# Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial



## Ben (May 26, 2020)

Finally, it's here: The Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial.
Recorded in the Synchron Stage Vienna, capturing the warm, ritch tone of this masterpiece of an instrument.
Full 8 octaves, going down to the deep C. And including all other features that you already know from our other pianos.

Get yourself an Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial here for just € 210 (reg. € 285), or with additional mics for € 395 (reg. € 540). As always, audio demos available here.

Let me know what you think about it!

Also, make sure you are subscribed to our YouTube channel, so you don't miss any news and walkthroughs. There is something special coming up soon


----------



## al_net77 (May 26, 2020)

Hi Ben,

this is a long awaited piano (for me), but... there is no crossgrade option from Vienna Imperial?


----------



## RonOrchComp (May 26, 2020)

This sounds nice!

How many vel layers, and any round robins?


----------



## Ben (May 26, 2020)

al_net77 said:


> Hi Ben,
> 
> this is a long awaited piano (for me), but... there is no crossgrade option from Vienna Imperial?


No. These are new recordings of our hand-picked Bösendorfer Imperial in the Synchron Stage.


----------



## JEPA (May 26, 2020)

since I have played a Bösendorfer for the first time at SWR studios in Mainz I felt in love with it and no piano has taken the 1st place since then. I am always looking for this mellow sound and powerful sound in sample libraries but haven't yet found it. Looking forward to the demos!


----------



## Ben (May 26, 2020)




----------



## kj.metissage (May 26, 2020)

This is great! Please bring on a *FAZIOLI* next, bitte.


----------



## CatOrchestra (May 26, 2020)

Will be interesting to compare the various VSTs of this piano, I am guessing nothing will come close to VSL


----------



## SupremeFist (May 26, 2020)

Ok I am tempted...


----------



## SupremeFist (May 26, 2020)

If I buy the full version of one of your pianos, does your refund policy allow me to downgrade to the standard version within 14 days if I decide I don't need the extra mics, and have the difference refunded?


----------



## VladK (May 26, 2020)

CatOrchestra said:


> Will be interesting to compare the various VSTs of this piano, I am guessing nothing will come close to VSL



Considering that all other viable options (from Synthogy, EastWest, Best Service) were sampled 10+ years ago and IMHO have sound worse that old VSL Vienna Imperial, I do not see what to compare the new VSL Bosendorfer Imperial with.


----------



## Ben (May 26, 2020)

RonOrchComp said:


> This sounds nice!
> 
> How many vel layers, and any round robins?


All of our Synchron concert pianos have around ~70-80 velocity layers.
Capturing a complex instrument like a concert grand is quite a task, and there are quite a few “trade-secrets” that will remain well-kept.
The sheer number of samples shows the dimensions we’re dealing with. And the level of quality we achieved with all of our Synchron Pianos is only possible because our piano sample robot does such an amazing job.
Our goal is to make musicians happy with a virtual representation of the most exclusive instruments we can get our hands on - and I might add that the recording situation we have here @ Synchron Stage Vienna is another important factor that makes these instruments unique.

The best reward we can think of is the look on the faces of exceptional pianists who are blown away by our Synchron Pianos.

Here is a video about our sample robot:


----------



## Ben (May 26, 2020)

SupremeFist said:


> If I buy the full version of one of your pianos, does your refund policy allow me to downgrade to the standard version within 14 days if I decide I don't need the extra mics, and have the difference refunded?


Yes, this is possible.


----------



## SupremeFist (May 26, 2020)

Ben said:


> Yes, this is possible.


Good to know, thank you!


----------



## CatOrchestra (May 26, 2020)

It seems to make sense that you would use a robot - thought this was a standard. Surprised it is not

In cart - panic - tab closed


----------



## thomasjdev (May 26, 2020)

Hi Ben,

How long is the introductory period for?

Also will this be added to an updated Piano Bundle with all 5 pianos, and would the discount for completing the bundle be the same or greater than the current intro price?

Thanks


----------



## Ben (May 26, 2020)

thomasjdev said:


> Hi Ben,
> 
> How long is the introductory period for?
> 
> ...


