REQ: VSL Vienna Imperial

The most realistic sampled piano ever created.
The Vienna Imperial virtual grand piano is a class of its own. The venerable Bösendorfer Imperial 290-755 that our team hosted at the Silent Stage for two months was equipped with the famed piano manufacturer’s CEUS technology (details below), which allowed for the most precise and by far most extensive piano sample recordings ever conducted in the history of music technology. 1,200 recorded samples per key represent a magnitude of sampling detail that has been unthinkable up to now.




The innovative implementation of meticulously recorded pedal-up and pedal-down notes in up to 100 velocities, comprehensive sympathetic resonances, and multiple release samples make the Vienna Imperial the most realistic sampled piano you’ve ever heard.

No less importantly, the Vienna Imperial is so easy to use. The Basic View of the user interface lets you choose between three recording positions (close, player, and audience). The Advanced View gives you quick and easy access to more control options such as convolution reverb, EQ, pedal noises, sympathetic resonances, stereo width, MIDI sensitivity and more. But don’t get fooled by the slick interface – under the hood is a new proprietary piano engine that has been specifically designed to drive this massive amount of sample data and processing power. And when all is said and done, all that matters is how it sounds. Dare we say, the “Passion of the Grand” has never been more real.

Features
Powerful proprietary piano engine
Up to 100 velocities per key, 1,200 recorded samples per key
Audience, player, and close microphone recording positions
Recordings of sustain pedal up/down and soft pedal (una corda) down
Multiple release samples for different note lengths (supports authentic staccato/staccatissimo performances)
Repetition samples for pedal-sustained notes
Sympathetic resonances for sustain pedal up and down positions
Adjustable pedal noises
Easy to use interface with unique velocity histogram
Convolution reverb featuring three halls of the famous Vienna Konzerthaus
Global Equalizer and Per-Note Equalizer
Adjustable Note Volume (per key)
Dynamic range control
Lossless sample compression for using less hard disk space
RAM Optimizer to unload unused samples out of RAM
24-bit/44.1kHz, stereo
Product Details
The CEUS computer grand is capable of recording even the most subtle key movements and positions using microprocessors and highly sensitive optical sensors. It plays those recorded notes absolutely identically using solenoids installed under every key. Far exceeding the limits of any other system, the CEUS measures the velocity of the hammer on its way to the string just before striking it (a distance of just 0.15") with an accuracy of 0.001 milliseconds, and even records and exactly reproduces the key movements after every strike.

Velocities
The CEUS technology made it possible to exploit the velocity range of the MIDI protocol to an unprecedented degree. Up to 100 velocities were recorded per key and playing technique, i.e., with and without pressing the sustain pedal, and alternatively with the soft pedal down. There are simply no audible steps between the singular velocity layers, and every single key has its own authentic velocity curve. These precise recording techniques would have been impossible without Bösendorfer’s CEUS technology. No human pianist, no matter how skilled, would be able to play 100 evenly spaced velocities from pianissimo to fortissimo, not to mention playing them consistently across all playing techniques such as sustain pedal or soft pedal down.

Release Samples
Bösendorfer’s computerized grand also allowed for another innovation, the recording of perfectly timed release samples, depending on the length of the note played by the user. In particular, the releases of very short notes, with lengths between 100 and 1,000 ms, were recorded in subtly gradated steps, because in this range the length of each held note most affects the volume and sound of the release. Therefore the Vienna Imperial can reproduce release sounds very authentically, most audibly when playing short staccatos in the lowest range.

Sympathetic Resonances
The dedicated piano engine supports sympathetic string resonances. There are two variants, sympathetic resonances of individual strings (pedal-up) and of all non-damped strings (pedal-down). The first case covers the overtone resonances of each individual string reacting to other keys being played. An algorithmic solution recreates what happens in a real piano, based on a bank of carefully tuned resonance filters. The amount of this resonance can be adjusted with the Sympathetic Resonance parameter. In the pedal-down case, the sound of the whole piano has been captured with all its resonating strings reacting to the played key.

Miking
The elaborate positioning of microphones allowed for the sound to naturally evolve and spread while minimizing room characteristics. As a result, the Vienna Imperial is very flexible and can be placed easily in any virtual environment. You may select between three microphone positions, resulting in three different sonic basis points and lending the Vienna Imperial well to orchestral music, romantic ballads, contemporary pop and rock tracks as well as jazz performances.

Each of the three positions is a different mix of several microphones, carefully positioned to provide a well-balanced, phase coherent, and accurate overall sound.

Distant – Audience Position
The audience position exhibits the most room ambience, and is perfect for recreating the sound of a concert recording. The sound of the Bösendorfer Imperial develops naturally and is well balanced throughout.

Middle – Player Position
This position recreates the sound a pianist would be hearing when playing the instrument. The perspective offers a present and broad sound that can be mixed superbly into contemporary productions and modern tracks.

Close – Microphones placed in the body
This microphone position, with its clear, distinctive, and voluminous tone, is suited for all modern applications that need a direct and focused sound.

Standard Library
Sample Amount 69,633
Download File Size 46.8 GB
Installed File Size 46.8 GB