Ivory is magnificent 
by neonjohn from Connecticut, USA, June 2008
Music Background:  25 year composer/sound designer

Ivory is simply an exquisite piece of software. Running on a modest/decent system: a first generation dual 1.8Ghz G5, with 3GB RAM and a 7200 rpm FW400 drive, it works flawlessly and was easy to install. And the sound, especially the Steinway, is breathtaking. Very satisfying to play just for the joy of playing, let alone in productions. Great work Synthogy.

  Unbelievable! 
by Tony Anderson from Joplin, MO, September 2007
Music Background:  Electronica, Custom Soundtracks

I really don't know how I survived WITHOUT Ivory in my studio for the last few years, but now that I have it, I'll never let it out of my sight! Everything about Ivory makes it worth its weight in gold. Whether it's the user friendly control interface, the STUNNING samples, or the flexibility over the parameters and fx, Ivory is an incredibly valuable asset.

Also, the films that I score require that I use a lot of damper and "soft pedal" samples (for the dramatic scenes that accompany the orchestra). Well, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Ivory's Steinway D included some IMPECCABLE presets that were tailored for my needs. Many thanks to Sweetwater and Synthogy for getting this onto my hands!

  Best $300 I've spent in recording. 
by Ben from Austin, TX, August 2007
Music Background:  Recording Engineer/Hobbyist

Outstanding. I use this exclusively for rock/pop recording. For me, the C7 sample library is enormously valuable. The stereo field is very wide and the samples are as nice as I've heard. With the control of MIDI and the quality of Ivory, I'm certain that this would continue to be a key part of my studio even if I had access to a C7 or a concert d grand. For $300, it should be an easy choice. (I run Windows XP, RTAS).

  Amazing - Pianoteq can't compare 
by Leland Dent from Seattle, WA, June 2007
Music Background:  Professional Pianist, Composer, Recording Artist & Engineer

All I can say is that Ivory is unbelievable. It is worth every penny and then some. I've played piano all my life. I grew up playing on a wonderful Steinway grand. I've recorded piano since I was sixteen. I know pianos and I LOVE Ivory. I think it ridiculous to try and pick it apart or find it's weaknesses, let alone try to imply or state that it even comes close to comparing with something such as the Pianoteq virtual piano. To me, statements such as that ruin the credibility/authority of the person responsible. Just play it! Ivory is great.

  The best there is. For now. 
by Nathanael Davenport from Rexburg, ID, June 2007
Music Background:  Hammond Organist, Recording Engineer - Rock House Recording

In my opinion, Ivory is the best sample-based piano software instrument available. I've heard the NI, East-West, and VSL offerings, and to me Ivory is the clear winner in terms of subjective sound quality, as well as in the expertise it was programmed. Nothing else available, short of the real thing, sounds better.

However, those familiar with the real pianos Ivory "emulates" can hear the difference readily - and it mainly deals with the simulation of a close-miked grand piano. One part of the simulation that needs some real work is the sustain resonance. It sounds more like a glorified reverb with a pedal-triggered gate than the actual phenomenon, which is more complex than just the harp resonance they are trying to recreate. Less expensive piano sample libraries have actually sampled all notes at different velocities with and without the sustain pedal down, and subsequently accurately reproduce the sound of a real resonating piano. Synthogy could have done this... I wouldn't care if the sample library size were doubled because of it. Big, fast hard drives are cheap nowadays. Most of us who run it probably have a whole hard drive devoted to it anyway.

Also conspicuously absent is the sound of the dampers (via the sustain pedal) interacting with the strings during pedaling. On that same vein, there is no partial pedalling available either. And I agree with an earlier reviewer who said that it sounds "too perfect." Most pianos, even in music conservatories and the like, aren't quite in such a pristine and perfectly regulated condition as the sampled pianos in Ivory are. Granted, music schools and other professional organizations keep their best pianos in good shape (as they are a hefty investment), but not THAT good of shape.

I realize these are nitpicks, but in order to convince professional recording studios to quit buying real pianos, someone is going to have to make it sound JUST LIKE THE REAL THING, down to the most painfully minute detail.

I'm not a representative of any particular company, but I just ran across an interesting software intrument called Pianoteq, which actually attempts to recreate the sound of a piano through modelling - no samples involved. I was a little skeptical, but was honestly surprised at how much more expression and realism there was in their simulation compared to sample-based technology. The reason I wouldn't recommend it over Ivory in that there is still some polishing up of the technology to do, as the core sound of the hammers striking the strings doesn't have as much clarity or punch as Ivory - obviously the most critical part of a piano's sound. It's really, really close, but not quite there. But everything else - it leaves Ivory in the dust. And, it only requires under 20 MB of space on your hard drive. No need to tote along a fast external hard drive to gigs any more. THAT is cool.

