Synthogy Ivory - Grand Pianos At First Glance

At First Glance

Arguably, the most technically challenging instrument to reproduce is a grand piano. Synthogy has taken up the challenge by producing not only one, but three world class pianos: The Bosendorfer 290 Imperial Grand, a German Steinway D 9’, and the ubiquitous Yamaha C7 Grand. This new collection called Ivory, is perhaps the most ambitious undertaking of a virtual piano instrument to date, and as I will explain, includes some unique features to capture even the most subtle nuances for discriminating players.

The first thing that you notice when playing Ivory is an immediate “presence.” Beyond the rich tonal quality of the keystroke itself, Ivory’s resonant details become apparent. Using some of the finest samples ever recorded, Ivory employs its own sophisticated DSP engine that works in tandem with the samples to achieve a level of realism that is superb. With an incredible and intuitive interface the distinction between virtual and reality are blurred. The end result is a set of professional instruments that sound natural and conform to the touch of almost any type of player and style.

Getting Started

I have to tell you upfront that while I am won over by the sound of Ivory, it did take some forethought on my part to get satisfactory performance using my moderate system. As with any virtual studio using samples, I had to balance disk speed, processing power, and available RAM, particularly when using Ivory’s higher velocity key samples with their corresponding release and soft pedal samples. Additional power is required when activating any of Ivory’s onboard effects. My system, a Power Mac G4/933 MHz., stands somewhere in the middle of Ivory’s minimum specs of a 450 MHz G4/512 RAM, and Ivory’s recommended system of a 1 GHz G4/1 GB RAM. My final observations here are based on Ivory’s performance after having resolved some performance issues that I address later.

Installation was straightforward, involving a whopping 8 DVDs that places all files and presets into a single folder. The whole process took about an hour on my machine. Registration and authorization involved first entering an assigned machine ID and a serial number on the Synthogy website, and then receiving an Unlock Code via email. The software will run for five days without this code. As of this review, the Ivory installer did not include the latest “authorized” audio unit version for use with Logic 7, though a download was available via the Synthogy website.

I initially opted to install all three pianos, or the entire 31gigabyte library, onto an external firewire drive that I reserve for dedicated sample libraries. But, as I discuss later, I didn’t really get the results I wanted until I eventually moved the library onto a faster drive. For playing, I used a Fatar Studiologic SL-880, which comes equipped with a sustain pedal only. I tested Ivory as both an AU and VST with three different hosts, all running in OS 10.3.7. For the most part, Ivory performed virtually the same with all three hosts. One of the very few complaints that I have about Ivory, however, is its inability to be used as a stand-alone instrument.

First Impressions

When initially test-driving Ivory, most users will probably use the presets or included “programs.” These configurations utilize Ivory’s sound characteristics in conjunction with a specified piano to reproduce a variety of styles and settings from gospel to classical and from concert halls to jazz clubs. When choosing a program, all the presets are set automatically, or as they were when the program was saved. As such, some programs may strain for resources on slower systems. Taking time to optimize your settings will remedy most of this.

I tried all of Ivory’s included programs but was particularly drawn to the Concert Steinway D piano, reminiscent of the same instrument I used to play nearly two decades ago. I tested this particular setting with a number of older projects and was surprised to find that it was remarkably resonant with both my solo performances and some instrumental mixes. Incidentally, a novice listener familiar with my music made an unsolicited inquiry as to how I had “finally” achieved such a rich and full sound.

The overall sampling is excellent. There is no doubt that Synthogy set out to employ years of expertise in creating the best instrument recreation possible. The end result is an incredibly dimensional sound to each individual string. The timbre of the mid range on all of Ivory’s pianos is the sweetest that I have yet to hear in a sampled library. On both the Steinway and Bosendorfer pianos, the bass notes evoke a well-rounded visual image. This is indicative of all of Ivory’s key samples that produce a natural, independent resonance that doesn’t rely on (or even need) ambient artifices. The upper octaves are as equally pleasing, and notably, do not succumb to the harsh “plink” that occurs in some sampled libraries. This was true even on the highest notes.

As for velocities between the key samples, Ivory is thoroughly transparent and seamless. Each piano also includes a full set of corresponding release samples (which incidentally are varied to coincide with the duration of the key stroke) and some very natural sounding soft pedal samples. Both of these can be turned off to accommodate system performance. As with the sustain, the dampened samples are triggered by the corresponding MIDI assignment (67), presumably using a soft pedal with your keyboard. Unfortunately, I had to use a knob on my UC33e in the absence a designated second pedal.

While I found no outstanding discrepancies when playing various keysets (the basic non-signal enhanced pianos), I did pay close attention when trying to locate an issue that I had read about in a forum where some had reported a glitch with a D4 note. As of this review, I have yet to find that specific issue, though I did experience a slight problem with a B2 note that would sometimes not release properly. Though this happened more than once, I have not been able to replicate this with any consistency.

