„Der ausgewogene und natürliche Klang prädestiniert den Vienna Imperial nicht nur für den solistischen Einsatz, sondern auch für andere, stilistisch breit gefächerte Einsatzzwecke. [...] Die Library gehört klanglich in die Referenzklasse der Bösendorfer-Plug-ins und setzt auch in puncto Qualität der Halleffekte Maßstäbe.“
Klaus Tenner, Keys, September 2017
“The Vienna Imperial is the very best – without question – piano plug-in I’ve ever had the privilege of using […]”
Richard Dutnall, dv magazine, September 2011
http://magazine.dv247.com/2011/09/29/vsl-vienna-imperial-piano-review/
“The move to 100 layers is nonetheless a radical advancement in the art of sampling, and the results are stunning. […] the audio quality is extremely impressive.”
“If you need to have the most realistic sampled grand piano available at this time at your fingertips, you'll need to check this product out.”
Gary Escow, Recording, November 2010
“So how does Vienna Imperial sound? Smooth, seamless, unflappable. As you might imagine, with 69,633 samples at hand, there never seemed to be a playing condition that left it at a loss for the perfect response, regardless of dynamic levels, releases, or pedaling. There was also no mistaking it for anything but a Bösendorfer—the tone was clean, clear, and distinctive.”
“Is Vienna Imperial worth the investment? If you love the sound of the Bösendorfer Imperial but lack the $150,000, the considerable space required, or both, this may be your ultimate solution.”
Alden Skinner, Piano Buyer, March 2010
“The Vienna Imperial is truly an exceptional virtual piano. There is, of course, the technical mastery and sheer size and scale of it all but to be honest it is very easy to forget all of that – in a very positive way. It is very intuitive to use and the details – like multi-release samples, sympathetic resonances, pedal noise, etc – are all just delightfully subtle elements that contribute to the creation of the overall sound.”
“VSL has really thought about what contributes to the actual sound of a piano and how the physical nature of its action colours this without being immediately obvious to a casual listener.”
“So much so you very quickly forget about all that and end up simply enjoying playing the instrument.”
“I am of course not suggesting that the Vienna Imperial is a substitute for a real Bösendorfer in the room, but it is by far the most realistic and expressive sample library I’ve ever come across – and you have to ask yourself if, even if you have access to such a piano, do you also have the equipment and expertise to record it sounding half this good?”
“[…] it is by no means cheap, but for the convenience of playing, writing and recording on such a quality virtual instrument it is entirely worth it […]”
Stuart Earl, Classical Music, March 2010
Future Music Platinum Award for Vienna Imperial
“(…) Vienna Imperial is the best-sounding sampled piano I've ever played and heard. I've lost count of the number of times I got lost in the joys of simply playing this instrument and forgetting the source during the review process and I can see that I'll be turning to it a great deal in future, for production and composition work.”
“It's expensive but still a damn sight cheaper and more convenient than actually buying yourself a Bösendorfer Imperial. If you need authentic sounding pianos in your creative work, the search ends here.”
“Is this the best-sounding sampled piano available? Put simply: yes. A truly universal piano solution.”
Highlights: 1 Unprecedented authenticity; 2 Three sampled microphone positions; 3 Sub bass notes an unexpected bonus
Jono Buchanan, Future Music, January 2010
“The Vienna Imperial is without a doubt the nicest sampled piano I've played. It feels the most natural, and the sound and playability are exceptional using the basic mic configurations with no EQ or reverb. I found the EQ handy for playing in my less-than-ideal studio setup – a bright, small room with near-field monitors – but the instrument certainly doesn't need EQing, and in my view, it would be undesirable in a mix.”
“The Vienna Imperial is not cheap, but if you want a best-in-class sampled piano, you won't find anything better.”
Len Sasso, Electronic Musician, December 2009
http://emusician.com/libraries/vienna-symphonic-library-review-1209/
“Sonically, Imperial is very impressive, exhibiting amazing consistency both from note to note and in terms of velocity. This makes playing pianissimo as seductive as full-on, pedal-down forte.”
Pros: Amazingly consistent sound. Great playability. Three piano-specific room reverbs. Straightforward, efficient interface.
Jon Musgrave, Computer Music, October 2009
http://www.musicradar.com/gear/tech/computers-software/virtual-instruments/vienna-imperial-221675
“I was impressed from the outset and I think that Vienna has done a great job with capturing the spirit and essence of the 290 Imperial. The sound is full, rich and expressive from end to end …”
“I was able to use Imperial as a solo instrument […] and equally well in a mix based on a jazz combo.”
“All in all, this is a great virtual piano. […] For now, Vienna Imperial gets a big thumbs-up from me.”
Andrew Gilbert, Keyboard Player, October 2009
“While retaining the trademark Bösendorfer clarity of attack, it has a lyrical, singing quality and a degree of warmth I don’t normally associate with the make.”
