NOTE: This message is directed at DP4 users, but may be applicable to other platforms as well.
I've been researching sampled pianos for the past couple of months, and after purchasing about 4 different ones for MachFive, I have finally found a keeper. It's called the Wizoo Grand and can be downloaded from the Wizoo website for about $100.00-$160.00. I've compared it side by side against the PMI 290 Bosendorfer, GigaPiano, Patchman MegaPiano, MachFive's bosendorfer, and the Roland SRX-02 expansion board. In my opinion, the Wizoo grand tops all of these easily in the area of sonic quality. Yes, I know that there are a lot of sampled pianos out there, but this one seems reasonably priced and can be downloaded at any time. If you are concerned about memory requirements, Wizoo offers the Wizoo Grand in three different sizes (XXL, mid, small).
The Wizoo grand can be downloaded in a couple of different formats, but I recommend downloading it in GIGA format first. ***I listed instructions below on how to import the Giga version - but keep in mind that the Giga version does not import correctly into MachFive without converting it to ESX24 format first. Don't ask me why this works, but after several hours of trial and error, this is what ended up working.
SUMMARY: Download "Wizoo Grand.gig" file > convert to EXS24 format > import EXS24 format into MachFive.
Anyways, after importing the Wizoo Grand into MachFive, I am now extremely satisified with the sampled piano sound that it produces. The preset needs a little tweeking to smooth out the layer transitions, but for the most part it sounds excellent! All you really need to import is the Acoustic Grand preset and then you can create presets of your own to create a lighter, harder, or smaller piano preset.
If you need a nice electric piano sound, try downloading the Rhodes Mark 1 as well.
The website is:
http://www.wizoosounds.com/ Here's what I had to do to import the "Wizoo Grand.gig" file into MachFive...
1) Download the file and give it at least 7-8 hours to download. NOTE: When I tried downloading it to my Mac using internet explorer, internet explorer did not know how to handle the file, so I downloaded it to a PC running internet explorer and all went well.
2) If you were able to download the file directly to you Mac, skip this step. After downloading the file, split the file (using a free download on the web), put the split files on two separate CD's, and then rebuild the file after copying the file onto your Mac.
3) Convert the "Wizoo Grand.gig" file to EXS24 format using the demo version of CDXtract.
4) Import the EXS24 format into MachFive.
5) Done.
*** Before selecting the preset in MachFive, be sure that the 32bit button is turned OFF, otherwise you will max out your computer's memory when the preset loads. After the preset is loaded, I recommend creating a preset that requires a lot less memory... remove the top 2 layers and the bottom layer, and also map some samples across 3-4 keys on the keyboard to conserve memory. When you have created a preset that uses a reasonable amount of memory, turn the 32bits button back on.
***Max out the memory in your Mac (2GB or more) before attempting to use these samples as well.
***I downloaded the Wizoo Grand today in native EXS24 format to see if it would import into MachFive, but the piano presets did not play correctly upon testing.
Mike
