Ivory 3 German D vs Modern D

The fundamental distinction between Ivory 3 German D and Modern D lies in their underlying sound generation technology, despite both being virtual representations of a Steinway Model D. Ivory 3 German D utilizes a unique "RGB Engine," described as a hybrid approach that blends the expressiveness of modeling with the realism of digital sampling, while Modern D is purely sample-based.

This difference in engine design results in varied technical implementations. Ivory 3 German D employs its RGB Engine to capture the German Steinway D, offering four microphone positions and a library size of 42 GB. In contrast, Modern D relies on a dedicated sampling approach, featuring 34,615 samples across five stereo microphone setups in an 18 GB library, and emphasizes detailed sampling for elements like release trails, sympathetic resonances, and pedal/key noises.

Choose Ivory 3 German D if you prioritize an instrument with an innovative hybrid engine aiming for the best of both modeling and sampling, offering a richer capture size, implying deeper core instrument sampling. Choose Modern D if you prefer a meticulously sampled instrument with a focus on granular detail, including extensive samples for pedal noise, una corda, and note releases.

Products Compared

Insights from Real-World Use

Ivory 3 German D

  • Ivory 3 German D excels in dynamic range, allowing for unrestricted fortissimo, which is its strong suit.
  • The spectral modeling and sampling, especially the tamber shift, make Ivory 3 German D sound nice and covered.
  • Ivory 3 German D's modeling makes playing more musical and expressive.
  • Ivory 3's awesome effects are amazing, offering quality usually found elsewhere.
  • The dynamic range of Ivory 3 German D, from true fortissimo to very soft, is highly appreciated.

Modern D

  • The Claire had a nice upper range, but it really felt dead in the lower mid range. The Modern D sings throughout all the registers. IMO, it's the best virtual piano on the market today.
  • I just picked up the Steinway D, I must say, I was veeery hesitant. I own some other vilabs pianos, The Ravenscroft among them, and feel like those instruments did not live up to their hype. That said
  • I purchased it today after listening to this excellent demo. It sounds pretty realistic and may work better in my pop-rock tracks than Ivory American D or the Keyscape C7 I've been using. I had to bri
  • It sounds very nice, but (to my ear) not as good as my custom C. Bechstein DG preset on Pianoteq, so... for now, I'll keep my wallet in my pocket.
  • Modern D's playability is awesome and better than Garritan CFX and Fazioli.

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