Sebastian Berweck

With over 220 world premieres to his name, Sebastian Berweck is one of the most sought-after interpreters of experimental contemporary music. He is known for his energetic interpretations of unusual repertoire in- and outside the piano as well as working with electronics. Sebastian Berweck holds a PhD from the University of Huddersfield, is a member of stock11, and lives in Berlin.

«I’m using Pianoteq every time I want to do something with the piano that I can’t do on a real piano. What immediately comes to mind is changing the tuning on the fly. For a new concerto for piano and orchestra by Malte Giesen - which will be premiered with the Wiener Symphoniker this Fall - we use Pianoteq in conjunction with Yamaha’s transacoustic piano and Cycling ’74 Max. Yamaha’s transacoustic piano looks and feels like a grand piano. However, it uses transistors on the soundboard and the piano sound that will be heard will indeed be that of Pianoteq going through the body of a real grand piano. Max is then used to transform the piano in real time, like shortening and prolonging the strings to achieve a glissando effect. It will indeed sound like a electric guitar’s whammy bar has been attached to a grand piano. With Pianoteq I can go where no piano has gone before.»

Sebastian Berweck's official website: http://www.sebastianberweck.de

Robert Martin

Robert Martin is a talented multi-instrumental performer, producer and composer, with a background of intensive classical training on French horn at the prestigious Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. He performed on all of Frank Zappa's tours and live albums from 1981 on, and has also performed with Paul McCartney, Michael McDonald, Stevie Nicks, Boz Scaggs, Etta James, Patti LaBelle, Bonnie Raitt, Kenny Loggins, Prince, the Moody Blues, Lyle Lovett, Gladys Knight, Glenn Frey, Bobby Caldwell, Michael Bolton, David Sanborn, The Stylistics, The O'Jays, Sheila E, The Blues Brothers, and many others. Robert was also Musical Director for Bette Midler and co-produced a Grammy nominated album for Wilson Pickett on Motown. Since 1986, Robert has owned and operated his own studio and branched out into programming, engineering, mixing, mastering and producing music for advertising, film and television. He will feature Pianoteq on the upcoming Zappa Hologram tour beginning in December 2018.

«I’ve been following Pianoteq technology for many years now, and it’s clear that the promise I heard years ago has now matured and been fully realized. The sound of the various grand models is rich, lush and complex, and the electric models capture the vintage warmth of their namesakes beautifully. As a former owner of an 1899 Steinway grand and various examples of Rhodes and Wurlitzer electric pianos, I’m hard to please - and now I’m pleased! I’ve used various top tier sampled keyboard systems over the years, and I’m very excited by what I hear now. You’ve taken over at the top of the heap!»

Robert Martin's official website: http://multimartinmusic.com

Nadia Shpachenko

Steinway Artist Nadia Shpachenko is a gifted and versatile pianist. She recently received a GRAMMY® award for her Reference Recording CD The Poetry of Places. She enjoys bringing into the world things that are outside the box – powerful pieces that often possess unusual sonic qualities or instrumentation. Nadia’s concert highlights include recitals at magnificent concert halls and with numerous orchestras in Europe and the Americas. An enthusiastic promoter of contemporary music, Nadia premiered more than 70 works by Elliott Carter, Paul Chihara, George Crumb, Tom Flaherty, and many others. Nadia is currently Professor of Music at Cal Poly Pomona University, where she leads the Piano Performance program and was awarded the 2017 Provost’s Award for Excellence in Scholarly and Creative Activities.

«As a Steinway Artist and performer of the classical repertoire and much new music, I am used to playing and hearing the best acoustic pianos in the world. However, there are situations these days where using an acoustic piano is not possible. Pianoteq offers professional classical pianists the next best thing to a Steinway, making it possible to perform new music requiring different sounds, micro-tunings and remapping of the keyboard. The physically modeled sound is fabulous and requires a fraction of the computer load-time and power required for sample sets, and gives the performer much more control over transferring their individual technique in an acoustic environment to an electronic one of the highest quality. I believe that Pianoteq is the wave of the future for keyboardists of all genres of music making.»