Hi! The intro price should last until the end of June.
Yes, after the intro sale it will be part of the bundle, but the intro price is better then the bundle completion price will be.


----------



## thomasjdev (May 26, 2020)

Ben said:


> Hi! The intro price should last until the end of June.
> Yes, after the intro sale it will be part of the bundle, but the intro price is better then the bundle completion price will be.


Awesome thanks


----------



## creativeforge (May 26, 2020)

Casiquire said:


> I didn't have much interest in Yamaha or Steinway, but now with Bechstein and a Bosie they have my interest.



Bechstein? Where? Perked my ears...


----------



## Ben (May 26, 2020)

creativeforge said:


> Bechstein? Where? Perked my ears...


We don't have a Bechstein, but we do have a Blüthner


----------



## Noeticus (May 26, 2020)

What is sample rate of your new *Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial*?


----------



## Ben (May 26, 2020)

Noeticus said:


> What is sample rate of your new *Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial*?


Downsampled to 24-bit @ 44.1kHz, and so are all of our other instruments.


----------



## Noeticus (May 26, 2020)

Thanks, but we all work at 48kHz so it would have been slightly better if we could buy this at 48kHz.

If it was 192kHZ I would jump for joy!! (then I could slow it down for sound effects)

What is main difference between your regular *Vienna Imperial* and this new
*Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial? *

I already own the Vienna Imperial.


----------



## Ben (May 26, 2020)

Noeticus said:


> Thanks, but we all work at 48kHz so it would have been way better if we could buy this at 48kHz.
> 
> If it was 192kHZ I would jump for joy!!
> 
> ...


The player will upsample it to your DAWs sample rate, so no issue working with a different setting. 

The classic VI Bösendorfer was recorded in our Silent Stage Vienna with 3 mic positions. So you might want to add a good reverb to place it in an ambient room. Also it was recorded with the build in replay mechanic. with the new one we used our own sample robot that is more precise. The new release sample technology will make this piano so much more realistic. Also new player features like re-pedaling, effects and more are included.


----------



## Noeticus (May 26, 2020)

Ben said:


> The player will upsample it to your DAWs sample rate, so no issue working with a different setting.
> 
> The classic VI Bösendorfer was recorded in our Silent Stage Vienna with 3 mic positions. So you might want to add a good reverb to place it in an ambient room. Also it was recorded with the build in replay mechanic. with the new one we used our own sample robot that is more precise. The new release sample technology will make this piano so much more realistic. Also new player features like re-pedaling, effects and more are included.



Thanks.

Does the new *Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial* piano have "Multiple release samples for different note lengths (supports authentic staccato/staccatissimo performances)" like the older classic VI Bösendorfer ?


----------



## Sean J (May 26, 2020)

Michael Antrum said:


> Sorry, but have I missed something ?



By exactly 1 minute, yes. Be glad you missed it.

Back on topic...

Bösendorfer won my heart as a kid. I played one in a music store. An employee thought kids shouldn't touch pianos for some reason, even if I was playing Beethoven. I guess my "by-ear" lack of posture and fluffery hand movements didn't impress him. I was self tought. The store owner came up and said I could visit the store and play whenever I wanted... and I did. The instrument seems to command the music for you, as to always sound right. A toddler smashing the keys would probably sound musical on it. So when VSL did the Imperial, I was thrilled. It's still just a VI, and my dreams of owning a Bösendorfer remain unfulfilled. But this new piano certainly adds depth to their offering. The price is good.

Well done VSL.


----------



## Ben (May 26, 2020)

Noeticus said:


> Thanks.
> 
> Does the new *Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial* piano have "Multiple release samples for different note lengths (supports authentic staccato/staccatissimo performances)" like the older classic VI Bösendorfer ?


Yes, but far more advanced.


----------



## sostenuto (May 26, 2020)

Instant sale here with addition of Yuja Wang demo and endorsement !!


----------



## Noeticus (May 26, 2020)

Ben said:


> Yes, but far more advanced.



I bought the standard version!!!

THANKS!!!


----------



## Casiquire (May 26, 2020)

creativeforge said:


> Bechstein? Where? Perked my ears...


Gah, thanks for the call out. I was referring to Bleuthner!