Nothing against Synthogy and their superior efforts - but it seems the sampling technology, in regards to pianos anyway, has reached it's upper limit. Modelling, or perhaps a hybrid of modelling and sampling, seems to be the future of piano simulations. I'm keeping a close eye on Pianoteq - if they and Synthogy got together for some reason, look out. I'm excited for what the future holds. Someday, we REALLY will be able to carry around a grand piano in a gig bag, for a fraction of the cost of the real thing.

  Best piano out there 
by Scott Lance from San Jose, CA, January 2007
Music Background:  Serious Hobbyist

I prepared to be underwhelmed by this product, as piano is such a difficult instrument to capture. So many overtones, percussive sounds, and variables that usually a software instrument makes me long for the real thing. Not anymore! Ivory is everything I have been looking for in software piano samples. The install was easy, my G5 2.5 dual handles the CPU load just fine, and oh my gosh, I have really been able to actually enjoy playing this virtual piano like sitting down to a grand piano and letting the juices flow. Very Very nice...

  Hands down best piano 
by Jason Cushing from jasonpcushing@yahoo.com, November 2006
Music Background:  Classical, Electronic, indie rock, oldies, engineer

I've been a musician for 17 years, and sound engineer for 6. I was trained on classic harp, not piano. However, i have to say that I've played alot of keyboards and I always would listen to the Grand piano preset. Some sounded good, but in some aspect always came up short. This library is by far the best sounding I've heard and played when it comes to not being the "real" thing. Its very expressive and the sound options are excellent. For the price and quality this cant be beat. Nothing is ever the same as sitting in front of the real instrument, but when it comes to a recording, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. The only thing, and i say this without much concern because i'm so happy with it, is it does make some light light clicking sounds sometimes, but it's rare, and and not enough to ruin anything. Also support for Intel Protools you need to email synthogy for the RTAS beta plugin. I have to say the customer support was superb! they got back to every email of mine the same day i sent it. Highly Recommended!

  Pretty good, almost real, but not 5 stars! 
by Leslie from Michigan, October 2006
Music Background:  Pianist, recording engineer, live sound engineer.

Ok, this is probably the best sounding piano plugin there is. It sounds good (especially the Bosendorf piano). However, I'm a pianist and purchased this to see if I can use it to record a piano instrumental album with different hymn arrangements. After using it, I've decided not to continue with the project using this plugin or any other virtual piano software. Although it sounds quite real, it just doesn't compare to the genuine sound of an actual grand piano, ESPECIALLY for very short notes.

Also, this might sound a bit strange, but when I listen to it, it almost sounds too perfect to be real. Every note is 100% on point. You are probably thinking: "this guy is just crazy", but it's true (in my opinion).

I don't regret buying it, as I will probably use it for other projects and the pianos actually sound really good. But before I bought it I thought the description sounded too good to be through. Now that I have it, I think I was right.

So, who should buy this project? Anyone who doesn't want to use an actual piano, but wants something that comes as close to it as possible.

  WinXP running free SaviHost and Ivory 
by Idan Lupinsky from Urbana, IL USA, September 2006
Music Background:  Student, Hobbyist

I've been using Ivory with a CME UF8 MIDI controller for the last few weeks (I'm on a student budget). I use a 1GB memory, AMD64 system with an additional 80GB hard-drive for the Ivory samples. I really enjoy the sound quality and the playability and especially like how the Bosendorfer sounds. I cannot seem to use some of the more advanced features due to memory requirements. Together with the weighted MIDI controller it really feels like I'm playing a grand piano, sounds great and is quite expressive.

  Best I've Heard 
by Jennifer Thomas from Seattle, WA, September 2006
Music Background:  Recording Artist

As a classical pianist and recording artist, I've searched for VST's that are the most real sounding as possible. Ivory is just that. I've been so impressed with it, that I use it to record with instead of an accoustic piano and it saves me a lot of money on studio time. The only thing they could improve upon in a future version is making it possible to do different levels of pedalling. But other than that, I can't complain. I've had very strict "accoustic only" piano radio stations listen to my tracks and not be able to tell that it is not an accoustic piano.

  A wonderful addition to any music software collection 
by A. Brock from California, September 2006
Music Background:  Movie and Sound track production

I love the way different pianos that are included sound, they are clear and very easy to access. The interface is very easy to understand and the amount of choices are good as well.
I would recomend this software package to anyone interested in playing these fine emulations of pianos without having to purchase the real ones at many times the cost of this software. The only issue with this software is that you need lots of hard drive space and you need about an hour and a half to install the 10 DVDs that are included in the box.

  Simply Great! 
by John Gentry Tennyson from New York, NY, September 2006
Music Background:  Pro Musician, Producer

In response particularly to the review "You're better off with your trusty digital piano", I have to disagree one hundred percent. You will be hard pressed to find a digital piano that exists that sounds this realistic. If you are truly a concert pianist, then you wouldn't be playing any gigs with a synth module or digital piano anyway.