Nadia Shpachenko's official website: http://nadiashpachenko.com

Jonathon Long

Jonathon Long is the Keyboard player and Musical Director for the grammy awarded country music group Lady Antebellum. They have sold more than 10 million albums in the USA alone with nine number-one singles including 'I Run to You' and 'Need You Now'. Jonathon has also played for top country artists such as Kevin Sharp, Jamie O'Neal, George Canyon and Sara Evans. He has also enjoyed a world tour with Engelbert Humperdinck.

«I am constantly finding new favorite patches and settings with Pianoteq! As soon as I think I've found the ultimate piano, I dig a little deeper, tinker with some settings and discover something even more beautiful and brilliant. The electric pianos, don't forget about the electric pianos either - they are incredible! I love the versatility of the whole program, and of course the low CPU draw. Pianoteq is now my go-to soft synth for piano and more!»

Wang Leehom

Wang Leehom is a Chinese-American singer-songwriter, music producer, actor, and film director. Known as the "King of Chinese Pop", Leehom has repeatedly revolutionized the Chinese pop music scene with his evolving blend of pop, rock, jazz, hip-hop, R&B, classical, and traditional Chinese music ranging from aboriginal folk music to Beijing opera. The best-selling Mandarin-language musician of his generation, Leehom came to prominence as a teen idol at the age of 19 and has since released 15 solo studio albums and contributed to dozens more.

He has earned numerous prizes at Taiwan's Golden Melody Awards and the Chinese Music Awards, and is currently touring to sold-out venues in over 100 cities worldwide. In addition to his music career, Leehom has also starred in several movies, including Love in Disguise (2010), a romantic comedy which Leehom wrote, directed, and scored, setting the record for the highest-grossing film for a first-time director in Chinese history. As a native of both the eastern world and the western one, Leehom strives to serve as a cultural ambassador by bringing Chinese music and culture to English-speaking audiences.

«Writing, arranging and recording are all part of the same process for me, so it's important that the piano sound I begin with can make it all the way to the final mix. Pianoteq is my go-to plug-in. It's super easy to use and easily configurable with parameters that matter. They've put a lot of heart into designing Pianoteq, right down to the sound of stepping on and releasing the damper pedal.»

Wang Leehom's official website: http://www.wangleehom.com

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leehom_Wang

Warren Hartman

Warren Hartman has worked with Kenny Rogers as music director and conductor for 23 years. Kenny, being one of the best-selling music artists of all time, had three albums co-produced by Warren together with Randy Travis producer Kyle Lehning, and another produced by Warren, Kyle, and Dann Huff. Since 2014, Warren is pursuing his own career as a composer/pianist, compiling music from several genres. He is currently involved in new piano/orchestral underscore for Spoken Word pieces by John David Teems, and several album projects.

«Pianoteq is my favorite piano plugin. Attached below is a short composition using Pianoteq 6. Very distinct and present. Great sound!»

Paul 'Wix' Wickens

Known in the industry as Wix, He has recorded and performed with many of the leading Artists in the business also having number one success as a record producer. He is musical director for Sir Paul McCartney with whom he has worked since 1989.

He was musical director at The Concert For Diana from Wembley Stadium and also for a multi-artist concert in The White House for President Obama. Not only has he has performed around the world to millions of people but also in his daughter's school playground for the summer fair.

«I have been a fan of "Physical Modelling" and it's potential since the earliest days and Pianoteq has been on my computer from it's beginning. The low cpu load makes it ideal for smaller set-ups and whether you are looking for realism to play, or to push the boundaries of sonic experimentation it's all here. Modartt are turning their attention to other areas to "model" and I look forward to what is to come from them»

Carl Marsh

Grammy nominated arranger/composer Carl Marsh has been an integral part of the North American recording industry for over 3 decades. His ability to draw from pop, rhythm and blues and classical roots give Carl's work a richness and depth that is uncommon in music today. In the seventies he worked for R&B artists such as Steve Cropper, The Bar-Kays, The Temptations, Joe Cocker, James Brown and Isaac Hayes. Based in Nashville since 1986, Carl has expanded his client roster for his string and orchestra arrangements to include such country artists as Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Trisha Yearwood, Wynonna, Vince Gill and Willie Nelson. On the rock side, he has been an integral part of the success of ZZ Top in the late eighties and early nineties, and has contributed to projects of REM, Bonjovi and Bad Company.