----------



## creativeforge (May 26, 2020)

Casiquire said:


> Gah, thanks for the call out. I was referring to Bleuthner!



Would have been nice... I know Bechstein has their own VST, though...

https://www.bechstein-digital.com/c-bechstein-digital-grand/ (Bechstein Digital)


----------



## Tfis (May 27, 2020)

Is it sampled chromatically or does it have a "whole tone range" like the yamaha & steinway?


----------



## SupremeFist (May 27, 2020)

I find it very useful that you have added the ability to audition each mic separately on its own — is it possible to do that for the other pianos? Eg the Chopin F minor demo for the Blüthner says it's a standard library preset "enhanced with additional microphones from the full library", which doesn't really help...


----------



## Ben (May 27, 2020)

Tfis said:


> Is it sampled chromatically or does it have a "whole tone range" like the yamaha & steinway?


We have applied the same recording scheme as with our other Synchron Pianos - and we are very happy with the results! I can't talk about the exact details, it's part of our special sauce


----------



## Ben (May 27, 2020)

SupremeFist said:


> I find it very useful that you have added the ability to audition each mic separately on its own — is it possible to do that for the other pianos? Eg the Chopin F minor demo for the Blüthner says it's a standard library preset "enhanced with additional microphones from the full library", which doesn't really help...


We also have a per mic preview for our Concert D. We will possibly add these as well for the other pianos in near future.


----------



## Hans-Peter (May 27, 2020)

creativeforge said:


> Would have been nice... I know Bechstein has their own VST, though...
> 
> https://www.bechstein-digital.com/c-bechstein-digital-grand/ (Bechstein Digital)



Sorry for the OT, but if you are into Bechstein, I suggest the Pianoteq version. It's as close as it gets to a real Bechstein grand (and I have two of them standing in my studio ... so I can compare ).


----------



## JEPA (May 27, 2020)

JEPA said:


> since I have played a Bösendorfer for the first time at SWR studios in Mainz I felt in love with it and no piano has taken the 1st place since then. I am always looking for this mellow sound and powerful sound in sample libraries but haven't yet found it. Looking forward to the demos!



I have heard some demos now at the VSL product page and the Bösendorfer sounds really sensational. From the demos and walkthrough:
- I love the basses of the piano
- the tone is what I remember from the real one
- I like very much the *ff* and *fff* where other libraries struggle with the compression and limiting here the Bösendorfer sounds very natural

I'm starting to save for this piano


----------



## creativeforge (May 27, 2020)

Hans-Peter said:


> Sorry for the OT, but if you are into Bechstein, I suggest the Pianoteq version. It's as close as it gets to a real Bechstein grand (and I have two of them standing in my studio ... so I can compare ).



Thanks for the tip! I will listen to it again.

A few years back I visited a piano store in Calgary, AB. The owner was very kind and hospitable, and invited me to play any of the pianos I wanted. So I did. He had new and "lightly used" concert grands, ranging sizes 6 to 9 feet, from some of the top brands. So I played on:

Steinway & Sons
Boston
Grotian
Yamaha
Fazioli
Bosendorfer
Bechstein

I enjoyed most of them, keeping the Bechstein for last.

When I started playing on the Bechstein, I had an almost mystical experience. Not sure how to describe it, except that it was as if for a moment I wasn't playing the piano anymore, but the music itself. I'm sure it was more than the sound, the action was incredible too. Sublime.

I worked in a piano repair shop in Montreal in the 1980s, and repaired and tuned pianos for years on my own, at people's homes, churches and concert venues.

I had never experienced anything like this before!

And you have two... Now I'd like to see your studio (website?).

Thanks!


----------



## Michael Antrum (May 27, 2020)

creativeforge said:


> Thanks for the tip! I will listen to it again.
> 
> A few years back I visited a piano store in Calgary, AB. The owner was very kind and hospitable, and invited me to play any of the pianos I wanted. So I did. He had new and "lightly used" concert grands, ranging sizes 6 to 9 feet, from some of the top brands. So I played on:
> 
> ...



I had a smilier experience when I played a top of the line Kawai Shigeru Grand.....\


@Ben : What the hell are you guys trying to do to my bank balance ? Seriously, slow down, no need to re-inflate the economy quite so rapidly.


