There are a lot of piano software synths out there, and really I think that most of them tend to be very disappointing. If you just listen to one note being played, you are just hearing the one sample of one note which has been meticulously sculpted to sound perfect. So playing just one note on a softsynth piano will sound fantastic. But then you try to play a song using one triggered by a MIDI controller, and it just screams fake. I think it has a lot to do with the harmonics of the notes not physically interacting in the air, and the velocity curves not being realistic enough. Now, Ivory isn't perfect, and I feel like piano sampling technology still has a long way to go before it can start competing with miking a nice piano played by a good musician. Barring that, this is still the best piano sampled synth I have heard so far. It is pretty pricey, really this is the best. There are so many velocity layers for the keys that you get a much more nuanced and realistic performance than with any other piano synth out there. The piano sounds themselves are very nicely miked, and a good amount of harmonic content and air. You can edit a lot with how they sound too, such as how close or far the piano is which is extremely useful when you're mixing it into a song. The installer for this synth is like 8 or 9 DVD's, so you better have a day off to get this thing installed and working! I have used a lot of other piano synths and this one definitely gets 1st place. I use it a lot because I don't have a real piano in my studio space at home, unlike the studio where I work. It's a great value when you consider this is the best out there. I would get it again.