At present, Carl is regularly writing for, and working with orchestras in Nashville, Montreal, Prague and London, and frequently conducts his arrangements for orchestra in the famous Abbey Road studios.

«As a pianist that has, in the past, preferred acoustic instruments, I'll have to say that Pianoteq is the first electronic piano that I've seen/heard that allows me to fully shape parameters and end up with the piano sound and performance that I expect from an acoustic instrument. I'm enjoying using Pianoteq on my current 2 projects. I'll have to say that so far it's passed every test I've thrown at it, and it record times ! I find the editing functions are quite fast and effective. And I LOVE the eq.»

Carl Marsh's official website: http://carlmarsh.com

Mark Kelly

Mark Kelly is the keyboard player with the Progressive rock band Marillion. He joined the band in 1981 and has co-written many of their songs and played on numerous tours all over the world. Marillion have made 19 studio albums, which together have sold in excess of 15 million copies worldwide. Marillion are widely acknowledged as one of the first bands to truly embrace the Internet and tap into its potential to interact with their fans by inventing Crowdfunding in 2001. In addition to his role with Marillion, Mark is an elected performer director of PPL (Phonographic Performance Ltd) and a founding member and CEO of the Featured Artists Coalition, an organisation set up to give artists a voice in the fast changing music industry.

«I have been using sampled based digital pianos for over 20 years and have always been skeptical that physical modelling would ever be capable of reproducing the sound of an acoustic piano with any realism. When I heard Pianoteq 5 I realised that goal had been achieved but what was a revelation to me was how it feels to play. Even the best sounding sampled pianos leave you feeling somehow detached from the instrument by comparison. Pianoteq has such a great touch and expression it’s inspirational to play like a beautiful Steinway or Bosendorfer but at a fraction of the price! I also love the fact that under the hood there are so many adjustable parameters giving you the freedom to create some unearthly pianos if you desire.»

Mark Kelly's official website: http://www.marillion.com

Tim Hinkley

Tim Hinkley is one of the world's top session musicians. He has recorded and toured with Humble Pie, Van Morrison, George Harrison, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Tom Waits, Bad Company, Whitesnake, Tim Buckley, Al Stewart, Thin Lizzy, Roger Daltrey and many others.

From Jody Grind, Tim's Hammond organ trio that impressed audiences across Europe in the sixties to Hinkley's Heroes, the loose jamming band made up of seventies fugitives from the top British rock acts of the time, Tim has always been there playing his music. Beside his work as a musician, Tim produced records by the likes of Johnny Hallyday, Chris Farlowe and Steve Marriott. Tim continues to play in a duo with guitarist Andreas Werner and with his Tim Hinkley Trio featuring the mighty Hammond B3.

«It's a great instrument and I stress, this is an instrument par excellence. Although it is based on what we accept as the natural sound of an acoustic piano, Pianoteq is much more realistic than any other digital or software based piano that I have tried. It really shook me when I discovered that a software instrument can beat a miked up real piano. The sound, the many parameters available for editing, the playability, and the small computer footprint, add up to a Pianoteq being a truly sensational product. Unbeatable!»

Tim Hinkley's official website: http://www.timhinkley.com/

Elvio Fernandes

Elvio Fernandes is a Rochester, NY-based musician, songwriter and producer, best known for his work as a keyboardist, rhythm guitarist and vocalist for multi-platinum-selling artist Daughtry. Elvio’s writing credits include multiple Daughtry songs including the single "Witness" and "Crazy" from the band’s "Break The Spell" record. In addition to his work with Daughtry, Elvio has worked with national recording artists such as Richard Marx, Brad Arnold of 3 Doors Down, Brian McKnight, Claude Kelly, Greg Howe, and American Idol finalist Ace Young whose Top 50-debut single "Scattered" was produced and co-written by Elvio.

«I'm in the process of doing some production and writing for our next major label release and I've been frustrated with my piano sample libraries. None of them are doing it for me. Then I tried Pianoteq. It sounds great and gives me so many new options to tailor the sounds. I love it.»

