Hi,
Will all my Synchron and VI presets work after I switch to iLok? Is there something I should know before replacing VSL VST plugins with new iLok-enabled ones in Cantabile?

Hi, 
It would be nice if Synchron Pianos player showed the currently set continuous half-pedal velocity range, and allowed end user to modify it.

For example, the half-pedal range set to 60-70 would mean that:
- sustain pedal velocities 0-59: sustain pedal is not in use;
- velocities 60-70 lineary increase the effect of half-pedal from no sustain to almost full sustain;
- velocities 71-127: sustain pedal is fully depressed.

And when the velocity editor is implemented for key velocities, there would be such editor for half-pedal as well.

The new version sin  6.12.4.1273 to be precise.

Paul,

I guess I know where my confusion originates from:

If I follow the e-mail instructions, there are 4 vsldownload files to apply (two Stereo and two Additional; or two SPv4 and two Update01).

But when I go to My Downloads area, I do not see Bösendorfer Imperial - Additional Mics Update 01 (Y18_Boesendorfer_Imperial_Additional_Update01_SPv1_w1.vsldownload) there. 
It is completely missing from the Updates section.

This needs to be fixed!

Vlad

Oh, so these are 2 separate updates then.
Thanks!

Paul,
I am alittle bit confused.

E-mail begins with "We have just optimized the Close and Mid microphone signals...", but:
1. E-mail instructions and video mention updates for Mid mics only.
2. Bösendorfer Imperial Update Info (pdf file) from My Downloads says there is update for Clicks in the Close1 and Close 2 microphone on key C2.

There is obvious discrepancy between all 3 statements.
Please clarify what exactly was fixed.

Thanks.

Hi Paul.
1. What mics were included.
2. Gain/volume for each mic.
3. Delay value for each mic.
4. Reverb value for each mic.
5. Panning and EQ changes from default for each mic if any.
6. FX applied to each mic (if any).

And I'd love to have these details for each of 3 libs. I already own 4, and going to get Imperial soon.

Thanks.

Can it be that your audio output device (headphone amp) has left-right balance biazed to the left? 

Paul,
Is it possible to disclose exact mix details chosen for the Room Mic? This might help in more effectively mixing it with close mics.

Hi, 

I found two bugs:

1) when the main player window is close to the upper boundary of the screen, the FX Channel popup window, when initiated, is rendered partially out of screen. The only way to deal with it is to move the main window down before choosing FX effect, which depending on screen resolution and player window scale may hide part of main window:
screenshot

2) With 1920x1080 screen, when Synchron player scale is set to 150%, it starts closer to the right bottom corner of the screen instead of being positioned properly (in the center), and part of it becomes hidden. This is most likely caused by a bug where initial position calculation always tries to position player in the center, but does not take the scale into account.

Hi,
Here is the question I had for a while, but did not bother to ask earlier: what is the point of listing  the 'Room Mic' as a separate mic if this is not a mic but a mix, i.e. actually a preset?
Thanks.

Is Pro 7 required for this, or free 6 is enough? Oh, it looks like I found the answer (I would need Pro) here: https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Vienna_Ensemble_PRO/Product_Comparison

I would assume this can also be implemented with a third party free host and separate EQ plugin.

Another thing to consider is how hard the EQ plugin may increase latency.

280VC is very different from 290, this is why I'd like to see it recorded by VSL. They are Viennese both!

There are 4 decent Bechsteins on the market, including one from Bechstein itself.
And we are still waiting for a good Blutner Model 1, Borgato, Forster, Grotrian, Kawai, Sauter, Schimmel, Seiler, Steingraeber, vintage Balwin and Mason, modern Estonia and Petrof!
Not mentioning that Fazioli deserves a better library IMHO.
And what about that 108 key Stuart that Aussies say is the best piano in the world? 

If the next is also Bosendorfer, it must be VC!

Paul,

Please make sure that silent key, when implemented, is an option that can be turned on/off, and has configurable velocity threshold value.
Here is what I mean: if it is turned on and set to 5, then keys pressed with velocity 5 or below are treated as silent; and if it is turned off, than even velocity 1 produces ppppp sound.

