12 of the best piano plugins and VSTs from Native Instruments

Modern production tools can create almost any sound, but sometimes the old ones are the best. Despite being around for centuries, the piano hasn’t lost its power to charm us. Fortunately, harnessing this timeless sound no longer means finding space for an enormous instrument in your home or studio. The best piano plugins offer extraordinarily lifelike pianos in software form, letting you play on legendary concert grands, idiosyncratic uprights, vintage electric keyboards, and virtually any other piano you can imagine.

So which piano is right for you? In this article, we’ll run through twelve of the best piano VSTs available from Native Instruments, with audio examples. They cover a broad spectrum, from a 10ft grand to a pop star’s personal keyboard, via innovative hybrid instruments that combine piano sounds with electronic textures. Whether you’re writing a score, producing a pop track, or adding lifelike sound to electronic beats, there’s a piano in here for you.

Jump to these sections:

• What is the most realistic sounding VST piano?
• Can you make a synth sound like a piano?
• 12 of the best piano plugins and VSTs from Native Instruments
  1. Noire
  2. Crosstalk Piano
  3. Piano Colors
  4. Claire
  5. Alicia’s Keys 2
  6. 40’s Very Own Keys
  7. Hybrid Keys
  8. Electric Keys – Tines Duo
  9. The Grandeur
  10. Ignition Keys
  11. Session Keys Electric Bundle
  12. The Maverick

Dive into this list with The Grandeur, a stunning emulation of a classical grand piano that shines in almost any musical context.

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What is the most realistic sounding VST piano?

There are many contenders for the most realistic-sounding VST piano – including Claire, The Grandeur, and The Maverick. Each of these instruments uses sophisticated sampling technology to recreate a real-world instrument in exhaustive detail. Each has its own sonic character that is suited to specific contexts and genres. But they also feature smart digital sound-shaping options, allowing you to tweak and refine until you’ve created your dream piano. That’s the beauty of VSTs: they’re more than just realistic.

Can you make a synth sound like a piano?

Many synths can create pretty convincing piano-like sounds, but why settle for that when you can get the real thing with a sampled piano emulation? Rather than generating (“synthesizing”) new sounds, the best piano VSTs – such as Noire and Claire – deploy thousands of samples of a real piano to get as close to IRL as possible. If you’re still hankering for synth sounds, innovative piano VSTs like Crosstalk and Hybrid Keys combine authentic piano with additional sounds for an arresting synth-like effect.

12 of the best piano plugins and VSTs from Native Instruments

1. Noire

Looking for a lifelike classical grand? Or maybe you need a sumptuous sound design toolbox? With Noire, you can have both. This unique Kontakt instrument gives you access to the concert grand of composer-pianist Nils Frahm, recorded in Berlin’s iconic Funkhaus space.

The instrument – custom intonated and with unusual features like a felt dampener – is central to Frahm’s beloved sound, meaning creators of neoclassical and ambient will find that Noire effortlessly enhances their compositions. But Noire isn’t just about imitating a certain sound. With extensive customization options, sound design extras, and an innovative particle engine that generates notes as you play, this is a versatile piano with a distinctive twist.

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2. Crosstalk Piano

If you want to go beyond the usual piano emulations, Crosstalk Piano might be the best piano plugin for you. This next-generation instrument combines an upright piano with processed multisamples, including field recordings and spooky feedback loops. The result is a bold, modern sound that works well for scoring and atmospheric electronic tracks.

The piano sampled in Crosstalk – a well-loved 1974 upright – has a beautiful melancholic tone that works great on its own. But things get really interesting when you add the additional samples. Crosstalk’s unusual design makes it easy to layer sounds and program complex modulations. Before you know it, your piano will be sounding like a cutting-edge synth. Use it to conjure pads, ambiences, and leads with a unique feel.

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3. Piano Colors

Piano Colors brings you all the sounds you didn’t know a piano could make. To create this instrument, a grand piano was played with a range of unusual tools and materials, including mallets, rubber, screws, and ebows. These samples would be inspiring on their own. Piano Colors takes things further with an inventive processing engine that lets you transform them into throbbing grooves and swelling pads.

Piano Colors makes it easy to be experimental, with smart generative tools including an arpeggiator, a Motion engine (for modulation) and an extended Particles engine. If all this sounds daunting, don’t worry: Piano Colors has a bright, vibrant sound that’s pleasing on the ear no matter how you twist it. It’s an innovative piano that’s equally at home in pop and club tracks as in your next avant-garde composition.

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4. Claire

The search for the best grand piano emulation might be over with Claire. This Kontakt instrument captures a 10ft Italian concert grand in all its glory. It offers an exquisitely clear and rich piano sound, with some features distinctive to this instrument – including deep bass thanks to the extended strings, and a unique fourth pedal that lets you play at a softer volume without altering timbre.

Claire is unmatched when it comes to authentic piano sound. It has plenty of extra tricks up its sleeve, too. You can tweak parameters like color, depth, and richness, or engage the Particles engine – as heard in Noire – to transform your playing into swirls of ambience. Whether you’re looking for concert hall authenticity or studio trickery, Claire might be the only piano instrument you’ll ever need.

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5. Alicia’s Electric Keys

When it comes to pop and RnB piano, these two instruments might be the best piano VSTs out there. The original Alicia’s Keys instrument captured the star performing on her very own Yamaha C3 Neo grand piano, whose welcoming sound slots beautifully into modern productions. Alicia’s Electric Keys follows up by sampling the star’s CP-70 electric grand, an iconic instrument heard in pop hits from the ‘70s to the present.

