# [New] Synchron Fazioli F308



## Ben (Dec 6, 2022)

It took us weeks, recording 24/7, to capture this beautiful and large piano with all the finest detail in Stage A of our Synchron Stage Vienna.
And after that months to edit all the recorded samples, but now it's here: Synchron Fazioli F308

11 mic positions, letting you dial in the sound you need for your projects. Of course as usual it already comes with a lot of mixer presets as well!
This virtual instrument comes with 363,132 samples, adding up to 400GB of data.

Get it here, starting at € 195 (if using the 3+1 Voucher sale):





NEW: FAZIOLI F308 - Vienna Symphonic Library


The F308 is not only the jewel in the crown of Fazioli’s acclaimed series of concert grands, but also of Synchron Stage Vienna’s exclusive collection of pianos.




www.vsl.co.at





Standard: € 245 (reg: €315)
Standard with 4x50€ Voucher: € 195
Full: € 445 (reg: € 590)
Full with 4x100€ Voucher: € 345


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## FireGS (Dec 6, 2022)

Whoa.


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## Denkii (Dec 6, 2022)

400 GB...someone went all in on this :O


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## pcohen12 (Dec 6, 2022)

Wow...that sounds absolutely lovely. Congrats on the release, @Ben and VSL!


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## Spid (Dec 6, 2022)

In the past, I used to love big libraries, it often meant good quality… but now I’m more doubtful and it come to the question such “do I want to use 400GB of my SSD for another piano?” It’s really hard to answer yes…


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## smellypants (Dec 6, 2022)

Damn... Trust VSL to go all out when sampling something 👏

One of the main reasons I love this company!


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## SupremeFist (Dec 6, 2022)

I notice that in Guy's beautiful Rossini demo the sympathetic resonance is simply turned off (minus infinity dB). I remember that a few years ago now a VSL rep in the official forum said that they were working on an improved way to calculate sympathetic resonance. Is that still in the works?


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## smellypants (Dec 6, 2022)

SupremeFist said:


> I notice that in Guy's beautiful Rossini demo the sympathetic resonance is simply turned off (minus infinity dB).


I'm pretty sure the reason most if not all the presets have it turned off by default is because it is very cpu intensive.

Too cpu intensive for real time performance... But turn it on for bouncing type of deal.


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## SupremeFist (Dec 6, 2022)

smellypants said:


> I'm pretty sure the reason most if not all the presets have it turned off by default is because it is very cpu intensive.
> 
> Too cpu intensive for real time performance... But turn it on for bouncing type of deal.


I have no problems recording with it on with other Synchron pianos. So I'm naturally wondering why they turn it all the way off for a demo to showcase the sound of the library.


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## smellypants (Dec 6, 2022)

SupremeFist said:


> I have no problems recording with it on with other Synchron pianos. So I'm naturally wondering why they turn it all the way off for a demo to showcase the sound of the library.


It mentions in the video that Guy is using the "Player Surround to Stereo" preset.

With the full library presets using a lot of mics and streaming a lot of voices, combined with sympathetic resonance i'm sure many people would complain about cpu hit, especially at low buffer settings.

Hence the decision to uniformly keep it off for all presets makes sense seeing as though it can easily be turned on when needed.

Guy probably just chose a preset he liked and did the performance.

This is all my speculation of course.


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## Zanshin (Dec 6, 2022)

@Ben any plans to allow demos?

It'd probably be better for my wallet and SSD if there's no demo. I bought Imperial Full after demoing, and Full looks like it might be mandatory here too.


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## ptram (Dec 6, 2022)

smellypants said:


> With the full library presets using a lot of mics and streaming a lot of voices, combined with sympathetic resonance i'm sure many people would complain about cpu hit


Then, I don't think the soft and light piece by Rossini would have earned anything from sympathetic resonance.

Paolo


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## markofjohnson (Dec 6, 2022)

Spid said:


> In the past, I used to love big libraries, it often meant good quality… but now I’m more doubtful and it come to the question such “do I want to use 400GB of my SSD for another piano?” It’s really hard to answer yes…


Let’s you choose which mics to install, so you can use less space.


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## Ben (Dec 6, 2022)

Zanshin said:


> @Ben any plans to allow demos?


I'm not aware of any such plans, sorry. 




smellypants said:


> Hence the decision to uniformly keep it off for all presets makes sense seeing as though it can easily be turned on when needed.


Exactly. To my knowledge the feature got an update quite some time ago that slightly improved the sound, but it's still quite CPU demanding, and for this reason disabled by default.


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## FireGS (Dec 6, 2022)

Also, I'd note that its not always necessary to have it on. Like, from a purist POV it might be, but sometimes (often times I've found) that it simply adds a lot of mud that if I was personally recording a piano, I'd try my best to cut out. ((From what I can tell, its a synthesized signal made from the original recordings, so from a purist standpoint, it's not even "real". It shouldn't be the thing that makes or breaks a pianos tone IMO))

I'm glad the option is there, but I don't find it needed 100% of the time.


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## SupremeFist (Dec 6, 2022)

Ben said:


> I'm not aware of any such plans, sorry.
> 
> 
> 
> Exactly. To my knowledge the feature got an update quite some time ago that slightly improved the sound, but it's still quite CPU demanding, and for this reason disabled by default.


That is reassuring, thank you for the info!


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## yabino974 (Dec 6, 2022)

Is it included in the *Synchron Piano Bundle*? Or do I have to buy the bundle, and next the F308 on top of that.


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## PaulieDC (Dec 6, 2022)

Oh man, I have been waiting for this, but did you have to release it NOW, 3 weeks before Christmas, whilst still recovering from Black Friday??  

Like it matters! I recently moved my VSL libraries to a 2TB NVMe drive since 1TB was not cutting it. That means I have the room. And it's on intro pricing. And I still easily have 700GB data left for the month before the bill switches over, so it's downloadable. UGH. You guys aren't making will power any easier! Or, lack of it.


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## PaulieDC (Dec 6, 2022)

yabino974 said:


> Is it included in the *Synchron Piano Bundle*? Or do I have to buy the bundle, and next the F308 on top of that.


It'll be part of the bundle in January after Intro pricing has expired.


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## yabino974 (Dec 6, 2022)

PaulieDC said:


> It'll be part of the bundle in January after Intro pricing has expired.


Thanks for the notice. I better buy those VSL coupons then!


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## Buz (Dec 6, 2022)

The new positioning sounds really good on the room mics. Keep 'em coming! (but centre stage only )


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## FireGS (Dec 6, 2022)




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## Guy Bacos (Dec 6, 2022)

smellypants said:


> It mentions in the video that Guy is using the "Player Surround to Stereo" preset.
> 
> With the full library presets using a lot of mics and streaming a lot of voices, combined with sympathetic resonance i'm sure many people would complain about cpu hit, especially at low buffer settings.
> 
> ...


True. In addition, this demo presents the Fazioli's sound without any enhancement features, such as sympathetic resonance boosting, or the use of any plug-ins, more like, out of the box. However, this feature will be used in tomorrow's demo/video. Stay tuned!