Elvio Fernandes's official website: http://www.daughtryofficial.com/?band-member=elvio-fernandes

Vahagn Stepanyan

Vahagn Stepanyan is a gifted Armenian-born keyboard player, songwriter, composer, arranger and producer. His talents have been recognized by Grammy Award-Winning artists and well-known musicians across the world, collaborating with many of them in the studio and on tour, including: Eric Marienthal, Nathan East, Eric Moore, Melvin Lee Davis, Wojtek Pilichowski, Anthony Crawford, Cleverson Silva, Adam Hawley, Feodor Dosumov and many more. He continues to collaborate, tour & produce music for world class musicians and artists around the globe.

«Pianoteq is one of my main piano VSTi's. When I first tried it out, I thought WOW! Very natural! I will use Pianoteq in my next music videos and I will enjoy it for sure in many other projects.»

Vahagn Stepanyan's official website: http://www.vahagnstepanyan.com

Hugh Sung

Hugh Sung is one of the most sought after collaborative pianists in the Classical Music field today, having worked with the likes of violinists Aaron Rosand, Hilary Hahn and Leila Josefowicz, flutists Julius Baker and Jeffrey Khaner, and leading composers such as Jennifer Higdon and Richard Danielpour. A graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music, Hugh joined the faculty in 1993 and currently serves as Director of Student Recitals and Instrumental Accompaniment.

«Working with digital pianos had always been an exercise in frustrating limitations, a bit like being forced to color by numbers with no more than 10 crayons at a time. Even high-end piano sample libraries have been extremely disappointing, offering exquisitely recorded piano sounds completely divorced from any real interaction or control of the sound beyond a relatively sparse range of touch. MODARTT PIANOTEQ, on the other hand, represents a stunning breakthrough, making it possible for the first time for a serious musician to work with a digital instrument that gives virtually the full color palette of a 'real' acoustic piano. PIANOTEQ responds in the widest dynamic range I've ever experienced in a computer instrument, from the most delicate pianissimos to keybed-thumping fortissimos, complete with all the physical phenomena that accompanies such deliveries like sympathetic vibrations, soundboard echo, and an amazing variance of hammer/string interactions. Damper control is amazingly continuous and realistic, enabling the most subtle tapers of note-ends and flutter pedal effects.
You can actually work on this virtual piano and start to discuss possibilities of tone, color, articulation - all the expressive qualities normally associated only with fully acoustic counterparts! Any digital piano will sound decent at a loud, narrow dynamic range, but PIANOTEQ really shines in the subtleties of pianissimo colorations and the full feel of control throughout sound production. As Josef Hoffman once marveled at the Duo-Art Piano Roll's capability to capture the essence of a great musical performance, I'm similarly inclined to marvel at the way PIANOTEQ is able to express the full musical intentions of the pianist, lending itself elegantly as an artistic tool for the pianists of today's digital age»

Hugh Sung's official website: http://www.hughsung.com

Giordano Mazzi

Giordano Mazzi is a keyboardist and programmer. Since the 1980's he has worked with some of the best Italian artists and producers, just to name a few: Vasco Rossi, Adriano Celentano, Mia Martini, Anna Oxa, Laura Pausini, Ivana Spagna, Gianni Morandi, Noemi, Il Volo. He is a frequent participant in popular Italian TV shows and music festivals.

«It's not easy to explain in a few words how this small and powerful piece of software can be far more more better than other similar emulations based on samples. Pianoteq is an excellent product both for live and studio situations through its great presets, and it’s really very easy to modify the parameters in order to obtain fantastic and new sounds. Is a must.»

Giordano Mazzi's official website: http://www.giordanomazzi.com

Hannah Vasanth

Hannah Vasanth is a talented keyboard player, song writer and producer. She currently plays for Jessie J and has previously toured with many other successful artists: Rihanna, Anastacia, Sugababes, just to mention a few.

«Pianoteq is a stunning plugin! It is hard to believe that it is based on physical modelling - the tone and playability make this my main go-to piano in my studio. The sounds can be tweaked with ease and the interface is incredibly user friendly. The low CPU usage makes this the perfect instrument when writing on the road - thank you Modartt for raising the bar in terms of piano plugins!»

