While synths might be your de facto tool when it comes to making beats - and it’s probably the first thing you load in a session when you’re jamming on ideas - the good old piano can’t be beat in terms of value. Very few instruments can be so versatile, while also being deceptively limited. That’s the beauty of acoustic instruments: their character is defined by a million factors, from their age to their build…

Even the cheapest and most flawed instruments can offer the most unique sound. Beyond that, the parameters you can tweak are few and far between, from the mic placements, to the environment they’re recorded in, and of course the effects and mixing that goes into getting a piano sound from the room to a record. 

As old as it is, the piano sound still is a big part of modern music, it’s featured on a lot of hip hop, R&B and lofi tracks. Surprisingly, a lot of those warm and lively tones come from virtual instruments. If you want to expand your sonic palette, here’s a list of my favorite piano VSTs and libraries you can try.

1. The Gentleman - Native Instruments

Native Instruments offer a lot of different piano instruments. While they’re all great and very well made, they might not all be suited for the kind of music you have in mind. Some are more experimental, or more suited for a particular niche.

The one I keep going back to is The Gentleman, a warm and punchy upright piano with some vintage charm, and that’s because it’s sampled from a 1908. Not too warble-y or crazy, it might not give you the classic lofi tones right out of the box, but I find it gives you a rich piano sound with which to experiment, if you want to bring it somewhere a little more lofi, or have it be a little more muffled.

This sampled instrument comes with useful presets and a few parameters that are easy to modify.

Download The Gentleman here

Piano V - Arturia

For more versatility, Arturia’s Piano V comes with 12 piano models sampled carefully, and all suited for modern production. As always with Arturia’s instruments, there’s a plethora of presets to choose from, and some great effects built-in the VST.

Piano V is part of the V Collection, which includes a bunch of really cool vintage synths in VST form, all reproduced to perfection.

If that’s a little too pricey for you, and you just need a few useful piano presets to get you started, you can also consider Analog Lab V, an instrument that includes hundreds of great presets plucked from Arturia’s collection, including many useful piano sounds.

Download Piano V here

2. Soft Piano - Spitfire Audio

Just because it’s free, doesn’t mean it sounds cheap. Case and point, all the beautiful offered by Spitfire Audio with an affordable price tag of 0$.

You can take a look at all their beautiful instruments available through their LABS VST (including many pianos, EPs, and synths,) but the one you definitely need in your arsenal is Soft Piano, a deceptively simple piano with hushed tones similar to a felt piano.

This just might be the sound you’re looking for if you’re looking for something confidential and emotional to lend a bit of vibe to your new R&B or lofi beat.

Download Soft Piano here

3. Lofi Piano - Steinberg

If you don’t want to fuss around with a bunch of effects and plugins to get that interesting saturated, warbly tape sound of a lofi piano, save yourself a whole bunch of time with Steinberg’s Lofi Piano.

This free instrument comes with all the presets you need to start creating in seconds. Great effects are included directly in the plugin, as well as cool features like a chord generator. Just load it up and make a hit.

Oh, and did I mention it’s entirely free?

Download Lofi Piano here

4. Golden Age Grand - Teletone Audio

While it’s easy to turn to big companies to get the big pro sound you’re after, it’s good to remember that there are plenty of good virtual pianos out there that are made with love by independent developers. One that has caught my attention lately is Golden Age Grand by Teletone Audio. 

Compatible with the free version of Kontakt, this library is a treasure trove of acoustic keys sounds, aged and (gently) deteriorated to perfection.

The company offers different instruments aimed at the modern producer, including the Postcard Piano, which is for people who make lofi, but which I found perhaps a bit limited compared to Golden Age Grand. In either case, they’re worth checking out.

Download Golden Age Grand here

5. Keyscape - Spectrasonics

By far the most expensive option on this list, Keyscape comes to you from the makers of Omnisphere. That’s right, the geniuses that brought you one of the most versatile and exciting synth VST in the world also made a keys plugin that many consider to be the one to beat.

Keyscape offers 36 hybrid instruments, including many “deeply sampled” pianos. What does that mean? It means you will probably have more than enough sounds to make cool tracks for the rest of your life.

If you need a piano sound once in a while, this one is probably overkill, but if you’re a more advanced player, you can consider it.

Download Keyscape here

Which effects should I get?

If you want to make a piano sound cool, you probably already have all the effects you need in your DAW. Just play around with saturation, vibrato, a phaser or an EQ and you’ll get some cool and unique results.

Of course, if you need a bit more inspiration, there are many great plugins out there. I’d suggest multi-effects plugins like RC-20, Lifeline Expanse, or even Lifeline Console if you want to get that “industry sound” you’ve heard on so many records.

For more creative plugins to help you get out of your comfort zone, you can always check my post about the best lofi effects.

There’s no such thing as having “too many plugins.” If you’re looking for more instruments to make your R&B, trap or lofi beats, check out this post.

Photo credit: James Zwaldo

All products featured in this post are independently selected by myself. However, when you buy something through my retail links, I may earn an affiliate commission.