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## Ben (Dec 6, 2022)

Iondot said:


> Ben, I'm trying to understand why it would be necessary or desirable to record day and night for weeks without a break for your team (even in the necessary shifts, this is a terrible practice.) While the product itself may be fantastic, I can't support a company that forces its employees to work such long hours, disrupting sleep, even in shifts, almost always without being paid appropriate overtime.
> 
> Unless your team _didn't_ work 24/7 for weeks and that phrase is just empty hyperbole in which case: what else in empty hyperbole?


Happy to hear that you care about my colleagues. I was in contact with the project manager during the recording of this piano and can assure you that the well-being of our team is a top priority.
And here is why:
After experimentation we noticed that for pianos even small positional and orientational changes of mics matter. So when sampling a piano the setup has to stay exactly as is until everything is recorded.
A lot of customers are recording in Synchron Stage these days, and it's often booked out, so we even have to reserve time-frames where we can sample. For this reason we had to sample 24/7.
Of course, our teams had breaks inbetween, just as usual. We also use a sampling robot for the piano, so the team necassary is very small during recording.
With a lot of people from other teams helping out with such a big project, everyone was able to choose the shift he wanted, so everyone was able to get enough rest, and night shifts got a bonus as well. No one was forced to take the night shift, or take long hours.


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## creativeforge (Dec 6, 2022)

Ben said:


> It took us weeks, recording 24/7, to capture this beautiful and large piano with all the finest detail in Stage A of our Synchron Stage Vienna.
> And after that months to edit all the recorded samples, but now it's here: Synchron Fazioli F308
> 
> 11 mic positions, letting you dial in the sound you need for your projects. Of course as usual it already comes with a lot of mixer presets as well!
> ...




Impressive! Hyperverbally described and clean demo... 4th pedal??  Felt piano-ish?


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## Karmand (Dec 6, 2022)

How does the voucher payment work? @Ben


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## Ben (Dec 6, 2022)

Buz said:


> I think it means "someone has to go reposition the robot after 4 hours".


This is more or less how sampling a piano with the robot works 
I was visiting Control A during a sampling session (Synchron Percussion II), and it's not as exiting with these instruments as you might think :D


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## creativeforge (Dec 6, 2022)

FireGS said:


>



Makes me wonder - is there an option to "humanize" the keybed? Very curious how solist find the sound, does it sound, organic? Maybe it's like having a perfectly tuned piano? Why did this come to be? 
What imperfection were they trying to "fix?"


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## Ben (Dec 6, 2022)

creativeforge said:


> Impressive! Hyperverbally described and clean demo... 4th pedal??  Felt piano-ish?


The forth pedal reduces the travel distance of the keys / hammer, which results in a softer sound, and the keys are really easy to trigger. It will not change the timbre of the piano, but the timbre of the velocity.



creativeforge said:


> Makes me wonder - is there an option to "humanize" the keybed? Very curious how solist find the sound, does it sound, organic? Maybe it's like having a perfectly tuned piano? Why did this come to be?
> What imperfection were they trying to "fix?"


You humanize the virtual piano simply by playing on a good controller / e-piano.
Our pianos have many recorded velocity layers, far more then humans can reliably reproduce.
It is hard to trigger the same velocity twice in a row when playing this piano, both for the real one and the virtual representation + a MIDI controller. So you will automatically humanize, just like with a real piano.
Our Synchron pianos also have some secret sauce build-in, to re-create the real sound as closely as possible.


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## Ben (Dec 6, 2022)

Karmand said:


> How does the voucher payment work? @Ben


When buying vouchers you will get voucher codes which you can apply during checkout.


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## Robert_G (Dec 6, 2022)

Something is wrong with the Synchron Fazioli F308. It looks closer to that of a piano then it does solo strings.
​


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## Zanshin (Dec 6, 2022)

Robert_G said:


> Something is wrong with the Synchron Fazioli F308. It looks closer to that of a piano then it does solo strings.
> ​


Careful, that is a slippery slope you are treading!


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## FireGS (Dec 6, 2022)

Iondot said:


> No, I did not _realize_ that. How would I come to that realization without your post? What a strange way of putting it.


I put it that way because you came out guns-blazing without even reading their website. It tells you all about it.








Iondot said:


> Ben, I'm trying to understand why it would be necessary or desirable to record day and night for weeks without a break for your team (even in the necessary shifts, *this is a terrible practice.*)





Iondot said:


> I can't support a company* that forces* its employees to work such *long hours, disrupting sleep*, even in shifts, almost always *without being paid appropriate overtime*.



It's been a thing for a very long time. Saying they're doing "terrible" things and "forcing" people to work, and committing working law crimes, _OR..._



Iondot said:


> Unless your team _didn't_ work 24/7 for weeks and that phrase is just empty hyperbole in which case: what else in empty hyperbole?


..they're lying about it... is pretty hostile for an announcement thread.


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## Jett Hitt (Dec 6, 2022)

Fourth pedal? What? Great Scott! I have to buy a new pedal and a new SSD? The nerve of these people. Next thing you know, they'll want us to buy a VSL T-shirt made by those little children they no doubt have working round the clock in sweatshops without so much as a break or overtime pay.


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## ALittleNightMusic (Dec 6, 2022)

@Ben Do you know which MIDI controller is being used in the video?

I hope hardware manufacturers take note. This level of detail in sample instruments demands highly sensitive MIDI controllers now.


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## creativeforge (Dec 6, 2022)

Ben said:


> You humanize the virtual piano simply by playing on a good controller / e-piano.



Thank you, I'm trying to visualize if the 4th pedal is a locked position or if it requires an extra sustain pedal?



Ben said:


> Our pianos have many recorded velocity layers, far more then humans can reliably reproduce.
> It is hard to trigger the same velocity twice in a row when playing this piano, both for the real one and the virtual representation + a MIDI controller. So you will automatically humanize, just like with a real piano.



Sorry, I misunderstood the concept of the "robot" recording. Makes sense. I'll have to dig deeper into this. Very intrigued. 

What would be the main differences between the Standard and the Full versions?

Thanks!


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## Nick Batzdorf (Dec 6, 2022)

HarmonKard said:


> I don't support companies who use forced labor to make products and turn a profit. VSL ain't exactly at the top of my list.


Writing as a moderator:

*I can't find the words to write, either as a moderator or as a mortal.*

Please, let's make this the final post about this embarrassingly ludicrous nonsense before Mike is forced to ban me for the words I eventually will find.

No really, this needs to stop. Future posts on the subject are henceforth subject to being deleted without a trace.


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## Ben (Dec 6, 2022)

ALittleNightMusic said:


> @Ben Do you know which MIDI controller is being used in the video?


@Guy Bacos can probably answer that better. I own/use a Roland FP30, which I can recommend for use as controller.


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## Ben (Dec 6, 2022)

creativeforge said:


> Thank you, I'm trying to visualize if the 4th pedal is a locked position or if it requires an extra sustain pedal?


