Modern U vs Modern D

Modern D wins on broad adaptability; Modern U offers a more specialized, intimate performance.

Modern U excels at precision and clarity, providing an exceptionally clean upright sound. This focus delivers a pristine U3-like experience, but its dynamic range is sometimes constrained. Users report that the controls are effective for nuanced playing. The library is highly praised for its meticulous sampling, but this detail contributes to higher resource demands.

Modern D delivers versatile playability with an endlessly realistic sustain. Its bass notes are uniquely cool and interesting, supporting a wide range of musical applications. Some users note the extensive controls require more tweaking to achieve a desired sound. The broad tonal palette supports many genres, but its larger size impacts loading times.

Choose Modern U if a pristine, focused upright character is paramount.

Choose Modern D if broad application and a rich, deep tonal palette are non-negotiable.

Products Compared

Insights from Real-World Use

Modern U

  • The VI Labs and Synthogy sound to me equally realistic, but the Ivory seems smaller but more transparent (less thick in the 200Hz region), and had a greater dynamic range on the big crescendo (which g
  • Appreciates the piano's precision, clarity, and clean sound, especially with staccato and smooth legato.
  • Expresses strong satisfaction with Modern U.
  • This is the best upright library with great features and deep sampling.
  • No way! I'm always True to VI Labs! I love the Rich depth and characteristics of this upright!

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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