----------



## SupremeFist (May 27, 2020)

Hans-Peter said:


> Sorry for the OT, but if you are into Bechstein, I suggest the Pianoteq version. It's as close as it gets to a real Bechstein grand (and I have two of them standing in my studio ... so I can compare ).


Do you think the Pianoteq Bechstein sounds better than Bechstein's own sample library?


----------



## Ben (May 27, 2020)

Michael Antrum said:


> @Ben : What the hell are you guys trying to do to my bank balance ? Seriously, slow down, no need to re-inflate the economy quite so rapidly.


It took a while and many users were already asking for the next Synchron Libraries, while we were preparing these libraries in the background. Now, with and after a lot of hard work, we can finally push out new Synchron libraries. And there is more coming soon


----------



## Michael Antrum (May 27, 2020)

Ben said:


> It took a while and many users were already asking for the next Synchron Libraries, while we were preparing these libraries in the background. Now, with and after a lot of hard work, we can finally push out new Synchron libraries. And there is more coming soon



I hate you. 


(But I mean that in a good way.....)


----------



## Casiquire (May 27, 2020)

Hans-Peter said:


> Sorry for the OT, but if you are into Bechstein, I suggest the Pianoteq version. It's as close as it gets to a real Bechstein grand (and I have two of them standing in my studio ... so I can compare ).


Psst, in Commercial Announcements it does break the rules to bring up competitor libraries. Helpful FYI, I didn't know and broke the rule once before too


----------



## Michael Antrum (May 27, 2020)

Casiquire said:


> Psst, in Commercial Announcements it does break the rules to bring up competitor libraries. Helpful FYI, I didn't know and broke the rule once before too



VSL don't make a Bechstein, so strictly speaking.......

Naaaah, Let's burn him.....


----------



## Casiquire (May 27, 2020)

Michael Antrum said:


> VSL don't make a Bechstein, so strictly speaking.......
> 
> Naaaah, Let's burn him.....


No burning, just trying to be helpful haha. There's enough drama already surrounding what sounds to me like a fantastic library


----------



## creativeforge (May 27, 2020)

Michael Antrum said:


> I had a smilier experience when I played a top of the line Kawai Shigeru Grand.....\



Ah, I hear it is the piano of royalty...  Haven't have the chance to play on one, yet. They are quite rare up here (Canada). I'll have to keep an eye on that.


----------



## ptram (May 28, 2020)

I'm very impressed by this piano. I've been spending these latest two days comparing the demo songs of this new piano and the old Vienna Imperial, and checking against the projects I made with the older piano.

I'll have to purchase a new SSD to try the demo myself. What I feel before trying, is that this new piano is sounding similar to the older one, but with some clearly perceivable differences in dynamic nuances and sound sweetness. The ppp-mp ranges seems to be more graduated (where the old VI was always 'stronger'), and the high range seems to sound mellower, without losing brightness. And it seems the body resonance to give a fuller sound.

And the Standard Library seems, this time, to be all I need. The hammers may have been prepared to be softer than, say, in the Steinway. It would, therefore, also be a relatively inexpensive piano.

The only thing preventing me from wanting to purchase it is the irritating Arnold chatbot hampering a serene consultation of the VSL pages. It's at least as annoying as a 'far consonance'…

Paolo


----------



## keepitsimple (May 28, 2020)

ptram said:


> The only thing preventing me to wanting to purchase it is the irritating Arnold chatbot hampering a normal use of the VSL pages. It's at least as annoying as a 'far consonance'…


----------



## ptram (May 28, 2020)

@Ben, I wonder why the piano was recorded moved to the left instead of in the center. I know you supply a preset with it centered, but isn't this a bit odd? A solo piano is usually placed in the center of the stage.

Paolo


----------



## Ben (May 28, 2020)

This is a concert piano (of course you can still use it for solo pieces, we sampled this with so much detail to capture everything this piano offers).
Here is a venue map where you can see the position of this piano: https://www.vsl.info/en/instruments/synchron-pianos/bosendorfer-imperial#microphone-positions

There is also nothing wrong with using the center panned preset, or pan it yourself. The Yamaha CFX was recorded on the right side and the Concert D in the center (These are probably the default positions of these pianos in our Synchron Stage, but I had to ask our engineers to be 100% sure).


