Best Piano Sampling Software?

I've had a look at EWQL piano software, and I LOVE IT, but it's wayyyyyyyyyyyy to massive to fit on my computer.

I like the sound of REason piano refill, but I think that there's probably better software out there, that's not too much more expensive.

I'm looking at a price range of $100-$200.

Imperfect Samples

Thanks for the help!! I wish I had a few hundred to buy a really nice sounding one. Right now i'm torn between REason piano refill and Garritan Steinway (basic). I'm not really looking for a 'classical' style concert grand piano though, so i'm leaning towards reason...

I also found this other great cheap one, and you get a 14 day free trial period, I think it's $68 USD to buy.

Pianissimo Virtual Grand Piano

Akoustik Piano

I picked this up a while ago and have never even thought about using anything else. It's at the top of your price range but it sounds great and gives you four nice pianos ranging from an upright to a concert grand. You can also control just about everything (all the pedals and whatnot through CC). I used the piano that comes in the NN19 for Reason before this and there's no comparison.

The only downside I could see, for you, is that it may take up too much space. I'm not sure how much the EWQL piano takes up but this one comes on four DVDs.

I use Steinberg The Grand 2.

Akoustik Piano

I picked this up a while ago and have never even thought about using anything else. It's at the top of your price range but it sounds great and gives you four nice pianos ranging from an upright to a concert grand. You can also control just about everything (all the pedals and whatnot through CC). I used the piano that comes in the NN19 for Reason before this and there's no comparison.

The only downside I could see, for you, is that it may take up too much space. I'm not sure how much the EWQL piano takes up but this one comes on four DVDs.

Yeah 4 DVD's it a s***load of data. I'll definately look at buying something better/more expensive when I get a new computer or upgrade.

I think i've actually decided on the Garritan Steinway software... for $99 it's amazing!

Edirol Orchestral or Garritan Personal Orchestra?

I've never really compared piano sample libraries (because I'm personally not too interested in using them), but I really sympathise with the PianoTeq approach of modelling pianos synthetically instead of using samples. There are some things that are next to impossible to simulate with samples alone (such as specific resonances, a fine adjustment of all instrumental parameters, special playing techniques, etc.) which are very well possible with physical modelling. It even allows you to leave behind the traditional piano sound altogether and doesn't restrict you to the one instrument the makers have chosen to sample.

The sound examples I've heard so far sounded really nice too - not better than some sample based things I've heard, but better than quite a few things, and I guess one could get a lot out of this if one spent some time getting the parameters just right for a specific piece.