includes four of the world's finest grand pianos: a Bechstein D-280, Steinway D, Bösendorfer 290, and Yamaha C7. The PLAY interface includes impulses from the same hall the producers used to record Symphonic Orchestra and Symphonic Choirs so the pianos can blend with those collections.
EastWest/Quantum Leap Pianos Gold Edition, which provides only the player's perspective mics and 16-bit samples, is available for users with less powerful systems. A low-cost upgrade path is available for users of the Gold Edition who wish to move up to the Full Edition.
Additional close mics version engineered by KEN SCOTT
(Elton John, Supertramp, David Bowie, Beatles)
Key Features
Load any piano or mic position individually (each piano is approx. 60Gbs)
3 positions are included per piano for maximum flexibility
10-18 velocities per note of sustain and sustain with pedal
8-12 velocities per note of repetitions and repetitions with pedal
5-8 velocities of soft pedal and soft pedal with sustain pedal
16 velocity staccato on every piano
Repetition samples taken from 180 BPM performances for a TRUE repetition sound and not simply an alternate take.
Software detects true repetitions
Resonance - pedal resonance recorded for every note at multiple velocities, as well as with the soft pedal down
Proprietary resonance captured on the Bösendorfer
Release samples with software envelope follower
Articulations on each piano include
a. sustain
b. sustain with pedal
c. repetitions
d. repetitions with pedal
e. soft pedal
f. soft pedal with sustain pedal
g. staccato
h. release trails
Recorded in a proper piano environment with vintage Neumann microphones, Meitner AD converters and a vintage 8078 Neve console
Stereo swap possible in software
Mic position mixing in software
Lid position simulation
Articulation matrix for quick and straightforward loading
Most powerful streaming engine available with highest polyphony counts
PLAY interface includes impulses from the same hall the producers used to record Symphonic Orchestra and Symphonic Choirs so the pianos can blend with those collections.
Reviews & Endorsements
“These are real acoustic piano sounds. I'm absolutely amazed. EastWest/Quantum Leap has gone the extra mile to provide stunning quality acoustic piano character - the whole collection is superb!”
— Herbie Hancock
“This is not just a Virtual Piano collection, it's a masterpiece. It's love at first touch. When I first heard it, I had to play it, and I fell in love. WOW!!”
— Teddy Riley
“Quantum Leap Pianos is the best piano software available today. The recording quality and playablity is fantastic and these are the only digital piano sounds they faithfully reproduce the resonances of a well tuned piano.”
— David Newman
“The Quantum Leap samples have that rare ability to inspire creative thinking. Always somethings I want out of sounds. To lead me somewhere, to let myself go.”
— Thomas Newman
“Having new sounds at my fingertips is always an inspiration and these new PLAY plug-ins have plenty of great sounds to choose from.”
— James Newton Howard
“Quantum Leap Pianos is the most detailed and best sounding collection of virtual pianos I have ever used. The PLAY interface gives me a ton of control and flexibility, but it's also really easy to use which allows me to experiment and get the sound I want quickly.”
— Steve Jablonsky
“The entire line of Quantum Leap instruments are an essential part of my composing rig. The sounds are impeccable and naturalistically captured while the ease of use and the power of the new PLAY engine makes the instruments top of their field.”
— Brian Tyler
Recording Magazine
In summation, these are without question the most gorgeous sounding sampled pianos I've ever heard. The greatest accomplishment, in my view, is the way the room sound was captured. Even when using only the Player position I found it almost unneccessary to invoke the built-in convolution reverb, which is amazing in and of itself.
If you're looking for the most authentic sounding sampled grand pianos available at this time, and have a system that can handle it, Quantum Leap Pianos is a must-consider. Just make sure you have the latest vesion - and a computer that is ready for it!
Sound On Sound Magazine - “Superb”
Piano sound being such a personal thing, it‘s hard to predict which way players might jump if asked to choose between QL Pianos' instruments. Whatever your preference, it's clear that all four are very good sampled pianos, and since they're sold as a bundle, buyers will be spoiled for choice!
Editing the 68,000 samples in this library took four people eight months, and I bet pianist John Sawoski‘s fingers are still aching!
The ultimate test of whether all the effort was worth it comes when a musician sits down to play the instruments, and this musician spent many happy hours playing the ‘fab four’ (to coin a phrase) pianos included in this world-beating collection.
This collection of four superb instruments raises the bar for sampled grand piano playability without hiking the price too high.
