Out of all the Piano VST’s out there, these are the two that I see talked about the most, especially in the context of modern worship. So I thought this would be a good opportunity to explore with more depth The Giant or Alicia’s Keys debate. Here is the real question:
If I could only have The Giant, or Alicia’s keys, which one would I buy?
Should We Compare Apples And Oranges?
Alicia’s Keys and The Giant are two different types of pianos, so can we really compare the two?
Alicia’s keys is a sample of the Yamaha C4, while The Giant is a sample of an unusually large upright piano designed by David Klavins called “Klavins Piano Model 370i”
If you really want to nerd out, type his name into a google search, his work in building pianos is fascinating.
Although Alicia’s Keys is a sampled grand piano, and The Giant is a sampled upright, the size of The Giant makes it comparable.
In addition to the size of these instrument being close, (The Giant is actually much larger, unlike typical uprights) because they are both often used in modern Christian worship music, they are worth comparing.
The Price
Both Instrument’s cost only $99 dollars. This is well below the standard cost of many high-quality piano VST’s on the market.
Out Of The Box Sound
Alicia’s Key’s
The default patch on Alicia’s keys is gorgeous.
It packs an exceptional punch, has a clear attack, and beautiful sounding decay.
The Giant
Out of the box, it’s too quiet and muddy for my taste.
It feels awkward to play and has a clunky response that makes it feel ungainly large on the sonic pallet.
The Winner?
Out of the box, Alicia’s keys shines hands down, but that’s not to say my vote is out yet!
Points For Customizability?
Is customizability a word?
Alicia’s Keys
The controls are very easy to use, and it boasts a sostenuto pedal for those to whom that matters. I think it’s cool to include.
Digital Ambiance
The Digital Ambiance sounds lovely but has a very awkward pre-delay making it almost completely unusable for me, despite the luscious and warm sound it boasts. If I had the ability to alter that, then I would use that control in place of pads.
The Reverbs
The built-in reverbs sound amazing, however, the volume of the overall patch changes so much with the addition of reverb, that I will most definitely not be using them live, though I could see it working well in the studio.
Running Alicia’s keys through this reverb sound’s just as good if you are looking for a reverb solution!
The Giant
It feels like there are too many features to cover here without writing a book, but I will do my best to highlight my favorite ones.
Low Key Volume Control
The Giant packs an amazing punch on the low end, probably due to the size of the original instrument. While this is beneficial if you are looking to use the piano in that sonic register if you aren’t then it will cause a muddy sound.
Luckily, the creators though to add a handy feature similar to key tracking to allow you to pull the volume up or down on the low keys.
XXL
It is what it sounds like folks, this button makes your piano sound really large. This is the “magic button” of The Giant, and it comes equipt with a volume control to add character without taking over all the sonic space.
Soft/Hard Knob
This one control can change the entire sound in an instant. It’s the control feature that makes The Giant, In my opinion, one of the most versatile Piano VST’s I have ever personally used.
Reverbs
For the most part, the reverbs on The Giant work for me. They aren’t groundbreaking but get the job done.
They stand above the ones in Alicia’s Keys, not by way of sound quality, but by way of maneuverability.
The Winner?
The Giant Or Alicia’s Keys? Best Overall?
For me, The Giant takes the cake here.
The amount of sounds you can create from the Giant, makes it more versatile, and hence a more useful purchase.
Alicia’s keys sounds great, but it very much is what it is. And doesn’t shine much based being a great sample of a Yamaha C4.
What To Do Now?
Let me know which you think is better in the comments below!
Check out the Pro Piano FX collection. Coming in at only 30 dollars, it’s a cost-effective option for getting great piano sounds without breaking the bank.
how about comparing the Native Instruments Noire which is $149 to Alicia’s Keys and the Giant?