A brand new Steinway from VSL: 1887 model D concert grand

Agreed Craig. To add to my earlier pecuniary email, I just listened to VSL's comparison of the original D-274 to the 'new' stage B piano. For some mics, the 1887 sounds warmer and less clinical. My primary complaint with the Synchron pianos is I like a fairly dry sound, something realistic for playing in my living room. I didn't really hear much of a difference in that regard in the comparison. I can get the ribbon mic pretty dry on the Synchron D. I guess I have to think whether there's enough difference between the two pianos to justify the expense. I'm not averse to upgrades (I just updated to Pianoteq-9 for the exhorbitant price of $29!, and I am also planning on upgrading to Omnisphere 3 which is fun when I want to get away from acoustic pianos), I guess I'm hoping that VSL will recognize existing customers (like 10 full piano licenses) with some sort of customer appreciation discount on new pianos. Guess I'll continue to think about it. Interesting to read the comments though. BTW- The YT video with the comparison is here

JonFromMaine agree

JonFromMaine My primary complaint with the Synchron pianos is I like a fairly dry sound, something realistic for playing in my living room. I didn't really hear much of a difference in that regard in the comparison

trust me the stage b pianos get way tighter and a lot more intimate if you use the right mics, the reason why you can't here that in demos is that vsl always use a lot of room sound plus some additional reverb, so most stage b (grands) sound as roomy and wide as the synchron ones, don't worry about it at all

jdg78

that's a hell of an impression man, you always hype me up with your writings 🙂 and about that una corda thing, please email your situation to the vsl or comment it on their forum (or both), they'll fix it for sure 🙂

someone commented on vsl's youtube channel that now we need a studio 2022 cfx

i say that's exactly what i was thinking, not just from vsl but also from vilabs, the cfx22 is an upgraded version of the - already legendary - yamaha cfx, so if vsl or vilabs or both of them sample that piano i'll get it in a heartbit 🙂

but aside from that i could really use any vsl studio cfx in my work, i was delighted when they released the cfx in the stage b last year, but that one turned out to be a prepared piano which i'm not really into, especially since i got the ni piano colors (which is the ultimate prepared piano imo)

anyway… we need studio yamaha cfx2 🙂

man the d1887 truly restored my hope and love for vsl 🙂

I think Modern D and the 1887 Concert D are very different instruments, both very good for what they do. For me, if I want a pure, clean sound with all the piano functionalities, I go with Modern D. But if I want a more vintage sound with character, then it's the VSL concert D 1887. However, the latter may not be achieved at this point, but that's OK. It's great that companies are listening to their customers, that's always a plus in whatever way you look at it!

revox compassion

that's a nice word to use in this context, we people get a lot of new things everyday that we sometimes forget all of them are made by actual living people with feelings, and yea it's so evil to randomly spray negative words on their faces, i did that about pianoteq and i genuinely feel bad about it (even though it wasn't on its release date)

anyway, i'm really enjoying this new piano from vsl, i wasn't sure how i'm going to react to a vintage model d but now that i've listened to it, it is absolutely the best piano from vsl to my ears, hope we see such attention to details in the future as well, i mean this piano has next to no tuning and preparation problems and of course that's something we don't get from big companies like vsl very often, i guess we should give thanks to @clavierhaus again for that 🙂

Although I was initially focused on the sound, what is really drawing me now is the playability. This is the most natural instrument I have ever played on the N1X of the sample libraries I own.

locture Given this piano like 150yo, there must have been significant amount of effort restoring and maintaining it. I haven't ever touched any piano like this in my life, and very curious to know what you have done so far, like what parts you have to replace and how things are done to get it back to life?

I can honestly say that it's a true restoration and that basically there are no new spare parts in it, except for strings, tuning pins and the the red felt for string guidance on the plate.

We have, however, worked with German hammer manufacturer Abel to get a set of replica hammers for the sampling session, but the original hammers are still kept in a vault and can be used for special purposes such as exclusive recordings with certain pianists.

The bulk of restoration work was renewal of the French Polish shellac surface, but since the methods to apply this are the same as they were in 1888, this is considered part of a true restoration process.