Under The Lid

The real power of Ivory is the way in which it handles these various samples in conjunction with its own DSP engine. Ivory’s main parameters are accessed within three distinct windows, or “screens,” each of which houses a suite of options. These include the main screen for selecting the piano “keysets” and sound performance settings, the effect screen for selecting EQ, chorus/delay and ambience, and the velocity screen for matching Ivory’s touch to your own. What I like about this setup is how each window is uniquely designed to focus on shaping the instrument in a quick and intuitive manner that doesn’t place the technology in front of the instrument. In short, there is a complete integration of the synth engine with the instrument samples.

That said, the combination of sound shaping options are limitless; some tools yield a more natural or desirable result, while others intentionally distort the sound. While this synth/sample engine is powerful, some users may miss the ability to load samples into another sampler. Some may also prefer to use their third party or host’s plugins in place of Ivory’s own EQ or ambient reverb.

The Main Screen

The main screen is essentially divided into two areas where the left serves as the palette for selecting and building the desired piano, while the right side serves as quick access for tuning options (equally tempered or “stretched”) and disk/buffer settings. In short, all of Ivory’s program settings are determined on the left of the main screen, while the session itself is defined through the settings on the right. At the bottom of the screen is a small graphic of the grand piano keyboard that, despite being able to click and test with the mouse, is really too small to be functional.

Since Ivory allows you to save all of your presets from this window, you will no doubt want to familiarize yourself briefly with the hierarchical difference between a “session” and a “program,” particularly in understanding what is saved with a program and what settings are not. For the purpose of getting started within the main screen, however, I simply began by turning knobs and choosing keysets to see what Ivory could do.

Having familiarized myself with the main window, I began to search for the perfect piano. As I mentioned, simply working with the included programs from the drop down menu was enormously gratifying, especially in being able to try out my older compositions using Ivory’s different program settings. This “load and play” approach with other virtual pianos has yielded less than satisfying results, so needless to say I was impressed to hear an immediate, and more present tonal perspective to these older works. Consequently, I also heard some discrepancies in my own playing that I hadn’t really noticed before. Using Ivory’s dynamic control feature knob (which works in tandem with the velocity control) also accentuated some of my own expressions that had been lost using an older sample library. By the way, this feature is also useful when getting a piece to stand out in a busier mix.

While Ivory’s own programs are great as they are, you will no doubt be designing your own programs from scratch at some point using the “keysets,” which make up the core of Ivory’s sample library. These keysets are comprised of the available installed pianos and include a number of dynamic layer sets ranging from five to eight velocities. It’s worth mentioning here that size is relative. The Bosendorfer and Steinway sets, for example have a higher range of available dynamic levels (8) while the Yamaha C7 contains the least (5 -6). Some keysets also include a wider timbral range that can be adjusted in the main screen, and of course, there are three sets that include the additional bass notes for the Bosendorfer Imperial Grand. For preserving CPU, the Bosendorfer can also be loaded without these.

To shape the characteristics of the piano sounds, Ivory provides four controller knobs that adjust the timber of the instrument, the mechanical action of the keys, the release time (of the selected release samples), and the above-mentioned dynamic range, respectively. The timbre control is outstanding, in effect changing the mood of the entire instrument. Just playing with this setting alone unleashed an extended jam session. The adjustable key action, on the other hand, while arguably a desired feature for some discriminating tastes, actually reminded me of the very thing we spent hours trying to eliminate while recording on location. Go figure.

In addition, Ivory attempts to capture the sustain resonance of the soundboard through its own unique DSP function that essentially replicates the complexities of the harp vibration (when using a sustain pedal and not damping). This is precisely where some have argued that a “good” virtual piano could never be made. That aside, Ivory includes six variations on this. Perhaps of equal interest to those recording Ivory, however, is an additional feature that actually simulates a change in microphone positioning over the board itself. Using this function, I was able to achieve a really nice sense of “placement,” for my piano, effectively having more control over how it sounded in the mix. From the session controls, you can also reverse the stereo field to essentially create an audience perspective. This feature can be somewhat disconcerting, however, if engaged while playing!

One other feature in the main window allows you to apply levels of synth pad settings on top of the selected keyset. Again, for both sonic and system considerations, the desired amount can also be controlled. I personally did not care for the sound of these pads, precisely because of their reference to a distinctly pop sound indicative of the MIDI equipped pianos of the late 1980s.

Touch Is Everything

From the velocity screen, a velocity range can be determined by either selecting presets to match your playing style (heavy, light, etc.), or by moving knobs that control a linear curve. These varied settings are especially useful for those with a keyboard controller with a limited velocity range, or for a controller that does not have a decent hammer action. While I am able to set four different velocity ranges within my keyboard to suit the virtual instrument I am playing, I found Ivory’s velocity mapping far more useful when wanting to change styles quickly. With suitable hardware, there’s no reason you can’t create a fully natural piano feel.

