HOW COME? from Kip McGinnis
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"The Bosendorfer Imperial Grand is still, without a doubt, the most expressive, characteristic and entrancing piano libraries out there. Having recorded live on a super high-end Bosendorfer, the quality and playability of the Bardstown Bosendorfer Imperial Grand is the closest I've ever come to reliving the experience, with the benefit of fine-tuning capabilities and endless editing opportunities. To have such a versatile and powerful piano at my disposal at minuscule price comparatively means I can access the Imperial's capabilities at a moment's notice. As a film composer, I've used the library on feature films, shorts, and personal albums, and it's my joy to recommend it to the serious piano player. It must be added that Kip McGinnis, owner of Bardstown Audio, is one of the kindest and most generous people I have ever had the pleasure to know, and I look forward to new additions to the famous Bardstown line."
Jeffrey Leiser ~ NYC, NY ~ January, 2011
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"Hi Kip,
"It's really a pleasure to hear from you. You did a great job with the Bosendorfer library, I have been able to try it some years ago and to me it's still the milestone of comparison for the other piano libraries. What is weird is why many highly reputed companies weren't able to build products that sound in a natural way like yours does. I'm not even talking about playing a Rachmaninov study and complain about sophisticated half-pedalling issues, but simply "sit at the piano and hit the central A key"; most libraries will sound like plastic. What's the need for sixteen sampling layers, sympathetic resonance and complicated dsp algorithms when the dry sample sounds bad? They seem to be just marketing tricks, so one's attention will go to how good sympathetic resonance is, and not to the very fundamentals of the sound."
Marco Dell'Olivo ~ Mestre, Italy ~ August, 2010
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"I have been using your Fender Bass stuff, and I LOVE IT!! It especially goes well with the Bosendorfer (yours, of course). It's a really friendly bass program as it's not so fussy and boomy like some of the more popular, more widely-used programs are."
Randy Goodrum ~ www.RandyGoodrum.com ~ Franklin, Tennessee
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"The Bardstown Audio Fender Bass collection is marvelous, better than I expected. I've played around with all the other sampled electric bass guitars on the market, and this one really stands above the rest. I prefer to record with a live bassist behind my piano, but these sampled basses are so genuine that I can't tell the difference - they truly sound authentic - like a bass guitar plugged straight to the sound board.
"Great product !"
Jeff Leezer ~ Cincinnati, Ohio ~ September 2008
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"I bought the Bardstown Audio Bosendorfer Imperial Grand several years ago and it’s spoiled me to the point where I can’t stand listening to any other sampled piano out there."
Brennen Beck ~ Dallas, Texas ~ September 2008
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"Kip McGinnis, a well versed sound developer, has introduced to the virtual community another great sampled instrument product, the Fender Jazz & Precision Basses. I have had the privilege of including one of them in my demo for Bardstown Audio. Their versatile sounds are very authentic and articulate perfectly to my chosen music genres that I have scored. Great sampled instruments should always be part of a winning team when combined and scored with other instruments. Kip’s Fender Basses are supportive of the heart beat, the groove and foundation for all Pop, Rock, Jazz, and Latin music they provide. I can attest that every time Mr. McGinnis comes out with another one of his sampled instrument collections, my confidence level in his arsenal of samples grow by multiples. This is one special Fender Bass collection sampled with excellence & very playable that everyone should consider owning. "
Alan Russell ~ www.AlanRussell-Music.com
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"I was first introduced to Kip McGinnis's samples in a studio owned by B McMusic here in Nashville, TN. I had proudly brought my audio files recorded with Ivory to the session, and the engineer (Bob McGilpin) suggested that I might bring my midi files instead and have him "play" my performance on what he considered to be a superior sample library, especially when recording, as I was, with acoustic instruments such as saxophone, fretless bass, live drums and acoustic guitar. I was amazed--since I have always trusted the reviews of my peers in the industry---to find that the Bardstown Samples had more presence and fullness, allowing them to better compete in a setting with real acoustic instruments.
"I use the Bardstown Audio Piano samples almost exclusively when writing here in Nashville, as they are expressive and inspiring to play. The Bardstown Piano is a piano for every occasion. "I also experimented with a recording (that won many honors and featured real acoustic piano) by creating a remix adding the Bosendorfer from Bardstown. The transitions between the "real" grand and the sampled one were so seamless I still get confused which part I played versus the piano on the record.
"The other reasons (I have many) I like the Bardstown Audio Samples are the price, the ease of use, reliability, and the availability of tech support."
Kayte Strong ~ www.kayte.com ~
Published writer, successful Indie artist, and headlining performer with the Bismarck, ND Symphony ~ August, 2008
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"I've heard great things about the Bardstown Bosendorfer and how well it sounds in a mix with other instruments so I went ahead and purchased this piano a few months ago. I already had Ivory plus some other virtual pianos that I've been using. The Bardstown Bosendorfer Imperial Grand is the best sounding piano I've ever played! Several of my clients have also commented favorably about this piano. It's now the only piano I use!"
Paul Berry ~ Chicago IL ~ August, 2008
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"I really love the sound of all the basses in your Fender Basses program. They sound and feel very natural."
