Piano VST: Play the Piano with Your Computer

Playing the piano using a piano VST – a clever and seemingly inexpensive solution. However, considering that you’ll need a lot more than just the software, it’s not that much cheaper than a digital piano, even if you already have a computer. So what exactly is a piano VST and what should you look for when buying one?

It would be too good to be true: You invest a little money and instantly play with a decent piano sound – unfortunately, it’s not that simple. One thing is true though: You can purchase multi-gigabyte sound libraries as well as high-quality piano sounds at a low cost. But to really enjoy playing, you need much more than just the software. It’s not just about good sound, it’s about the most authentic playing experience possible.

In addition to a powerful audio PC, you need a good weighted hammer action keyboard. And that’s just the bare minimum, which you can supplement with a decent audio interface, headphones, or even better, studio monitors. So if you’re going to buy all that just to play the piano, you’re looking at a significant investment. However, if you make music on your computer anyway and already have all the necessary accessories, a piano VST is quite affordable.

If you don’t want to make any compromises when it comes to the keyboard and playing feel, you shouldn’t skimp on the master keyboard either. As a master keyboard with wooden keys, the Kawai VPC1 Virtual Piano Controller is a hot tip.

Playing a Piano VST or Sample Libraries with Your Digital Piano

Of course, you can also use your digital piano to play software instruments. In fact, any digital piano can do this, as long as it is either USB, MIDI, or Bluetooth MIDI compatible.

The digital piano generates sound internally while simultaneously transmitting key and pedal movements as digital MIDI information. The most common and secure way to accomplish this is by using the USB interface built into almost every modern instrument. The USB connection transmits playing data to the computer, where music software programs like DAWs and software instruments process the data.

A piano VST can also improve the sound of an older or used digital piano. Find out what you need to know if you want to use your digital piano as a MIDI controller.

Connecting a Digital Piano to a Computer

It’s actually quite simple to just use your digital piano as a master keyboard in combination with a Piano VST. However, if you want to combine them into one single system, you must consider certain requirements. To put it simply, you’re starting with two separate audio systems – so how do you get them to work together?

1. USB-MIDI: Whether used standalone or as a plug-in in your DAW, MIDI data controls the piano VST. All you need is a USB connection.
2. USB Audio (1): If your digital piano supports audio and MIDI over USB, you can play the Piano VST and transmit the audio signal from the audio computer to the digital piano’s audio system (speakers, headphones) at the same time.
3. USB Audio (2): If the digital piano does not transmit audio via USB (i.e. only MIDI), you will need a solution for mixing the two audio signals. You could either use a mixer or connect the audio outputs of the digital piano to the audio inputs of an audio interface. You can also connect the audio output of the computer to the audio inputs of the digital piano.

What Is a Piano VST?

The frequently used term VST is another word for software piano. The abbreviation VST stands for Virtual Studio Technology – an invention of the German software manufacturer Steinberg, who introduced the VST interface in the late 1990s with Cubase VST. For the first time, integrating virtual instruments as plug-ins into a software sequencer was possible. Steinberg was also at the forefront of piano software instruments and launched The Grand, one of the very first piano VSTs on the market. Many software pianos from other manufacturers followed suit.

About Plug-ins, Formats and Standalone Applications

The term “Piano VST” is widely used – but unfortunately also somewhat vague concerning the many different forms of software instruments. Although it was a brilliant move on Steinberg’s part to make the VST interface available to all plug-in developers, other software manufacturers have developed their own interface formats. Basically, you can choose between

• VST – Virtual Studio Technology from Steinberg, supported by (almost) all other software manufacturers (Mac and PC)
• AU – Audio Unit: The plug-in interface on MacOS. Apple does its own thing here: The sequencer software Logic only supports AU – all other formats are left out.
• AAX – Avid Audio Extensions: Avid’s interface for own-brand audio plug-ins.
• RTAS – Real Time Audio Suite: Avid’s plug-in interface (Mac and PC)
• MAS – MOTU Audio System, the plug-in interface for MOTU Digital Performer (Mac and PC)

Most software pianos come in a variety of formats, and most programs (except for Apple’s Logic) support VST as the common denominator. So you can assume that you will always be able to get your “piano VST” to work.

A standalone application is the easiest way to play a software piano. Most software pianos offer this, which means that you can start an instrument on your computer without the need for a sequencer program. So if you just want to play the piano using a software piano, check whether you have installed the standalone version, or if it is available at all.

The Difference Between a Piano VST And a Piano Library

A piano VST is a standalone software instrument. If it’s based on sampling, then it is technically taken from a piano library. Otherwise, a piano library is a classic sampling “library” created to extend a software instrument. Conversely, this means that a library alone cannot be played without the corresponding software instrument. The most popular sampling platform is the software sampler Kontakt by Native Instruments.

Extensive Editing Options

Most software pianos offer very detailed sound design options. This also shows their primary area of application in digital music production, as this is where individual sound and playing behavior are required. With some software pianos, such as Modartt Pianoteq or XLN Additive Keys, the aim is to simulate a studio recording: Choice and position of the microphones heavily influence the composition of a concert grand piano sound here. In addition, you can usually adjust sound details such as damper noise, string resonances, key-off effect, or the fall-back noise of the hammers separately.

Piano VSTs and Computer Power

Software pianos are power-hungry! While you can generally play these instruments well on current audio PCs, it is always advisable to check the system requirements before making a purchase. Piano VSTs can be very different: Some are more DSP-active, while others rely on a large and fast memory. And of course, there is also a mixture of both.

Physical modelling instruments like Modartt Pianoteq generate piano sounds based on algorithms. The plug-in adapts to the available processor speed, so it should come as no surprise that as processor power increases, so does the fun of playing!

With sampling-based piano VSTs, other factors come into play. Piano sampling requires many, many individual samples to ensure a detailed reproduction of a piano sound. Scripting technology is used to combine these samples into a dynamically playable sound in the software instrument. With sampling-based VST pianos, you need to be aware of the following aspects:

1. Processor Speed: Making music with a music computer usually requires a fast DSP.
2. Memory: A lot of RAM is needed to handle a large amount of memory. A minimum of 8 GB is recommended because in addition to the piano VST, running a DAW as well as other sounds and audio tracks should also be possible.
3. Hard Disk Space: Piano VST sound libraries require a lot of disk space. Pay special attention to the time required to transfer the samples into the RAM. If things have to be done quickly – e.g. during live performances – it is worth investing in solid-state disk storage. They are far superior to conventional hard disks in terms of data throughput. The approximately 10 times faster loading time of an SSD is especially noticeable on instruments with many individual samples.

Should I Buy an Audio Interface to Play a Piano VST?

Absolutely yes! It always depends on what exactly you want to do, but the general rule for audio applications is higher, further, faster! This applies not only to the audio computer itself but also to other equipment. A good audio interface is highly recommended for two reasons.

1. Sound Quality: Current piano VSTs offer excellent audio quality, but you need a high-quality audio interface to take advantage of this. In principle, a small audio interface with 2 outputs, costing about 200 Euros, is sufficient.
2. System Latency: The built-in audio systems in laptops or desktop computers have a relatively high latency. An audio interface with a fast and stable ASIO driver is the right choice*.

* If you are using your computer’s built-in audio system: Apple computers already have a good audio system with acceptable latency. Plug&Play works and sounds acceptable. However, audio systems in Windows PCs or notebooks are of poor quality. Therefore, if you have no choice, install the free ASIO4ALL audio driver on your Windows computer. While ASIO4ALL improves the system latency, it cannot do anything for the inferior sound of a PC’s built-in sound card.