----------



## Michael Antrum (May 28, 2020)

ptram said:


> The only thing preventing me from wanting to purchase it is the irritating Arnold chatbot hampering a serene consultation of the VSL pages. It's at least as annoying as a 'far consonance'…



I'd be careful saying things like that if I were you. Arnold might get upset.....


----------



## Buz (May 28, 2020)

Dropping this here in case anyone else is like me and always wants to hear the room mics.

I'm a little lost on panning as well. Not sure if I should simply offset everything slightly to the right.


----------



## Ben (May 28, 2020)

Buz said:


> I'm a little lost on panning as well. Not sure if I should simply offset everything slightly to the right.


In most cases moving the Room-Mix panning a little bit to the right is already enought. If you still have the feeling there is too much signal from the left side, watch the levels in the mix tab during playback and adjust channels where the signal is stronger on the left side.
(except the close mics, they are so close to the piano that you will hear the deep tones coming from the left and the high ones form the right. If you want to minimize this effect decrease the width in the panner.)


----------



## Mark Schmieder (May 28, 2020)

The impressionistic demos are what won me over, as this is where my own personal preference lies with the Imperial; I find the Liszt example thunderous and at times muddy, but it's all personal taste and that's why it's nice to have multiple piano models all available on the Synchron Stage now.

It is good that the discount lasts through the end of June. Perhaps I will have found a job by then. Otherwise, I'll have to save this for end-of-year (or later, if I am extremely unlucky).

I plan to return to my 20-piece impressionistic suite as soon as time allows though, and this is definitely the piano I want to use for final renderings in that project. No other piano covers delicate passages with such warmth and focus, with no phasing and also no harshness or being overly-bright.

This is the first Imperial library that I feel has really captured the true sound of the instrument, and that also has the necessary features such as half-pedaling (a non-negotiable in my book).


----------



## Mark Schmieder (May 28, 2020)

As for the room panning, Ben clarified what I already thought to be the case: the three concert grands were placed on the stage such that all three could be present at the same time. After all, this is often how it is at a real concert, when talking about pianos amidst the orchestra. Or even two-piano recitals. So I am quite glad they chose this approach, and it is easy to power-pan to a different center point of the stereo spread, either inside a custom mix or in your DAW at mix time.


----------



## Ben (May 28, 2020)

Mark Schmieder said:


> the three concert grands were placed on the stage such that all three could be present at the same time.


-> BBO Fornax


----------



## Mark Schmieder (May 28, 2020)

Yep, I was pretty sure it was BBO Fornax where I originally saw that three-piano stage view.


----------



## Ben (May 28, 2020)

Here is a comparison video of our 5 Synchron Pianos by Guy Bacos:


----------



## Virtuoso (May 28, 2020)

Great comparison, but I'm surprised he isn't using a continuous controller for the damper? Makes the pedal noise much more prominent than it should be, since you have no control over the 'velocity' of the damper.


----------



## Buz (May 28, 2020)

Oh I was wondering if that Liszt could be real since the trailer. Guy is clearly superhuman but that was next level stuff.


----------



## SupremeFist (May 29, 2020)

Ben said:


> We also have a per mic preview for our Concert D. We will possibly add these as well for the other pianos in near future.


Any chance the "near future" comes before the end of the current sale?


----------



## Ben (May 29, 2020)

SupremeFist said:


> Any chance the "near future" comes before the end of the current sale?


We are all really busy at the moment preparing the next releases, so I don't think that we can do it within this time-frame. But I see what can be done.


----------



## SupremeFist (May 29, 2020)

Ben said:


> We are all really busy at the moment preparing the next releases, so I don't think that we can do it within this time-frame. But I see what can be done.


Sure, I understand! Just in general it is difficult for me to make decisions about these libraries because the demos seem very much focused towards users who want a very roomy "classical" sound, whereas those of us who deploy a more modern super-close and dry production can be very unsure whether the standard or full libraries (or maybe neither!) can deliver on what we are looking for.


