LABS Autograph Grand: The best free concert piano VST?

On Tuesday, Spitfire Audio came out with another exciting free LABS instrument. This time it was the Autograph Grand – a multi sampled Yamaha C6 concert piano.

With 5 layers of velocity, Spitfire are giving us a rather expressive instrument. Similar to preceding LABS titles, the dynamics can be changed and adjusted by default using a MIDI controller’s modulation wheel. This basic little feature fulfills one’s expectation for some flexibility and freedom. (Note: You can map the dynamics to any other CC value of your choosing, or adjust manually)

Sound wise, there is no doubt that Autograph Grand is a very quality addition to the ever-growing LABS lineup, and I can safely assume that you are not going to be disappointed should you decide to give it a try.

The lows are deep yet present, and the highs have this beautiful and delicate timbre to them (even when played loud). On the softer parts you can get this very intimate and warm kind of sound, but the harder you press the keys it can become much more dramatic and bright.

Although the transitions between each velocity layer could be smoother, putting that aside I do think that Spitfire – once again – have dropped a very decent piano sample library. Is it the best compared to other high-end VST plugins and freebies? Probably not, at least to my personal taste. But a less-than-800MB grand piano of this caliber is definitely a keeper.