Review: Bösendorfer 280VC by Vienna Symphonic Library

The VSL Bösendorfer 280VC distinguishes itself as possibly the most versatile, clear, dynamic grand piano you can buy.

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Review: Bösendorfer 280VC by Vienna Symphonic Library

Vienna Symphonic Library has gotten really good at sampling pianos. They currently have 6 pianos in their Synchron Series, and this 280VC which means it’s a 280 centimeter long Viennese concert grand is already the third Bösendorfer they’ve sampled. They also have an upright Bösendorfer and an extended lower octave Imperial grand Bösendorfer.

This 280VC was recorded on the smaller Stage B (like the upright) but it’s a concert grand, 10cm shorter than the Imperial VSL sampled in the larger Stage A.

Bösendorfer 280VC normally sells for €285 Standard (€225 on sale) €445 Full (€350 on sale) from Vienna Symphonic Library

At the tome of posting the standard Bösendorfer 280VC is on a special promotional price of €225 and the full mic setup Bösendorfer 280VC is on a special promotional price of €350 from Vienna Symphonic Library

Thoughts

One of the things I noticed right away from playing with the 280 VC is the clear and present top end, and uncluttered, un-muddy low end. And while it has 6 main presets using the many microphone positions — 4 in standard and 7 mic positions in the full version — what also interested me was the 21 sound design or FX presets that take this gorgeous source material and really transform it out of the box, making it more than a fantastic piano but a source of inspiration for ambient and almost electronic sounding pieces as well.

Another thing I found interesting was learning that VSL has a unique way of sampling pianos. Rather than a performer, they use a robot to trigger the notes. George Yohng (Software Developer) says in one of VSL’s 2018 informational videos that, “it can press one key at a time but it can do it better than anything else in the world, including … real people.” He says this last bit with a tiny smirk, possibly acknowledging the irony. The end result should of course an incredibly expressive piano instrument. But using the robot apparently allows VSL to capture the quietest notes at the lowest velocities with great precision. In fact VSL can sample 100 velocities at approximately half decibel increments from the highest velocity down to -50dB below it.

The high number of carefully controlled dynamic layers translates to a very playable instrument. In particular I found the 280VC excelled with Jazz performances.

The six mix presets (plus 6 variations in the Full version that add the 3 additional mic positions (when appropriate) demonstrate many capabilities. That said, personally I found it quite enjoyable to add body, sympathetic resonance and even adjust the timbre shift controls to get even “warmer” and more resonant tones. Adding key release and pedal noises also help it sound a bit rougher around the edges which is a great option.

If you are not working in Surround, the Tube and Mid 2 mics are going to be the primary incentives to get the Full version, and personally, I think the Tube could make the Full version “worth it,” if it’s within your budget.

Facts

Standard Library: 93.1 GB
Full Library: 174.4 GB
Grand Piano deep-sampled Synchron Stage B, Vienna
Character Presets and Surround Channel Mixes
7 Microphone Positions in Full (4 in Standard)
100,000+ Samples
Requires Vienna Key or USB-eLicenser and Synchron Piano Player
Requires SSD (M2, SATA 6 or USB3/3.1, UASP Support – HFS+, APFS or NTFS formatted) for the sample content

Bösendorfer 280VC is available from Vienna Symphonic Library

The Standard version normally sells for €285 and the Full version for €445

Demos of Bösendorfer 280VC by Vienna Symphonic Library

Videos of Bösendorfer 280VC by Vienna Symphonic Library

Contributor Nathan David Carlton reviews Bösendorfer 280VC by Vienna Symphonic Library
“The VSL Bösendorfer 280VC distinguishes itself as possibly the most versatile, clear, dynamic grand piano you can buy.”