IK Multimedia has introduced Pianoverse, a new virtual instrument that they say combines the world’s finest concert-grade pianos with inspiring, cinematic effects.

Pianoverse offers an initial series of 8 instruments. The first pianos available now are based on a Yamaha CFIII Concert Grand, a Yamaha U5 Professional Upright, a Bösendorfer 280 Vienna Concert and a Steinway & Sons New York D-274. More are coming soon, featuring models based on a Bösendorfer 200, a Steinway & Sons Hamburg D-274, a Fazioli F278 and a Koch & Korselt Upright.

IK’s team spent years sourcing treasured pianos from the most prestigious manufacturers. Each instrument is hand-tuned and prepared by a master tuner and then sampled using multiple microphone setups and IK’s custom-built robotic system.

Using a mix of hardware technology, software and the right dose of craftsmanship in-between, IK designed a sampling robot comprised of an extremely precise and silent linear motor with an elastic actuator on top made to perform exactly like a human finger.

All is connected to a control room computer where proprietary recording software handles the whole process achieving the degree of velocity measurement, sampling precision and repeatability necessary to capture each piano’s “true sonic DNA”.

Beyond Accuracy and Sound

To customize each piano’s sound, Pianoverse offers adjustable lid position, harp resonance, pedal noise or even the noise of the piano mallets, all things that are usually only available in modeled instruments.

For live use, all three pedals offer continuous control, including half- and catch-pedaling and una corda, to deliver an unmatched performance experience.

Pianoverse provides two sets of microphones per piano, so the user can choose if they prefer a more modern and in-the-face sound or a more classical sound.

For traditional sound-shaping and mixing, there’s selectable EQ and compression, each with multiple modes, for both instrument and room stereo microphone pairs. A dedicated master channel offers EQ and a VCA-style limiter for final mastering polish, while a Stereo Width control quickly sets the width of the image – and can reverse it from the player’s to the audience’s perspective.

Using a new generative reverberation engine, Pianoverse can transport any of its concert-grade pianos to 30 sonic destinations. These go from traditional concert halls and studio spaces to less traditional ones like a warehouse or vault, and cinematic environments like an iceberg, desert or even ‘Mars’.

Creative Effects

In addition to custom-created Spaces, Pianoverse also offers 12 creative effects to design sounds. These effects can be inserted on 3 simultaneous slots: the first slot being a parallel send effect, while slots 2 and 3 are insert effects.

Users will also find 4 modulation sources – 2 envelopes and 2 LFOs – that may be assigned to various parameters in these 3 effects slots to further animate and move the sound and create extreme effects when desired.

Pricing and Availability

Pianoverse is available now as individual pianos, with an introductory price of $/€99.99* (instead of $/€129.99) per piano. All-access monthly and yearly plans are also available starting at $/€14.99/month or $/€149.99/year giving access to current and newly released pianos without limitation.