Bosendorfer 290 Platinum: Piano Virtual Instrument by EastWest Sounds

The instrument is built from many layers of recorded notes. Each note includes 10 to 18 velocities of sustain, with and without the sustain pedal. Repetitions are recorded at 8 to 12 velocities per note, and soft pedal samples come in 5 to 8 velocities. Staccato is sampled at 16 velocities on every piano.

Pedal resonance is recorded for every note at multiple velocities, including with the soft pedal down. Release samples use a software envelope follower, so note endings respond to how you play. EastWest Sounds says the sustain pedal increases the smoothness of the sound and adds the richness of a full orchestra.

The repetition samples were taken from performances at 180 BPM, so fast repeated notes sound like true repetitions rather than a simple alternate take. The software detects these true repetitions during playback.

In the software you can swap the stereo image, mix microphone positions and simulate the lid position. An articulation matrix makes loading quick and straightforward. The developer also describes the streaming engine as capable of high polyphony counts.