It's not a locked pedal. 
But in the Synchron Piano Player you can lock-enable pedals by right clicking the indicators.


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## Ben (Dec 6, 2022)

creativeforge said:


> What would be the main differences between the Standard and the Full versions?


The number of mics you will have access to.
Scroll down on the product page to "Microphone Positions" to see what mic is included in which variant.





NEW: FAZIOLI F308 - Vienna Symphonic Library


The F308 is not only the jewel in the crown of Fazioli’s acclaimed series of concert grands, but also of Synchron Stage Vienna’s exclusive collection of pianos.




www.vsl.co.at


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## Karmand (Dec 6, 2022)

Ben said:


> When buying vouchers you will get voucher codes which you can apply during checkout.


I deserved that. Clearer: How does the voucher price become lower than the intro price? You have listed the price as less than the intro price. Just because I use the voucher? Does your system automatically know to make the extra discount? I understand that you get "25% off" like buy 3 get 4 thing - but you seem to point out that it is cheaper if purchased with voucher... more curious.


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## Robert_G (Dec 6, 2022)

Karmand said:


> I deserved that. Clearer: *How does the voucher price become lower than the intro price? *You have listed the price as less than the intro price. Just because I use the voucher? Does your system automatically know to make the extra discount? I understand that you get "25% off" like buy 3 get 4 thing - but you seem to point out that it is cheaper if purchased with voucher... more curious.


What he means is......just do your own math.....


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## Guy Bacos (Dec 6, 2022)

Ben said:


> @Guy Bacos can probably answer that better. I own/use a Roland FP30, which I can recommend for use as controller.


It's a Yamaha P-150. It's very old, and I can't seem to let it go. I'll be replacing it very soon, If anyone has something to recommend, I'd love to hear it.


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## Ben (Dec 6, 2022)

Karmand said:


> I deserved that. Clearer: How does the voucher price become lower than the intro price? You have listed the price as less than the intro price. Just because I use the voucher? Does your system automatically know to make the extra discount? I understand that you get "25% off" like buy 3 get 4 thing - but you seem to point out that it is cheaper if purchased with voucher... more curious.


--> https://www.vsl.co.at/News


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## smellypants (Dec 6, 2022)

Guy Bacos said:


> It's a Yamaha P-150. It's very old, and I can't seem to let it go. I'll be replacing it very soon, If anyone has something to recommend, I'd love to hear it.


I love the kawai mp11se 😎


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## Jackdnp121 (Dec 6, 2022)

Guy Bacos said:


> It's a Yamaha P-150. It's very old, and I can't seem to let it go. I'll be replacing it very soon, If anyone has something to recommend, I'd love to hear it.


Yamaha P515 or Roland FP90 if you are looking for some good home portable keyboard 👍


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## creativeforge (Dec 6, 2022)

Guy Bacos said:


> It's a Yamaha P-150. It's very old, and I can't seem to let it go. I'll be replacing it very soon, If anyone has something to recommend, I'd love to hear it.


I settled for the P-125 a few years ago after trying a lot of different brands and models, and bought it again after having sold the first one. Something about the action feels more "natural" to me. And it is so light to carry! For the price point, most enjoyable I found.


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## markofjohnson (Dec 6, 2022)

Karmand said:


> How does the voucher price become lower than the intro price?



If you spend $150 on 3 $50 vouchers, you get 4. So spend 150 but get 200. Then you buy at the sale price with that 200.


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## Guy Bacos (Dec 6, 2022)

creativeforge said:


> I settled for the P-125 a few years ago after trying a lot of different brands and models, and bought it again after having sold the first one. Something about the action feels more "natural" to me. And it is so light to carry! For the price point, most enjoyable I found.


I can believe that.


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## chapbot (Dec 6, 2022)

Paging @CGR - this might be the holy grail... _the tone..._


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## CGR (Dec 6, 2022)

chapbot said:


> Paging @CGR - this might be the holy grail... _the tone..._


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## Mark Schmieder (Dec 6, 2022)

Wow, this sounds like the best one yet, and I've been waiting for it since the series began!

Now, if only I had money for a new SSD, as I know it won't run on an HD and that's the only place I have free space right now. I haven't checked SSD prices lately, but the last time I did, they were scarce and even pricier than three years ago. Hopefully that's changed recently.


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## Jett Hitt (Dec 6, 2022)

Mark Schmieder said:


> Wow, this sounds like the best one yet, and I've been waiting for it since the series began!
> 
> Now, if only I had money for a new SSD, as I know it won't run on an HD and that's the only place I have free space right now. I haven't checked SSD prices lately, but the last time I did, they were scarce and even pricier than three years ago. Hopefully that's changed recently.


I just bought a 2TB T7 for $147 a couple of weeks ago.


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## Mark Schmieder (Dec 6, 2022)

I'll have to check when I have time to go down a rathole (hasn't been possible for a year or more now). Might be to my advantage anyway, as closer to Christmas, there might be sales.

I can't do 2 TB drives though, as I've run out of USB and Thunderbolt slots. It's the 4 TB drives that were still sky-high and scarce the last time I checked. I have one 4 TB and one 2 TB and need to upgrade the 2 TB to a 4 TB SSD. I've also found it makes a big difference to get the top-tier models.


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## Iondot (Dec 6, 2022)

FireGS said:


> I put it that way because you came out guns-blazing without even reading their website. It tells you all about it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You're re-characterizing a lot of what I said. Ben covered it much better, and with a lot of class.


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## Iondot (Dec 6, 2022)

Ben said:


> Happy to hear that you care about my colleagues. I was in contact with the project manager during the recording of this piano and can assure you that the well-being of our team is a top priority.
> And here is why:
> After experimentation we noticed that for pianos even small positional and orientational changes of mics matter. So when sampling a piano the setup has to stay exactly as is until everything is recorded.
> A lot of customers are recording in Synchron Stage these days, and it's often booked out, so we even have to reserve time-frames where we can sample. For this reason we had to sample 24/7.
> ...


Hey Ben, thanks for this thoughtful response. I obviously didn't understand your process and I apologize for the way I questioned it. I should have taken more care and I am sorry I didn't.


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## xinyuetuan10 (Dec 6, 2022)

@Ben Hello, I just spent 300 Euros to buy four Vienna Vouchers with a face value of 100 Euros. If I buy a Full version of this new piano, can I deduct 400 Euros and pay 45 Euros directly?


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## PaulieDC (Dec 6, 2022)

Guy Bacos said:


> It's a Yamaha P-150. It's very old, and I can't seem to let it go. I'll be replacing it very soon, If anyone has something to recommend, I'd love to hear it.


You get a sound like that brother, why replace it? 

Just proves again, it's not the brushes, it's the painter.


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## PaulieDC (Dec 6, 2022)

Iondot said:


> Hey Ben, thanks for this thoughtful response. I obviously didn't understand your process and I apologize for the way I questioned it. I should have taken more care and I am sorry I didn't.


