Unleash the Expressive Majesty of a Hamburg D-274
The D-274 is Steinway & Sons's flagship concert grand piano, and it is the beneficiary of the company's century-plus experience in crafting fine pianos. With its laminated wooden case and its poured iron frame, this impeccable hand-crafted instrument has not changed much since it was developed at the end of the 19th century. Almost 9 feet long and weighing 1,100 pounds, the Steinway D-274 continues to be an industry standard on concert stages and recording studios worldwide. In fact, it's estimated that 90% of all concert grands on the world’s stages are Steinway D-274 models. For their Synchron Concert D-274 virtual instrument, Vienna Symphonic Library meticulously sampled a prime hand-selected Hamburg Model D in the flawless acoustics of their Synchron Stage Vienna Studio A.
Related Videos: Synchron Concert D-274 - Standard Library
Over a century of commanding power and grace
Particularly when competing with orchestras, the D-274 asserts its commanding volume and tonal power — not surprising, considering its soundboard comprises almost two square meters. From Sergei Rachmaninoff, Vladimir Horowitz, Arthur Rubinstein, and Glenn Gould to contemporary world-class pianists such as Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Emanuel Ax, Hélène Grimaud, and Lang Lang, leading artists spanning a century have gravitated toward the legendary Steinway D.
Glorious ambient sound
Vienna Symphonic Library's Synchron Concert D-274 is a Hamburg model selected from eight Steinway D models owned by Stefan Mendl, a founding member and pianist of the Vienna Piano Trio. In a city rich with historic instruments, it is indeed among the best-sounding grand pianos in Vienna, having been endorsed by every artist who has had the opportunity to play it. The instrument is now permanently ensconced in the climate-controlled Synchron Stage Vienna, which is characterized by its warm and intense natural ambience. The main hall has lent its unique acoustic signature to numerous international productions, from classical chamber music to large-scale orchestral film scores.
About Synchron Stage Vienna
Synchron Stage Vienna, located on Vienna's historic Wiener Rosenhuegel, can accommodate a 130-piece orchestra and has proven its mettle over the decades not only for film score recording, but also for sampling sessions. With its massive concrete foundation, room-in-room construction, sound insulation, and specially designed HVAC system, the studio boasts an ultra-low noise floor of 16dBA, even with the air-conditioning running. Stage A sports a reverb time of 1.8 seconds — and unlike many other scoring stages, there is no low-frequency masking effect. Instruments sound warm and punchy, with superior depth and panoramic localization.
VSL sample precision
To capture the Steinway D with all its nuances, VSL engineers developed an ultra-precise motion-control system based on a solenoid that controls a noise-free robotic “finger.” The micro-controller advances the finger with superhuman precision, and even provides flexible curvatures for down strokes and release motions. The MIDI-controlled system delivers more than 100 velocities and various release samples, depending on the preceding note length and various release speeds. This innovation represents the pinnacle of VSL's long-term sampling robotics initiative.
Five mic positions
With more than 4,000 samples per key and almost 20,000 samples per microphone position, Synchron Concert D-274 delivers breathtaking sonic authenticity. In order to capture this awesome instrument in one of the finest acoustic environments on the planet, VSL's recording engineers employed multiple high-end microphone arrays, giving you an myriad of options for forging your signature sound. You'll achieve more spatial depth and ambience variation by adding the room microphone signals to your stereo mix.
Microphone positions — Standard Library
- Room mic (mix)
- Condenser — close 1 (Sennheiser MKH 8040)
- Mid 1 (Sennheiser MKH 800)
- Main/room mic — Decca Tree Stereo (L/R)
- Main/room mic — Decca Tree Mono (center)
Synchron Pianos software
Aside from the myriad of sonic options you have from mixing multiple mic signals, Synchron Concert D-274 comes with VSL's new Synchron Pianos dedicated sample player, which opens up new vistas for shaping your sound. Packing a high-performance playback engine built from the ground up, the software offers a user-friendly user interface that provides fast, effortless timbral control. Craft your sound intuitively by filtering particular key ranges or even single keys, tweak the sympathetic string or body resonance of the instrument, and season to taste with a pinch of reverb to refine your overall sound.
Ideal for any genre
From the highest dramatic intensity to the most subtle nuances, the Steinway D-274 delivers a broad palette of expressive tonal colors. Precise, clear, bright, powerful, and assertive, the D's inimitable sound lends itself to any genre of classical, romantic, or contemporary piano music. From solo pieces to chamber and concert works; from pop to jazz, VSL's Synchron Concert D-274 captures it all in a highly playable virtual instrument.
Vienna Symphonic Library Synchron Concert D-274 Standard Library Features:
- Over 4,000 samples per key for maximum sonic authenticity, liveness, and feel
- Recorded in the natural ambience of Synchron Stage Vienna, one of the finest recording halls in the world
- Incredible realism, capturing all the instrument’s nuances with proprietary precision sampling technology
- Hyper-realistic playing feel; sympathetic resonance, body resonance
- Multiple microphone positions for a multitude of timbral variations
- Intuitive, customizable Synchron Pianos software with high-performance playback engine
- 6 preconfigured presets: Concert, Intimate, Player, Pop, Ambience, and Mighty
- Soft (una corda), sostenuto, and sustain pedals; half-pedaling and re-pedaling
- Detailed pedal sounds for soft and sustain pedals, depending on pedal speed
- Dedicated release samples, depending on played release velocity
- Includes the free Vienna Instruments Player