Keyboard Magazine
The new meaning of heavyweight. Players agreed that EastWest/Quantum Leap has by far the most detailed and biggest-sounding pianos of the bunch. "The dead center of the Bosendorfer's dynamic range sings out for a long time," noted Fortner, "exactly like the real thing, and the nine extra notes below bottom A [a famous feature of the real thing] are just thunderous." Richard Leiter said, "This sounds like a goodrecording of a good piano. It makes me want to play late 19th Century classical - if I could!" Aikin added, "This'd be loverly for Chopin, but not the patch you'd load for Bach ... or Little Richard." Trying the Steinway, Aikin said, "I'd sit down and play this for pleasure over the Bosendorfer. It's very lively, with just the right combination of depth and brilliance." He was even happier with the Bechstein: "This makes me want to play Mozart. There's a nice singing quality and melodic projection over chords. I have a sense of comfort here, even more than with the Steinway." The Bechstein was also Fortner's favorite for his R&B-derived playing style: "Lean into it, and it doesn't go quite as far as the Yamaha, but the bell-like harmonics you want for pop come forward. Lean back, and it's brooding and mellow. Gorgeous." EastWest/Quantum Leap Pianos stands out because it's the biggest most ambitious sampled piano project ever, with the sound quality to prove it. You'll need a bad-ass computer to play the full-size presets with abandon, but if you have one - wow!
Pianos Virtual Instrument
Interface
EastWest/Quantum Leap Pianos is powered by EASTWEST'S PLAY 64-bit (and 32-bit) Advanced Sample Engine
This VIRTUAL INSTRUMENT combines intuitive handling with excellent sound quality, and functions as a plug-in instrument, without the need for a sampler.
PLAY is a 64-bit (with 32-bit compatibility) Advanced Sample Engine. PLAY is Included with all newEASTWEST/QUANTUM LEAP Virtual (software) Instruments.
FEATURES
PLAY includes custom designed virtual instruments that look as beautiful as they sound
Interface designed to eliminate clutter, including only the controls needed for each individual virtual instrumentLoad MORE thanks to 64-bit support
64-bit support allows you to load many more instruments and voices, limited only by your system RAM (32-bit support is included also)While most high-end computers will support 16Gb, a very small set of high-performance enterprise computers (with Microsoft Vista Ultimate) can already use 128Gb of RAM. As hardware develops, the theoretical limit is 17,179,869,184 gigabytes = 16 exabytes, or 17 billion gigabytes!
Networking Support*
If you still need more power, our built-in NETWORK CONTROL allows you to load instruments on other machines controlled from your host computerNo more trips back and forth between computers, no more KVM switching when loading projects
No need to buy additional software
The PLAY system is a professional fully integrated solution for those with the most demanding production requirements
All instruments are listed in one browser
Easy to use browser displays all of your instrumentsFavorites section to group the instruments you use most
Preview your instrument of choice in an easy-to-use column viewer
Load instruments into one instance to take advantage of your sequencer's "instrument tracks", or many if you so desire.
Interface automatically changes to display current instrument
Articulations
Forget browsing through complicated patch names: pick the instrument and playTurn on/off articulations as you wish
Articulations list also serves as reference for all expressions within the instrument (no need to look up key-switches in charts)
Save your favorite configuration for quick retrieval
Legato Detection
PLAY senses legato and repetitive playing and responds accordinglyStereo Handling
PLAY allows the user to manipulate stereo samples in very useful waysStereo Swap allows the user to instantly swap the left and right channels
Mono from left , Mono from right, or Mono Sum allow for instant conversion from stereo to mono
Effects Engine
The best sounding and most powerful effects engine out there, built from the ground up for the highest possible qualityReverb section includes multiple impulse responses from halls, and the famous EASTWEST Studiosand live chambers (more RIAA certified Platinum and Gold records awarded than any other studio)
The smoothest filters you'll ever hear
Specialized effects including the first Artificial Double Tracking (ADT) software available
Playback Engine
Highest quality resampling engineBuilt from the ground up to create the most intuitive instruments possible. Allowed us to design instruments every step of the way without compromise
Security system
Authorize purchased instruments easily using the industry standard iLok security systemOffers complete portability, take your plugin anywhere you want, use it on any computer
Easy to authorize and manage (up to 100 authorizations on one key)
Supported Platforms
AU, VST, Standalone, Intel Mac, Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, 64-bit, 32-bitNatively supported in all major hosts on all major operating systems - PLAY no matter what your platform
More native support than any other plug-in
Standalone: PLAY as many instruments as your computer can handle in one application
SUMMARY
PLAY isn't just a sampler, the PLAY SYSTEM is a professional fully integrated sample playback software solution for those with the most demanding production requirements
Offers native support for more platforms than any other software engineNetwork support* for large, expandable systems
The latest in technology (64-bit, supports next generation operating systems)
The highest sound quality (ground-up effects, highest quality interpolation)
The best virtual instruments from the multiple award-winning EASTWEST/QUANTUM LEAP producers
The most intuitive controls, custom designed for each library
Complete portability
*This feature will be available after release as a free download for all registered users.
