5 beautiful pianos, carefully recorded, and ready to be added to your VST collection.

Steinberg The Grand 3 offers a first-rate collection of 3 virtual grand pianos based on the highly acclaimed Yamaha C7, the B"sendorfer 290 Imperial, and the Steinway D. 2 additional pianos have the character of a vintage Yamaha CP80 Electric Grand and an upright by Nordiska Pianofabriken. As a result, The Grand 3 boasts a variety of piano sounds for different music styles, with sound quality that is simply phenomenal.

Back with a Masterpiece
The Grand 3 offers completely different piano models to its 2 predecessors, merely building on the prestige that its name has managed to attain over the past years. This means that versions 2 and 3, both old and new, equally deserve to be held in high esteem for their respective quality piano models. However, with The Grand 3, Steinberg has not only assembled several different piano models but also used intelligent sample architecture and current recording technology to achieve an even more authentic sonic image and enhanced realistic feel.

Three grand masters
The Grand 3 prides itself on 3 outstanding virtual grand pianos with a rich and realistic sound based on the most widely acclaimed grand pianos. The Yamaha C7 piano is the artist's choice. Its sound provides a true concert grand experience, while the expressive tone of the Bösendorfer 290 Imperial provides an extended musical range not found in other pianos. The incredible sound, responsiveness, and superb playing behavior of the Steinway D is included to perfectly complement the collection of virtual pianos featured in The Grand 3.

More pianos, more choices
The included classic Yamaha CP80 Electric Grand has a timbral character that makes it genuinely recognizable. The Nordiska Pianofabriken upright piano has been recorded so that its sound is ideal for pop and jazz music.

Superb reverberation
This third version of The Grand comes with a convolution reverb based on the same technology used by REVerence, the world's first VST3-based convolution reverb processor already featured in Cubase 5 which benefits from every single aspect the VST3 standard has to offer. It boasts sumptuously realistic natural-space simulation, emulating any acoustic environment — from the smallest live music venue to the most impressive cathedrals. This reverb includes a vast number of impulse responses that put the characteristic sound of some of the world's most distinctive settings immediately in one's hands—both in stereo and surround.

An algorithmic reverb is also included to increase the amount of reverbs. With more than 60 reverb presets, this leaves the artist with ample scope to spatially enhance the piano sound.

Flexible equalization
This powerful and versatile equalizer offers full 4-band parametric control that works as a sum over all output channels with variable response curves and shelving modes, as well as analog-style peak filters.

All tuned up
The enhanced tuning editor provides customizable scales and a wealth of presets for tempered and concert tuning. Each tuning situation may be stored and retrieved as preset whenever required.

The Grand 3 standalone
The standalone version allows The Grand 3 to be used without a host application — a great choice for performing live and delivering excellent sounding, easy-to-play virtual piano software. It also comes with two additional features: 1) For the record: The quick-idea scratch pad guarantees that all flashes of inspiration are recorded. Simply hit the button and The Grand 3 records everything played — now there's no excuse for missing that one tune. The scratch pad allows the recorded sequence to be played back for rehearsal purposes or exported as a standard MIDI file. It is also possible to load MIDI files and play them back as well.

2) Never miss a beat: The integrated metronome is a useful tool, helping musicians keep a constant tempo while practicing the most difficult of piano pieces.

The Grand 3 advantage
The Grand 3 covers everything an artist is looking for in a virtual piano suite. Of course, it features five premium piano models with an overwhelming sound quality, but it also focuses on the intricacies: flexibility through different microphone positions, compatibility through multiple format support, and usability due to the range of included tools.

Equipped with high-grade Neumann microphones, customized high-end preamps and converters specially tuned for pianos in a large acoustic space specifically designed, and built for this particular use, engineers generated the source material to highest standards. No additional electronic equipment was used during the recordings to capture the natural sound of the acoustic pianos. Plus, two different microphone positions (close and player) available in The Grand 3 result from a 12-microphone setup used for the recordings, giving the musician the ultimate freedom to dictate the piano's immanent sound.

Authentic sound quality
The Grand 3 delivers ultra dynamic response and hammer action with up to 20 different velocity samples for each key, faithfully capturing the full extent of every note's envelope. Sustain and sostenuto pedal support, subtle mechanical noises, and true resonance make The Grand 3 an ambitious and innovative piece of software engineering, resulting in a grand collection of virtual pianos.

