0:00 - Introduction
2:05 - Playing
4:17 - Piano VST Overview
7:35 - Pianoteq Playing Demo
11:07 - VSL Playing Demo
12:30 - Differences
25:49 - Pianoteq Demo
27:54 - VSL Demo
29:54 - Conclusion

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#Pianoteq #VSL #Steinway

Hello and welcome to the Merriam Pianos YouTube channel. In this video, we’re jumping back into the VST world with a battle of dual Steinway D plugins as Stu Harrison brings us a detailed comparison of how the Pianoteq 7 Hamburg Steinway D shapes up against the Vienna Symphonic Library Synchron Hamburg Steinway D.

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Background

If you’re new to the channel or just unfamiliar with VST’s, here’s a quick rundown. VST stands for Virtual Studio Technology, which is simply just audio plug-in software that can be accessed via digital audio workstation.

Pianoteq is a VST piano plugin that is built off of a modelled piano sound engine, which means the piano sound is generated via a complex algorithm that the user then has the ability to manipulate. For example, the user can edit things like various tuning aspects, voicing aspects, design aspects as well as various mic types and mic placement.

The VSL Synchron on the other hand is a sample-based engine, built off thousands and thousands of samples, also offering a lot of editability for the user.

Stu tried to match the settings as best he could to do as fair a comparison as possible, but due to the fact that these engines are built so differently, the end results ended up being quite different between the two.

User Control

In terms of the amount of user control over various acoustic-related parameters, these two plugins are probably two of the most evenly matched out of anything else that’s out there.

Both engines simulate a studio environment wherein you’re offered a variety of mic choices, different ways of mixing the mic’s an extensive control over the piano itself.

It’s interesting that despite the Synchron being a sample engine vs Pianoteq being a modelled engine, the user is still given a lot of control in both cases, but ultimately still more on the Pianoteq due to it’s modeled nature.

Sound

Even after trying to match the parameters, the Synchron D has a brighter clarity, even in quieter dynamic ranges. The Pianoteq D is more flexible as you can get into more tonal related parameters by virtue of being able to edit the algorithm.

At the same time, there seems to be warmth on the Synchron D that Stu was not able to replicate on the Pianoteq D even after lots of editing, and this is especially apparent in the lower register.

Another highlight of the Synchron D is just how well the room itself was recorded in addition to just the piano, as the sample really captures a sense of space and air, much like how it feels when playing a real 9 foot piano in a large space.

But again, where the Pianoteq D has an advantage has to do with the extra level of control and malleability it offers, especially with regards to changing the tonal character of the D.

Summary

These are both excellent VST’s, and a preference is probably going to come down to each user's individual past experience with acoustic pianos. Someone without a ton of acoustic piano experience will probably prefer the Pianoteq D due to the extra control.

Someone with a lot of acoustic piano experience will probably appreciate some of the subtler details that really come across with the Synchron, especially the room sound.

In any case, it’s been very interesting to see how the exact same piano can be delivered so differently, yet equally convincing in both cases.

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