Randy Goodrum ~ www.RandyGoodrum.com ~ Franklin, Tennessee
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"The Bardstown Fender Jazz & Precision Basses are great! The are very realistic sounding samples and you get the real sound of Fender Basses and not some over EQ'ed or over compressed sound. I EQ'ed these basses with my UAD1 Neve 1073 EQ and it was just the sound I was looking for. .I like the sound of a bass thru a Chandler EMI TG2 Mic Pre, so I put the Bardstown Audio Fender Basses thru the TG2 and it was amazing. It really brought out all the character that was already there!
"When I first heard about the Bardstown Audio Fender Basses, I thought just another bass library. No, not just another bass library, a bass library that sounds like FENDER BASSES!!!"
Mike Harrison, Harrison House ~ Independent Producer ~ Developer-PG Music ~ www.mikeharrisonmusic.com
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"Today I received the Classic Accordions DVD. I know very much about accordions and sincerely it's the best that I have now in my collection (sound is not aggressive). With echo and reverb together you can obtain a very good ballroom sound!
"Thanks very much."
Pierre Gibass ~ Neuilly les Dijon ~ France ~ August, 2008
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"I just received these Fender Jazz & Precision Basses and have been playing with them and they are superb! When you run them through 1K Mulitmedia's Ampeg SVX bass amp simulator, particularly the B-15s, the sound is amazing. This is now my 'go to.'"
Jay Asher ~ Los Angeles, CA, Composer, Logic Certified Trainer, Level 2, www.JayAsher.com
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"Kip,
"You've done it again. These Fender Basses are killer! The samples are the missing piece of the puzzle.They mate so very well with my other Audio Tracks. Well worth the price."
Sincerely, Chris Bizianes ~ professional composer, performer, instructor
"For years I've been looking for great sounding software Fender basses and have spent a lot of money on all the virtual bass instruments that are available and have never been completely satisfied. These new Bardstown Fender Basses are exactly what I've been wanting!"
Thomas Grant ~ Los Angeles, CA
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"I am extremely pleased with these two libraries! (Bosendorfer Imperial Grand and THE BASS) Having libraries of this quality developed for the EXS24 is wonderful.
"These are among my favorite additions to my sound libraries. I play upright bass and repair them as well as other stringed instruments.
"I currently do not have the physical room for a real double bass due to a recent move in to a different house.
Plus it would have to compete with a collection of over 30 other instruments I own.
"Making a library of an acoustic bass with gut strings was hands down the way to go. I've always felt that it's the best tone for multi genre versatility. The fact that the samples are also very playable makes this an outstanding purchase. When I got the Bosendorfer installed I was, again, blown away. The feel and playability was the thing I noticed. It was very natural and expressive and just nice to listen to. The little bit of ambience is perfect. It is also very EQ-able. Other libraries I own put up a fight sometimes in the mix and really make me feel like I'm wasting my time. And again, all this in the EXS24 format. Tone, touch, and stability, what more could one ask for.
"You've done a wonderful job, now the rest of the work falls on us. Thanks for making my job easier."
Matt Gibbs ~ Birmingham Alabama ~ July 2008
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"Hi Kip,
"I purchased your sampled Bosendorfer back in 2002 and have reinstalled it on my brand new system. I just want to say that I still think this is the most realistic Piano sample library."
Paul Martinson~Utah~June 2008
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"I am the world's biggest fan of the Bosendorfer Imperial Grand by Bardstown Audio. As a Bosendorfer owner and user I find that Bardstown's program most resembles my own piano, and is far superior to any of the other leading competitors."
Randy Goodrum ~ www.RandyGoodrum.com ~ Nashville, TN ~ April 2008
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"The Bardstown Bosendorfer really is the best sounding piano there is. I've listened to them all, including the VSL."
Ephraim Jones ~ Columbia, South Carolina ~ March 2008
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"Hello Kip,
"I just wanted to let you know that your Imperial Grand is really still the most playable sampled piano in the world.....then I saw all these comments that say the same thing.......
"You can be really proud of the work you've done. These days, it's special to rely on the same samples for a long time, but I think you will be hard to beat for a good amount of time.
Thanks for making our digital life a little more real and enjoyable."
Jean-Sebastien Fournier ~ Montreal, Canada ~ December 2007
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2007 - note from Kip McGinnis: Professionals who have purchased all of the newly released sampled pianos claim that "The Bardstown Bosendorfer Imperial Grand Model 290 is still the best sounding and most playable sampled concert grand piano in the world! There are some newly released sampled pianos that are considerably large in size as well as more expensive, but none of them come close to the quality of the Bardstown Bosendorfer Imperial Grand."
All of the other Bardstown Audio sampled instruments, including THE BASS, Classic Accordions, and Vintage Jazz Guitars / Tenor Banjos, receive comparable praises.
Listen to the demos of all of the latest sampled pianos, including the Bardstown Bosendorfer Imperial Grand Model 290, and you will know that the Bardstown Bosendorfer Imperial Grand does truly sound the best."
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"The bass really has a lot of personality. I don't know of anything else that has this sound. So many upright bass samples get lost in the mix, but this one has the right amount of "bite". I don't do a lot of jazz, but I find this sample works well in many styles.
"All of the Bardstown samples are excellent. Even with all the the sampled pianos that have recently come out, the Bards Bose is still my favorite."