My turn. I fussed at your pretty hard earlier, but your reply and apology to @Ben is first class, and I'd be a jerk if I didn't say, I apologize also, for blasting the guns at you, I could have replied in a kinder tone, and should have. Truly sorry.


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## PaulieDC (Dec 6, 2022)

xinyuetuan10 said:


> @Ben Hello, I just spent 300 Euros to buy four Vienna Vouchers with a face value of 100 Euros. If I buy a Full version of this new piano, can I deduct 400 Euros and pay 45 Euros directly?


Exactly, you got it. Apply the 4 vouchers that you paid €300 for, and cough up €45 more to complete the sale.

When the smoke clears, you'll have paid €345 for a €590 library. We could wait months for the odd 40% off sale on the pianos, if it comes, and even then it's €356.

Oh great, I just talked myself into getting the whole thing three weeks before Christmas. I might as well, it'll be my first VSL Piano bought on the day of release. So much for my signature below this.


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## Virtuoso (Dec 7, 2022)

Gotta love the VSL download servers. Pretty much maxing out my gigabit internet!


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## Nick Batzdorf (Dec 7, 2022)

Mark Schmieder said:


> Wow, this sounds like the best one yet, and I've been waiting for it since the series began!
> 
> Now, if only I had money for a new SSD, as I know it won't run on an HD and that's the only place I have free space right now. I haven't checked SSD prices lately, but the last time I did, they were scarce and even pricier than three years ago. Hopefully that's changed recently.


They’ve come way, way down.


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## SupremeFist (Dec 7, 2022)

Need dry, close mics demo plz.


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## Rtje (Dec 7, 2022)

Looking for the best price to buy this from Europe, anyone know? Ilio? Directly from vsl?

(i am aware of the vouchers.)

I'm a huge fan of the vsl piano's and I already know I won't be returning this, so that's not an issue.

Ilio seems to have the best pricing but I don't really know how much the extra cost for the currency conversion would be, if any. My paying method would be paypal.

Also I actually never heard of Ilio before until now. Is this a trusted website, can anyone confirm?


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## Guy Bacos (Dec 7, 2022)




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## PaulieDC (Dec 7, 2022)

Virtuoso said:


> Gotta love the VSL download servers. Pretty much maxing out my gigabit internet!


So... are you loving it?


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## Simeon (Dec 7, 2022)

SupremeFist said:


> Need dry, close mics demo plz.


Here is something I just did, doing some improvising and using some of the close mics without any reverb. I am really enjoying this sound and playability. Also experimenting with the fourth and soft pedal adds an additional layer of intimacy.
Thanks, @Ben for allowing me to experience this.


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## Rudianos (Dec 7, 2022)

Lovely. @Ben Please establish sell Synchron Prime Pianos - Ribbon and Tubes edition. I just want those mics - ill pay a disproportionate amount for those mics too  That Simeon 5:25 cut is heaven.


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## ptram (Dec 7, 2022)

This time I'm really tempted to go for the Standard version. The Fazioli sound is bright and transparent, and the set of mics in the Standard version should capture it effectively.

Any opinion from the owners?

Paolo


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## Zanshin (Dec 7, 2022)

ptram said:


> This time I'm really tempted to go for the Standard version. The Fazioli sound is bright and transparent, and the set of mics in the Standard version should capture it effectively.
> 
> Any opinion from the owners?
> 
> Paolo


I hope you are right, for my wallet and SSDs sake lol. CFX Standard perfectly captures what I want out of that piano. I went for Imperial Full because those three close mics are something special together. Simeon's video is causing me to lean towards full for this one though...


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## Marcus Millfield (Dec 7, 2022)

It's the surround presets in the Full libraries that do it for me for the Synchron pianos. The sound of Stage A is just magic on the Yamaha and Steinway.


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## SupremeFist (Dec 7, 2022)

Simeon said:


> Here is something I just did, doing some improvising and using some of the close mics without any reverb. I am really enjoying this sound and playability. Also experimenting with the fourth and soft pedal adds an additional layer of intimacy.
> Thanks, @Ben for allowing me to experience this.



Beautiful playing and sound. I thank you, but my wallet doesn't.


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## pcohen12 (Dec 7, 2022)

Rudianos said:


> Lovely. @Ben Please establish sell Synchron Prime Pianos - Ribbon and Tubes edition. I just want those mics - ill pay a disproportionate amount for those mics too  That Simeon 5:25 cut is heaven.


💯 to this! (Both the request for a "Ribbon and Tubes" edition as well as the "heaven" description of @Simeon's playing 😊)


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## SupremeFist (Dec 7, 2022)

pcohen12 said:


> 💯 to this! (Both the request for a "Ribbon and Tubes" edition as well as the "heaven" description of @Simeon's playing 😊)


I think VSL know exactly what they're doing in saving the ribbon and tube mics for the full versions. (Which is why I have the full version of 3 of their pianos.)


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## Zanshin (Dec 7, 2022)

Marcus Millfield said:


> It's the surround presets in the Full libraries that do it for me for the Synchron pianos. The sound of Stage A is just magic on the Yamaha and Steinway.


Yeah the room is special. When they had the promo where you could demo all the pianos I thought for sure the Bos Upright was in my future. I demo'd the full versions of all of them and none of the Stage B pianos did it for me and I ended up getting the Imperial Full.


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## Rudianos (Dec 7, 2022)

SupremeFist said:


> I think VSL know exactly what they're doing in saving the ribbon and tube mics for the full versions. (Which is why I have the full version of 3 of their pianos.)


Yeah I think you're exactly right! However hard drive constraints means I will never get those. And I really want to give them money for this good work! I have the full Yamaha I only use the ribbons!


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## SupremeFist (Dec 7, 2022)

Zanshin said:


> Yeah the room is special. When they had the promo where you could demo all the pianos I thought for sure the Bos Upright was in my future. I demo'd the full versions of all of them and none of the Stage B pianos did it for me and I ended up getting the Imperial Full.


I actually prefer stage b to stage a when I want some room sound, but it all depends what we're doing, doesn't it? For me, doing "neoclassical"/intimate stuff, the full versions are essential for the extra close mics.


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## ILIO_Official (Dec 7, 2022)

Rtje said:


> Looking for the best price to buy this from Europe, anyone know? Ilio? Directly from vsl?
> 
> (i am aware of the vouchers.)
> 
> ...


Hi Rtje,
Very happy to hear you are excited about the new Fazioli! ILIO has been part of the VSL family from the beginning. Feel free to give us a call or send us a support ticket from our website if you have any questions relating to VSL. We would be happy to assist you.


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## Zanshin (Dec 7, 2022)

SupremeFist said:


> I actually prefer stage b to stage a when I want some room sound, but it all depends what we're doing, doesn't it? For me, doing "neoclassical"/intimate stuff, the full versions are essential for the extra close mics.


That makes sense. My intention/justification for the Imperial was another cinematic flavor.

I recently picked up the old Vienna Imperial and love how intimate and subtle it can be. I wish I could play better (my left hand may as well have a single digit lol) because then I'd buy them all.