----------



## Ben (May 29, 2020)

The Yamaha CFX is in this regard really similar to the Concert D and the Bösendorfer Imperial, because a similar for recording was used.
The other pianos (Blüthner, Bösendorfer Upgright) were recorded in Stage B, a 69m² room with controlled and beautiful acoustics. With these you will get a really close up sound.






Blüthner 1895 | VSL - Instruments







www.vsl.info


----------



## MrCambiata (May 29, 2020)

I bought the Bösendorfer upright recently and I really like the way it sounds because of the room. The farther mics add another dimension to the piano without making it sound too wet. Hopefully there will be more recordings on the smaller stage.


----------



## Mark Schmieder (May 31, 2020)

Ah, I either didn't know, or had forgotten, that Blüthner was also recorded on the smaller stage, as was the upright. That might explain why I am finding that it works so well for Reggae, Ska, Dub, Calypso, etc. It's really great that we have choices across these two stages, for the full product suite.


----------



## Mark Schmieder (Jun 1, 2020)

I bought this tonight, perhaps overconfident that I will have another paying job by end of month.


----------



## Ben (Jun 8, 2020)

Just in case you missed it: You can win this library (or if you already bought it you will get vouchers; details in the video description)


----------



## MPortmann (Jun 10, 2020)

Loving this piano. Bought the upright and the new Imperial.


----------



## Rich4747 (Jun 11, 2020)

do 30 day demo keys include the full versions?


----------



## Ben (Jun 11, 2020)

Hi everybody,

4 days to go for our Synchron Pianos special offer, and another 19 days for the Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial.
So we have decided to use those last days to try an experiment: You can order a FREE DEMO LICENSE directly on the https://www.vsl.co.at/Synchron_Package/Synchron_Pianos_Bundle (individual product pages) (it’s the third blue button on the left).

What you need to make this work:
1) An https://www.vsl.co.at/Instruments/ViennaKey (elicenser USB Key like a ViennaKey) or a Steinberg Key, to store the demo license on
2) An account at https://slack-redir.net/link?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vsl.co.at&v=3 (www.vsl.co.at)
3) 1 registered VSL product on that account
If you don’t have a registered product yet, please contact us directly via [email protected] and tell us, which piano you’d like to check out.

These demo licenses work for 30 days/30 starts. Once the 30 starts are used up, you can recharge them as often as you like by clicking “Maintenance” in the eLicenser Control Center (within 30 days).

DIRECT LINKS:
https://slack-redir.net/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vsl.co.at%2FBosendorfer_Imperial%5DB%C3%B6sendorfer&v=3 (https://www.vsl.co.at/Bosendorfer_Imperial)
https://slack-redir.net/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vsl.co.at%2FSynchron_Pianos_Bundle%2FConcert_D%5DConcert&v=3 (https://www.vsl.co.at/Synchron_Pianos_Bundle/Concert_D)
https://slack-redir.net/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vsl.co.at%2FSynchron_Pianos_Bundle%2FYamaha_CFX%5DYamaha&v=3 (https://www.vsl.co.at/Synchron_Pianos_Bundle/Yamaha_CFX)
https://slack-redir.net/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vsl.co.at%2FSynchron_Pianos_Bundle%2FBluthner_1895%5DBluthner&v=3 (https://www.vsl.co.at/Synchron_Pianos_Bundle/Bluthner_1895)
https://slack-redir.net/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vsl.co.at%2FBosendorfer_Upright%5DB%C3%B6sendorfer&v=3 (https://www.vsl.co.at/Bosendorfer_Upright)

If you need support or questions pop up please write directly to [email protected]

Best, Ben


----------



## Pixelpoet1985 (Jun 11, 2020)

Rich4747 said:


> do 30 day demo keys include the full versions?



It's the full version. 

I didn't know that there are demo versions available, and right after I had read I downloaded all demos.


----------



## Symfoniq (Jun 11, 2020)

Is the Synchron Pianos Bundle going to be changed at some point to include the Bosendorfer Imperial?


----------



## Ben (Jun 11, 2020)

Symfoniq said:


> Is the Synchron Pianos Bundle going to be changed at some point to include the Bosendorfer Imperial?


