Ready to chill out for the weekend with a bit of ambient music?
Then check out Matthew Davidson’s gorgeous new release, A Towering Achievement of Indescribable Beauty. It’s a collection of piano improvisations, recorded May 27th - June 11th 2008, between 8:20 and 8:50am each day.
Here’s what Davidson has to say about the album:
There is only [...]

 

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Peter Aidu plays Steve Reich’s Piano Phase, a work for two pianists, with with his left hand on one instrument and his right hand on the second.
While this is a unique performance and is a feat, the result seems to emphasize the synchronized phases of the two piano lines over the shifting phase relationships and [...]

NAMM Update: Garritan has released the Authorized Steinway Virtual Model D Piano, a sample-based software instrument developed in collaboration with Steinway & Sons.
Description:
The Authorized Steinway Virtual Model D piano accurately captures the distinctive sound of the hallmark Steinway & Sons concert grand piano. This new software instrument will allow the musician to play a virtual [...]

EastWest intro’d Quantum Leap Pianos, a detailed collection of some of the world’s finest grand pianos.
Description: 
More than half a million dollars’ worth of pianos are included in this collection, all meticulously recorded by EastWest/Quantum Leap producers Doug Rogers and Nick Phoenix. These include a $225,000 Bechstein D-280 Concert Grand. Other pianos featured in the library [...]

Synthogy has announced the release of Ivory Grand Pianos version 1.7, the latest version of their popular and award winning virtual grand piano plug-in. Ivory Grand Pianos 1.7 features compatibility with Apple OS X 10.5 Leopard and 10.4.x Tiger for Universal Binary AU, RTAS, VST and Standalone support. Version 1.7 is available as a free [...]

AudioWarrior has released Acoustic Grand Pianos & Electric Pianos for Kontakt.
The sample collection is based on the Fender Rhodes 73 Stage MKII, ‘Bright’ Steinway 88-Key Grand Piano, ‘Mellow’ Steinway & Sons 88-Key Grand Piano and the Wurly Electric-Piano/Organ.
Includes:

The Wurly Electric-Piano/Organ with its tube-like vintage vibe
A deep, powerful, ‘bright’ 88-key Acoustic Grand Piano with resonant lows [...]

Modartt has released Pianoteq v2.0.1.
This update offers multi-core rendering which vastly improves CPU performance on dual-core and hyper threaded Pentium 4. With this update, Modartt also release a Receptor-compatible version.
Complete list of changes in 2.0.1:

Multi-core rendering
Receptor compatibility
Fixed parameter automation
Stand-alone: output channel selection for ASIO sound cards
Stand-alone: fixed wav export bug
Stand-alone: added ‘clear menu’ entry in [...]

Musicmesse: Modartt has announced Pianoteq version 2, offering a new soundboard model, a vastly improved piano sound, and a stand-alone version.
New features:

Stand-alone version
Microtuning
Lid position
Pan slider
Key release velocity
MIDI controllers assignment
Smooth adjustment of parameters during play
Two strings in the bass - PIANOTEQ makes everything possible

New soundboard model for greater realism:
With the newly developed soundboard model, the piano [...]

eMedia Music has introduced a new two-volume CD-ROM series of music tutorials for learning keyboards - eMedia Piano & Keyboard Method and Intermediate Piano & Keyboard Method.
eMedia Piano & Keyboard Method Deluxe includes everything you need to learn to play with over 450 audio- and video-enhanced lessons and more than 150 songs in a variety [...]

NAMM Show: EASTWEST introduces Quantum Leap Pianos, the most detailed collection of the world’s finest grand pianos.
More than half a million dollars’ worth of pianos are included in this collection, all meticulously recorded. These include a $225,000 Bechstein D-280 Concert Grand, the same kind of piano engineer/producer Ken Scott used to record Elton John, David [...]

Can a piano be sexy?
After seeing Philippe Gendre’s M.Liminal Piano, I think you’ll agree that it is the sexiest piano in the world.
The real question, is it too sexy?
More photos below:

At the recent 2007 NAMM Expo,the classic Rhodes piano was reintroduced, with a flurry of recommendations from notable keyboardists. The new Rhodes Mark 7 A is a true electromechanical instrument, available in 88-, 73- and 61-key sizes.
“You got it better than right, its unbelievable,” said Stevie Wonder., while Brian Auger of Oblivion Express [...]

2007 Winter NAMM Show: Vienna Symphonic Library introduced three new Collections, including Appassionata Strings, Bösendorfer Imperial, and Vienna Konzerthaus Organ.
Appassionata Strings
As the name suggests, these string ensembles are quite simply, passionate. Their lush, broad and emotive cinematic sound defies expectations for a virtual instrument. The large ensembles of 20 violins, 14 violas, 12 cellos and [...]

For the first time in the company’s history, the Vienna Symphonic Library has focused their attention on keyboard instruments. With the endorsement of “Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik”, the Vienna team has developed its first sampled grand piano software instrument, a recreation of a Bösendorfer 290 Imperial. And with the support of the “Wiener Konzerthaus”, the Vienna Symphonic [...]

Native Instruments today released Akoustik Piano 1.1.1, an update for its acclaimed piano software-instrument.
The new version brings Universal Binary support, allowing users of Intel-based Macintosh computers to fully utilize the potential of Akoustik Piano’s elaborate multi-sampling and sophisticated emulation of soundboard resonance and pedal behaviour on their machines.
The 1.1.1 update for Windows and Mac is [...]