Steinway & Sons and Garritan announce a new venture to create a series of Authorized Steinway Piano sample-based software instruments.

The Authorized Steinway Piano sample library is a new sample-based software instrument that accurately captures the sound of a Steinway & Sons concert grand piano. This new software instrument will allow the musician to play a virtual Steinway Model D concert piano with unprecedented authenticity and musicality. The library will offer more than seven different listening perspectives, including a player perspective from the bench, a classical recording perspective, an under the lid perspective, and a 5.1 surround sound hall perspective.

“This was a very important project for Steinway & Sons”, states Gary Green, Vice President of Business Development and Customer Satisfaction. “We have long recognized the need for a Steinway sampled sound set that would best reflect the complex architectures of the Steinway sound. We also understand the importance of quality samples and their use by amateur music enthusiasts, as well as, prominent producers, composers, recording studios and other venues. We were extremely lucky to have Gary Garritan work with us on this technically and musically complex project. Although both Steinway & Sons and Gary Garritan recognize that nothing can replace the actual Steinway piano, we are extremely delighted that there is now a sampling product that comes closest to capturing the distinctive Steinway sound that we are proud to endorse.”

“Steinway pianos have set the bar of excellence in pianos,” said Gary Garritan. “Our goal is to develop with Steinway & Sons the highest quality piano sample library ever produced, one that will once again set the standard in quality and innovation.”

At the heart of the Authorized Steinway Piano sample library will be the sound of the instrument. To realize the full, rich essence of a Steinway piano, extreme care was taken in the recording process. The Steinway concert grand piano that was recorded is one of Steinway’s finest Model D pianos, newly voiced, regulated, and tuned by an expert technician. The perfect instrument was hand-picked by Steinway & Sons and delivered to the concert hall for recording. The site for the recording was also selected by Steinway, and the choice was clear: The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall - a National Treasure and world-renowned for its acoustics, particularly for piano performances.

Expected release is the Winter of 2008.