Steve Porter -- Morris, AL -- Pianist and owner of Sporter's Studio
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"I have been waiting for the last two years for a better sounding sampled piano than the Bardstown Bosendorfer 290 to become available on the market, but it has not happened. After all this time and trying out all of the latest and most talked about sampled pianos, the Bardstown Bosendorfer 290 is still the best sounding sampled piano in the world out of over 100 sampled pianos that are now available."
Michael Bair -- Lansdowne, Pennsylvania November, 2005
[note: This comment was made by a customer in November of 2005, and is also the same opinion expressed to me several times a week by many of our customers from around the world who have all of the latest and most talked about sampled pianos in their collection. --Kip]
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"Hello Kip!
"I purchased your 16-bit Bosendorfer for Giga more than a year ago. (Originally purchased August 2004) My first sampled piano. Like all others who are always yearning for the holy grail in sampled pianos, I have purchased other sampled pianos since then. What a waste of money! I always went back to the Bardstown Bosendorfer. It is the only REALISTIC and BEST SOUNDING sampled piano currently available.
"The other pianos I have sound like they have been so extensively processed and tweaked that they sound so unreal. The Bardstown Bosendorfer can be mellow when I want it to be. It can also sound passionate when I pound on it. Other pianos do not have this dynamic range. I have a Steinway sampled piano which sounds such that the bass parts have low pass filtering and the treble parts sound bright. I cannot get brilliance no matter how I pound on the bass. And I cannot get mellow with the treble notes no matter how soft I play. Weird! But the Bardstown Bosendorfer sounds so pure and natural. It can do what I command it to do! I cannot help but write you this letter in appreciation for your work."
Severo N. Arnao -- Philippines ~ November, 2005
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"Having the Bardstown Bosendorfer 24-bit sample is a real blessing for someone who can not afford or finds it impractical to own a real piano, especially if they know what a piano can really do. Having a digital keyboard with good action and this disc is better than owning most "real" pianos I have played. Furthermore, I can express my musical ideas with remarkable accuracy and flexibility. Even if there was a piano sample disc of equal quality, I would acquire Mr. McGinnis' over the competition because of the incredible support and concern he has for his customers. His advice and concern, on the personal level for his clientele, is above and beyond anything I've experienced. I am wholly impressed by Bardstown, Mr. McGinnis and his work."
Christopher Hume -- Islip, New York
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"The Bardstown Bosendorfer Imperial Grand Model 290 is by far the best piano I've ever played."
Christian Schrei -- Graz Austria
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"Currently, the Bardstown Bosendorfer is still the best and most playable piano sample I have heard."
Armen Chakmakian -- GRAMMY®-nominated keyboardist and keyboardist from the GRAMMY®-winning group, Shadowfax and Buddha-Bar CD series. http://TruArtRecords.com
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"I am really enjoying your new bass sample. I have taken some old sessions I produced and applied your upright sample and the results are amazing. The realism is there. It needs to be there in studio work. A sound that's close just isn't close enough. You've done it again. Thanks for giving me the tool I need to get my ideas out there."
John Bizianes -- professional composer, performer, instructor
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"I primarily produce Jazz and Standards. The Bass is a long awaited addition to my soundware library. If you use Kip's Bosendorfer and The Bass, you can achieve an unparalleled level of realism in the virtual realm. Kip has once again given the level of detail necessary to create yet another virtual standard! Thank you, Kip."
Chris Bizianes -- professional composer, performer, instructor
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"Wow, I'm just blown away, THE BASS sounds awesome, it's nice to have something to stand out after Trilogy's long reign at the top."
Quotation taken from internet user group discussion forum
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"Bardstown Audio's new acoustic "The Bass" has indeed a personality of its own. Its warm tones, responsive articulations throughout its entire compass have truly inspired me as a jazz pianist to bring out the best of my creativities at the keyboard. The marriage now realized between the Bardstown Imperial Bosendorfer Grand Piano bonds both samples in a tight union offering so many supportive genres to be explored. I appreciate the fact that Kip employed natural gut strings and sampled this acoustic bass in its raw state. Having recorded it in its natural ambience allows anybody to add equalization, room presence or noise to a mix in an unbiased manner. I congratulate Kip McGinnis for his unconditional dedication, expertise and talents as a professional sound developer and the samples he brings to the entire virtual community of musicians, composers and arrangers. Bravo!!"
Alan Russell -- AlanRussell-Music.com
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"I've been playing around with this bass...the interesting thing to me is that it is completely different from other bass samples out there. I already have a lot of bass samples, and when Kip announced this library I really wondered what he could add to the already crowded world of sampled bass...
"Kip has given us something unique and different. This bass sounds like no other. I added it to a tune I was working on last night, and it literally made the tune come alive.
Again, great work Kip. Your samples are simply the best!"
Steve Porter -- Morris, AL -- Pianist and owner of Sporter's Studio
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"In our search for the perfect piano, my business partner and I have purchased every hyped sampled piano out there. Of all of these, our favorite is the Bardstown Bosendorfer. We always fall back on this piano because it has the great realism that the others lack. Kip, keep up the great work! Those of us in the business need developers like you that we can rely on for quality sampled instruments."
David M. Ferguson, NYC
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COMMENTS ABOUT THE BARDSTOWN BOSENDORFER:
"I am mainly a professional musician, but like most of us these days, I have a project studio and have tried for many years to find a grand piano sample that sounded real and that would fit into my musical productions the way I wanted.