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## chapbot (Dec 7, 2022)

ptram said:


> This time I'm really tempted to go for the Standard version. The Fazioli sound is bright and transparent, and the set of mics in the Standard version should capture it effectively.
> 
> Any opinion from the owners?
> 
> Paolo


I feel the exact opposite, this will be the first synchron piano that I'll buy the full set for the Intimate Sur to Stereo preset.


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## PaulieDC (Dec 7, 2022)

Simeon said:


> Here is something I just did, doing some improvising and using some of the close mics without any reverb. I am really enjoying this sound and playability. Also experimenting with the fourth and soft pedal adds an additional layer of intimacy.
> Thanks, @Ben for allowing me to experience this.



Almost 7 minutes of just playing, with close mics... phenomenal. Simeon, we can tell that you just played the live gig at the Ark last night, you are still totally in the groove. The Guaraldi arrangement at 5:05 is smooth as butter. The tone of this Fazioli is superb. This demo needs to be featured along with Guy's, both are perfect to show the different tones of close and big room. Where's @Ben??


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## cfodeebiedaddy (Dec 7, 2022)

Rtje said:


> Looking for the best price to buy this from Europe, anyone know? Ilio? Directly from vsl?
> 
> (i am aware of the vouchers.)
> 
> ...


Ilio are certainly reputable!

FWIW I got a good price on this from BestService.


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## yabino974 (Dec 7, 2022)

Anyone knows if you can buy VSL products using the vouchers on Best Service? Or do you have to buy directly from VSL?

And if let's say you have 1500€ vouchers and you want to buy something that costs 1475. Is it possible to say, fuck it, I lose 25€, no big deal. Or do you have to use, 1450€ vouchers, and pay 25€ on top of it?


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## Virtuoso (Dec 7, 2022)

yabino974 said:


> Anyone knows if you can buy VSL products using the vouchers on Best Service? Or do you have to buy directly from VSL?
> 
> And if let's say you have 1500€ vouchers and you want to buy something that costs 1475. Is it possible to say, fuck it, I loose 25€, no big deal. Or do you have to use, 1450€ vouchers, and pay 25€ on top of it?


You can only use the vouchers at the same place you bought them.

You have to use the full voucher, which is a little frustrating. My total was $393 so I couldn't use the full $400 - had to keep a $50 voucher and pay another $43.


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## cfodeebiedaddy (Dec 7, 2022)

yabino974 said:


> Anyone knows if you can buy VSL products using the vouchers on Best Service? Or do you have to buy directly from VSL?
> 
> And if let's say you have 1500€ vouchers and you want to buy something that costs 1475. Is it possible to say, fuck it, I lose 25€, no big deal. Or do you have to use, 1450€ vouchers, and pay 25€ on top of it?


You need to buy the product from the same place you bought the voucher. I.e., if you bought the vouchers on VSL's website, you need to buy the product there. I knew I wanted to buy the Fazioli from Best Service, so I bought the vouchers from Best Service.


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## yabino974 (Dec 7, 2022)

Alright, thanks for the reactivity! You guys are legends!

Yes I bought 2600€ vouchers from Best Service, so for the Synchron Piano Bundle (Full) and Fazioli (Full), it makes 2565. So I'll have to keep a 50€ voucher and pay 15€. Not so bad.

Now I'll have to wait some more months to be able to use it. Waiting on PCIE 5.0 SSDs to complete a new Ryzen 7000 build... Considering how huge and hungry those libraries are!

Thanks again!


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## cfodeebiedaddy (Dec 7, 2022)

Wow - going 'all in' at once is a bold move! You sure it isn't worth starting with the standard versions?

Also, are you eligible for an educational discount? That will take a big chunk of the price if you are!


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## Rtje (Dec 7, 2022)

ILIO_Official said:


> Hi Rtje,
> Very happy to hear you are excited about the new Fazioli! ILIO has been part of the VSL family from the beginning. Feel free to give us a call or send us a support ticket from our website if you have any questions relating to VSL. We would be happy to assist you.





cfodeebiedaddy said:


> Ilio are certainly reputable!
> 
> FWIW I got a good price on this from BestService.


Thank you for the reactions. 

I'm in the process of buying this promising piano from Ilio.com right now!


No way I could resist this.


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## yabino974 (Dec 7, 2022)

cfodeebiedaddy said:


> Wow - going 'all in' at once is a bold move! You sure it isn't worth starting with the standard versions?
> 
> Also, are you eligible for an educational discount? That will take a big chunk of the price if you are!


Well, I already bought the vouchers so... Educational? Well, I'm a Kindergarten teacher. So I guess I'm out of the picture.


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## Virtuoso (Dec 7, 2022)

yabino974 said:


> for the Synchron Piano Bundle (Full) and Fazioli (Full)...
> Waiting on PCIE 5.0 SSDs


Just FYI - the full piano bundle + Fazioli leaves about 163GB free on a 2TB SSD...


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## cfodeebiedaddy (Dec 7, 2022)

yabino974 said:


> Well, I already bought the vouchers so... Educational? Well, I'm a Kindergarten teacher. So I guess I'm out of the picture.


Not necessarily...worth checking how broadly they construe the edu eligibility  

Saying this as someone who qualifies for the discount but hadn't expected to!


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## Rtje (Dec 7, 2022)

ILIO_Official said:


> Hi Rtje,
> Very happy to hear you are excited about the new Fazioli! ILIO has been part of the VSL family from the beginning. Feel free to give us a call or send us a support ticket from our website if you have any questions relating to VSL. We would be happy to assist you.


I'm in the process of buying from Ilio.com, but I have ran into a problem.

I have bought the 4x100 vouchers first, but when trying to buy the Fazioli itself I don't see an option to claim the vouchers anywhere. In the instructions of the vouchers it says there should be a "special instructions" section in the shopping cart where you can insert the vouchers, but I don't see this anywhere.

What am I missing?


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## chopin4525 (Dec 7, 2022)

It is very nice sounding piano but the fourth pedal (bringing the hammers closer to the strings) mentioned in the description was not invented by Fazioli but by George Steingraeber in 1895. As much as I would like it to be true let's avoid repeating some marketing spiel when the piano has plenty of innovative engineering features to be mentioned.


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## ILIO_Official (Dec 7, 2022)

Rtje said:


> I'm in the process of buying from Ilio.com, but I have ran into a problem.
> 
> I have bought the 4x100 vouchers first, but when trying to buy the Fazioli itself I don't see an option to claim the vouchers anywhere. In the instructions of the vouchers it says there should be a "special instructions" section in the shopping cart where you can insert the vouchers, but I don't see this anywhere.
> 
> What am I missing?


After you select proceed to checkout, the next page on the right will show you your total. Below the order total is "add a note". Select this, and you can put in any comment for the order. The order will be processed by a person and the voucher codes will be verified and applied. Once they have been applied, you'll be credited back the difference.

Alternatively, call the sales line and we can apply the vouchers as a phone order for you immediately.

