Best Free Kontakt Piano Libraries: Acoustic, Felt & Experimental

Format: Kontakt Player

This is a soft piano, Max Richter’s Steinway Concert Grand processed via a curated chain of filters and EQs, doesn’t have much in terms of dynamics, but it has a really great vibe that can pull you in once you start playing it.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

The developer describes this library as “A 1930 Bechstein grand piano, with a complex architected cinematic sound. Recorded with help from a H8000, two tape machines and a stereo LA2A.” I think that’s very accurate. It’s drenched in reverb and is a one-trick pony. But if that is the sound you’re after, this library is certainly well done.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

This library features piano strings that were played with a pick and struck with a hammer and it sounds gorgeous. The hammered sounds remind me a lot of hammered dulcimer. 8Dio accurately describes some of the other sounds as “a hybrid between a harp, clavinet, guitar, lute, and the unforgettable sound of the harpsichord.” I concur. I’ve owned this library for quite a while. I bought it when it was for sale and I thought it was excellent then and it still is today — and the fact that it’s free is fantastic. It’s regular price was $98 US and it’s a really lovely library — for a paid library and for free it’s a complete no-brainer. 8Dio haivys a habit of giving away their formerly paid libraries for free, The developer is known for making highly detailed libraries — which makes a huge difference for acoustic instruments — which is the case here. Of course, 8Dio is trying to get you to try out their libraries for free because they believe that once you try the free ones, you’ll end up buying some paid ones too. I think it’s a smart strategy and an easy win for sample users.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

What I like best about the Memoir Piano is soft piano patch, the 14 sound design patches, and the multis. They are very geared towards cinematic music, but they’re lovely and well done. The developer states that the piano is six velocity layers, but it doesn’t seem like it.

Format: Kontakt Player

It took me a long time to decide if I wanted to include this piano library. Candidly, that’s because I don’t love the included presets. There’s just something about the way it’s EQ’ed that doesn’t appeal to me. But I spent more time with the piano, tweaking the factory presets, creating my own presets, and using external EQ and I can now say that I might use this in a project where I’m looking for a very vintage sounding character piano. The sampled piano is a 1903 Chickering grand piano.

Format: Kontakt Player

This is a sampled grand piano with 12 velocity layers “between the soft to moderately loud dynamic range (no loud or “fff” dynamics here!) and also included hammer sounds pedal sounds (both of which can be added/removed) to give it even more persona.” It includes 18 reverb impulse responses. It sounds very nice when you’re in need of a piano for delicate pieces.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

A Steinway Model B grand piano was sampled for this library, made by a talented college student who also made Impact Soundworks Pearl Concert Grand library while in college. The Piano in 162 has two microphone positions (close & ambient), 5 dynamic levels, 2 round robins and sustain pedal on and off samples. I wouldn’t put it in the same league as 8Dio’s and SonicCouture’s pianos, but it is very nice and has a different vibe to it. Listen to the demos on the page linked below and go to the last demo, which is a ragtime piece. This piano sounds really good for that style.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

There simply isn’t another premium piano library with this quality and similar specifications for KONTAKT that is available for free anywhere else; the closest anyone comes is SonicCouture’s Hammersmith FREE, below. The 1928 Scoring Grand is a beautiful sounding, highly detailed sample library with extensive velocity layers, round-robin based sustains and round-robin based staccatos, two mic positions, some very nice convolution reverb IRs, 23 presets — and the presets are really good and include other samples that it layers with the piano that sound excellent including a marimba, a Rhodes electric piano, glasses, glockenspiel and more. There’s a sound design patch and a lite version patch too. There’s really not another piano library for free comparable to this one, and I suppose that’s because 8Dio took a piano library they had priced at $249 US (but I’ve seen it on sale for as low as $49 prior to their making it free). Normally commercial sample developers free pianos are cut down versions of one for sale. That’s not the case here. (If the piano takes a long time to load, I’d strongly recommend doing a batch re-save in Kontakt).