"Then along came the Bardstown Bosendorfer. It sounded more realistic than any sampled piano I had tried in the past and quickly became the center point of my musical productions. It is definitely a no-brainer to set up and works flawlessly.
"Not only is the Bardstown Bosendorfer a great piece of software, but the support from Kip McGinnis is second to none. Recently I was concerned about installing the Bosendorfer on a laptop that I use when I travel. Of all things, I was trying to get everything together on a Sunday and while I was hesitant to call Kip on a weekend, he not only was there to accept my call, but was very pleasant and helpful. Some of the other software companies should take note!!!
"Therefore thanks, Kip, for making such a great product and giving its users the support that we sometimes need and can get quickly."
Doyle Grisham, Pedal Steel Guitar Player -- Jimmy Buffett Coral Reefer Band
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"I really like playing the Bardstown Bosendorfer Imperial Grand Model 290, and in the classical setting it feels very 'right.' It is very high quality and it has an authority and a live musical personality that I truly appreciate."
Lars Finnstrom, Sweden
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"I bought the Bardstown Bosendorfer Imperial Grand Model 290, and it's the most amazing piano I have ever heard. I also have the Post PMI Bosendorfer 290 and it's a toy compared to the Bardstown Bosendorfer."
Sergio Echart -- Chile, South America
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"Some 8 months ago, I was "scouring the 'Net' for information on digital pianos..... Due to budget constraints, I could only afford one sample library (as I also needed to purchase a software sampler to play the samples.)
"At the end of my research ... there was absolutely no question in my mind which was the better of the two (between the PMI Bosendorfer and the Bardstown Bosendorfer).
"The 'real clincher' for me in determining which sample library to purchase was in the listening.... ... specifically noting the "subtleties" in the over-all dynamic range of these two demos. The Bardstown Bosendorfer was by far more expressive both in the dynamics and over-all tone color of the samples.
"I believe that Kip McGinnis (owner of Bardstown Audio) has done an incredible and marvelous job of capturing all of the subtle sounds and nuances, as well as the full dynamic range of the Bosendorfer Imperial Grand piano.
"I congratulate Kip on his dedication and his efforts on a job well done!"
Dell Krauchi, Owner -- British Columbia, Canada
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"Well, I recently recorded part of an album in a Lake Tahoe studio. Two of the tracks on the CD will feature a well known, prominent musician with a major US pop band on clav and Hammond. He arrived at the studio, which features an upstairs control room, a downstairs studio, and no camera or other means of visible communication.
"I was playing the Bardstown Bosendorfer through a laptop with an Echo indigo interface. When the take was finished and we were listening to the playback, this musician turned to the engineer and said, 'You've got a great studio. That's a beautiful piano sound.'
"When we showed him the rig, he pretty much melted."
David "Dasher" Kempton -- Monterey, CA
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"Many, many thanks for your hard work and dedication, which has resulted in this wonderful piano. It has already been an inspiration!
"Being in my mid-forties, I still wonder at the 'mechanics' of what is actually happening inside this computer to produce these subtle sounds! Luckily, with the CPU in the other room, all I hear in the studio itself is the pure sound of your lovely instrument and the feeling is very close to the enveloping quality of sitting at a real grand piano and soaking up all the subtle harmonics. Very impressive!"
Tony Gravett -- Craryville, New York
"The Bardstown Bosendorfer is truly an amazing sampled piano!. It captures all the nuances of the real thing and provides a sound and playability that is simply unmatched by any other sampled piano I have ever played. I am a pianist, and much of my music is piano based. I have all the latest and greatest piano samples, but the Bardstown Bose, in side by side comparisons, always sounds superior to the others.
"One of the things I love about this piano is that it works wonderfully well as solo instrument, yet it always sits well in a mix with other instruments. It's bright enough so it never gets lost in a mix, yet it's never "tinny" or artificial. I've used it on classical, jazz, gospel, rock... you name it. It has the unique ability to add to and compliment most any style.
"I have all of Bardstown's instruments, and the same attention to detail and impeccable quality can be found in everything Kip does. The accordions are nothing short of exquisite and can bring to life otherwise lackluster tracks. The tenor banjos make me smile every time I hear them, and the lovely acoustic guitar is in a class all by itself. These instruments add a lot of "sparkle" to my tracks, and I feel my music would have much less life without them.
"Needless to say, I'm a big fan of Bardstown, and I consider the sounds the best of the best. My compliments to Kip... thanks for giving us these exceptional samples."
Steve Porter -- Pianist and owner of Sporter's Studio.
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"As a song-arranger & educator, I depend upon a piano to assist me in mapping out all of my scores of notation. Having browsed the internet for months in search of the finest sampled piano, I came across The Bardstownaudio.com web site. As soon as I heard The Bosendorfer (model #290) Imperial Grand Piano, I realized that my search for the best sampled piano had ended. Not only is this piano so realistic in its sound, it is perfectly balanced over the 88 keys. You can tell acoustically that the compass of this piano was captured in excellence due to the fact that any chords played in a closed position allows the listener to differentiate between every tone in that chord without being distracted by a muddy sound result. This to me represents a high level of achievement that Mr. Kip McGinnis has accomplished.