For future questions, please use our contact us form or call us directly.


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## Mark Schmieder (Dec 7, 2022)

chopin4525 said:


> It is very nice sounding piano but the fourth pedal (bringing the hammers closer to the strings) mentioned in the description was not invented by Fazioli but by George Steingraeber in 1895. As much as I would like it to be true let's avoid repeating some marketing spiel when the piano has plenty of innovative engineering features to be mentioned.


I was thinking the same thing, but didn't have time to do a deep dive to see if they're exactly the same concept or not. There are a lot of firsts in modern piano design, many of them from Erard.


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## chapbot (Dec 7, 2022)

Just bought the full using vouchers. For those interested in the dry/close, here are 2 examples. This piano is >really< nice and inspires you to play. I improvised this little ditty straight out of the box (Fab Filter Limiter only, 90% dynamics) with the IntimateSurToStereo and PlayerSurToStereo presets. Turned off the mid/main/high mics and extra reverb to make it drier, capped velocity at the mf layer. Can be bone dry by reducing RS Level (release sample.)


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## quietmind (Dec 7, 2022)

Guy Bacos said:


> It's a Yamaha P-150. It's very old, and I can't seem to let it go. I'll be replacing it very soon, If anyone has something to recommend, I'd love to hear it.


I like the Kawai MP11SE.


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## epianist (Dec 8, 2022)

Is there a way in the player to fine tune each key speaking of all SY pianos (editing volume per key is possible I guess)? Or to be more perfect to simulate fine tuning of each (one) of the (3-4) strings per key like a technician would do to achieve a certain tune like honky tonk.. I know nobody would turn a Fazi to honky but interested to get to know if this player feature is in the pipe for next years (bc I'm still searching a VI piano doing the old jazzy, bebop stuff known from early recordings ...


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## yabino974 (Dec 8, 2022)

epianist said:


> Is there a way in the player to fine tune each key speaking of all SY pianos (editing volume per key is possible I guess)? Or to be more perfect to simulate fine tuning of each (one) of the (3-4) strings per key like a technician would do to achieve a certain tune like honky tonk.. I know nobody would turn a Fazi to honky but interested to get to know if this player feature is in the pipe for next years (bc I'm still searching a VI piano doing the old jazzy, bebop stuff known from early recordings ...


Not to hijack the thread, but you should check the Synthogy Ivory Uprights II bundle. For old jazzy stuff it's perfect!


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## epianist (Dec 8, 2022)

thanks.. just checked the plugin which has rendered my own question partially obso: yes, there is indeed a per-key-tuning option in Edit > Tuning over the keyboard: super.. now the question remains how to tune a key "in itself" instead of the overal frequency of the tone. I mean instead of saying tuning 440-1,5Hz to simulate the fact that "only" one string of the string package per key is slighty detuned.. So maybe this is an idea for upcoming libraries ... there is still place for other piano thumbnails next to the 8 current ones


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## Guy Bacos (Dec 8, 2022)

New videos each day


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## Aitcpiano (Dec 8, 2022)

Would be great to have some more demos for the pianos so can try out this new one. I'm still inclined towards getting the Steinway at some point. Got the CFX and 280VC Full.


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## Guy Bacos (Dec 8, 2022)

For something a bit different, here's a little improvisation on the Synchron Fazioli F308.


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## Rtje (Dec 8, 2022)

I just want to share I had a great experience buying from the good people at Ilio.com, which were very informative, helpfull and flexible with some difficult questions i had because of buying from europe. 

Downloading the Fazioli right now!


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## Rtje (Dec 9, 2022)

Well, after playing around with it about an hour or so... i can happily say my first impression is..... impressed, I think this is a stunning instrument.

To me it seems like almost a perfect mix of a modern grand piano, but with alot of character like a vintage one. In a way it reminds me of the bechstein sound, but also a bit of the Embertone walker because of it's character..

Few notes:

- my monitors (jbl 305) don't do it justice.

- I found it does need some tweaking to my liking. The bass end seemed a bit too soft, the velocity curve definitly needed to be edited for my vpc1, and some notes seemed to be sticking out a bit, but that might as well be caused by some frequency's sticking out in my headphones, i don't know yet. The thing is, that's why I absolutely love the synchron piano's player. You can quite easily fix most things you find imperfect about it. Bass end too soft? No problem, couple of notes sticking out? no problem. The synchron player is really powerful, and since recording a piano is never perfect, I would not enjoy the piano's half as much without being able to adjust things to my liking, couldn't do without it! I read some comments about the bass end not being thunderous like a steinway, well, maybe in the standard presets it isn't, but solve that problem by upping the volume of the bass end a bit, it is quite thunderous, I promise you that.


- Long story short, my first impression: put a little time in adjusting this piano, and it is absolutely stunning.


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## khollister (Dec 9, 2022)

Wow - I have the Steinway, Bosendorfer Imperial and CFX Synchron Pianos but this is even more impressive. Kudos to the team at VSL. It also appears the Synchron Piano AU plugin is better optimized for Rosetta use in Logic on M1 computers. I don't get the CPU spiking at first use like I did and it seems to tolerate fistfuls of notes better with multiple mic channels.


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## khollister (Dec 9, 2022)

Aitcpiano said:


> Would be great to have some more demos for the pianos so can try out this new one. I'm still inclined towards getting the Steinway at some point. Got the CFX and 280VC Full.


While I am a big Steinway D fan in real life, I think the Synchron Steinway is disappointing from a tone perspective. After a lot of mic mixing and some EQ I have what I consider a more representative Model D tone, but The Bosendorfer Imp and even the CFX (not normally a Yamaha fan) are "more right" to my ears out of the box. If I had it to do over, the Bosendorfer Imperial and now the Fazioli would be my picks.


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## Guy Bacos (Dec 9, 2022)

Mixer Preset: Concert Decca Tree:


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## PaulieDC (Dec 9, 2022)

Aitcpiano said:


> Would be great to have some more demos for the pianos so can try out this new one. I'm still inclined towards getting the Steinway at some point. Got the CFX and 280VC Full.


You have to go for Full on the Steinway. Out of the box it's like there this missing layer of Timbre, like it's been sterilized. You can get a wonderful tone but it takes work with the microphones, including some EQ tweaks on the mic channels. However, it's the Tube (Neumann M149) and Ribbon (Royer SF-24) mics that are the clear winners to dial in that piano, and they only come with the full library. Ouch.


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## fakemaxwell (Dec 9, 2022)

khollister said:


> While I am a big Steinway D fan in real life, I think the Synchron Steinway is disappointing from a tone perspective.


Were all the other pianos sampled similarly? Seems odd it would be a miss if that's the case...maybe it was the piano itself?


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## Ben (Dec 9, 2022)

fakemaxwell said:


> Were all the other pianos sampled similarly? Seems odd it would be a miss if that's the case...maybe it was the piano itself?