All Things Being EQ

As for Ivory’s effects screen, the short of it is that Ivory includes its own two-band shelf filter EQ, a chorus, delay, and an ambient reverb. You will have heard some of these settings already when trying out Ivory’s own programs. The presets from within the ambient feature window make it easy to choose a room type, while the knobs control the size, predelay, and wet/dry mix.

Aside from the afore mentioned samples themselves, these onboard effects are what arguably sets Ivory apart from all other virtual pianos, particularly those that are dependent on a sample player. One (slight) adjustment to Ivory’s EQ was enough to convince me I probably won’t need to use an outside plug, except in some instances where I might want a four or even six band filter to work with. With such excellent samples, that’s highly unlikely, though this could be the case in a more complex mix. The ambient reverb is also very warm, especially on the smaller room settings. However, I still prefer Logic’s Soundesigner for achieving a good concert hall sound.

Backstage Preparations

As I mentioned earlier, my initial attempt at running ivory from my Firewire drive yielded mixed results, particularly when trying to play keysets with a combination of release samples, or at a lower buffer. After two very friendly exchanges with tech support, however, I was convinced that allotting more room on a faster (ATA) drive might yield better performance. This took a little bit of effort on my part to make room, but in the end it made all the difference, particularly in being able to load the release samples, effects, and choose a lower buffer setting without any problems.

Of course results will vary depending on individual systems, and in some cases a faster, dedicated drive might be warranted. I cannot stress enough the importance of heeding Synthogy’s advice in trying to match Ivory with the most ideal drive situation possible. Synthogy even suggests creating a RAID volume (which can only be done on new drives). This advice is tucked away in the FAQ section on the Synthogy website, so anyone with moderate specs that is eager to “try out” Ivory quickly may actually find themselves moving the library later, or reconfiguring their system, as I did. The assumption here, as indicated on the Synthogy site, is that a new user will want to place Ivory’s library on a dedicated drive.

That said, I still have to balance system resources when using Ivory with other virtual instruments on my system. Of course freezing and/or rendering a performance to disk, frees up some resources in a pinch. The same is true when increasing Ivory’s voice count, though I find that a setting of 24 usually works fine for working with most of my solo playing style without having to worry about overload. While it is impossible to surmise how Ivory would perform on every system, it’s fair to say that one doesn’t have to run out and get a new G5 right away, though some work at optimizing moderate systems will need to be done. I found the manual, website, and tech support all very useful in helping me to locate that sweet spot with my setup.

A Grand For All Tastes

Clearly Synthogy had the serious pianist in mind when designing this product, and no doubt it also has great appeal for the project studio musician as well. Those who don’t use a lot of piano in their projects may ask why a single library wouldn’t be sufficient, or why they would need all three. Personally, having these three incredible options within one very intuitive and great sounding program has pretty much rendered my existing collection of sample (and player dependent) libraries moot.

As for other applications, Ivory would also be great for any student, school, or institution wanting to equip someone with a naturally responsive virtual piano, particularly for those with both limited space and funds. Of course the entire cost of setting a system has to be considered. And, for those wishing to use Ivory in a configuration without a host - say in a practice situation - it is possible to run Ivory using a fairly inexpensive VST host like RAX.

For recording musicians, the fact that Ivory can be integrated so easily and naturally into a studio (without having to mic a piano) is a huge draw. As for selecting a suitable keyboard controller, I cannot imagine, using anything less than a 64 note, semi-weighted action keyboard with a sustain pedal. No doubt serious players would want a full size hammer action keyboard, along with a soft pedal.

Finally, as with any sample-based program, there are some practical things to consider when adding Ivory to a studio. Sufficient disk space for the 30 gigabyte library is obvious, and, if possible, consider getting a fast, dedicated drive as well. Users with less than the recommended system specs should also note that the advertised 8 gigabyte minimum is a little misleading, particularly since you can only install one piano (the smaller Yamaha C7) at that size. OS 9 users have not been forgotten either as Ivory also includes RTAS and VST versions for OS 9 as well. As of this review, a Windows version has not yet been released, though this has been announced. Be sure to check the Synthogy website for updates.

Bravo

Technical issues aside, Ivory stands far apart from any other sample-based libraries I’ve worked with. Moreover, this is not just another “player-dependent” library, but a complete instrument in many respects. Quite literally, I’ve come to regard Ivory more as a collection of fine instruments than a sample machine. Ivory clearly has the most responsive touch of any virtual piano I’ve worked with, and when you consider its outstanding library, intuitive interface, and world-class sound design, the overall value is really quite remarkable. Simply put, every virtual instrument should be this good.

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