"The Bosendorfer Imperial Grand piano easily accommodates any musical genre with its expanded 34 patches from jazz to classical music. It is a class act instrument to own as part of your sound library. It's the kind of instrument that draws you back time and time again to play over and over. This is no short term piano, this is a long term treasure to own. My compliments to Mr. Kip McGinnis for his outstanding work in bringing this sampled piano to our art form arena and I look forward with great expectations of his future projects."
Alan Russell -- Song Arranger
http://www.AlanRussell-music.com
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"This piano is the most realistic sample I've ever heard. You can hear the sound of the wood. It shimmers. It works beautifully either alone or with a track. It's just beautiful."
Kathy Mattea -- Nashville, Tennessee
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"I like the clean and fat sound of Bardstown Bosendorfer Imperial, simply the best piano samples for my ESX24 sampler."
Paolo Rustichelli -- Rome, Italy -- artist, performer, composer, producer -- (Santana, Miles Davis , Placido Domingo)
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"I make my living as a Session musician and music programmer in Nashville Tennessee. That's why I need the best in sound quality. My rig is composed of my MAC 667 Laptop with Logic as my sequencer, triggered by my Alesis QS8-88 note controller, allowing me to use sampled instruments as my sound sources.
"Up until now I had been relying heavily on the Steinberg 'Grand' and the Sonic Reality Yamaha Piano as my sole source of pianos. A friend of mine who is a retailer for samples is always calling me telling me about the latest greatest samples and when I'd hear them they would only leave me disappointed.
"I've been through all of the samples and samplers and the only piano sounds that came close to my stringent needs were the Grand and sonic Reality, until NOW that is!!! I first heard the Bardstown Audio sample at 'Harrison House,' remember the guy who always called me about the latest greatest? Well this time he was dead on. When I finally go my copy of the Bardstown Bosendorfer from Kip and I played it for the first time from my MAC, I was absolutely amazed. That wonderful sound made me actually practice my piano for over two hours that day and I've been booting up every morning now and running through piano exercises, just because it is so much fun.
"Then I came back to reality and said: 'wait a minute,' I'd better compare this piano to my other two and just make sure I'm just not on another honeymoon. I loaded up my Logic with The Grand, Sample Tank's Sonic Reality Yamaha Grand and Kip's Bosendorfer and once again I was floored. Every time I would select "The Grand or Sample Tank," I was honest to goodness just plain old disappointed and every time I re-selected the Bardstown Bosendorfer Grand I was happy and started practicing again. The only bad drawback to owning the Bardstown Audio Bosendorfer is that I can't get any of my programming done because I wind up just sitting at my piano rediscovering why I originally got into music. My original reason for getting into music was because I love the sound of a piano and Bardstown's piano brings me that joy that I have been missing for all these years of playing. But don't take my word for it, mere words cannot replace the awesome feeling you get when you hit an 88 note controller and playback the Bardstown Bosendorfer.
"Wow!!! Get it and enjoy. I promise you'll put your other pianos away. I have!"
Gene Rabbai -- Hendersonville, Tennessee
Credits:
With more than 20 years of keyboard performance, song composing, arranging and producing experience under his belt, Gene Rabbai has shared his talents with many artists and producers, and has played with such artists as: Vince Gill, Charlie Daniels, Neil Young, Kix Brooks, Mark Collie, Chely Wright, Michell Wright, Daryl Singletary, Jeff Carson, Billy Dean, Eddie Raven, Doug Supernaw, Joe Diffie, Mila Mason, Anita Cochran, Jo Dee Messina, Daryl Singletary, Daryl & Don Ellis, just to name a few.
"On a recent project I needed a good banjo, and the demos I listened to of Bardstown's Guitars & Banjos convinced me to buy the library.
"I didn't think I needed any more guitar samples since I already own Hans Zimmer Guitars 1 & 2, Yellow Tools Pure Guitars, Quantum Leap Guitars, and the Corrigan and Regan guitars. But once I started messing around with the Bardstown's acoustic and electric samples, I was amazed at how much more real they sounded than the others I had been using. These samples are easily the most beautiful guitars I have ever heard and are as good, or better than having a real guitar player!
"I highly recommend the Bardstown collection of Guitars & Banjos."
Mike Walker -- Chicago, IL
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"The Bardstown Bosendorfer (Imperial, Model 290 concert grand) piano is highly responsive and real sounding. The Bosendorfer's European sound is bright but not edgy or strident. The bass notes are assertive, punchy, and clear without the clashing overtones and muddy sound of some smaller instruments. The treble is clean and focused all the way to the top. Because this sampled piano was recorded in a concert hall setting, a modest amount of natural reverb is present.
"The Bardstown Audio Bosendorfer Imperial is a versatile instrument that is equally well suited to classical, jazz, or pop music. It shines as a solo instrument and should hold up beautifully in most mixes."
David Rubin -- associate editor -- Electronic Musician Magazine
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(Bardstown Bosendorfer...)
'"That's the best sampled piano I've ever heard."
Gary Wright --
(Gary's album "Dreamweaver" was the first all keyboard rock/pop album of its time, sold over 2 million copies and spawned two top 40 hits "Dream Weaver" and "Love is Alive". Visit www.thedreameaver.com for more information.)
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"The Bardstown Bosendorfer is the most versatile sampled piano I have heard or used. It has a strong and compelling lower register, sonorous middle register and crisp, clear treble. It is a harmonically-satisfying instrument in all respects. I don't know of a better sampled piano (right out of the jewel box) for the pop and jazz genres, whether solo or ensemble. And with just one minor tweak, the Bardstown Bosendorfer transforms itself into a serious 'concert hall' grand worthy of the most demanding solo piano repertoire.