It's a matter of taste and music style. 
If there would be one piano that fits everyone and all styles we could stop sampling pianos after 2 - a concert piano and an upright. 
But since there are so many different styles and tastes everyone will choose a different piano as their favorite. 
This said, of course we have more experience with every piano we sample and improve minor details with every instrument we sample. For this reason for a very analytical listener the Fazioli might be the favorite. But for most it's based on the characteristics of the piano.


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## quietmind (Dec 9, 2022)

khollister said:


> While I am a big Steinway D fan in real life, I think the Synchron Steinway is disappointing from a tone perspective. After a lot of mic mixing and some EQ I have what I consider a more representative Model D tone, but The Bosendorfer Imp and even the CFX (not normally a Yamaha fan) are "more right" to my ears out of the box. If I had it to do over, the Bosendorfer Imperial and now the Fazioli would be my picks.





Ben said:


> It's a matter of taste and music style.


While I agree with @Ben completely, and I am a big fan of VSL and have most everything, I also agree with @khollister on this one. I have been playing on my Hamburg D for almost four decades, so I do have a huge appreciation for the instrument. However, the sound of the Synchron Steinway does not grab me as much as the CFX or Bosendorfer Imperial, or, now, the Fazioli. Sure, there are differences between specific Steinways and how they are tuned and voiced. Mine during the first month after a tuning is much more spectacular than months after that. And I would bet VSL has a top rate piano tech. Just saying, there might be room to improve that particular library. I had thought that it would be very interesting to have a Studio B version of the Steinway at some point in time. Yet, it would be hard for me to complain about the lack of piano choices from VSL!


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## PaulieDC (Dec 9, 2022)

Ben said:


> It's a matter of taste and music style.
> If there would be one piano that fits everyone and all styles we could stop sampling pianos after 2 - a concert piano and an upright.
> But since there are so many different styles and tastes everyone will choose a different piano as their favorite.
> This said, of course we have more experience with every piano we sample and improve minor details with every instrument we sample. For this reason for a very analytical listener the Fazioli might be the favorite. But for most it's based on the characteristics of the piano.


Fazioli and Bosendorfer Imperial to me are like members of the same family, I'm going back and forth between the two and they are totally interchangeable, yet not quite the same. I think some of the Fazioli presets are top notch out of the box. CFX has a little too much in the waistline but I found it super easy to get a tone that I fell in love with. Steinway is akin to pro photography (how's that for a weird analogy): in my pro photography life, I use a DSLR body that cost $3K when it was new, and I never ever use any of the pointless presets. I run it 100% manually to dial in aperture, shutter speed, ISO and exposure compensation to manually control highlights. That's the Steinway. The data is there and you need the full set of mics, plus you need to work with the mic EQ on some of them, and potentially micro adjust velocity, but you can get a great Steinway sound. I did one night and stupidly didn't save the preset. "Kicking myself" is an understatement. Some may not want to get that involved, and would rather have great tone in a blink. That, in my skewed opinion, is Fazioli, 280VC and let's toss the Bosey Imperial on that pile.

Also, for the Steinway, you need a controller with a great velocity curve or at least one with an adjustable curve. I had first purchased the Steinway 3 years ago and I was horrified at how bizarre it sounded (supposedly), and I returned it. I failed to understand that my M-Audio CODE61 was NOT the controller to use, and that's when Rabih ( @keepitsimple ) taught me the importance of the velocity curve. The CODE61 is NOT what you want for highly-sampled piano libraries. I sold all plastic controllers in 2020 and got the SL88 Grand. Whoa, what a difference. I got Garritan first, then VSL Steinway to start, and now I'm up to 6 VSL Pianos with this latest Fazioli aquisition. #5 was a repurchase of the Steinway this year, and I cannot believe it's the same piano library that I had tried with a Hip Hop EDM controller 3 years ago. I personally love it and after this current Berklee class is done, I'm going to work with the Steinway and find the magic combinations that I know are in there. My goal is to post a piece and people say "wait, that's the VSL Steinway??". 

Ugh, once again I wrote a book, sorry. Summary is, a lot of factors come into play with a piano library especially. Some are plug-and-play while others are a massive Lego project. I think Fazioli and Steinway share those bookends of easy and project-based!


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## jdg78 (Dec 9, 2022)

Re: the Synchron Steinway, I personally really love the tone and find it to be the most colorful and tonally varied of all the modern grands (I’m not including the Bluthner in that category). The softer velocities are particularly lovely, and it responds very well to more intimate playing. I know some find the tone at higher velocities to be bit too hard and bright, but it doesn’t really bother me as it still sounds very full and I’ve heard Steinways in real life that sound much like this. Having the full mics helps, and finding the right mix is critical - none of the factory presets do it full justice, IMO.

However, the major issue I have with the Steinway is that I find the playability and responsiveness to be a touch below that of the other Synchron grands, particularly with rapidly repeated notes, trills and such, which I don’t find always get picked up as accurately compared to the other instruments. When I switch to the VSL Bluthner, Bosendorfer Imperial or CFX, all of which I also own, I don’t encounter these issues when playing identical passages, so it’s something unique to the Steinway. I’ve also seen others mention this on other forums so I know it’s not just me. It’s not terrible and the overall playability is still very high, but it can be a bit frustrating with certain pieces or passages.

It seems like this is something that could probably be fixed with some tweaks to the scripting, and it would be amazing if this could be addressed in a software update at some point, but I have no idea if there are any plans to do so.

In regards to the new Fazioli, I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but I look forward to at some point in the near future. Fazioli has never been my favorite brand from a tone perspective, and I wasn’t really getting very excited from the demos on the VSL site, but some of the user-produced demos I’ve heard on this board and others have sounded much better, so I’m more curious now.


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## Guy Bacos (Dec 9, 2022)

Ben said:


> It's a matter of taste and music style.
> If there would be one piano that fits everyone and all styles we could stop sampling pianos after 2 - a concert piano and an upright.
> But since there are so many different styles and tastes everyone will choose a different piano as their favorite.


Agree.

Comparing the world's top piano brands, such as Steinway, Yamaha, Bosendorfer, Kawai, Fazioli, etc is like comparing apples and oranges and that's the beauty of it.


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## PaulieDC (Dec 9, 2022)

jdg78 said:


> ...the major issue I have with the Steinway is that I find the playability and responsiveness to be a touch below that of the other Synchron grands, particularly with rapidly repeated notes, trills and such, which I don’t find always get picked up as accurately compared to the other instruments. When I switch to the VSL Bluthner, Bosendorfer Imperial or CFX, all of which I also own, I don’t encounter these issues when playing identical passages, so it’s something unique to the Steinway.


Yeah, that's definitely one of the Lego blocks, lol... I want to work with the individual key velocity and see if that can painstakingly be reduced or eliminated. It would be specific to your controller I imagine. One other thing is to slightly harden the velocity on your controller and if that works, save that as a preset just to use for the Steinway. It may take a harder velocity that you play softer to balance. Also, Timbre shift I think will come into play with this library... I need to moooosh it around a bit and see what happens. The piano is worth it, and it's a fun challenge.