Hannah Vasanth's official website: http://www.myspace.com/hannahvasanth

Leon Pendarvis

Leon Pendarvis is the musical director of NBC's Saturday Night Live Band and is the longest standing musician in the show's history. Pendarvis has also written, produced and performed for artists like Eric Clapton, Marvin Gaye, Ike and Tina Turner, Roberta Flack, Quincy Jones and B.B. King. In addition, Pendarvis owns and operates Pinwheel Productions, a world-class recording facility that has hosted such talented artists as Pink and Avril Lavigne.

«As you can imagine I have many plug-ins from several companies, and whereas some of their content is great, I find myself always looking for a definitive piano that sounds more "organic", and closer replicates the real thing. I have been aware of Pianoteq for quite some time, and now finally getting around to interfacing it into my workflow. I am intrigued by the approach to replicating, in that this is a model, and not samples. From what I can discern so far, the rendering is pretty faithful to the real thing, and I can definitely see it being one of my "go to" software pianos»

Mikey Rowe

Keyboard man and confidante to the likes of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Sheryl Crow, Oasis, Stevie Nicks, Superheavy, Mick Jagger, Damian Marley, Nas, Bill Fay, Jeff Tweedy, Stereophonics, Sarah McLachlan, Ben Taylor, Mike Scott & The Waterboys, A R Rahman, Doyle Bramhall II, Travis, Lighterthief, Andy Partridge, Amorphous Androgynous & Dave Stewart amongst others.

«Pianoteq works. It's small, believable & playable. I find myself playing it for enjoyment as well as getting it to work within a track.»

Mikey Rowe's official website: https://mikeyrowe.co.uk/

Richard Maheux

Richard Maheux hails from Quebec, Canada. After making the move to New York City he performed with acts such as Rihanna, Cirque du Soleil (Delirium), Patty Smyth & Scandal and conducted on various Broadway productions including Rock Of Ages.

Richard also enjoys being in the studio and his production skills have led him to work on many successful recording projects such as Star Académie 2005 which won the Best Selling Album Award at the Gala de l'Adisq.

Richard joined Enrique Iglesias's band as keyboardist in early 2012.

«Pianoteq 4 is very expressive and inspiring. It brings back the joy of playing on an acoustic instrument. I especially enjoy the new electric pianos MKI (R2) and W1 but all instruments are great and deeply customizable. The ability of being able to change the mic placement and also the amount of control you get with "Note Edit" opens quite a lot of possibilities. Best of all, it doesn't require a dongle, loads in an instant and has a very small memory footprint so I can make use of my precious SSD memory for something else. That makes it perfect for my live gigs.»

Richard Maheux's official website: http://www.richardmaheux.com

Tommy Coster

Best known for his 13 notes heard around the world that spawned Eminen's biggest hit "The Real Slim Shady", Tommy Coster isn't just a hip hop producer and composer. Yes, he co-wrote "The Real Slim Shady" with Dr. Dre and Eminem but he also co-wrote a song entitled, "Zulu", with Carlos Santana in 1977 at age 11. Coster has scored several films, and film trailers and continues to be a driving force in the development of upcoming artists. His musical compositions and performances have sold over 70 Million units and he continues to write and produce for artists and labels internationally.

«I own a Yamaha C7 Grand Piano and It's one of my favorite and most inspiring instruments. Unfortunately it weights about 900 pounds and is over 7 feet long and 5 feet wide, it just will not fit into my carry-on bag. Pianoteq's AU instrument is not only convenient, it's solid and it sounds amazing. It loads fast, doesn't crash and gives you control over its many parameters that allow the user to shape and contour each sound in any way you can imagine. Whether I'm writing, performing, or recording this piano covers it all. Thank you Pianoteq for making my life a little bit easier in a getting a great piano sound out of my DAW, and for the addition of this great instrument in my music.»

Tommy Coster's official website: http://www.tommycoster.com

Dan Tepfer

Born in Paris to American parents, "tremendously gifted" (LA Times) pianist-composer Dan Tepfer has translated his bi-cultural identity into an exploration of music that ignores stylistic bounds. His 2011 Goldberg Variations / Variations, which pairs his performance of Bach’s work with improvised variations of his own, has received broad praise as a "riveting, inspired, fresh musical exploration" (New York Times). He has worked with the leading lights in jazz, including extensively with saxophone luminary Lee Konitz, while releasing seven albums as a leader. As a composer, he is a recipient of the Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters for works. Awards include first prize and audience prize at the Montreux Jazz Festival Solo Piano Competition, first prize at the East Coast Jazz Festival Competition, and the Cole Porter Fellowship from the American Pianists Association. His recent soundtrack for the independent feature Movement and Location was voted Best Original Score at the 2014 Brooklyn Film Festival.

