Ascend Modern Grand by Heavyocity

Overview

ASCEND is a modern grand piano virtual instrument that reimagines the Concert D, capturing its richness and emotional depth while introducing creative new articulations.

Key Features

Prepared Piano Articulations
Echoes Feature
Three-Point Mixer
Large Sound Library

Technical Specifications

Sample Count: Over 12000 Samples
Presets: 110 Custom Presets
Plugin Formats: VST, AU, AAX
Standalone: Yes

Ideal Use Cases

Film composers looking to infuse modern, evolving piano textures into dramatic or ambient scenes.
Electronic music producers seeking unique and processed piano sounds to layer into their tracks.
Sound designers needing otherworldly or suspenseful piano effects for game audio or multimedia projects.
Producers creating experimental or avant-garde music who require a highly malleable and evolving piano instrument.
Artists exploring new sonic palettes who want a grand piano capable of generating unpredictable and atmospheric soundscapes.

Insights from Real-World Use

Strengths

regular piano
affected
lushy
cool
concert grand
pedal noise
swirling brush kit
many sonic dimensions
percussion sounds
non-piano sounds
versatile
three channel mixer
automate that
awesome for more out of the box

Weaknesses

CPU goes overboard and crashes

Tone: lushy, sonic dimensions

Review Snippets

Says Ascend Modern Grand is roughly equivalent to NI Noire; sampled from Steinway.
Prefers Noire, but price and size make Ascend worth considering despite preference.
Highlights advantage of using it as both regular piano and cinematic instrument.
Core piano tone sounds like a really nice concert grand with plenty to explore.
Decided it was worth buying; cool piano library with Heavyocity’s magic.
Initial out-of-box sound is lush and pleasing.
Pedal noise effect is enjoyable, evoking a swirling brush kit character.
Pedal noise effect is enjoyable, evoking a swirling brush kit character.
In the Heavyocity libraries more than often you have a three channel mixer, means you can fade between three different sounds and YES, the cool detail: you can automate that :) For example NI Arkhis even has three layers, but you can only blend them in one on top of the other, not really fade betwee
I have this instrument ... the library has many sonic dimensions.
Sample Libraries – Almost There. Like the Sound Yeti piano, ASCEND Modern Grand from Heavyocity is a gem...
Ascend Modern Grand Piano by heavyocity - awesome for more out of the box ...
My CPU goes overboard and crashes every time I try to use Ascend.
I love Ascend... its so versatile!
A different approach to 2 awesome Heavyocity libraries. Most people think of Ascend and Symphonic Destruction as phrased based or just another collection of...

Frequently Asked Questions

What host or player is required to use this plugin?: It requires Kontakt (Full) or Kontakt Player (Free).
Is this a sampled or modeled piano VST?: It is a sampled grand piano virtual instrument.
What is the library size and how many samples does it include?: The library size is 21.4 GB and includes over 12,000 samples.
What are the minimum system requirements for Mac and Windows?: For Mac, macOS 10.12, 10.13, or 10.14 (latest update) with an i5 processor is needed. For Windows, Windows 7, 8, or 10 (latest Service Pack) with an Intel Core i5 or equivalent CPU is required. Both platforms require 2GB RAM.
What unique features does it offer?: It captures unique articulations including twine, elbows, brushes, and chains, and features an Echoes function and a Three-Point Mixer. It also includes 16 sound sources and 110 custom presets.
What genres and use cases is this plugin best suited for?: It is designed for ambient, contemporary, electronic, and film/scoring genres, with cinematic use cases. It's ideal for film composers, electronic music producers, sound designers, and experimental artists.
Does it have NKS compatibility?: Yes, it is NKS Compatible.