A lot of work was necessary to clean the inside the of the piano from dust and debris, but thanks to the meticulous work by the excellent piano maker Tobias Schmidt, who even went so far as to clean the plate with a tiny electric toothbrush, we ended up with a piano that basically is what it was back in 1887. We actually sent in the wippens to Abel in order to have them refurbished, but they came back without any work done on them, because Mr. Abel told me that they are as perfect and sturdy as can be.

You can find some more information on the restoration process and corresponding images on our website: https://clavierhaus.at/steinway-d-1887/

Anyway, I am here and available to answer any further questions about the piano. As to the digital side of it, please move to https://forum.pianoworld.com//ubbthreads.php/topics/3631183.html#Post3631183 where product manager Paul Kopf is available to answer questions in this regard.

Tozen https://www.youtube.com/@clavierhaus-vienna is my youtube channel where you can hear some more recordings with the original piano and also its evelotution since it arrived in our stdio in March last year. Since then s lot of work was done the piano by my fvorite concert technician who also prepared the piano for the sampling session.

One more thing: There are a lot of different pianos on this channel, some old, some new, some really nice, some not so much. Feel free to point out the one or other piano that you think may be of interest to have it sampled and released by VSL. They may be listening.

Since the same robot was apparently used again (according to VSL), I assume that only the white keys were recorded again. Is that correct? Secondly, I'd be interested to know whether the problem with the notes being too loud still persists when the sustain pedal is pressed: A note with, for example, vel. 30 inside the sustain pedal is much louder on synchron steinway than a note with a vel. 30 outside the pedal. For example, in a MIDI file of Chopin's first ballad, you get a massive accent on the second accompanying chord in bars 9 to 21.

pc-king I assume that only the white keys were recorded again. Is that correct?

That is incorrect.

Very nice release by VSL. I listened through the demos this morning and they have done a great job with them, the piano sounds beautiful. I wonder how this instrument compares to a Grotrian-Steinweg from the same time. This piano is made only about 30 years after one of the Steinweg brothers moved to Amerika and started Steinway and the first years they built the same piano models on both side of the Atlantic. A couple years ago I played a newly restored Grotrian-Steinweg from roughly the same time as this Steinway at the Grotrian-Steinweg factory (see pictures below), and it was a marvelous instrument. In 1887 the both companies has been on separate tracks for about 20 years though but the instruments look very similar. Do you know if there is still a connection between the companies at that time @clavierhaus? And congratulations on having such a fine instrument and kudos for a great restoration job and for lending it out to VSL so we all can enjoy it.

CyberGene

Given some minuses that are now also surfacing (in this thread):

Do try before you buy!

Cheers!

HZ

johanibraaten This looks exactly like this instrument: https://www.carl-bechstein-stiftung.de/instrumentensammlung/details/7tfln/ which is dated 1880. Indeed, Grotrian and Steinway still had busies contacts and if you take a close look at the iron cast plate, you will see that it is identical to the one in this Steinway: https://forum.pianoworld.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2166035/1.html

At that time Steinway's foundry for plates was the best there was and they provided Grotrian with these plates.

I actually know the piano from the Bechstein collection, because it was restored here in Vienna and I used to be friends with this piano maker. As to comparing it to my or other Steinways from tat time, I am afraid I have to say that I found this instrument dull and boring, lacking dynamics and colors.

100 layers per key?

clavierhaus

Hello,

Congratulations on your exciting project, which you've been working on/contributing to for quite some time now.

Bringing a virtual instrument to market nowadays means immediate worldwide exposure -- bringing you all sorts of reactions and inevitably making you vulnerable to reactions that don't match your hopes and dreams with this new VST instrument.

You cannot forcefully make people change their views -- they have theirs and you have yours.

Go for having a much easier time by enjoying the responses that resonate with your own goals and experiences -- and just let others be.

If you see misunderstandings or lacking information, you can provide the facts you have honestly and truthfully. That is really all you can do.

Going to war with others will burn you out and certainly will not sell your dear product that you've invested your time, energy, and creativity in.

Cheers!

HZ

Pete14 These are just the possible gradations of the robot.

Jane

That is a truly excellent post, Jane!

Thank you for your wisdom.

HZ