Format: Kontakt Player

IMO, the Hammersmith Free is a must have acoustic grand piano freebie (the only reason not to download and install this is if you own the full paid version). It’s not as extensively sampled as the 8Dio Scoring Grand, for a free piano sample library, before 8Dio released the 1928 Scoring Grand, there was no other free piano sample library for KONTAKT — or any other sampler — at the same quality and detail level of the Hammersmith Free. The sampled piano is a Steinway Model D grand piano. It lacks real sustain pedal samples and multiple mic positions, but it sounds great, and if you’re comparing it to other free piano libraries, you really won’t find any others except for 8Dio, with this level of detail. 21 velocity layers and 4.8 GB.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

A lovely Steinway grand piano.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

One of my favorite piano sample libraries on Pianobook. A Steinway Model O piano was sampled for this.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

Clear and crisp with the bright tone Yamaha grand pianos are known for. This is a 7 velocity piano sample library, that, like the other Experience piano libraries sampled by Dore Mark are superb and rival — and in some cases, exceed — the quality of some commercial piano sample libraries.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

A beautiful sounding, beautifully sampled Steinway & Sons Model B grand piano with performance and VR/ambisonic perspectives – and sympathetic resonance modeling.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

Dore Mark has made a series of detailed piano sample libraries available on Pianobook that are at a very high quality level. But the character of this piano really just connects with me more than any of his others.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

Softify Piano is a character piano that has a very strong vibe to it. I find it inspiring to play. It’s one of those instruments that the first time I tried it, I couldn’t stop playing for quite a while. This demo doesn’t really do it justice, but it’s all that is currently available to give you an idea of the tone of the piano. (Note: Also available as an SFZ file).

https://soundcloud.com/stjames221/field-of-memories?in=pianobook/sets/softify-piano

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

This is a very interesting, appealing and unique sounding piano sample library created using “sound design trickery” (the dev’s own words). The library deservedly has a lot of fans on Pianobook.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

A very nice sounding upright felt piano.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

I have included some excellent grand pianos, but haven’t had much in the way of upright pianos. This is a very imperfect upright piano that has a quirky character that I like. When you want more of an unsophisticated, barroom piano sound instead of a very polished, sophisticated grand piano. (Note: This is a demo of the paid version of the library, but it gives you a good idea of how the free version sounds).

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

A beautifully sampled Yamaha U3 upright piano.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

A Yamaha Upright piano with 4 articulations: normal, felt, muted and plucked.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

A humble, unpretentious upright piano with a felt patch.

https://soundcloud.com/da-fingaz/home-piano?in=pianobook/sets/home-piano

Format: Kontakt Player

A very delicate sounding felt upright piano.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

I really love the character to this muted felt piano. I love the sound of this library. The samplist muted the piano strings of a felted piano. As he points out on his Pianobook page, the piano sounds best for single notes, not chords.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

A lovely, soft upright piano.

Format: Kontakt Player

I’ll be very candid, libraries featuring looped piano tinkering aren’t my cup of tea. I prefer to play or have a collaborator play instruments in the music I make. I did find a few patches / layers that didn’t include piano being played, but were very beautiful, sound design type pads. But those are just my tastes and way of working. if you like what you hear, like every Fracture Sounds free library, it has impeccable quality and there is absolutely a beauty to the sounds.

Format: Kontakt Player (FREE) compatible

A Steinway Model D Grand Piano recorded in octaves that truly sounds epic. I love this library and immediately was inspired after first playing it. It only contains one patch, but it’s great at what it does and I would have been happy with the results had I paid for this library — it’s that good.

Format: Kontakt Player

Like most free pianos, there aren’t many velocity layers, but it sounds good and what’s really good about this are the snapshots and the effects, like the built-in arpeggiator.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

The developer tuned every piano note to “E” to create this epic sounding piano instrument reminiscent of the orchestral hit synth patch that was popular in dance music during the 80s.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

This isn’t a library you’d be using on most rock. It’s a gentle, sound design piano library. The developer refers to this as a “textural cinematic piano with a soft touch through a phenomenal reverb and tape echoes,” I think that’s fairly accurate. The developer used a vintage, 1930 Bechstein grand piano recording with a H8000, two tape machines and a stereo LA2A.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

This is an amazing prepared piano sample library. A reflection of how talented this young developer is. Great work and it’s truly surprising this is free. Try it and you’ll understand why I’m so fond of this developer.

Format: Kontakt (Full Version)

A superb prepared piano sample library. I really love this library, especially the reverse piano samples. (Note: Since this sample library made the list, the developer has changed it from free to donationware and now requires a minimum $1 US donation).