“(…) the strong fortés and mighty, crashing, ‘Leader Of The Pack’ bottom end are still there when you need them and, regardless of dynamic level, the tone remains beautifully transparent across the entire eight-octave range.”
“Thanks to (…) VSL’s meticulous sampling job, this is probably the best all-round sampled piano I’ve heard (…), and though its strength is classical repertoire, it will sound good in any setting, from jazz, pop and rock to orchestral. To conclude, I can wholeheartedly recommend Vienna Imperial to anyone who needs a top-quality sampled grand (…).”
Dave Stewart, Sound on Sound, October 2009
“My computer is a few years old now and slower than the recommended requirements but the instrument functioned without any problems.”
“Even without any reverberation the instrument sounds wonderful, with beautiful resonant basses, bright, ringing higher register and a rich middle register. It is hugely responsive to the individual touch of the player so you are easily able to achieve a great dynamic range. Added to this there is a wonderfully rich sympathetic string resonance so the whole instrument sounds completely natural and just like playing a genuine concert grand piano.”
“The Vienna Imperial is a truly astonishing instrument, a joy to play and record. It is also very straightforward in operation. If you need the highest quality grand piano for recording work then this is definitely the instrument for you. Although there are now quite a number of quality virtual pianos available the Vienna Imperial is by far the finest sampled piano I have ever heard or played.”
Tony Cliff, Music Teacher, October 2009
„VSL ist es exzellent gelungen, die Klangcharakteristik des Bösendorfer einzufangen. Durch die sehr ausgetüftelte Sample-Aufteilung mit Tausenden von Aufnahmen bleibt das Bild auch über die verschiedenen Dynamikstufen authentisch, dynamisch und lebendig.
Zumindest in Sachen Flügel bin ich grundsätzlich konservativ, kein virtuelles Instrument kann das akustische und haptische Erlebnis eines richtigen Flügels ersetzen – aber der VSL Imperial kommt dem Original in Sachen Klangerlebnis sehr nahe und deswegen scheue ich mich auch nicht, die Bewertungsbestnote zu ziehen. Der Imperial kann sich locker in der absoluten Spitzengruppe der virtuellen Konzertflügel platzieren.“
Michael Meyer, Keys, Oktober 2009
„Der Klang […] setzt im Moment wohl den Maßstab, wenn es um authentische Flügelsounds geht. […] Der Vienna Imperial ist dichter an einem Flügel dran als alles, was ich bisher gehört habe! […] Hut ab vor der Sisyphos-Arbeit, knapp 70.000 Samples eingespielt zu haben. Das hört man, und es führt zu absolut überzeugenden Ergebnissen.“
Sebastian Berweck, bonedo.de, September 2009
http://www.bonedo.de/test/keyboards/vsl-boesendorfer-imperial/intro/index.html
„Ohne Frage: Wer den Vienna Imperial über eine gute Tastatur spielt, ist beeindruckt. Der Sound ist lebendig, authentisch, transparent und lässt sich dank der kaum wahrnehmbaren Dynamikstufen ausdrucksstark spielen. […] Wer einen leistungsstarken Musikrechner hat und einen Flügelklang sucht, der sich am Ideal eines klassischen Konzertflügels orientiert, findet in Vienna Imperial die derzeit beste Softwarelösung. Der Sound ist transparent, druckvoll, dynamisch und beeindruckend realistisch.“
Ralf Kleinermanns, Sound & Recording, August 2009
„Ich habe schon einige Pianos/Flügel und Sample-Libraries getestet oder benutzt, aber der Vienna Imperial haut mich wirklich um. [...] Das Vienna Imperial ist der beeindruckendste Flügel für den Computer. Für Pianisten, Solointerpreten und alle, die ein authentischen Klang eines Flügels haben wollen ein MUSS. Der Übergang zwischen realem und virtuellem Klang wurde hier so gut wie noch nie umgesetzt. Das Spielverhalten ist sehr präzise, und die Klangvariationen bieten für jede Umgebung einen angepassten Sound. Ein virtueller Flügel ohne Kompromisse auf Kosten der Authentizität. Gratulation!
Plus
+++++ hervorragender authentischer Klang
+++++ leichte Bedienung
+++++ CPU freundlich
+++++ realistisches Spielgefühl
Andre Mansfeld, amazona.de, Juli 2009
http://www.amazona.de/index.php?page=26&file=2&article_id=2435&page_num=1
“We own and use practically every virtual instrument and sample set available for VST, and I can definitely say that this is hands down the best virtual piano I have ever used, and dare I say the best yet produced. I can not see using anything else for the foreseeable future.”
Scott Fritz, Stranded On A Planet Productions
Firma: Vienna Symphonic Library