4Front Piano Module

4Front Piano Module is a useful VSTi plug-in for musicians who are in need of a lightweight, low-CPU upright-style, acoustic piano sound. I do not think this plug-in was intended to sound like a pristine concert piano; rather, it is meant to have the character of a heavily-used upright piano that might be found in a bar.

User Interface: N/A

Sound: Sounds like a used upright acoustic piano with a different character than other VSTi available on the market. The sound is very static across all velocities, so it isn't as expressive as other exensive, massively-multisampled VSTi that I have used. The release time is a bit unusual and cannot be changed. The low keys and high keys are all panned to the center, unlike some other piano VSTi.

Features: Obviously, this free version is only a representation of what the professional version would offer, but with no user controls and only one sound, it is difficult to predict what features such a version would have.

Documentation: N/A

Presets: N/A

Customer Support: The 4Front website seems to be very customer-focused, and George (the lead developer) posts here often. I believe that he has set up a listserv for his users as well.

Value For Money: It is free and might be useful to users looking for a simple VSTi that does not consume much CPU.

Stability: Excellent, but with no controls, I would expect it to be fairly solid.

Overall, 4Front Piano Module is a nice addition to the free VSTi community that some might really appreciate.Read Review