Yes, but the price is better during the into discount.


----------



## SupremeFist (Jun 11, 2020)

Ben said:


> Hi everybody,
> 
> 4 days to go for our Synchron Pianos special offer, and another 19 days for the Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial.
> So we have decided to use those last days to try an experiment: You can order a FREE DEMO LICENSE directly on the https://www.vsl.co.at/Synchron_Package/Synchron_Pianos_Bundle (individual product pages) (it’s the third blue button on the left).
> ...


Great idea! 👍🏻


----------



## Virtuoso (Jun 11, 2020)

Ben said:


> So we have decided to use those last days to try an experiment: You can order a FREE DEMO LICENSE directly on the https://www.vsl.co.at/Synchron_Package/Synchron_Pianos_Bundle (individual product pages)


Fantastic idea! I hope you roll this out across the whole product range - there are so many VSL instruments that I'm curious about but don't want to go through the buy/refund process.


----------



## Ben (Jun 18, 2020)

A great performance by Jordan Rudess:




Here is what he says about the Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial:


> With the VSL Bösendorfer Imperial at my fingertips, the moment my hand and the keys connect, I am instantly transported from the confines of my home studio to the thrilling expanse of a concert stage. It is a mighty new virtual instrument, with nuance, power, and purity that parallels the finest grand pianos I’ve ever played.


----------



## gfd (Jun 18, 2020)

Greetings,

I purchased the Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial and am in the process of familiarizing myself with the instrument. Well done VSL. I noticed that if I adjust the timbre I either lose notes at the top or bottom of the keyboard, depending on whether I move the timbre shift into - or + range.

I am not suggesting this is a glitch (the Bluthner I am testing exhibits the same behaviour). I just want to understand what the software is doing under the hood.

Certainly no criticism here. Just a desire to fully understand this wonderful instrument. Any advice would be most appreciated.

Graham

PS: A video series explaining the Synchron Pianos, similar to the Synchron Player series, would be very educational. The manual is helpful, but your educational videos are excellent.


----------



## Rob (Jun 19, 2020)

gfd said:


> Greetings,
> 
> I purchased the Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial and am in the process of familiarizing myself with the instrument. Well done VSL. I noticed that if I adjust the timbre I either lose notes at the top or bottom of the keyboard, depending on whether I move the timbre shift into - or + range.


I pointed this out in the VSL forum months ago without receiving a reply... maybe they don't monitor the forum. Anyway I think what it does is actualy move the samples up or down, so that when you press "-" once, the C sample is used to play B, hence a darker timbre and that's why you lose the high C..


----------



## Ben (Jun 19, 2020)

The timbre shift shifts and tunes the sample. With a value of +/-12 you will miss an entire octave. 
With this feature you can shift the characteristics of the piano making it darker or brighter, very nice if you are looking for a more special piano sound or the original does not fit your current piece.


----------



## Rob (Jun 19, 2020)

Yes but, as I wrote in the vsl forum months ago, it shouldn't be too difficult to automatically stretch the sample at either extremes so to avoid having missing notes (or at least allow to do it manually)... no one, I believe, is gonna move more than two semitones up or down, so the sample stretch would be barely noticeable


----------



## Mark Schmieder (Jul 3, 2020)

I'm in the midst of doing the updates just now, and noticed that the email summary does not match the instructions. I followed the instructions literally, to save you some bandwidth, and am assuming that the summary is incorrect.

Only the Mid1 (standard) and Mid2 (Extended) boxes are checked, for files to re-download and re-install.

The summary however, says "We have just optimized the Close and Mid microphone signals".

Do we need to re-install the Close Mics as well?


----------



## SupremeFist (Jul 3, 2020)

The video says it's just mid1 and mid2 so I reckon you're correct.


----------



## Mark Schmieder (Jul 3, 2020)

Thanks; I rarely do videos because they are mostly-strictly-linear and prevent multi-tasking (and also are at best 10% as time-effective as reading).


----------



## NoOneKnowsAnything (Jul 5, 2020)

Ben said:


> Finally, it's here: The Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial.
> Recorded in the Synchron Stage Vienna, capturing the warm, ritch tone of this masterpiece of an instrument.
> Full 8 octaves, going down to the deep C. And including all other features that you already know from our other pianos.
> 
> ...