Eco-efficiency
The ECO Mode already featured in The Grand 2 is also available for all pianos in The Grand 3. Using ECO Mode, The Grand 3 reduces RAM consumption and enhances CPU performance by freeing up power for other processing tasks, such as disk streaming.

RAMSave
The RAMSave technology makes highly efficient use of the host computer's memory. When active, RAMSave discards superfluous samples from the main memory in order to provide space for other tasks, automatically scanning the MIDI notes allocated to The Grand and dumping all unassigned samples from the RAM.

Support of all major formats
Steinberg The Grand 3 supports all major formats, such as VST and AU. And, by supporting ReWire, The Grand 3 runs with any audio workstation, while the standalone version requires no host application at all.

Steinberg The Grand 3 VST Instrument Software Features:

• Virtual versions of the Yamaha C7, the Bösendorfer 290 Imperial, Steinway D, Yamaha CP80 Electric Grand, and Nordiska Pianofabriken upright
• Convolution reverb based on the same technology used by REVerence
• Includes a vast number of impulse responses
• Algorithmic reverb with more than 60 reverb presets
• 4-band parametric control that works as a sum over all output channels with variable response curves and shelving modes, as well as analog-style peak filters
• Enhanced tuning editor
• Works standalone
• Quick-idea scratch pad for recording all flashes of inspiration
• Integrated metronome
• Source material recorded with high-grade Neumann microphones, customized high-end preamps, and converters specially tuned for pianos in a large acoustic space
• Two different microphone positions (close and player) result from a 12-microphone setup used for the recordings
• Delivers ultra dynamic response and hammer action with up to 20 different velocity samples for each key, Sustain and sostenuto pedal support, subtle mechanical noises, and true resonance
• ECO Mode reduces RAM consumption and enhances CPU performance by freeing up power for other processing tasks, such as disk streaming.
• RAMSave technology discards superfluous samples from the main memory in order to provide space for other tasks, automatically scanning the MIDI notes allocated to The Grand and dumping all unassigned samples from the RAM
• Supports all major formats, such as VST, AU, and ReWire, allowing it to run with any audio workstation, while the standalone version can even be used without any host application at all

Add 5 grand pianos to your palette of virtual instruments. Order today!

Steinberg The Grand 3 VST Instrument Software Specifications:

• System Requirements
• Mac:
• OS X 10.5
• Power Mac G5 dual 2.0 GHz or Intel Core Duo 2.0 GHz processor
• 2 GB RAM
• Approx. 32 GB of free HD space
• Display resolution 1024 x 768 pixels
• CoreAudio compatible audio hardware
• DVD-ROM drive with dual-layer support
• USB component port for USB-eLicenser/Steinberg Key (license management)
• USB-eLicenser/Steinberg Key is required*
• Internet connection for license activation
• For using as plug-in or ReWire slave-device, a VST2, VST3, AU or ReWire compatible host is required
  
  Windows:
• XP (SP2) or Windows Vista
• Pentium/Athlon 2.0 GHz dual core mobile or dual core 2.0 GHz processor
• 2GB RAM
• Approx. 32GB free of HD space
• Display resolution 1024 x 768 pixels
• Windows DirectX compatible audio hardware (ASIO compatible audio hardware recommended for low-latency performance)
• DVD-ROM drive with dual-layer support
• USB component port for USB-eLicenser/Steinberg Key (license management)
• USB-eLicenser/Steinberg Key is required*
• Internet connection for license activation
• For using as plug-in or ReWire slave-device, a VST2, VST3, AU or ReWire compatible host is required.
  
  *The USB-eLicenser/Steinberg Key (copy protection device) required to run this product is not included. Customers who do not own a USB-eLicenser/Steinberg Key must purchase one separately. The same USB-eLicenser/Steinberg Key copy protection device is then used for all Steinberg products that require it.

Steinberg The Grand 3 VST Instrument Software

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Dissapointed

Posted by Dave from California on Sep 25, 2009

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Recording Engineer

Reviewer's Play Style: Multi

It comes with 4 CDs. Steinberg made it ala "Ivory" style. This one has way flatter, brighter and raugher sound than Grand 2, which has warmer and fuller sound. Loading patches take forever. Greedy with memory as well. Poor dynamics. Impossible to play quite "pianissimo" notes in any given range...they've added extra tweaks and perks that you would never use. I am very disappointed. Can't wait to see an upgrade patch for Grand 2 for my snow leopard. Suggesting not to waist you breath on this one. It's up to you!

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Steinberg The Grand 3 VST Instrument Software

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