Virtual piano experts Synthogy have announced the release of Ivory 3 German D, the first instrument in the latest iteration of their Ivory platform. Powered by the company’s RGB Engine, the instrument promises to offer modelling-like expressive control whilst retaining the realism of samples.
The instrument features entirely new recordings of a Hamburg Steinway D Concert Grand piano, a model renowned for its balanced tone throughout all registers. The particular example in question has been meticulously maintained by master concert technician Michel Pedneau, and captured in the Le Domaine Forget de Charlevoix Concert Hall by the same team of experts that created the Ivory II American Concert D.
All of the features and functionality of the plug-in’s award-winning predecessor have been carried forward, and complete compatibility with all of Ivory II’s pianos and presets is provided. The underlying engine however, has been completely replaced by a new RGB (Real-time Gradient Blending) technology developed by Synthogy’s in-house DSP guru George Taylor. This has allowed the introduction of a range of new functionality, including improvements to how timbre reacts to playing velocity, and more detailed control over harmonic overtones and dynamics.
The new platform also offers multiple microphone options, with a selection of close, mid-side and ambient choices and positions available, each of which can be separately routed, mixed and processed in the instrument’s new mixer. Every channel within the mixer is equipped with trim, gain and polarity functions, along with three-band equalisation and compressor processing sections. Built-in reverb, chorus and delay effects are present, along with mid-side processing options and multiple bus sends and signal paths that facilitate parallel processing within the instrument itself.
The GUI has been redesigned, boasting a new look that has been designed to be easy to use whilst still offering immediate access to the deep processing functionality provided by the new engine. A simplified preset structure has also been introduced, which Synthogy say makes it easier than ever to save and recall custom presets.
Compatibility
Ivory 3 German D is currently supported on Macs running macOS 10.15 and above, with a Windows version still in development for later release. VST3, AU, and AAX plug-in versions are available, and 42GB of disk space is required.
Pricing & Availability
Ivory 3 German D is available now, priced at $279.