Talk to me about Ivory. I hear the 3gb switch I need for the VSL strings will likely kill GigaStudio. All I really use it for anymore is ac piano. Why put $300 into the GVI when I can put $320 into an arguably better piano instrument? BFD combined with the Roland SRX01 card rendered most of my drum samples for Giga unused. VSL replaced the string samples (mostly).

Include info on the system you ran it on-- OS/host app/proc/RAM in any replies.

Not the discussion you want to have, but is getting an actual piano that unrealistic?

One worthy of recording? Yes.

Around here, you can't walk into a decent "taller than spinet" piano for less than $5k used. I don't really have the room for a baby grand, FWIW.

Spinets just...well, nost of them sound pretty lame and mushy. For a few grand I could get a used Kawai that didn't blow beyond belief...and I suppose it's not completely off the table...

I loved the Yamaha 48" uprights I played...but at $8-10k new...well, I'm just not a good enough player to invest that kinda dough. Actually, bang for the buck, I really liked some of the Baldwin uprights which were cheaper...I absolutely hated their baby grands...but, the uprights were up there with the Yammy in my book.

I actually intended on a real one now that I have a little room and a little money...and it's not totally off the table, but I was a bit put out with the price I was going to have to pay for one that made me want to sit and noodle.

I'm actually pretty happy with GigaPiano...if I can configure the user/kernel switch to allow it (which it doesn't really tax Giga in the slightest), I won't buy Ivory. I need to go play it at one of the local stores anyway...lots of people recommended NI's Akoustic Piano to me. A friend has it-loves it. Gave me his discs and key to try it...I thought it played/sounded like ass. All nasally and leaned on the ambience impulse and EQ to even make it presentable. My Kurzweil hardware sounded and responded better. Which brings me to the interest...since Ivory IS made by the people who've programmed Kurz's pianos for years...I've listened to the clips. I'd only likely use/install the Yamaha C7 (not coincendentally what Gigapiano1 is). The others were much more classically oriented to my ear.

I've been watching Craigslist for 6 months or so for an upright. Even went to play a few...I'll keep my eyes open, but...I think people who've invested in nice uprights take them when they move. I know I would. I've moved them. As long as it's ground floor...just not a big deal. PIA, yes. Undoable? No.

PArt of my issue with the Craigslist pianos I've gone to play...it's hard for me to tell how good the tone is when it's horribly out of tune--and they ALL have been.

If I had a piano repaiman who was a friend and would go along to tell me if it's salvagable...and how much $$ it would take, I'd be more aggressive about that search.

There is nothing like a real one for writing and noodling.

I hear what you're saying, especially about trying to gauge a piano's quality when it's incredibly out of tune. My wife teaches piano and will often accompany students when they're looking to buy, and sometimes it's so bad she just has to shrug her shoulders.

Anything shorter than a full upright just won't work for most things, and even a lot of the uprights I've played are really boxy and nasally (even a few Yamahas). It's can be a long, arduous search, but it pays off man. Somehow we found an absolutely gorgeous 5'1" baby grand for under $6,000. It plays and sounds better than some of the $30,000+ grands I've played. I'm not even a "pianist" but I LOVE that instrument.

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There is nothing like a real one for writing and noodling.

That's the whole idea - nothing inspires like a huge box of wood and strings coming to life in a room.