Paul,

There might be misunderstanding on my side, but based on this announcement, Bosendorfer is part of Synchron Pianos Series, and it is not (yet). The Synchron Pianos Series web page still lists only 4 pianos.
Will Bosendorfer be added shortly as 5th piano to the bundle, or will it stay separate?

After update to v1496:
- I do not see any surround presets even after the manual refresh (only downmix to stereo);
- I can see only presets for the currently open piano. In previous versions I could see presets for all pianos after manual refresh, which would allow the quick switching between pianos. Now I have to switch to another piano first, and only after that - choose its desired preset. Is it possible to show all factory and user presets for all pianos in the future version without refreshing the folder and without switching between pianos? Would be a nice user experience improvement IMO.

As far as I know Blüthner 1895 is the only Synchron piano with FX Presets.

Paul,
The best option would be to pass desired preset as parameter IMO.
Not sure how hard it is to implement, but considering that this is possible for VST plugin, may be some 'pass through for parameters' functionality could be implemented for standalone as well?

I have the same question: is it possible to start Vienna Imperial standalone with user preset loaded automatically?
Can somebody advise?
Thanks.

Let me add my voice to the (not as big as I'd like) crowd: silent key and built-in velocity curve editor are 2 main features I miss with Synchron Pianos

I would prefer both:

- in short term, an inexpensive Synchronized upgrade of Vienna Imperial (with same 3 presets, but with samples for all separate mics available for our own presets) - should not be very hard to implement IMO;

- a newly sampled Synchron Imperial with all the pedaling improvements and mic options expected for Synchron Grand.

And finally, 280VC would be also very nice to have, but in addition to 290, not as replacement, they are so different ;-)

I found a weird glitch when UI is scaled to, say, 125% - when I create a new User Preset - when I type the preset name the cursor shifts and slowly moves from position behind the last typed in character to before it.
When the scale is at 75% - the cursor moves in the opposite way to the degree that there is a space slowly built between last typed character and cursor.
When Synchron Pianos is scaled to 100% - everything is fine.

Here is how to reproduce it:

1. Start Synchron Pianos.
2. Scale it to 125%.
3. Click on Presets (folder) button.
4. Click on Save (Floppy Disk) Icon for User preset
5. Start typing in the 'Please enter a new preset name' window.
6. Watch the cursor position - it moves differently from characters typed.

Repeat the same steps for scales 100%, and 75% - only 100% behaves properly.

I run build 1470 on Windows 10 Pro (64 bit) with all updates and with default fonts.

P.S. I see something similar in Vienna Instruments 6.5.18917 - when I scale it to 200% and type in the Search field, the cursor also moves less than needed, and after, say, 20 characterts typed it blinks not after the last character but over it.

I now suspect that may be this is not VSL issue, but my own setup?
However, when I scale Chrome to, say, 200%, and start typing in google search field, the cursor behaves as expected, no shifts.
Can somebody confirm they see the same on their computer?

Have you tried to enable Legacy USB support in BIOS?
Considering that this is new computer, all ports might be USB-3, and who knows how these dongles are treated by USB-3 port/driver.

Another option for USB-3 port is to connect the dongle through USB-3 hub that has dedicated USB-2 (not USB-3) port.

If you can afford high capacity SSD, this is the best way forward IMO.

SSD these days are at least as reliable and long lasting as conventional 7200rpm drives, but are 3-5x faster, especially in sequential read/write. But even then, don't forget about backup storage; even single high capacity conventional SATA 7200rpm HDD might be enough for the piece of mind. High capacity HDD are dirt cheap these days.

If you motherboard has NVMe slots, modern PCIe NVMe SSD can be, again, 3-5x faster than SATA SSD or RAID 5/6 SATA HDD, for almost the same price.

I am building a new VSTi PC for my piano with single 'system' disk (PCIe-4 NVMe 2TB), and will add a second 4TB one solely for patches as soon as 4TB PCIe-4 NVMe become available. Right now only PCIe-3 are available, and I have time till September, all my patches fit into 2TB fine yet, but I expect to add few very big libs then.