"Listen to its brilliance and presence on the Chopin Waltz in Ab Major, and the 'to-die-for' bass on the Chopin Prelude in C minor. Hats off to Kip for his remarkable accomplishment!"
Robin Alciatore -- Pianist/Composer/Arranger (ASCAP)
(More than 1.8 million plays on mp3.com -- http://mp3.com/alciatore or http://mp3.com/chopinpiano)
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"Today, I received the Bardstown Archtop Guitars (pick & thumb) and their Tenor Banjos (pick & thumb). Again their instruments sound excellent on my system. Now that I have these instruments and their Bosendorfer piano and Classic accordions, I could easily switch to just playing jazz and country music for the rest of my natural life. Correction, these instruments are suitable for all genres of music!!! In fact I am thinking of backing off on my auto accompaniment to just drums and bass and play pads (strings, organs) with my left hand and the lead with my right. Less feels like more when you have all of Bardstown's exquisite acoustic instruments.
"Bardstown's instruments have life and realism. They are an investment in my musical journey.
"Thanks Kip for all your good work and service."
Frank L. Rosenthal -- Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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"The best in-your-face, no-holds-barred sampled Bosendorfer I've ever heard. It can sound sweet and then it can rip through the hardest mix. The bottom end is staggering. Many sampled pianos fall to bits when you try put them into a band context. Not so the Bardstown. Kip, you're a craftsman."
Adrian Lee -- Mike & The Mechanics , film composer
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"Today I took delivery of Bardstown Audio's Bosendorfer Imperial Grand Model 290 and the Classic Accordions for GigaStudio. I have done some quick preliminary testing and all I can say is 'wow are they good' - excellent in fact.
"How did I go about deciding on these instruments? Well I listened to mp3 files, looked at the specifications, looked at my application and looked at the price. I also talked to Kip. He is very helpful and provides excellent customer service and is a credit to the world of developers. Kip has a great web site with useful information. He provides high quality products, excellent customer service at a reasonable price. This makes for happy customers, price, quality & service!!! I know a fair amount about such things given I was a strategic planner for a large corporation in my other life.
"I will be using these instruments along with others in my Home Studio and for live performances. My system is totally computer based. The Auto Accompaniment (Live - Styler - Yamaha styles) runs on my Audigy Card using a 128 mb GM/XG wavetable and my melody/lead run on AudioPhile (GigaStudio). I also play the bass using the Roland PK5 Midi Bass Pedals. My musical interests range from easy listening, swing, Jazz, big band, pop, light rock, Latin, folk to country. I have little to no interest in heavy rock, classical, etc. (noise to me).
"The Bardstown Bosendorfer sounds clean, pristine and alive as a solo instrument. Kip has provided a great many articulations for various kinds of musical tastes. Very useful right out of the box. I tried various articulations for the genres of music that I am interested in and Kip's Bosendorfer sits very well in the various mixes of my Auto Accompaniment. I am indeed very happy with the result. Kip must be a perfectionist!!!
"The Bardstown accordions (8 or so of them) do very well from tangos to polkas I couldn't be happier. Good accordions like saxes are hard to find in the Giga format.
"I should also add that I run my audio through professional Yamaha amps & mixers. In addition, I use Tannoy 15" studio monitors. So when, I say the Bardstown Bosendorfer and Classic Accordions sounded excellent - well there was nothing holding it back!!!"
Frank L. Rosenthal -- Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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"I've bought about all of the top libraries in the last 5 years or so, and I can tell you the only ones that are worth what I paid are Bardstown Audio and Dan Dean's stuff. They are very natural and real sounding libraries, unlike some of the others I wasted my money on. I guess I don't get what all the hype is about in the sampling business - I've heard what's out there and 95% of it sucks. If you want the real stuff, look at Bardstown and Dan Dean."
Just my 2 cents worth,
George Higgins -- musician, composer, Los Angeles, CA
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"I find the Bosendorfer Imperial Grand, a beautiful sounding piano. It is also easy to work with. It's tone is clear and it doesn't crowd out other instruments in a mix. This is a major criteria I use when choosing a piano. I foresee myself using this piano on a regular basis."
Craig Sharmat, Woodland Hills, CA
Credits include:
America's Most Wanted (96-03)
Universal Studios
Jackie Chan (Animated)
Men in Black (Animated)
Randy Crawford
Ronnie Laws
2000 Republican Convention (no party affiliation)
Catdog
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"The problem with every sampled piano that I've ever played is that without exception, even the best of these pianos sounded about as natural as Al Gore warming up the audience at an Ozzy Osborne concert. And about as musical. I added the Bardstown Audio 24 bit Bosendorfer to my studio rig in August (2002) and I can honestly say that I'm continually blown away by how great this piano sounds. Not only does the Bardstown Bosendorfer sit well in a mix but as a solo instrument it is nothing short of phenomenal. Late last night (which is what inspired me to write this little testimonial) I had finished working in my studio and for no good reason at all had decided to record a couple of Bill Evans ballads using nothing but the piano (with no click track or reference). Excusing a few clams that were unintentionally thrown (and easily repaired via MIDI), the recording sounded as if I were playing a world class piano in the concert hall of my dreams instead of tickling the plastic keys in my project studio.
