In VI Labs Modern D, the sustain pedal effect is not achieved by triggering separate “pedal down” sample sets, nor by switching between samples. Instead, it’s designed more realistically — only the sustain resonance has been captured and is added dynamically when the pedal is pressed, including true pedal transition effects both between pedal-up and pedal-down and between pedal-down and pedal-up states.
This is something the VSL software cannot reproduce, as it follows a completely different approach. UVI’s programming for VI Labs pays close attention to the fine details of how a real piano behaves, down to the subtleties of pedal interaction and sympathetic resonance.
Speaking of which, the sympathetic resonance in Modern D is outstanding. Everything in a real piano is about resonance — and a well-programmed piano doesn’t need to be drowned in artificial reverb to cover up design flaws. Another well-designed virtual piano is the Garritan CFX, although in that case, the sympathetic resonance is modeled, not sampled — a detail that’s rarely mentioned but very significant.
It’s a shame, because VSL has truly beautiful pianos — excellent recording engineers, and highly skilled piano preparation teams — but their software player hasn’t been developed or updated in years. And when you bring up these realism-related topics with their support team — not about the samples themselves, but about how the software implements them — you often get dismissed. They even treat such discussions as off-limits.
Even something as simple as a silent key option (velocity 0), which would be extremely useful for hybrid pianos, is considered a forbidden subject when talking to VSL support. And if you dare to suggest an improvement or express a different opinion, you’re treated like a black sheep — or even an enemy. It all feels like a lack of humility, which is disappointing given the talent and potential behind their instruments.
