Lightest program that gets a good piano sound.

[tehguitarist]

Hey i was just wondering what you guys would suggest for a really light program that i can use a midi keyboard to control to get some killer piano sounds out of, i can rip some off my reason piano samples if there is a program that needs samples. This is for gigging, alls we have that is practical is a laptop that isn't top notch (its ok but i wouldnt try to push reason through it and rely on it 100%) and a midi keyboard, we just need to it to give us a good piano sound because i'm not forking out 800 bucks on a good keyboard that i wont even be using.
I had a look at reaper but it seems pretty terrible for piano.
What would be idea would be a program thats like reason... but dedicated to piano, or is just really light that isnt gonna create massive lag and all the rest of it.

[richiebee]

Couple of problems here -

The piano is a very complex instrument. Getting a realistic sound from a small number of samples is not exactly easy.

Secondly, as soon as you put it through a PA system its going to sound really crap anyway. Even a real piano does.

Thirdly, you are going to need an external audio interface to be able to reduce latency to a level where it can be played live.

Here are three suggestions that don't require additional software, and are of older vintage, with fairly lowly minimum requirements. They all sound good.

EW Boesendorfer - EASTWEST/PMI Bosendorfer 290 :: East West/Quantum Leap :: Developers :: Sounds Online
Galaxy II - Galaxy II Grand Piano Collection :: Bestservice :: Developers :: Sounds Online
Art Vista - Art Vista Productions - Sampled Instruments for GigaStudio/GigaSampler

[tehguitarist]

Hey, the audio interface i can do, i have a usb one i can use if the laptop doesnt have firewire (its the singers not mine).

Is there any way to get a decent sound through a PA, the piano isnt a main instrument its just there to thicken up the sound and to... well add the piano feel.

[Flash]

If you going to be "gigging" it's worth the investment to pick up a good "sound module". Perhaps you can buy a used one at a good price. Then run your keyboard through the module and out through your PA.

VST instruments is the less costly option, and you can use that with Reaper.
Why do you say it's terrible for piano?

[tehguitarist]

It might just be that my usual workflow is in logic but i can't just get my head around the vst instruments in it.