"Thanks Kip for making such a great piano available at an affordable price."
Ron Simpson -- Phoenix, Arizona, USA
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"I don't normally send words of praise to sample library developers, but in this case I feel compelled to do so. Your Bosendorfer Imperial Grand has made such a positive impact on the sound of my jazz trio that I am actually playing better as a result. The moment I loaded the CD up, I found myself suddenly presented with a real, living, breathing concert instrument in front of me that I had previously only dreamed of - and what an instrument!. I must say, it is so refreshing to find a developer that is both able to capture an instrument's character and achieve audiophile perfection. Can't wait for the Baldwin ..!
"Just a note to say thank you for all the telephone support you've provided me since buying the Classic Accordions CD; I now feel that I know Giga like the back of my hand. By the way, the Bell Symphony (Clarinet) accordion is out of this world. I love the way you've captured the swell of each note - just as it should be. I'm using the Excelsior Symphony a lot at the moment - everyone here seems to love that one. With nine accordions on 2 CD's I can't ever imagine myself running out of ideas - or sounds. I really think it's the definitive accordion library."
Stephen Duck -- jazz pianist and composer, Oxford, England
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"I've been playing with the classic accordions for many hours now and I am really very impressed with both their sound and playability. I find them to be usable for almost anything. As a personal preference, the Musettes are my favorites. I've used these as a substitute for a Bandoneon in tango-style phrases and I'm extremely convinced by the result. The accordions blend perfectly with piano and strings, so using them in a mix doesn't even require much processing. I don't feel the need to use any other accordion library because Classic Accordions contains everything I need, and more. So by all means I recommend these accordions."
Jens Ernst -- Munich, Germany
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"I have played every Giga sampled piano that is on the market, including all of the Bosendorfers and Steinways, and none of them come anywhere close to comparing in quality to Bardstown Audio's Bosendorfer Imperial. When I play and record with the Bosendorfer Imperial, I really hear and feel the sensation of playing a real Bosendorfer Imperial concert grand piano. None of the other Giga sampled pianos give me this wonderful sensation. By contrast, all of the other sampled pianos are rather bland. Kip has done an amazing job with all of his sampled instrument productions! I never realized that such high quality and realism, such as this, could be achieved with a computer!"
Chris Bizianes -- professional composer, performer, instructor
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'I have been working with the Bardstown Bosendorfer Imperial on a pop project this week, and I wanted to congratulate Kip on a job well done.
"I see Pete Leoni beat me to the punch on describing the instrument, but I'll certainly concur on all of his points about it. This is probably the brightest Giga-piano I've heard, all in all, with nice woody body backing it up.
"People who have been looking for a 'sparkling' piano which will ride atop a full mix will find it here. I would describe this as the classic glassy studio-piano sound, and recommend it for anyone who has had issues getting Giga-pianos to sit properly in mixes. It is closely and cleanly mic'ed, and doesn't apologize for it!
"One thing I have found is that collapsing the stereo image just a bit will make this piano recede into a specific location. I found that to be a handy variation on the point-blank perspective. If you want it glossy, in your face, and all over the soundstage, leave it as is and crank it up. It works very well either way, just depends on the material you're doing. Sometimes narrower is better.
"It has the highly desirable characteristic of transparency in the mix, almost iced, but not tinny. This is a sound that is sought after, and not that easy to get. For a lot of material, this may be a better choice than having a real piano in your studio. Matter of fact, unless you have a Bos and a set of nice mics, you won't get this particular sound.
"I think this is a great addition to the overall selection of Giga pianos. I will always try this one first on pop tunes, that's for sure. I think it will also be a good choice for 'heroic' piano over orchestra (pan it very close to mono) and for certain soundtrack work. I don't think it is as strong a choice for piano/pianissimo, solo chamber music, klangfarbenmelodie, new age, etc., as some other choices on the market. But no one piano library can possibly be 'the' piano. It just doesn't work that way.
"One thing for sure, until now I have always had to work very hard to get Giga pianos to sound right in a pop mix, and this piano sits in exactly the right place. That's a big accomplishment."
Bruce A. Richardson -- Pro Rec
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"I just want to share with you my impression of the Bardstown Bosendorfer. I have had it for a week, and am addicted to it! It is wonderful sounding. I have several others, Giga piano, Post Pristine Steinway D, Trachtmans, East West Steinway B, East West Bosendorfer, and Malmsjo grand. I play only solo piano, and to me this is the nicest sounding, most realistic available. It has extraordinary power, grace and beauty. This is the one that does it for me. If you don't have it, and you love a good grand piano sound, you are missing out. It is truly a real pleasure to play."
Rick Roberts -- Long Beach, California, USA
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"I just returned late last night from NAMM, where Kip's Bosendorfer was being praised heavily by NUMEROUS top people from the top companies. It sounds great. The best one I've heard. Period."
Dan Dean -- Dan Dean Productions, Inc.
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(Bardstown Bosendorfer...)
"The tonal quality of this one is completely unlike any of the other sampled pianos I've heard, it is powerful, it cuts right though a mix, there is not a wimpy bone in its body. The release samples sound superb, so much so that they have that distinctive 'reverb' quality that you usually only hear when sitting in front of an actual grand.
