Synthogy Ivory II - American Concert D

Synthogy Ivory II American Concert D is a grand piano plug-in that will work with any DAW or you can use it as a stand alone application. You can use it with a Mac or a PC, it was very easy to install and it has some amazing sounding piano sounds. I am one of those people that did not think it was possible to get a real grand piano sound out of a software just because I know how beautiful a grand piano sounds. This plug-in surprised me a lot, the sound is amazing and real. I am not 100 percent sure about how they sampled the sounds, but everything is right on. The only thing that is difficult is the feeling, if you are a piano player you know how great it is to sit a grand piano. Now you will have the sounds, but no grand piano in front of you and that could affect how you feel about it. It made me go out and purchase a better MIDI controller with some nice weighted keys so I could at least have a good feel while playing.
I have had this installed on my Mac running snow leopard since September of this year. It has so many different piano sounds to choose from, I have found so many great sounds that I actually went back into old projects and sessions and took out the piano and replaced it with the Amercian Concert D piano because it sounds a lot more real.
This software runs great and seems to be very stable in the 3 months that I have been using it. you will need to have at least 49 gigs of hard drive available to install it because it does have a lot of patches that it will have to install. I have used it in Cubase, Reason, Logic, and FL Studio. It worked great in each one of those programs and I was able to run it multiple times on different patterns and channels without it slowing down my system or crashing. This plug-in has the best sounding realistic pianos I have heard in the digital world.

First of all let me say that I am pro jazz pianist and when there is no piano on site I use the American D live with the VPC1 Kawai.

Have you tried many other models before buying it?
Ivory 1.5, Garritan Steinway Pro, Galaxy Vintage D

What is the particular feature you like best and least?
With VPC1 Kawai and velocity curve of Syntogy Ivory II - one of five presets kawai - and of course with an external hard drive 7200 rpm and with a good pc config it works really well. Dynamics and feel of the Kawai VPC1 with Synthogy American D is the best config.

For cons, I think - and this is only my opinion - that the American D sounds more metallic than the GARITAN Steinway Pro. The latter has a nice color or warmer in the midrange but overall is surpassed by Synthogy at the nuances.

How would you rate the quality / price?
If you want the sound and feel this is the best choice.

With experience, you do again this choice?
Yes I am happy with my purchase.

This piano has a great gameplay, beautiful sound, very realistic compared to playing on a real piano, if we can never replace the magic of playing on a real Steinway D, it is still much closer in!

The una corda pedal is samplée is as if there were two pianos in one. Those who play on grand pianos know that it is important to expand the palette of colors, and Synthogy did FINALLY! To my knowledge this is the only sampled piano on the market that offers the Una Corda pedal. (?)

10 years ago I bought the "Bösendorfer" at East West, very good for the time, but I was hoping to have the feeling that I have today with this piano. Much more realistic, very expressive and very inspiring!

Question stability, can play without restraint, it will not make us feel limited, which further adds to the comfort. On a mac book pro Intel core 2 duo, 4G ram, under Lepoard I am 128 buffer, an almost non-existent latency, and it runs perfectly!

I do not have the Fazioli, also went there shortly in Synthogy, but if I do not buy it, I remain attentive to their next piano, no doubt he will still be of a high quality!

Since my purchase, and this version Synthogy 1951 Steinway became my reference (with VSL, but a notch more expensive, for a ratio difference money becomes insignificant). Although several pianos products already some years ago keep their say (TBO Sampletekk CG7 and even some Galaxy), or antecedent versions I have now surpassed Ivory, Synthogy Ivory II pianos are current successes that fall for a good time.

Because it is not enough to leave enchanted by the sound demos.

The great american rings before particularly well in any good Steinway few recent invoice. Nor should it or any at all, matter of affinity for a piano sound, or as required or what you intend for such type of prod directory '. (But with the serious ivory II interface, there still something to satisfy widely according to some style and function, and in terms of its malleability).

Realistic and dynamic sound and consistent. Excellent feel and touch sensitivity (no approximation between certain levels of dynamic typing), it is not so far from the acoustic piano ... Even very close in chipotant a bit. This is what is lacking in many samples of pianos: printing, comfort, pleasure, sensation, the game (apart from the sound quality to listen).

Without warning the TBO and CG7 of Sampletekk in offering a dynamic and feel very realistic and enjoyable for who knows (and remain in my samples), for the rest, as all fired! to opt out of Ivory II. There is the "Italian" - eg not jazz but intimate - the well known "Grand" (including a Yamaha U5 perfect for studio takes and mixes)!

Many strengths:
sensitivity and sensation to the game
sound quality and realism
malleability in the studio, audio editing and mix
interface

No worries for me level latency requirements; gold I turn (properly) on single core 2 - duo in leopard - with a machine I admit that nickel level cash-disk etc ...) through the samples on Lacie external HDD 7200tr / min course). The processor is requested, but far from being in the red. Kontakt, it traces normal, no hitch, never had a crash.

In short, good stuff. Ya know more than play!