I teach my students, after a large FF section, to 'feather the pedal', bringing the volume slowly down to the next volume level. Pedal technique is probably as important as any dynamic technique, and I start teaching it around the intermediate level. And although I love VSL products, even hopeing to have 'Vienna Imperial' someday, I have to admit that Ivory 2 now has 'half pedaling' and 'sympathetic resonance'. Two things that have really changed up my technique in playing a piano VI, and the end result in the recording. Knowing VSL,,,, I'm sure they are probably working on it as we speak, because next to adjustabel hammer and pedal sounds, these two are very important to the realism of any recording!! Mike

@andyjh said:

 CC's by their very definition are continuous controllers, where something has an on/off state, the MIDI spec clarifies the toggle point (value 63 - 64, as you mentioned), but CC64 is continuous (0 to 127).

I see. The MIDI spec is a recommendation. I just had it explained to me from a technical standpoint. in the beginning we have an analog pedal that is translated into MIDI code and there is no unlawful value per se.

the instrument has to be able to do something with values other than ≤63 = off, ≥64 = on for this to have any meaning. I've seen CC64 lanes with more than the two values, but the instrument didn't do anything with that.

Is there any chance the half-pedal will be added to the Vienna Imperial? I know VSL is now focused on other pianos and technologies, but the Vienna Imperial is still a unique library, with particular strenghts, and a great and unrivalled sound.

It would be a shame not to complete it. I guess half-pedal could be simulated with some mixing between the pedal up and down samples. It should be satisfactory enough, and not a major programming challenge. Despite its age, it would be still an top piano, with all the needed features in a modern library.

The Böse is the piano I would go first for Bartók or Prokofiev. It's not a second choice.

Paolo

By reading the Vienna Imperial's manual, I see there is a "2sus" parameter. It is described this way:

"The 2sus Feature increases the realism of sustained notes that are pressed before the sustain pedal is activated."

I can't understand if this describes something similar to a repedalling or the half-pedal. Or, maybe it is just some type of sympatetic resonance without retriggering the key. Someone more knowledgeable than me can try to explain?

Paolo

Hi Paolo, 

This is best explained by listening, I think: Play a note without sustain, then press the sustain pedal. Do this with any without the 2sus feature enabled and you should hear the difference. 

Best,
Paul

Thank you, Paul. I see what you mean. It's the halo around a note, that is created by pressing down the damper pedal while the note is also pressed.

So, I renew my hope that the Vienna Imperial is not abandoned, and can see a refresh with the missing half-pedal (and possible repedalling?) feature – maybe with the algorhythms developed for the new CFX – to continue being the best, more resonant Viennese piano, even for the forthcoming years.

Paolo

Hi Paolo, 

To be honest, I don't think that an update for the Vienna Imperial is in the cards anytime soon. 

But I agree, the Vienna Imperial is a GREAT piano. 

Best, 
Paul

On a second thought, I think that 2sus may be considered what is elsewhere called "repedaling".

Paolo

Another thought on the Vienna Imperial issues.

- 2sus is not equivalent to repedalling. It's the freeing of the strings while a key is kept pressed, and not the resonance retriggered during the note release.

- In case the piano can be revised, I would be perfectly fine with half-pedal just increasing the release lenght, with lower notes proportionally longer than the others. One, or even two degrees of this simulated half-pedal would create a credible effect when in need of that subtle halo in some pieces of authors like Chopin or Debussy.

Please, VSL, despite being a great step for the playing humanity, I'm sure it is just a small step for your great software engineers! º‿º 

Paolo

Ok, I took some time to explore the various pedal combinations. What I found is that there is a sound of half pedal – only, it is not used!

Turn 2sus on. Play a note, and release it. Immediately press the damper pedal, before the note release ends.

What you can hear, is a halo that sounds nearly exactly as the half pedal: a subtle resonance, a distant sound remebering the damper pedal.

It would be just a matter of scripting this effect, to have a convincing half pedal simulation.

I'll say it again: Vienna Imperial is a great piano. It takes very little CPU, and not all that space on disk. It would be great to give it a second opportunity.

Paolo