Digidesign AIR Mini Grand

The Digidesign AIR (Advanced Instrument Research) Mini Grand is a virtual acoustic piano that comes with the latest version of Pro Tools, which is Pro Tools 8. Pro Tools 8 comes with all sorts of new plug-in and virtual instruments like the Mini Grand, many of them under the AIR title like this one is. I didn't have to install the Mini Grand separately, as it installs automatically when you upgrade or install Pro Tools 8. The interface of the software is generally easy to follow, containing parameters for model, which has seven to choose from, dynamic response, room, which has six settings, and for mix level and overall level. The interface shows a full keyboard and has the look of a grand piano. It isn't hard at all to control these parameters, so I don't think a manual is necessary and don't believe that you'd really be able to find one for it anyway, although I could be mistaken about this. The sound of the Mini Grand isn't half bad at all for a free virtual instrument coming with a larger piece of software. It definitely isn't the most realistic virtual piano that I've heard, as it doesn't rival Native Instrument's Akoustic Piano, or even the pianos in Logic, but it doesn't sound bad by any means. I'm the type of person who will always try to get down real instruments for recordings, but when I don't have access to a real piano and I'm working in Pro Tools, the Digidesign AIR Mini Grand will get the job done without a doubt for getting ideas down. I can't complain at all about it really as I didn't pay a dime for it, and you shouldn't either! So if you've got Pro Tools 8 I'd encourage you to at least play with it a bit to see if it works for you.