SYNTHOGY:
We have previously dreamed of using Synthogy, but hesitated on both price and resource utilisation.  (2008 example of Synthogy pianos)

Follow our thoughts and actions – progress on this conversion . . (0) — (1) — (2) — (3)— (4)

We looked again, inspired by the videos of ‘7notemode‘,  introduction of the stand-alone American Concert D piano, and demos here by ‘InTheMix’.

Yes, it takes over 40GB, and costs $200. But we bought it and it sounds wonderful and the MacBook handles it’s resource hunger well.
In retrospect it was strange not to go directly to Synthogy – but then comparison opportunities with those other brands would have been missed .

Many parameters are tweak-able, yet around a program preset and a keyset up to 20 separately-sampled attack levels [click each image for larger view].
The wonderful thing is that no tweaking is needed to enjoy the subtleties of sound and touch right after installation – except maybe the quick calibration of key velocity.
In fact, the whole concept of the piano being a piano-forte is there on the RD600 for the first time; the keyboard is “weighted”, but never “felt” like this before.

Program presets listed here: [click for full size]

Effects presets listed here: [click for full size]

Follow our thoughts and actions – progress on this conversion . . (0) — (1) — (2) — (3)— (4)

Slow practice, 'sarabande of the second partita by Bach': 
MIDI-Cubase-Synthogy raw, no processing.

Comparing the full range of Synthogy’s virtual pianos: