Grand Passion

We’re always striving to improve and optimize our products and procedures – a special challenge, having set a very high bar with the grands we’ve previously captured at Synchron Stage Vienna. Listening back to the virtual representation of our brand-new Bösendorfer Imperial, we believe we’ve created a new milestone in the art of piano sampling.

The Bösendorfer Concert Grand 290 Imperial represents the apex of the famed Austrian piano manufacturer’s precious heritage. Its nine additional sub-bass notes extend the instrument’s key range downward to the low C – for a total range of eight octaves. The extra bass strings create additional harmonic resonance with every key you strike, providing warmth, richness and depth across the entire instrument. The massive soundboard projects an unusually broad frequency range, evoking a sonorous, orchestral timbre.

The Imperial’s magically unfolding tonal character, especially apparent in the pianissimo to mezzoforte range, was meticulously sampled in finely calibrated velocity steps using our proprietary piano robot that we’ve further developed and perfected. To guarantee a consistent sound over all keys, velocities and note lengths, the total recording production time was scheduled as tightly as possible to minimize even the smallest changes in the instrument’s sonic behavior. A sufficient block of time was reserved at the Synchron Stage, but after recording nearly 24 hours a day it still took several weeks to capture the 290 Imperial in its entirety.

What’s more, our proprietary Release Sample Technology was even further refined, allowing the Synchron Player to automatically match hundreds of individual and finely stepped release samples per key to your played notes in real-time. The result is a hyper-realistic playing feel and 100% timbral authenticity.

As with all the instruments of our Synchron Pianos series, this Bösendorfer 290 Imperial enjoys permanent, climate-controlled residency at Synchron Stage Vienna, whose main hall is characterized by its particularly warm and natural ambience. The 540 m2 Stage A has lent its acoustic signature to numerous international productions, from classical chamber music to international, large-scale orchestral film scores.

The Vienna Synchron Pianos software player offers multiple options for shaping your sound and the playing experience. Hosting a high-performance playback engine, the software provides a musician-friendly user interface that allows for quick and easy timbral control. Create your sound intuitively by filtering particular key ranges or even single keys, adjust the body resonance of the instrument or add just a touch of algorithmic reverb to refine the overall sound.

Microphone Positions