Piano has long been one of the most difficult instruments to sample and be realistic. I applaud this company and their technicians on this accomplishment. I am sure it will become even better.

On the critique side, Ivory demands a lot of ram. Better to record your part in midi, edit what you need and record it as audio to free up your cpu. You will definitely need a dedicated external hard drive for this as well. For the money, it's a a great deal. I look forward to trying out the Fazioli addition.

Fantastic piano samples 
by Lance Lindley from Memphis, TN, January 2006

Put simply, Ivory's pianos just sound gorgeous. All you really have to do is hit a low note and hold it through its full decay to appreciate how real Ivory sounds. None of that faint "looping" sound, no brittleness, no artifacts, just piano. Even on a low-end controller like the Keystation 88es, I become convinced I'm playing a real Steinway, Yamaha or Bosendorfer -- not that I'd know what one of those is like in real life -- and the touch of the semi-weighted keys stops bothering me because the sensitivity of the samples is so realistic. I haven't even had the opportunity to tap into all the customization features of the software, especially since I am still having interface problems with the recent installation. But from the standpoint of the sounds themselves, both the samples and the effects, I just can't imagine that there is a better sounding piano out there. There are certainly cheaper pianos out there that can probably sit well in your rock mix, but if piano is the central instrument of your composition, you will probably find Ivory to be well worth the price.

AMAZING 
by brian from arlington VA, December 2005

The sound quality is amazing! I got it on friday and experiemented with it all weekend. The synths pads also sound great. This product is worth triple the cost (hope ilio doesn't read this). Best sampled pianos i've ever heard. Period! Be warned, it took me about 6 hrs to load. You need a fast hard drive, and maximum memory on your computer.

Great product! 
by Nathanael Davenport from Rexburg, ID USA, October 2005

In answer to the guy with problem in GarageBand, I have had no such problems. There is an AU patch on the Synthogy website that fixes whatever problems there may have been.

Other than that, this is the most authentic piano sound I have ever heard. I know that there are other products out there that are designed with the same end in mind, but this is a superior product not just from a sound standpoint, but because Synthogy has built a great interface and sound engine to handle this massive library of samples. It rarely cuts out on my iBook G4, but if you can max it out if you raise the polyphony and # of velocity samples.

There is a slight bit of white noise that can build up behind the samples when lots of notes are sounding together, and it is easy to hear this when using lots of sustain pedal. This supposedly will be fixed in the next update to the library, which personally I would wait a few weeks to buy. It will be a significant improvement over the current version. Look for Ivory 1.5 here very soon.

Great product! I would recommend it to anybody.

PRICE DROP 
by KOFI benson from Bronx .new york usa, May 2005

It sounds great but the price is too much, because it's only pianos

It's worth it, if you're a pianist 
by John Stebbe from Indianapolis, IN, May 2005

This is a terrific set of piano samples. There's so much data, it takes 7 DVDs to hold it all. (That's good and bad -- good because of the fine gradation of samples, and bad because you have to buy an external hard drive to store the samples -- factor this in when you consider buying this.)

These pianos are simply wonderful. No loops, that I can detect. Very fine gradation between loud/quiet, and bright/mellow, based on velocity switching. My favorite is the Yamaha "Jazz C7."

I have had an issue, however, with its non-compatibility with GarageBand. You can get it to open in GB, but when you export to iTunes, you get lots of distortion. Synthogy tech department told me they are working on a fix with Apple.

I have since found that the problem disappears with Apple's Logic software. I downloaded the free trial version of Logic Express 7. I opened my GB file, with a Synthogy piano part, and chose, "Bounce," then "Real-Time." Also, "Add To My iTunes Library." It works just great! It keeps all the settings I had in GB. No distortion when I bounce to iTunes.

So I think I'll be in the market for Logic soon. Factor that in to your decision also -- don't expect to use this with GB without major problems. You'll need to buy an upgraded sequencer program.

Maybe by the time you read this, Synthogy and Apple's GB will have gotten this worked out. But caveat emptor -- don't count on it, and check it out before you buy.

Whoever said it was too expensive -- I must disagree. It is pricey, that's true. But if you're producing a CD with major piano work (as I am right now), it's a LOT cheaper than booking "real" studio time.

I also own a copy of Digital Performer, and it also works fine with that program. But I am in love with the GarageBand user interface, and Digital Performer, as great as it is, is just not nearly as easy to use as GB. I suppose I could record all my piano parts in DP, then export those to GB, and use it that way (as I have done), but it's a lot easier to record all my parts in GB, then open the GB file with Logic Express, and bounce to iTunes. And Synthogy Ivory works great this way.

How about for Windows XP? 
by Jimmy Antiporda from Manila, Philippines, March 2005

Sounds good to me but I'm using a PC WinXP.

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