By combining acoustic piano with electric possibilities, the CP-70 opens up intriguing creative avenues. Alicia herself offers some pointers: the sound design engine in Alicia’s Electric Keys includes custom effect chains she built for personal use, transforming the piano into pads, guitar-like tones, and more. These two instruments should be your go-to for pop piano.

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6. 40’s Very Own Keys

40’s Very Own Keys lets you tap into the sound that defined a genre. Developed with producer Noah “40” Shebib, this instrument gives you a library of smooth, moody keys sounds that could come straight out of one of his trademark Drake productions.

This is a no-brainer piano instrument for RnB and downtempo, but not only that. Spanning a range of pianos and classic synths, and with ample tweaking options, these 150 curated sounds could work in all manner of electronic productions. It’s all packaged in the accessible Play Series format, perfect for catching inspiration on the fly. Bonus tip: try tweaking the custom “40” macro to dial in the producer’s signature “underwater” sound in seconds.

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7. Hybrid Keys

If you’re looking for the sound-melding possibilities of Crosstalk in a more compact format, Hybrid Keys might be the best piano VST for you. This Play Series instrument combines a wealth of keyboard samples – including organs and harpsichords as well as pianos – with creative effects. Layering the two leads to surprising new sounds that perk up the ears while staying rooted in authentic piano timbres.

The included presets deliver instant atmosphere, making Hybrid Keys a useful tool for score composers on a deadline. Want to tweak further? The detailed sound editor page, custom FX chains, and 16-step sequencer offer plenty of room to roam.

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8. Electric Keys – Tines Duo

Some piano sounds never get old. Tines Duo captures the unmistakable sound of the electromechanical keyboards that have defined jazz, soul, funk, and beyond since the 1960s. Whether it’s mellow chords, wah-laden riffs, or shimmering bell-like keys, these instruments found their place in countless classic recordings. These sampled versions are a must-have for producers with a vintage mindset, whatever the genre.

Those looking for familiar timbres should try Electric Keys – Phoenix, which captures the sound of one of the best-known electric pianos. Feeling more adventurous? Electric Keys – Diamond samples a rare electric piano from 1967, whose felt piano hammers lend it an unusual vibraphone-like tone.

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9. The Grandeur

The Grandeur offers authentic grand piano sound in state-of-the-art quality. If you’re looking for a workhorse piano instrument that will shine in all contexts, this might be the best piano plugin for you. The instrument samples a legendary classical concert grand right down to the last detail (among the 2500 included samples, even the key releases were sampled in 9 velocity layers). It’s a rich and extremely dynamic instrument, making it well-suited for classical, jazz, and beyond.

Working in more modern production contexts? It’s easy to tweak The Grandeur to fit. You can adjust timbre and dynamic range, raise and lower the lid, change the loudness of mechanical sounds, and dial in the sound you need with built-in effects. Whatever the occasion, this instrument will rise to it.

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10. Ignition Keys

Producers looking for cutting-edge pop piano should try Ignition Keys. This easy-to-use instrument combines sampled vintage instruments with on-trend processing to create sounds primed for the charts. And the handy Play Series format means it’s there for you when inspiration strikes – perfect for song sketching or fast-paced studio sessions.

The 150 presets cover pianos and organs as well as synth leads and pads. They sound great off the bat, meaning you won’t get stuck tweaking when the ideas are flowing. They’re also ripe for further sound-shaping. The effect macros, featuring impactful sounds like tape wobble and lo-fi bitcrush, are particularly fun to play with.

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11. Session Keys Electric Bundle

More than just retro love, the Session Keys Electric Bundle pushes classic electric piano in new directions. The three included instruments sample evergreen sounds: Electric R captures a 1976 stage piano, Electric S a 1973 suitcase electric piano, and Electric W an iconic electric piano. All three will be familiar to most producers, and they’re great for adding vintage flavor to productions of all genres.

What sets the electric bundle apart, though, are its added features. Unusual articulations, plus an innovative sound-morphing function, open up new sonic vistas with these classic instruments. For producers looking to go beyond faithful vintage emulations, the Electric Bundle is worth exploring.

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12. The Maverick

The Maverick is a piano with personality. This unusual instrument samples a one-of-a-kind grand piano that was made for the Prince of Prussia in 1905. It’s colorful and unconventional, perfect for adding vintage character to modern pop, or lending an authentic air to jazz.

The Maverick is part of The Definitive Piano Collection along with The Grandeur, and it features the same top sound and state-of-the-art functionality. It’s easy to customize the timbre to suit your production context, whether that means brightening the tone or turning down the hammer sounds. But however you tweak it, The Maverick always sounds unmistakably like itself – and that’s what makes it special.

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Bring life to your music with piano VSTs

In this article, we’ve run down 12 of the best piano VSTs available from Native Instruments. We’ve explored a selection of world-class instruments, from classical concert grands to idiosyncratic noise makers, vintage electric keys, and more. Now you have a sense of what’s out there, it’s time to find the best piano plugin for you, and start using it to bring life and expression to your productions.

If you’re not sure which piano to start with, The Grandeur is a solid choice. This state-of-the-art sampled grand piano is versatile and stunningly lifelike, making it a good option for all genres and contexts.

Check out The Grandeur