What is Live Grand?

Live Grand is piano VST software designed to turn a MIDI keyboard and computer into a realistic grand piano for practice and live performance.

Unlike conventional piano VSTs designed primarily for studio production Live Grand is optimized for the pianist: realistic sound from the player’s perspective, low-latency performance, and precisely calibrated keyboard response.

But why use a computer for piano sound generation in the first place?

Why aren't digital pianos built like that?

There are several reasons.

One of the biggest challenges is latency. When a key is pressed, even a delay of just a few milliseconds can affect the playing experience, especially in fast and technically demanding passages. A dedicated digital piano is designed to respond immediately and reliably, while a computer-based system requires careful optimization to achieve the same result.

Reliability is another concern. Computers can crash, produce audio artifacts, or be affected by software and driver problems — issues that manufacturers of digital pianos generally want to avoid.

Finally, powerful computer hardware increases production costs and makes technical support considerably more complex. For most digital piano manufacturers, a simpler dedicated sound system is therefore the more practical solution.

Why we developed our own piano software

When we started building our virtual grand piano, finding suitable software turned out to be one of the biggest challenges.

We tested more than 50 piano VSTs and sample libraries and discussed the technical limitations with several manufacturers. While many of these products produced excellent results in music production, none provided the combination of sound, responsiveness, and keyboard calibration we were looking for when actually playing the instrument.

We therefore decided to develop our own software. Live Grand was built around the requirements of the pianist rather than the recording studio, with particular focus on natural response, low latency, and precise matching between the keyboard and the sampled piano.

This eventually became the foundation of the Live Grand piano VSTs. Software

Choosing the right keyboard

You don't need a special instrument to use Live Grand. You can upgrade an existing digital piano or use a MIDI keyboard controller without built-in sound generation, which can significantly reduce the cost of the complete system.

The Kawai VPC1, for example, is a dedicated MIDI piano controller with a weighted hammer-action keyboard and no built-in sound generation. This makes it particularly suitable for a computer-based piano setup.

However, the keyboard itself is only part of the equation. For a natural playing response, its MIDI velocity output must be precisely matched to the software. Live Grand therefore uses individually measured velocity calibrations for supported keyboards and digital pianos.

We have compiled a list of instruments that we have personally measured. If your digital piano is not yet included, you can use our free measurement file to determine its response and create the required calibration. Hardware

Piano VST Remastering

In addition to developing our own software, we work with sample library developers to create new live-performance versions of existing piano libraries.

We remaster the original recordings and integrate them into the Live Grand engine, optimizing the instrument for realistic sound, low latency, and natural response when played from a MIDI keyboard. AI-assisted sample processing can be used as part of the remastering process.

This can also give older high-quality piano libraries a second life on modern systems. Remastering

Piano VST-Plugins