As always with VI Labs, 100% of the sound is sampled from the real piano, nothing is synthesized or faked at all. Legendary microphones like the M49 and 4006 were chosen to capture everything, including 2,500 release trails per mic, multi-layered sympathetic resonances, fully sampled Una Corda with its own release samples, plus sampled Muted Strikes, Half Pedal, Silent Strikes, along with Pedal and Key noises. With its massive range in both timbre and volume, this piano can do it all. Whether it's bright, mellow, or anywhere in between is entirely dependent on how it is played. Everything you want from the softest yet detailed pianissimos, up to the most aggressive growling fortissimos, the Modern D delivers. This truly is the pianist's virtual piano.
KEY FEATURES 34,615 samples composing 118GB wave data in a tidy 18GB file. Massive library, small footprint thanks to lossless compression and complex scripting. This also means fast loading and efficient CPU usage.
Five stereo phase-ligned menu-based microphones with interactive mic display. World class mics and gear with diverse perspectives cover every way of recording a concert grand all around, close and far.
Real deeply sampled resonance for both pedal down and sympathetic resonance types. Powerful scripting recreates real pedal resonance behavior adding complex depth and sustain to the tone, all fully adjustable.
Complete control of up to 4 pedals including sampled Una Corda. Repedal and adjustable Half pedal features included. Sostenuto, Una Corda, plus Muted Strikes all MIDI CC controllable make for a highly expressive piano.
New MIDI panel with unique split controls for both timbre and volume. High resolution discrete tables and controls allow custom curves for any response imaginable. Many presets included, or create your own.
2,500 release samples per mic including staccato releases that respond to the quickest playing, no articulations needed. Release samples capture the resonant ring of the Model D concert grand and are crucial for realism.
THE PIANO | THE SESSION We sought out the best piano and quietest studio and found both - watch video
With any acoustic piano sample, the recording space can impact the sound as much as anything else. For our modern sound, we needed an intimate studio big enough for the piano to fill out but not overpower, and detailed enough to record a pin drop from every mic. This was our quiestest studio ever which led us to create our most pristine samples yet. Room size matters too; dryness is needed to preserve fine detail especially for our staccato releases, and also just enough roominess for a sense of space and distance, without unwanted room reflections or standing waves. With this library, it really feels like you're at this piano in this room, your own virtual Model D simulator.
COMPLETE VIRTUAL PIANO STUDIO Five menu-selectable mic setups with interactive mic display - watch video
From a whopping 39 individual mics recorded, we chose the best five stereo pairs from the session that fully capture this piano from several traditional perspectives, close to far, more or less hammer presence, all with a clean high end tone. Legendary mics like the U87 and M49, C414 and 4006 were chosen not only for their luxurious sound but for how perfectly they captured this piano with so much detail. The sound of a big grand varies considerably based on where mics are placed. These five stereo pairs were favored for their diversity in character and their placements, the balance of direct vs. room, and how how nicely they mix together.
When recording acoustic piano in the studio, there can be many options. Different mics and placements all offer various perspectives and character, never limited to one basic tone. Our mics are selected from the mixer menus, the interface shows each mic as set up on the real piano. Tones from close and intimate, wide and distant, with warmth or brilliance, all can be acheived with these mics. Load and mix the mics in any combination. Every mic is time-corrected and phase-aligned so even the distant Room mics have no extra delay; all mics respond and mix incredibly well in any combination.
REAL SYMPATHETIC RESONANCE Both types pedal down and pedal up, entirely sample-based - watch video
Pianists are well accustomed to the sympathetic resonances that develop in acoustic pianos and their importance to the sustain and how chords resolve. These resonances blend the individual strings together as one instrument. Sympathetic Resonance is created when harmonically related keys are held down while others are played, and Pedal Resonance occurs as all strings vibrate together when notes are played while the sustain pedal is down. With the massive soundboard and long strings, the resonance effect is strong and adds body and bloom to the sustain.
Both pedal down and harmonic key pedal up resonances are sample-based and not synthesized in any way. We believe this important part of the piano's tone is best emulated only with samples from all mics. The Modern D features our new multi-layered resonance samples to deliver a complex evolving tone. Precisely sampled and scripted for both types of advanced resonance models, they respond naturally like the real thing. Resonance volume for both types is adjustable, and Sympathetic Resonance has its own polyphony setting.
REAL UNA CORDA SAMPLES An essential part of a grand piano's tone, fully sampled - watch video
One distinct advantage grands have over uprights is their soft, or Una Corda pedal, which shifts the entire action to the right so a hammer normally hitting three strings only hits two, etc. Plus the strings are struck by a part of the hammer that's voiced differently to create a softer muted tone. The Modern D includes a fully sample-based Una Corda with its own release samples for a softer attack and a stronger release trail compared to the normal sustain. This adds another layer of tonal color only available in grand pianos. It's really like having two sets of hammers in the same piano that you can switch in real time.
