PLEASE NOTE:Software licenses are Not Returnable or exchangeable, Vienna Symphonic Library does not allow returns on software. If you have any questions about software compatibility or versions Please consult with us prior to purchase .
( note : this products requires Vienna or Steinberg elicenser USB key, which is not included, and is purchased separately)
Elicenser key is available at this link: eLicenser Key
The new VIENNA IMPERIAL virtual grand piano is in a
class of its own. The venerable Bosendorfer Imperial 290-755 that the
Vienna team hosted at the Silent Stage for two months was equipped with
the famed piano manufacturer's CEUS technology, 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 quite
honestly the most realistic sampled piano ever created.
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, it boils down to
how it sounds. Dare we say, the "Passion of the Grand" has never been
more real.
Features
-
Up to 100 velocities per key, 1,200 recorded samples per
key
- Audience, player, and close microphone recording
positions
- Powerful proprietary piano engine
- 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
- Equalizer
- 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
Your purchase also entitles you to download the free
Vienna Ensemble 2 mixing and host software.
The Vienna Imperial Collection is not divided into Standard
and Extended Libraries like other Vienna Instruments Collections. The
Standard package includes the full set of samples along with the
software instrument/engine. The Library contains 500 GB of uncompressed
sample data in 44.1kHz/24-bit. Due to a specifically developed
optimization process, the Vienna Imperial engine decompresses the
samples in real-time, so that they take up only 50 GB of space on your
hard disk.
System Requirements
-
PC Intel Core Duo (or AMD 3 GHz) or higher with Windows
XP/Vista/7 32-bit or 64-bit versions or
- Apple Mac Core Duo with OS X 10.5 or higher, Intel
platform only
- 3 GB RAM with 1.5 GB memory available
- Fast separate hard drive with 60 GB free space
- ViennaKey (Vienna Symphonic Library protection device or
other USB eLicenser)
- DVD drive for installation
- VST (OS X, Windows XP/Vista/7), AU (OS X), or RTAS (OS
X) compatible host when used as a plug-in - also works stand-alone
- eLicenser License Control Center 5.4.14.2 or higher
- 88 key master keyboard (highly recommended)
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 0.0001 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 Bosendorfer'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
Bosendorfer'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 with all its resonating strings reacting to a given key
has been captured.
Miking
The elaborate positioning of microphones allowed for the sound
to naturally evolve and spread, but minimized capturing the sound of
the room. Therefore the Vienna Imperial remains flexible and can be
placed easily in any virtual environment you may choose. 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, as is
needed when recreating the sound of a concert recording. The sound of
the Bosendorfer 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.
Recorded Styles
-
Sustain pedal up
- Sustain pedal down
- Soft pedal (una corda) down
- Repetition tones for sustain pedal down (hitting the
sounding string)
- Repetition tones for sustain and soft pedal down
(hitting the sounding string)
- Release samples in different lengths
- Release samples in different lengths with the soft pedal
down
- Sympathetic resonance tones of individual keys (sustain
pedal up)
- Sympathetic resonance tones of the whole piano (sustain
pedal down)
800-834-5986
