Arturia Augmented Grand Piano — Mac download

It runs on any Mac with macOS 11.0 or later, on both Intel and Apple Silicon processors.

Formats — VST, AU, AAX

Hosts — any DAW that loads VST, AU or AAX instruments, including Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Cubase, Pro Tools, and Studio One

Architecture — universal binary; native Apple Silicon support

Sound engine — a blend of multi-sampled grand piano recordings and a synthesis layer. The two sources can be mixed freely. The sampled side gives you realistic hammer, string and body resonance. The synth side adds textures, harmonics and movement.

Presets — over 300, covering familiar concert tones, felted timbres, and abstract pads. Each preset loads a combination of samples and synthesis parameters.

Controls — the main panel keeps key parameters visible. An expanded panel opens deeper editing for the synth engine, modulation, and effects.

Playability — responds to velocity and aftertouch. A smart arpeggiator is built in.

Good for — contemporary composition, cinematic scoring, game soundscapes, library music, and DAW production where you need both recognisable piano and transformed, textural sounds.

Step-by-step from loading the plugin to your first layered piano patch

1. Open your DAW, add a new instrument track, and load Augmented Grand Piano as a VST or AU instrument.
2. Browse presets by category. Pick one close to the tone you need — a clean concert patch or a felted texture.
3. Play a few chords. Check how the sound responds to velocity. Adjust the touch curve in the main panel if the keyboard feels too heavy or light.
4. Use the Morph slider to move between the two layers. Pull it left for more acoustic body; push it right for the synth layer to take over.
5. Lock in a blend that works. Then open the expanded panel and tweak the modulation routing. Assign an LFO to the filter cutoff for subtle movement.
6. Set the smart arpeggiator to a pattern that fits the tempo. Drop the rate to dotted eighths for a scoring cue, then record the MIDI output.
7. Add a touch of aftertouch vibrato on sustained notes. Ride the mod wheel during the final pass to open the synth layer in the chorus.

A film composer's quick cue

A composer working on a psychological thriller needs a piano that feels familiar but unsettling. They load a felted preset, pull the Morph control 30% towards the synth layer, and engage the arpeggiator at a slow triplet rate. The sampled body gives the cue weight; the synthesis layer introduces a glassy harmonic that shifts under aftertouch pressure. In under ten minutes the cue is printed and placed against a scene of slow camera push-ins. No external effects needed — the macro controls handle the tone shaping in context.

• Version 2.0.2 (build 6369) — current release listed in official downloads

• macOS 11.0 or later
• Intel or Apple Silicon processor
• VST, AU, or AAX-compatible host