Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial vs Ivory 3 American Concert D

The fundamental difference between these two premium grand piano VSTs lies in their underlying technology and the instruments they replicate. The Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial is a purely sampled instrument, faithfully capturing a modern Bösendorfer 290 Imperial grand with an extensive 101 velocity layers. In contrast, the Ivory 3 American Concert D employs a hybrid engine, blending sampling with modeling to represent a vintage 1951 New York Steinway Model D.

Sonically, the Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial emphasizes a warm, natural, balanced, and dramatic character, benefiting from 10 microphone positions and a very large sample library (42 GB, 20,000 samples). The Ivory 3 American Concert D, while also balanced and natural, is characterized as clean and modern despite its vintage source, leveraging its hybrid engine with "Continuous Velocity" for seamless timbre changes across its 4 mic positions.

Choose the Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial if you prioritize an extremely detailed, purely sampled rendition of a modern Bösendorfer grand with extensive mic options. Opt for Ivory 3 American Concert D if you seek the unique character of a vintage Steinway Model D delivered through a hybrid engine with "Continuous Velocity" for nuanced dynamic realism.

Products Compared

• Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial
• Ivory 3 American Concert D

Insights from Real-World Use

Synchron Bösendorfer Imperial

• Great great instrument, this video and composition shows the power of the bosendorfers imperial by vsl. Who could possibly think that one day we can olay the real instruments through our computers? Th
• This new piano is bittersweet for me. I have had the Synchron Steinway D-274 for almost a year now and have become increasingly dissatisfied with its frequency imbalance – 7-10K is ear-piercing, espec
• The piano is extremely versatile, with the best sound quality I've experienced.
• Velocity curve adds bigger, bolder sound while retaining soft, delicate, warm qualities.
• Unique 'two sus' feature adds realism and authenticity, feels like an acoustic piano.

Ivory 3 American Concert D

• Each piano has a unique tone signature, suitable for different songs.
• I listened to the review twice and what my uneducated ears heard was Ivory 3 sounding a bit more airy with ambiance baked in. The piano seems a bit more open.
• It sounds slightly hollow in the mid highs. It’s missing some weight that makes it sound really static.
• American D is brighter (halfway to a Yamaha), while German one is darker.
• I listened to the review twice and what my uneducated ears heard was Ivory 3 sounding a bit more airy with ambiance baked in. The piano seems a bit more open.