The latest addition to IK Multimedia’s Pianoverse virtual instrument captures the sound of a Steinway & Sons D-274, expanding the collection to a total of six pianos. Alongside the launch of Hamburg Grand S274, the company have also announced the availability of a new Pianoverse MAX bundle that contains all of the existing instruments, and will gain another two through future releases.
The instrument featured in the new release was made in 1958, and is housed in Officine Meccaniche studios in Milan. IK Multimedia have captured it in all its glory using a pair of DPA 4011s as close mics, with two Coles 4038s in a Blumlein configuration used as room mics; they utilised the same preamps that were employed on previous Pianoverse releases, and have applied no EQ or compression to the recordings A custom-built robotic system was used to trigger each note, ensuring consistency across the instrument’s dynamic range, with the latest Pianoverse engine delivering an authentic-sounding playing experience thanks to a redesigned round robin system and enhanced voice management.
A set of performance controls allow users to customise the instrument’s sound, with parameters including adjustable lid positions, harp resonance, pedal noise and piano mallet noise. There’s support for three pedals, all of which offer continuous control and include functionalities such as half- and catch-pedaling and una corda. Further tweaking is provided by a microphone mixer, and a collection of built-in effects and processors such as EQ, a VCA-style limiter and a generative reverb engine capable of producing everything from simulated rooms to more extreme creative effects. Those who wish to stray even further away from tradition will enjoy a set of four modulation sources — two envelopes and two LFOs — that can be assigned to effects parameters to create more unusual and interesting sounds.
Compatibility
Pianoverse is supported on PCs running Windows 7 or higher, and Macs running macOS 10.13 and above. VST2, VST3, AU and AAX plug-in versions are available.
Pricing & Availability
Hamburg Grand S274 is available now, and is currently (9 March 2024) being offered for an introductory price of $€99.99, reduced from its full cost of $€129.99. It can also be purchased as part of Pianoverse MAX, with pricing options as follows:
- Pianoverse MAX: $€399.99
- Pianoverse MAX Upgrade: $€299.99
- Pianoverse All-Access Subscription: $€149.99 / year