«Of all the piano sounds I've tried, Pianoteq is by far the most versatile. I love being able to play with every aspect of the sound of the instrument, from the length of the strings to the placement of the mics used to record it. It's also one of the most expressive digital piano sounds I've used. In a live setting, its notes speak with integrity and musicality. As a pianist who is also passionate about math and programming, I particularly appreciate the elegance and economy of Pianoteq — it's amazing that it can achieve what it does with such a minuscule footprint, when sampled pianos can take over entire hard drives. Congrats to the Pianoteq team for digging deep into what it means to build a digital piano from raw math and physics!»

Dan Tepfer's official website: http://www.dantepfer.com

Sven Martin

Sven Martin is an in-demand performance keyboardist and studio producer/songwriter. He has been touring some of the most popular and most remote parts of the globe as musical director and keyboardist for Russia's No.1 export, t.A.T.u.. He has played to 100,000 people in Kazakhstan, shared the stage on Red Square with Shakira and the Black Eyed Peas, and turned a sold-out show in St. Petersburg into a live DVD. Add to that performances with Liz Phair on the Chicks with Attitude tour, and television appearances on several shows including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Sven's prowess and popularity as a musician become irrefutable. Sven currently works on the debut of Lena Katina's first solo album, starting with a release of the first single "Never forget", which reached #1 on the Billboard Club Charts as the Dave Aude Remix.

«I just finally took the time to authorize and run Pianoteq 4 Pro and what can I say??? Unbelievable! The dynamic range of the piano makes me forget I'm using a midi keyboard and the Celeste is so dreamy, I can't even describe my excitement. It's exactly what I was looking for! This is where samples fall flat and the difference is night and day! I have tried just about every Celeste sample on the market for my lullaby music and my search is finally over! Thank you!»

Sven Martin's official website: http://www.svenmartin.com

Jean-Philippe Rykiel

Born blind in 1961, Jean-Philippe Rykiel taught himself piano from a very early age. His technical mastery of the instrument and his musical intuition brought him recognition by his contemporaries, which provided him many experiences and collaborations as programmer (from Vangelis to Vladimir Cosma), instrumentalist (Steve Hillage, Jon Hassell, Didier Malherbe and numerous African projects) or arranger (Xalam, Salif Keita, Leonard Cohen, Youssou N’Dour). During the last three decades, Jean-Philippe Rykiel has been involved in many pioneering projects - from Salif Keita's "Soro" to "The Lama's Chant" and has gained a reputation as one of the world's foremost keyboard players who also has impressive talents as a writer, arranger and producer.

«I have always admired the wonderful work and innovative concept of Pianoteq. When I tried out version 4, I found a real physical pleasure in playing the D4. I didn't want to fiddle with settings or anything, I just wanted to play and it felt real good. In the following audio demo, I used the unique possibilities of Pianoteq Pro. I made a sound derived from the D4 Jazz B/A preset where I tried to simulate what happens when you put your hands on the strings. So the middle of the keyboard has this handMute effect, while the low and high octaves remain unchanged. I alternate this sound with the original D4 Jazz B/A preset, guaranteed without overdubs! Below is a song I wrote as a tribute to Vangelis, who I had the privilege to know and play with. It shows Pianoteq in context. I used the harp in the 1st part of the song and the D4 piano in the 2nd part.»

John 'Rabbit' Bundrick

Now established as a composer in the world of film music, John 'Rabbit' Bundrick divides the year between writing and world tours with world class artists. It all started at the age of seven when he received his first piano and began banging on it straight away. Soul music and sessions soon followed, most particularly work with Johnny Nash. Eventually he found his own unique instrumental voice on the Hammond Organ. He worked with Bob Marley, Free and finally, The Who.

