Karsten Collection

Peter Karsten is an instrument collector from Braunschweig, Germany. Over the years, he has collected an impressive number of historical instruments. This collection for Pianoteq includes virtual copies of:

NY Steinway square piano (1858) 
J. Weimes pianoforte (1808) 
Ph. Schmidt square piano (1780) 
G. Giusti harpsichord (1680) 
J. Salodiensis virginal (1600) 

Authorized by Steinway

The virtual copy of the New York Steinway square piano (1858) is evaluated and authorized by Steinway & Sons in New York. Moreover, Peter Karsten himself participated in many steps of the development of all the instruments ― from the initial recordings for the audio analysis until the final stages of the beta tests ― together with a dedicated team of experienced musicians. That way, Modartt ensured that the authenticity of the instruments corresponds to the most demanding requirements, adapted for concert performance and recording.

Innovative tonal qualities

All virtual copies of these instruments are physically modelled which means innovative tone features and extremely small file sizes (megabytes instead of gigabytes). The sound can be modified through advanced physical parameters, and several tuning temperaments can be selected via a selection of presets. An "Original" preset delivers the sound of each instrument in its current state, whereas other presets attempt to reproduce the sound of the instruments when they were brand new.