"There are no ranges on the key board that have 'dead zones.' That is to say it sounds consistent, harmonically and spectrally balanced from one end to the other. It is both 'bright' and 'fat' all at the same time, as a real piano should be. The first time I've ever played a sample that didn't send me lunging for some kind of EQ. This one needs none at all, it is just 'there.'"
Pete Leoni -- engineer, producer, tech writer Mix Magazine
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"I know that pianos are like drum sets, everyone has an opinion on what they like and what the think it's supposed to sound like. To my ears this is exactly what I want out of a piano. The closest thing before this was the East/West Bosendorfer but this piano blows that one away!"
Donnie Christian -- DS Soundware
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Bosendorfer Imperial...
"I just got home from my weekend house gig. I loaded the Bardstown Bosendorfer up on the Giga machine I usually use for my left hand bass sound, but tonight we had a bass player. I don't usually post this late at night but I've got to tell you guys, I'll be damned if I didn't want the gig to last another set or two, that is how jazzed I am over the way this thing sounded. I simply didn't want to stop playing it. That is saying a lot after 25 years or so of playing piano in a club, It is easy to get bored, but not tonight! This sample floored me, completely amazed the other guys in the group, (one of them being a real rock and roll and country grizzled veteran with many top 20 credits to his name and a hell of a fine picker).
"It was sort of a surreal experience. The same licks that I've been playing on the same songs for years took on what I can only describe as a strange sense of 'profoundness' That has never happened before! The chordal rhythm stuff blended with the other instrument in the band and the rides simply 'jumped' out of the mix. I've never seen that happen either to this degree, other than playing a live grand. Even the club owner (and you know how they are) made unsolicited and positive comments about the sound of this piano!"
Pete Leoni -- engineer, producer, tech writer Mix Magazine
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Bosendorfer Imperial...
"As Kip was compiling this instrument, I listened to a 1 layer version of it as a test. I was very impressed by just the 1 layer. I just loaded the full version. It sounds fantastic. Clarity, depth, punch... you can feel the air between the mikes and the soundboard. You can feel the hammers. It is extremely quiet as well. The acid test of a sound library is how it SOUNDS. This one sounds great!
"Nice job again, sir."
Dan Dean -- Dan Dean Productions, Inc.
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"Kip McGinnis, the wizard of Bardstown Audio has done a truly outstanding job of capturing all of the detail and nuance of the acoustic archtop guitar. It is not often that a sample set is able to approach this degree of realism. In fact, I find the degree of expression possibly great enough that I often actually prefer it to a live player. That's something I have never encountered in any other sample set, and something I never thought I would be saying. If Grady Martin were alive, I think he would love the sound of these!"
Pete Leoni -- producer, engineer and tech writer Mix Magazine
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"Two musicians I know approached me last night after the show and asked, 'Who did the guitar stuff?' They knew it wasn't me --I can't play guitar to save my life.
"Bardstown Archtop!! Totally fooled two musicians! What else can you say about that? We've come a long way when you can play a realistic guitar line on a computer, that's for sure."
Bruce Richardson -- Pro Rec
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"I checked out the Banjos this afternoon from Kip's collection. They sound great. Clean as a whistle, lots of presence, rich fullness and body to the samples. I haven't had time to check everything out, but if it all sounds as good as what I just heard (which I'm sure it does) this is a great collection. I really enjoyed the demos as well. Having played with guys like Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis and Howard Roberts, I know what an archtop guitar sounds like and this is exactly what it sounds like. Great job, Kip!"
Dan Dean -- Dan Dean Productions
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"I had a project fall into my lap where I needed to knock off a present-day Texas Swing sound. I just installed these libraries last night, and they're really good.
"Just two splits and release triggers for each instrument, yet very expressive to play, and the tones are absolutely dead on. No one has done an archtop guitar at all that I'm aware of, certainly not this good sounding. I loaded up the Tenor Banjo, played the line from "Dueling Banjos" and just cracked up laughing because it sounded so good. Same for the accordions, they're great instruments and well sampled and mapped.
"These are definitely up there with the best Giga libraries in terms of realism and tone quality. Kip, whatever you're doing, keep on doing it!"
Bruce Richardson -- Pro Rec
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"I got these discs from Kip yesterday and I must say that they are spectacular! The recordings are pristine and the playability is excellent. If you have the need for good all round guitars, accordions, or banjos, this is a must have!"
Donnie Christian -- DS Soundware
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"These sounds are really nice. I think what Kip has done here is a straight-forward and 'old school' approach to modern sampling technology. What do you do to make a great record? Get the best players and instruments for the best 'tone' possible. Every step of the process that Kip used was given a great deal of attention. There are no insignificant details when it comes to audio engineering and production. Kip is a fussy guy when it comes to quality and you can bet these sounds are completely usable and musical. The release triggers lend to the overall sense of an actual performance of the instruments. What Kip has accomplished with these samples is good old fashioned audio capture of the warmest performances you've ever heard on these instruments.
"It's an old lesson to be learned once again that there are no shortcuts to quality. Thank you Kip for going the extra mile on these sampled instruments."
Kevin Phelan -- Nemesys Music Technology
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"Those of you who are looking for a totally convincing and exquisitely sampled accordion set need to look no further than Kip McGinnis's Incredible CD, I was completely blown away and seduced by the sound of these."
Pete Leoni -- producer, engineer and tech writer Mix Magazine