Ivory 3 American Concert D by Synthogy

Overview

The Ivory 3 American Concert D is a highly acclaimed virtual grand piano based on a Vintage 1951 Steinway Concert D, powered by the expressive Ivory 3 engine.

Technical Specifications

Library Size: 38 GB GB
Velocity Layers: Near Unlimited Velocity Levels
Mic Positions: 4 Microphone Positions
Plugin Formats: VST, AU, AAX
Standalone: Yes

Ideal Use Cases

Concert pianists and advanced students practicing expressive repertoire with dynamic realism.
Film and game composers needing a highly nuanced grand piano for emotional and dramatic scores.
Jazz musicians and arrangers seeking an articulate and responsive piano for intricate improvisations and compositions.
Sound designers crafting rich and detailed acoustic piano textures for various media projects.
Studio producers requiring a versatile and high-fidelity grand piano for professional-grade recordings.

Insights from Real-World Use

Strengths

feels very real
realistic
sound great out of the box
more complete
sounds good
very good sustain
authentic

Weaknesses

sounds slightly hollow in the mid highs
missing some weight
metallic artifacts

Tone: brilliant, warm, airy, hollow, bright, darker, open, mellow

Review Snippets

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.
honestly it feels like right a real grand piano, which sounds hollow in the middle compared to produced vsts...
American D is brighter (halfway to a Yamaha), while German one is darker.
It sounds slightly hollow in the mid highs. It’s missing some weight that makes it sound really static.
I'm eyeing Ivory 3 American Concert D by Synthogy right now. Everyone says Pianoteq sounds 'plastic' even though it feels the most realistic out of….
It can do 'close and dry' — not ultra-close though, with the microphones almost touching the hammers and the strings (that was never how Synthogy hears pianos).
That’s a tough question! These are actually my two favorite piano VSTs. But if I had to choose, I’d probably go with Ivory 3 — it’s a bit more versatile.
Positive initial impression of Ivory 3 American Concert D, based on German D.
Describes how the larger room recording of Ivory 3 American Concert D gives it more "umph" and release.
Connect it to a Mac mini M2 or later and use the software "Ivory III American Concert D" from Synthogy, and you have the experience of playing on a Steinway D.
Finds the A position in Ivory 3 American Concert D to have a classic sound.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this virtual instrument require a separate player like Kontakt?: No, it does not require a separate player or host, as it includes the Ivory 3 Cantabile application. It can also be used with any VST v3 or AU v2 host, or Pro Tools.
Is Ivory 3 American Concert D sampled or modeled (or both)?: It utilizes a hybrid sound engine, combining the expressiveness of the Ivory 3 engine with samples from a vintage 1951 Steinway Concert D.
What is the library size of the Ivory 3 American Concert D?: The library size is 38 GB.
What unique features does this instrument offer for expressive playing?: It offers continuous velocity for dynamic realism, half-pedaling support, adjustable pedal noise, and enhanced sympathetic string resonance with Harmonic Resonance Modeling.
What are the recommended system requirements for running this plugin?: A Solid State Drive (SSD) is required, along with an 8-Core 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7 (or AMD equivalent) recommended minimum CPU, and a graphics screen size of at least 1354 x 990. An internet connection is required for installation.
What genres is this virtual piano suitable for?: This instrument is suitable for classical, jazz, pop, rock, and film/scoring. It is also ideal for recording, practice, live performance, and songwriting.
Is an iLok key required for activation?: An iLok key is optional.