Vienna Symphonic Library Synchron Harpsichord Blanchet Full Library (Upgrade from Standard)

Step into the refined world of Baroque music with the Vienna Symphonic Library Synchron Harpsichord Blanchet, a virtual instrument pack for the Vienna Synchron Player that adds the elegant sound of a masterfully crafted 18th century two-manual harpsichord. Captured on Synchron Stage A, this pack is perfect for shaping intricate counterpoint or adding historical color.

This standard library features 12GB of sound across 24,882 samples. The pack provides two 8' stops, one 4' stop, and a special lute stop for a variety of harpsichord tones. You can utilize up to five distinct mic setups and positions, complete with masterfully crafted mixer presets, and blend them for the ideal sound. This purchase includes the Vienna Synchron Player, which is available as a standalone program or as an AU, VST, VST3, or AAX plug-in on Windows or macOS computers.

At the heart of this library is a two-manual harpsichord from the collection of Viennese doctor and musician Kurt Gold-Szklarski. Built by Eckehard Merzdorf in 2010, it is a faithful copy of a 1746 original by François Étienne Blanchet, the renowned French facteur des clavessins du Roi. With a range of FF to g, this instrument reflects the golden age of Blanchet’s harpsichord building, combining elegance with tonal richness.

Masterfully prepared and tuned at Vienna Synchron Stage by renowned Sicilian instrument maker and musician Sebastiano Calì, this harpsichord reveals a beautifully balanced and characterful sound—true to its historical roots, yet perfectly suited for modern production environments.

Synchron Harpsichord offers a versatile palette of six registrations derived from the instrument’s authentic stop configuration. The lower manual features 8' and 4′ stops, while the upper manual provides 8′ and a distinctive lute stop, enabling registrations such as 8′ low, 8′ up, 4′, 8′+8′ (coupled), 8'+8'+4′ (tutti), and lute.

Each registration is instantly accessible, complemented by several mixer presets ranging from intimate to ambient, allowing you to shape your sound with ease and authenticity. Recorded with an extensive multimicrophone setup, including condenser, ribbon, and tube close microphones, as well as Decca Tree and surround configurations, you can seamlessly blend perspectives from focused stereo to full spatial immersion.

The Synchron Harpsichord standard library offers the following five microphone positions:

• Room mic (mix)
• Condenser (close 1)
• Ribbon (close 2)
• Tube (close 3)
• Mid 1 (L/R)
• Mid 2 (L/R)
• High stereo (3D), stereo (L/R)
• Main/room mic (Decca Tree stereo L/R)
• Main/room mic (Decca Tree mono center)
• Main surround - stereo (L/R)
• High stereo (3D), stereo (L/R)
• High surround (3D), stereo (L/R)