New York L 1926 vs Art Deco Piano

The fundamental difference between these two grand piano VSTs lies in their historical provenance and resulting sonic character. The New York L 1926 meticulously samples a Steinway Model L from 1926 with all original components, aiming to capture a warm, aged, and intimate vintage sound. In contrast, the Art Deco Piano recreates a 1930s Blüthner PH Grand Piano, emphasizing its bright, modern, and clean tonal qualities derived from its unique metal and leather construction.

Technically, these distinctions manifest in library size and microphone configurations. The New York L 1926 is a larger 6 GB library captured with four mic positions, suggesting a greater depth of ambient presence and mix flexibility. The Art Deco Piano, at 1.5 GB with 600 samples across 8 velocity layers, focuses on delivering a precise, articulate sound using a matched pair of Neumann TLM-170R microphones. The Boz Digital Labs offering highlights key stretching and individual key sampling, whereas IK Multimedia emphasizes meticulous sampling of each note at 8 velocities.

Choose New York L 1926 if a vintage, character-rich Steinway grand with a subtle growl and soft shimmer, ideal for warm, intimate recordings in classical or jazz, is desired. Opt for Art Deco Piano if a bright, modern, and clean grand piano sound with excellent articulation from a unique Blüthner instrument is preferred, suitable for contemporary classical or jazz requiring clarity.

Products Compared

Insights from Real-World Use

New York L 1926

  • Prefers 1926’s versatility and response over Maverick; fits more mixes and solos well.
  • Reports CPU spikes on full versions; not live-ready yet, but light versions feel solid.
  • Says it cuts through and has pleasing ringing resonance; confirms it’s the 1926.
  • Full versions tax CPU, yet their sound and feel are highly satisfying to play.
  • es un exquisito piano para todos los niveles, limpio, lineal, pulido, sano para el oído. Anda excelente tanto al aire como con auriculares. Una gran utilidad poder controlar la dinámica con la curva d

Art Deco Piano

  • Great sound, good player. I bought one, but it's been a nightmare trying to install it. My DAW Reason can't find it anywhere.
  • Just got this - and it's a very interesting sounding library. It IS a great gesture by IK to provide such an interesting item to users of Sample Tank and IK products.
  • Downloaded and enjoying this unique addition to my VST piano collection. I'm finding that the Art Deco piano, is not only fun to play as a stand alone, but also crates some interesting colors when lay
  • Just got this - and it's a very interesting sounding library. It IS a great gesture by IK to provide such an interesting item to users of Sample Tank and IK products.
  • Downloaded and enjoying this unique addition to my VST piano collection. I'm finding that the Art Deco piano, is not only fun to play as a stand alone, but also crates some interesting colors when lay

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