This is probably the best sounding piano to-date by any company. Yes, of course that’s my personal opinion as different cues demand different styles of tone and a completely different piano sound, but as a straight up acoustic grand I really love this piano.


----------



## SupremeFist (Jul 6, 2020)

Mark Schmieder said:


> Geesh, all this build-up and I still haven't had time to use it yet, as I'm working 100+ hours a week as an unpaid software engineer.
> 
> I initially thought I'd just try it on new projects and a few unfinished projects, but after all this talk, I now feel impelled to audition it on all of my almost-finished (and finished but only privately released) material as well. Just when I thought I was done!


I think it's tremendous, but I don't think it's so much better than anything else as to be tempted to replace other VIs (eg Due C3, Walker, CinePiano, Piano In Blue etc) with it on finished solo tracks; rather I'm writing new stuff specifically for it. YMMV of course!


----------



## Simeon (Jul 6, 2020)

I might have posted this in reviews but thought I would share it here as well in case anyone missed it. The Imperial really is an amazing sounding instrument and the mic positions really allow you to immerse your self in the instrument.


----------



## SupremeFist (Jul 6, 2020)

Simeon said:


> the mic positions really allow you to immerse your self in the instrument.



For sure, something about VSL's sampling aesthetic gives me the strongest visual impression of "seeing the physical instrument right in front of you" that I've experienced with a piano library (though that doesnt necessarily outweigh a preference for other aesthetics/sonorities depending on the musical context).


----------



## Vik (Jun 26, 2022)

Hi, what's the easiest way to make sure all the presets will have lower amount of pedal noise than the factory presets? Is there a global setting or this?


----------



## keepitsimple (Jun 26, 2022)

Vik said:


> Hi, what's the easiest way to make sure all the presets will have lower amount of pedal noise than the factory presets? Is there a global setting or this?


No global setting. Just lower the pedal noise in each and save it as a custom preset.


----------



## Vik (Jun 26, 2022)

keepitsimple said:


> No global setting. Just lower the pedal noise in each and save it as a custom preset.


Thanks for your reply. I may be wrong, but – with some exceptions – I guess each of us have a general set of pedal noise we find useful for realism or acceptable. This isn't only about VSL, but many piano libraries have a lot more pedal and key noise than what's common in piano recordings... maybe they'll ad a way to offer pedal settings also on a global level (which can be overridden), ar offer a level for these noises which is closer to what we hear in recorded piano music. I usually listen through good headphones, and find the levels too loud for my taste. Piano players usually have a good routiine of letting go of the sustain pedal in a way that doesn't create too much noise - releasing it slowly gives the least noise, of course. 
OTOH – for loud productions, maybe this doesn't matter much.


----------



## keepitsimple (Jun 26, 2022)

Vik said:


> Thanks for your reply. I may be wrong, but – with some exceptions – I guess each of us have a general set of pedal noise we find useful for realism or acceptable. This isn't only about VSL, but many piano libraries have a lot more pedal and key noise than what's common in piano recordings... maybe they'll ad a way to offer pedal settings also on a global level (which can be overridden), ar offer a level for these noises which is closer to what we hear in recorded piano music. I usually listen through good headphones, and find the levels too loud for my taste. Piano players usually have a good routiine of letting go of the sustain pedal in a way that doesn't create too much noise - releasing it slowly gives the least noise, of course.
> OTOH – for loud productions, maybe this doesn't matter much.


Yeah they don't offer that much control in the player at the moment. I usually leave everything at default and if the sound "gets in my way" when i'm in the zone, i lower it a bit. I play free improvisational stuff, so the pedal's bells and whistles are the least of my focus. If you want more control over the pedal noises, i guess you already know that NOIRE offers that in spades.

Ah my bad, i misunderstood. Thought you want more surgical control over the pedal noises etc. Yeah at the moment, all you can do is turn the volume down in the preset and save it as a new custom. Honestly i've never been bothered by overly loud pedal noises in most libraries, except of course the cinematic geared ones ala NOIRE etc...


----------