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## ptram (Dec 10, 2022)

quietmind said:


> I have been playing on my Hamburg D for almost four decades


My guess is that Steinways have changed, together with their main customers. The one sampled by VSL might be a newer one, one that I would call a "Yuja Wang Steinway". I wouldn’t expect the same instrument sampled by Embertone. And I feel the same with the Bösendorfer 280VC – a piano conceived for a new generation.

Paolo


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## Lee Blaske (Dec 22, 2022)

Guy Bacos said:


> It's a Yamaha P-150. It's very old, and I can't seem to let it go. I'll be replacing it very soon, If anyone has something to recommend, I'd love to hear it.


If someone hasn't already mentioned it, the Kawai VPC1 is amazing for piano. That's what it's designed for. Some serious wood, and it even has the "bump" you feel on a real piano action.


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## CGR (Dec 22, 2022)

Lee Blaske said:


> If someone hasn't already mentioned it, the Kawai VPC1 is amazing for piano. That's what it's designed for. Some serious wood, and it even has the "bump" you feel on a real piano action.


Yes, it simulates the escapement component of an acoustic grand piano action.


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## artinro (Dec 23, 2022)

Just checking in a week or so later. How are people enjoying the VSL F308? I’ve really liked most of what I’ve heard so far, but it seems to be getting somewhat of a mixed response.


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## Guy Bacos (Dec 23, 2022)

Lee Blaske said:


> If someone hasn't already mentioned it, the Kawai VPC1 is amazing for piano. That's what it's designed for. Some serious wood, and it even has the "bump" you feel on a real piano action.


Looks like a serious candidate. I can't wait to try it out at my local music store. No modwheel, right? So use to having it on the right of my piano.


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## Mark Schmieder (Dec 23, 2022)

Itching to try it! My new 4TB SSD should arrive later today, at which point I can download it!


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## Lee Blaske (Dec 23, 2022)

Guy Bacos said:


> Looks like a serious candidate. I can't wait to try it out at my local music store. No modwheel, right? So use to having it on the right of my piano.


No modwheel, but I found a great solution for that. I have a small Korg Micro Key 37 on top of my VPC1 that gives me the pitch and mod wheel. Plus, I keep it transposed down as low as it can go and map all my key switching for all the instruments in my template starting at the lowest MIDI C possible. This usually keeps all of my key switching off of my 88 key keyboard, and I never have to remember if it's to the left or right of the active keys (it also puts the key switching in a more convenient place). I've also added a Monogram control system for extra control inputs, and a MIDI Solutions box to give me a controller pedal input. So, I'm not missing out on anything.
For the coming year, I'm toying with the idea of replacing the Korg Micro Key 37 with a Roli Seaboard 49, for some extra flexibility (I would use the Seaboard for all of the normal key switching tasks).


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## klavaus (Dec 23, 2022)

Guy Bacos said:


> Looks like a serious candidate. I can't wait to try it out at my local music store. No modwheel, right? So use to having it on the right of my piano.


Be sure to play on the Kawai MP11 as well.


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## Michael Antrum (Dec 23, 2022)

I could be mistaken, but I have been lead to believe that the Kawai MP11se has a slightly better keyed than the VPC-1, but of course it is more expensive as it has the Kawai pianos built in.

If you need something a little more compact the Roland RD2000 also has a wooden keybed too, but the MP11se is my personal favourite....


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## quietmind (Dec 23, 2022)

Michael Antrum said:


> I could be mistaken, but I have been lead to believe that the Kawai MP11se has a slightly better keyed than the VPC-1, but of course it is more expensive as it has the Kawai pianos built in.
> 
> If you need something a little more compact the Roland RD2000 also has a wooden keybed too, but the MP11se is my personal favourite....


Agreed. I'd recommend you try both Kawai's and see which you like better. The MP11se has the mod wheel too!


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## Guy Bacos (Dec 31, 2022)

I'm no jazz pianist, but this is me having fun with an arrangement I did of "Georgia on My Mind" (Intimate Preset).


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## CGR (Dec 31, 2022)

Guy Bacos said:


> I'm no jazz pianist, but this is me having fun with an arrangement I did of "Georgia on My Mind" (Intimate Preset).



Apart from enjoying listening to your video demos @Guy Bacos, I admire your technique and efficient movement across the keys. Beautiful articulation with no unnecessary "showy" hand flourishes or wasted energy, but relaxed and controlled hands & fingers.


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## Guy Bacos (Jan 1, 2023)

CGR said:


> Apart from enjoying listening to your video demos @Guy Bacos, I admire your technique and efficient movement across the keys. Beautiful articulation with no unnecessary "showy" hand flourishes or wasted energy, but relaxed and controlled hands & fingers.


So kind of you to say! Despite my limited understanding and feel for jazz, I occasionally enjoy dabbling in these jazzy chords. Maybe I should make it my goal to get better at this genre in the coming year.


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## chapbot (Jan 2, 2023)

For what it's worth, I've been playing with this piano since the day it came out. It's my number one piano of all the pianos I own (and I think I own every last one of them lol!) The tone is perfect, the touch is perfect, the realism is amazing, I can't rave about it enough. I have the full version with those juicy mics, and use the player surround to stereo patch. (To give context, my previous favorites were the Pearl, the Walker, and the new Meldway Grand which held my top spot for a scant few weeks until the Fazioli came out!)

Yesterday I sliced off the higher velocity layers and found it is now my favorite soft cinematic piano... Oh I'm in love with this thing 😍


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## JacksonTree (Jan 2, 2023)

chapbot said:


> Yesterday I sliced off the higher velocity layers and found it is now my favorite soft cinematic piano... Oh I'm in love with this thing 😍


via the velocity curves in the synchron player?


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## chapbot (Jan 2, 2023)

JacksonTree said:


> via the velocity curves in the synchron player?


yes!


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## David Kudell (Yesterday at 12:27 PM)

All right folks, I think I'm about to buy my first VSL piano library, because this Fazioli sounds pretty amazing. Question is - is the full version worth the extra expense? Does it actually sound better or is it just about having "extra mics just in case you do surround?"


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## Ben (Yesterday at 12:30 PM)

It's not only good/helpful for surround; you will get access to additional close and mid mics as well.
The surround mics will also help to make the sound more 3D-ish when mixed down in stereo (there are mixer presets available that do exactly that).
Btw, don't forget that you can save up to 25% on top with the current voucher sale (buy 4 vouchers, pay for only 3).


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## Mark Schmieder (Yesterday at 1:48 PM)

Everything Ben said is true, even though he has a vested interest.  

I do not do surround at this time (that might change), but all of my mixes have benefitted tremendously from going to the full editions of everything, to get the extra mics on their own as well as to make use of stereo collapses of the surrounds.

Definitely more 3D this way, and for something like piano, you'll hear more organic evolution of harmonics through space, for a much more realistic rendition.


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## Guy Bacos (Yesterday at 5:11 PM)

This piece played on the Synchron Fazioli F308 demonstrates some nice dynamic contrasts. From ppp with the 4th pedal to ff.


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