System Requirements
Pianos Full Edition
MAC MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor 2.1GHz or higher4GB RAM
Mac OS X 10.5 or later
7200 RPM or faster (non energy saving) hard drive for sample streaming
iLok Security Key (not supplied)
MAC RECOMMENDED SYSTEM
Mac Pro Quad-Core Intel Xeon 2.66GHz or higher8GB RAM or more
7200 RPM or faster (non energy saving) hard drive for sample streaming
iLok Security Key (not supplied)
MAC OPTIMAL SYSTEM
Mac Pro Eight-Core Intel Xeon 2.26GHz or higher16GB RAM or more
iLok Security Key (not supplied)
PC MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Dual Core 2.1GHz or higher4GB RAM
Windows XP SP2, Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8
Sound card with ASIO drivers
7200 RPM or faster (non energy saving) hard drive for sample streaming
iLok Security Key (not supplied)
PC RECOMMENDED SYSTEM
Intel Core 2 Quad or AMD Quad-Core 2.66GHz or higher8GB RAM or more
64-bit Windows/Host Sequencer
7200 RPM or faster (non energy saving) hard drive for sample streaming
iLok Security Key (not supplied)
PC OPTIMAL SYSTEM
Intel Core i7 2.66GHz or higher16GB RAM or more
64-bit Windows/Host Sequencer
iLok Security Key (not supplied)
(Bechstein — 73GB, Bösendorfer — 87GB, Steinway — 58GB, Yamaha — 46GB)
DVD drive
iLok Security Key, not included (a free soundsonline.com account is required for retrieving and managing iLok licenses)
If you do not own an iLok Security Key you can purchase one at your local authorized EASTWEST retailers
Pianos Gold Edition
Up to 55GB Free Hard Disc Space. Each piano can be loaded and used individually:(Bechstein — 11.3GB, Bösendorfer — 17.9GB, Steinway — 10.4GB, Yamaha — 10GB)
DVD drive
iLok Security Key, not included (a free soundsonline.com account is required for retrieving and managing iLok licenses)
If you do not own an iLok Security Key you can purchase one at your local authorized EASTWEST retailers, or here.
Included for both PC and Mac:
32-bit standalone and plug-in versions included.64-bit PC VST (host must support 64-bit VST plugins) and standalone versions included.
Check the following compatibility chart for availability of other 64-bit versions and updates.
Supported Interfaces
PC: VST™, ASIO™, RTAS™Mac: VST™, Audio Units™, Core Audio™, RTAS™
EASTWEST PLAY Host/Sequencer Compatibility Matrix
| Supported Host | Mac OS X (Intel) | Windows XP (32-bit) | Windows XP (64-bit) | Windows 8, 7, Vista (32-bit) | Windows 8, 7, Vista (64-bit) | Required Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standalone | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | |
| Ableton Live | YES | YES | YES | YES7 | 6.07 or higher | |
| Cubase/Nuendo | YES | YES | YES1 | YES | YES1 | 7 or higher |
| FL Studio | YES | YES5 | YES | YES5 | 7 or higher | |
| GarageBand | YES | 3 or higher | ||||
| Logic | YES2 | 7.2 or higher | ||||
| Performer | YES2 | 6.02 or higher | ||||
| Pro Tools3 | YES | YES | YES | 7.4 to 10 | ||
| Pro Tools 113 | YES | YES | YES6 | 11 | ||
| Sibelius | YES4 | YES | YES | 6.0 or higher8 | ||
| Sonar | YES | YES | YES | YES | 6.2 or higher | |
| VE Pro | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | 4.0.54 or higher |
| Studio One | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | 2.0 or higher |
| Reaper | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | 3.0 or higher |
| Variant | 1 |