A premium grand piano library would not be complete without real Una Corda samples as classical and other demanding pianists use it not only to lower the volume of a soft passage but also to get the unique variation in tonal color. It's not an effect that's easily mimicked or modeled since the changes in tone come from physical factors of the real piano such as the different hammer voicing, the aliquot string effect of the non-struck string, as well as the special tone of the release trails due to the different vibrations in the strings.
ADVANCED MIDI RESPONSE TOOLS Innovative split controls for both velocity and volume response - watch video
There are two separate components which affect the dynamic response of a virtual piano: the velocity levels relating to the sample mapping for the timbre change from soft to hard, and the gain curve which affects the volume throughout the range. It's how a virtual piano interprets the incoming MIDI data and then decides what timbre and volume to output based on the curve settings. Our special MIDI customization panel has discrete curves and controls for both the timbre and volume which allows for complete customization of both aspects of the response.
A grand piano's response is just as important as the sound, and getting exactly what you expect is crucial in order to connect to the instrument. Dial in the perfect response for any MIDI controller or playing style, or choose a preset for specific or dramatic effects. Our advanced scripting and voicing methods deliver a precise and effortless response, and combined with expert sampling, yield a virtual piano with dynamic response that exactly matches the real piano. And you get full control of it all right here with our advanced MIDI panel.
COMPLETE PEDAL CONTROL Real grand piano pedal features plus sampled half-pedal - watch video
Many things happen with edals when playing an acoustic piano. Hands must be free to play, so pedals are used in numerous ways. The most essential is the sustain, or damper pedal. The Modern D's sustain pedal supports basic on/off pedals with full repedaling capability and our True Pedal Action for resonance. Using continuous control type pedals allows for the adustable sample-based Half Pedal feature, plus velocity-sensitive pedal noises for the most realistic pedaling experience. Full sostenuto as well as the Una Corda pedal are also supported completing the three typical piano pedals.
The Muted Strikes samples can also be controlled with the pedals or any CC. For example, set Sostenuto to some other unused CC besides 66, then set Muted Strikes to 66 and control with that pedal if sostenuto isn't needed. All four pedal options could be used together if enough pedals or controllers are available. Any pedal can be mapped to any MIDI CC, so any controller such as mod wheel, sliders or knobs can be used. Una Corda and Muted Strikes can also be activated directly on the interface with the 'S' Solo buttons. No other concert grand library offers this level of realtime customizable control.
MORE ADVANCED FEATURES Control and customize everything. Click on each image to read more. - watch video
DETAILED RELEASE TRAILS We use 2,500 Release Trail samples for every microphone that respond to velocity and time, including our true staccato strike releases.
MUTED STRIKE SAMPLES Discrete samples taken of the strings muted by hand for a very short percussive attack. Switch from Muted Strikes to normal in real time.
COMPLETE SOUND CONTROL Customize your mic mix further with tools like Tone, 3 Band EQ, Timbre Shift, Stereo Width along with 37 high quality convolution reverbs.
SMART PRESETS Presets can load mic samples and settings or settings only for versatility. There are 20 factory presets included, or save and load your own.
KEY AND PEDAL NOISES Sampled key noise on every key with authentic return thump, plus velocity-sensitive sampled pedal noises available on all pedals.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Silent Strikes, Repetition Strike feature, Tuning and Polyphony controls, plus a built-in interactive Info help panel complete the massive feature set.
LIST OF FEATURES 34,615 pristine samples, originally 118GB in wave, stored in a small 18GB library thanks to lossless FLAC compression. 100% sample-based, no modeling or synthesis used. Very efficient use of RAM and CPU resources. 5 discrete microphone setups with a menu-based interactive interface
Fully sampled Una Corda Pedal for a soft ethereal tonal option
Fully sampled Sympathetic and Pedal Down Resonance
Adjustable Sympathetic Res onance Polyphon
Repedal and True Pedal Action for realistic sustain pedal control
Half Pedal option is sa mple-based and fully adjustable
Muted Strikes samples with a percussive attack and short decay
Customizable MIDI and Dynamics response 37 pristine Convolution Reverbs included with deep controls
2,500 release samples per microphone including true staccato trails
Full Imaging control with Stere o Width, Tone, and Timbre Shift
Tuning panel includes many presets and supports micro-tuning
Easy computer-based activa tion. Use on up to 3 machines at a time with no dongle required.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
For complete step-by-step instructions and video on how to download and install the Modern D library and UVI Workstation, please visit our product support page here. This is to ensure you get the most accurate and latest install instructions as new product updates or any other changes may occur. 18GB free disk space (plus 15GB for the downloaded install file)
MacOS 10.14 Mojave to macOS 14 Sonoma (intel/arm) or Windows 10 to Windows 11 64-bit only UVI Workstation 3.1.14 or greater (free download) or Falcon 3
Minimum CPU requirements: Intel Core i5 7200rpm hard drive (Solid State Drive or NVMe is preferred for best performance)
4GB of system RAM (8GB recommended) VST, VST3, AAX and AU plug-ins plus standalone mode supported