«I don’t know how Pianoteq do it, but they just keep on getting better and better. They are my go-to software for all sorts of instruments now. This should be your 1st Stop if you’re searching for fabulous software. GO TO PIANOTEQ... And ORGANTEQ: Never mind the other organs. USE THIS ONE. I was using the demo for while, just to see what it was like. I told myself, "I wish I could use it in Logic." So I bought it, and it is absolutely fabulous. Classical-Church organist? Be Aware! Organteq may take your job away someday in the near future as the world becomes Overblown with Organteq.»

John 'Rabbit' Bundrick's official website: http://www.rabbitwho.com

Mike Barson

The man on keys for London Ska legends Madness has been the driving force behind many of their 20 Hits over almost 30 years. Their debut album "One step beyond" catapulted them into the charts all over Europe, giving the teenagers multiple platinum status.

Every kid in the UK and Europe danced to Songs such as "Baggy Trousers" or "Night Boat To Cairo", their trademark 'nutty sound'. After their world smash "Our House", with which they entered the US charts for the first time in 1980 Madness became a household name all over the world. The string of hits continued until the band took a break in 1985. They returned with a bang when they organised the 1992 Madstock concerts in London's Finsbury Park, the only Live event to date to literally register on the Richter scale due to the enthusiastic pogo-ing of the 70.000 punters over the two days. Since then Madness have enjoyed continued success of the live circuit worldwide and are currently working on the follow up of the 2005 album "The Dangermen Sessions".

Mike's keyboard sound has, although intricately layered with strings, mallets and other, more synthetic colours of the sonic spectrum, always had a firm base in the piano. Since most Madness songs are essentially written around a piano part the quality of this instrument is crucial to band's overall sound.

Recently, Mike has changed his hardware rack for a computer set-up, and while a lot of the synthesizers and sample based natural sounds such as strings were relatively easy to port across, even some of the most high-end piano sample libraries ultimately disappointed him. Moving away from samples he discovered in PIANOTEQ the perfect tool, both in the studio and on the road. The moderate CPU load it puts on a system, combined with superb sonic performance and low inherent latency make it the ideal base for his key rig now. In a series of recent concerts PIANOTEQ has proven to be exactly what was called for, both musically and technically.

«PIANOTEQ plays like a real piano and sounds natural like a real piano. I like the fact one can change the different elements, it's very versatile. Unlike many of the other software pianos I tried this one really sounds good, is simple and can deliver drastically different types of Piano sound... they all sound good, which is just what I want!»

Mike Barson's official website: http://www.madness.co.uk/

Miles Black

Currently based in Vancouver, Miles has a wealth of musical experience as an arranger, producer, composer, session musician, guitarist, bassist, saxophonist, songwriter, musical theatre director, music therapist and college level music instructor. He has performed on countless albums, and has played with many music greats around the world - Mark Murphy, Lee Konitz, Slide Hampton, Chuck Israels, Dee Daniels, Jane Siberry, The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and many others.

Currently, Miles is involved in several projects: He is co-leading a modern jazz quartet called "Altered Laws" with Tom Keenlyside. In 2003, Miles set up Carltone Studios and Carltunes Recordings with engineer/percussionist Chamberlist. Since 1991, Miles has been working for PG Music, with whom he has helped to produce and performed on music software programs, including "The Jazz Pianist 1&2" and "The NewAge Pianist".

«PIANOTEQ, in my opinion, stands head and shoulders above most of the other piano imitations. It was obviously created by people who really understand the amazing acoustic properties of pianos, including all of the important peripheral sounds (pedals, hammers, string resonances, etc..) that form the highly complex and beautiful sonorities that a piano can produce. Carefully crafted and clear and concise in its presentation, PIANOTEQ is a joy to use»

Miles Black's official website: http://www.milesblack.com

William Lecomte

William Lecomte is a French jazz pianist, composer and arranger. He studied the harpsichord, piano and harmony at Conservatoire de Poitiers, France, and continued his studies in jazz with Bernard Maury. He is currently touring with Jean-Luc Ponty and has toured and recorded with Vaya con Dios, Eric Séva, Ines Martinez and many others.

«I'm impressed by the way you have adapted mathematics to the service of Art. The design variations provides the ability to adapt to any situation I can imagine. Bravo for the concept of Pianoteq!»

William Lecomte's official website: http://www.myspace.com/williamlecomte