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Ravenscroft: new VILabs piano


SK

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Definitely interested in this. I've 'heard' that the piano is 40 gigabytes (approx. twice the size of their True Keys pianos) and it's due out this week. Hard to tell from the video, but it seems to be a medium bright, slightly dark piano in the demo. Anyone with insights please post any info. I haven't heard the price yet... guessing it might be $200-300.

 

[video:youtube]

 

More about it here: http://www.vilabsaudio.com

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Marshall aka Marzzz and I checked it out at NAMM. It sounded very good although I would have opted for the real one sitting adjacent to the demo setup. :o

 

I heard one of the reps say it would be available in 3 weeks or so. Perhaps the other Steve will chime in with better insight.

 

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Are there any videos of this new library from the show floor?

 

I gather they were using a VPC1 for the demo setup - pianomanchuck *almost* said 'Kawai controller' in his 2nd day NAMM video...

 

Cheers,

James

x

Employed by Kawai Japan, however the opinions I express are my own.
Nord Electro 3 & occasional rare groove player.

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The real one's are custom built about three miles from my house. I just don't happen to have a spare quarter-million to get one. That said, their software piano sounded very good, but I am one of those who really like Pianoteq. There is just something about velocity switching that I just don't like. The Pianoteq you sacrifice some accuracy in the piano emulation for a better "feel" while playing. FWIW YMMV, etc.
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That's strange; I thought the previous announcement referred to this as an actual acoustic grand piano at the price tag of $120,000.

 

So it's a sample library after all. :-)

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Mark, I gather that Ravenscroft had both an acoustic concert grand and a software version at the same booth.

 

Some acoustic piano clips have recently been uploaded to the Keyboard Magazine youtube channel, including these two jaw-dropping work-outs on the Ravenscroft:

 

[video:youtube]

 

[video:youtube]

 

The software instrument setup (a Macbook + monitor speakers controlled by a Kawai VPC1 can occasionally be seen in the background.

 

Cheers,

James

x

Employed by Kawai Japan, however the opinions I express are my own.
Nord Electro 3 & occasional rare groove player.

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Definitely interested in this. I've 'heard' that the piano is 40 gigabytes (approx. twice the size of their True Keys pianos) and it's due out this week. Hard to tell from the video, but it seems to be a medium bright, slightly dark piano in the demo. Anyone with insights please post any info. I haven't heard the price yet... guessing it might be $200-300.

 

[video:youtube]

 

More about it here: http://www.vilabsaudio.com

It does look very promising! :thu:

 

It's odd, though, that they can sample a piano so well and yet not tame the plosives on the video voiceover. ;)

 

Paging Steve Nathan...

Yes, a quick search of Steve's recent posts should yield some insight. My impression is that he's already had some very positive experience with it.

 

I'm looking forward to hearing some demos. :cool:

 

Best,

 

Geoff

My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon

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It was demoed next to their 9' grand at the ViLabs booth. The site says the software piano was ViLabs project with Ravenscroft input... so ViLabs now has a Ravenscroft licensed version.

 

The interface looks very similar to True Keys (una corda/half pedal, mic positions, etc.) with some new additions like room mics, stereo spreader, and larger piano sample size.

 

With the care that ViLabs put into True Keys, this Ravenscroft should be impressive. Looking forward to Steve Nathan's post.

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I have no specific knowledge of price, release date, or final library size (near 40 I suspect), but I've been beta testing it since Beta 3 (now on beta 6), and I freakin' love it. :love: There are a group of us, giving them our impressions, voicing suggestions, etc, and it keeps getting better and better, (and I was "sold" at Beta 3 :laugh: ) It sounds great, with rich bass and great tone, and just feels remarkably "playable". The GUI is very similar to their other pianos, but this one has 4 mike positions, Close, Player, Side and Room and I've been able to get enormous variety out of little more than blending the positions. There is also a "Tone" knob that does nice things with barely a little twist.

I'm surprised there hasn't been any "show" video posted. I suggested a visit to DB and Steve F. Maybe one of them got by and can weigh in.

 

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It's odd, though, that they can sample a piano so well and yet not tame the plosives on the video voiceover. ;)
I thought the exact same thing. :laugh:

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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Sorry about the VO. It was done at the Hilton in the corner of my hotel room. Roland seemed to have some techno themed room across the hall so it was challenging to get it. I'll have to redo it once I'm back in the office.

 

We were working on the Ravenscroft right until our flight left so time was an issue. It really turned out incredible though.

 

Price $199.99.

Release: should be 2/7/14

Auth: Hdd or ilok just like True Keys.

Size: around 37.5 GB / 8 GB Download

Info page with video/audio and other details should be live on Tuesday. Pre-orders should start on Tuesday also. We're going to give anyone who pre-orders $50 off. Stay tuned.

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Sorry about the VO. It was done at the Hilton in the corner of my hotel room. Roland seemed to have some techno themed room across the hall so it was challenging to get it. I'll have to redo it once I'm back in the office.
Ha ha - it's nothing personal of course. In fact, I think the voice itself sounded pretty good and works well for VO. It's just that audio geeks like us notice these things. :)

 

Thanks for the info!

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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Yes, thank you for stopping by and sharing what you didespecially on the heels of what was probably an exhausting show. I hope you took our gentle ribbing in the spirit in which it was meant: the small imperfection in the voiceover is such a contrast because you've set the bar so high with your products.

 

Of course, it also illustrates that you have your priorities straight. I doubt you'll find anyone here who disagrees with your choice to place product development ahead of marketing.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon

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So, did no one at the show make it by to actually play/hear this library?? I hate to be the only one braggin' on it.

 

 

Nope...no one at all.

 

Marshall aka Marzzz and I checked it out at NAMM. It sounded very good although I would have opted for the real one sitting adjacent to the demo setup. :o

 

I heard one of the reps say it would be available in 3 weeks or so. Perhaps the other Steve will chime in with better insight.

 

:poke::D

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it seems VI Labs' Ravenscroft truly blows everything away

I have to agree. We've come a long way. I'm sure someone will chime in soon enough to disagree, but "forest for the trees" or "different strokes". I'm convinced this is the one.

 

Anyone recognize that controller? Curious.

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I'm sure someone will chime in soon enough to disagree, but "forest for the trees" or "different strokes".
While waiting for that, I'll start the ball rolling: my only complaint about Ravenscroft is since VI Labs products no longer require an iLok, there'll be noticeably less posts in this thread. ;)
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Something I noticed immediately while listening to Ruslan's demo is that I could hear the sound of the notes interacting with the body of the piano. The air and the wood are audible. For me, that's an essential component to realism, and I haven't heard any other piano samples capture it as convincingly as this does.

 

Something else I noticed is that the mid-range sounds particularly mid-rangey. Is that a characteristic of the Ravenscroft sound?

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Something I noticed immediately while listening to Ruslan's demo is that I could hear the sound of the notes interacting with the body of the piano. The air and the wood are audible. For me, that's an essential component to realism, and I haven't heard any other piano samples capture it as convincingly as this does.

 

Something else I noticed is that the mid-range sounds particularly mid-rangey. Is that a characteristic of the Ravenscroft sound?

I hear the same thing. It sounds to me like mostly richer harmonics in the samples, and then the room mics would add some of that air/wood quality.

 

The mid range is pronounced - I'm glad it is. Vi Labs said the piano has an "edgy" sound... perhaps that means "lively". Maybe someone who has actually played the acoustic can chime in... I've only heard it in the demos.

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