- Rich Concert D Grand Piano, Captured in Stunning Detail
- Creative Prepared Piano Articulations including Twine, Ebows, Brushes, and Chains
- Beautiful ppp Performance Captured for Emotional Cinematic Composition
- All-new ASCEND Engine Creates Truly Inspirational Canvas
What's included in ASCEND
The Immortal Concert D, Reimagined

Overview
Introducing ASCEND: Modern Grand, the incomparable Concert D, reimagined. Starting with one of the finest cinematic pianos in the world, Heavyocity then pushed the grandest of grand pianos even further, exploring new ways of evoking sound from this nine-foot frame. First, capturing several prepared performances in intricate detail (brushes, hammers, ebows, chains, and twine) and then, developing an all-new engine to bring these extraordinary sounds to life.
Immortal Tone
Recorded in stunning detail at a historic NYC studio, this specific grand piano was hand-selected by the Heavyocity team for its outstanding warmth, depth, and detail. Armed with a world-class selection of vintage and modern microphones, the team once again partnered with acclaimed Film Score Mixer Satoshi Noguchi, this time to bring the legendary Steinway sound into your studio. Simply put, ASCEND is your opportunity to play one of the finest cinematic grand piano virtual instruments we've ever heard.
ASCEND Engine
The gorgeous ASCEND piano plugin engine is a whole new world to explore -- complete with a library of rhythmic convolutions and dozens of layerable sources and FX. The highly-flexible Three Point Mixer provides instant inspiration, and the proprietary Echoes feature accompanies your performances with a lush musical randomness. With ASCEND, Heavyocity has crafted a new breed of cinematic grand piano VSTs. Your score may never be the same.ASCEND: Videos and Tutorials
What The Pros Say About ASCEND
-
ASCEND
Charlie Clouser
American Horror Story (theme), Dead Silence, Resident Evil: Extinction, Saw, Wayward Pines"ASCEND starts with a great collection of prepared piano samples but that’s only the beginning. It goes deep into uncharted territory with the automatable Three Point Mixer, a great pitch-shifting and pitch-quantizing delay, and a really amazing set of convolution impulses. From dark emotional pianos to hypnotic patterns and all the way to subtle atmospheres and evil dronescapes, ASCEND will go there. Highly recommended!" Don't just take his word for it, try Heavyocity's ASCEND Grand Piano Virtual Instrument yourself!
-
ASCEND
Sean Callery
"Bull", "Jessica Jones", 24, Bones, Elementary, Homeland, The Hot Zone“I absolutely love, LOVE this instrument. So gorgeous and expressive, and full of endless creative possibilities. So easy to use, too. One of the best libraries they have ever put out. Bravo Heavyocity.”
-
ASCEND
Kevin Riepl
ATROPA, Batman Unlimited, Constantine: City of Demons, Higher Power"ASCEND is a beautifully-sampled grand piano. Straight out of the box, the Core Concert D fits perfectly within a myriad of different mixes. Heavyocity treats this piano no different than any other library they’ve created. As beautiful as the original piano does sound, and this library could stand on its own with just being a sampled grand, the bulk of the library gets Heavyocity’s signature treatment. The palette of sounds, whether pads, ARPs or rhythms, is immensely inspiring to say the least. They’ve done some pretty innovative stuff with ASCEND, taking full use of Kontakt's abilities. There’s a lot going on under the hood. I was off and running on three different pieces just from hearing and being inspired by these sounds. ASCEND definitely gets the creative juices flowing and I am glad it’s part of my arsenal."
-
ASCEND
Newton Brothers
Doctor Sleep, Extinction, Oculus, The Haunting Of Hill House"ASCEND is an incredible instrument piled with creative options. There's so much demand to be creative and exploratory nowadays that you need tools that go beyond what an instrument and a performer do. You need to be able to be flexible with the production of what you write to better enhance and care for the sonic story you're telling. ASCEND will let you capture a performance and then add chaos, or darkness, or a shine or even a quality of recording or lack thereof. It allows you to enhance your ideas, while not slowing down the process of an initial performance. The FX sound great, the arp is easy to use for quick results and the ECHOES feature is inspirational. A wonderful addition to the Heavyocity lineup!"
-
ASCEND
Germaine Franco
"Coco", "Dope", "Tag""ASCEND: Modern Grand encapsulates the timeless nature and true power of a deeply sampled Steinway Piano. The library provides me with an inspirational toolkit of thousands of unique sounds. I find the ability to combine gorgeous piano textures with extended techniques very effective. Whether it is bowed, brushed, twined, and harmonic techniques, these combinations provide wonderful new colors and tones for sonic inspiration. The interface is user friendly. The spatial and timbral effects presets are dynamic and exciting. The arpeggiator, echo, modulations, and multiple filter options allow me to transform the default settings into my own patches with ease. Thank you Heavyocity!"
-
ASCEND
Jordan Rudess
Keyboardist - Dream Theater"With ASCEND- Heavyocity has taken the sound and spirit of the piano to another level. From traditional to otherworldly- this instrument is inspiring and original…I was immediately drawn into its sonic magic and found myself hitting the record button to capture my performances!"
-
ASCEND
Ronit Kirchman
Limetown, The Sinner, Zen & The Art of Dying"ASCEND sounds beautiful, organic, and contemporary because it uses the natural potentials of the piano and seamlessly blends that with intuitive synthesis tools. The result is an elevated expression that sits wonderfully inside a cinematic mix. ASCEND provides a new take on piano that many composers have been waiting to add to their palette - including myself! Thanks Heavyocity."
-
ASCEND
Jason Graves
"Dead Space" Series, "The Order: 1886", "Tomb Raider", Far Cry Primal"Finally! A piano that can make all those abstract "piano-based sounds" I hear in my head, with all the usually delicious and sublime Heavyocity accoutrements. The core sounds are spot on as well - beautiful and emotional - everything I need for cinematic writing."
-
ASCEND
Paul Haslinger
Halt and Catch Fire, The Perfection, Underworld"Instantly inspiring, this is yet another Heavyocity instrument that checks the 'I always wanted this' box for me! Zero learning curve, maximum adaptability - goes straight into my main template!"
-
ASCEND
Ramin Djawadi
"Game of Thrones", "Iron Man", "Pacific Rim", "Safehouse", "The Great Wall", "Westworld""Fresh sounding and malleable, ASCEND: Modern Grand is perfect for creating evocative organic piano textures. ASCEND is packed with wildly creative articulations that come together seamlessly with Heavyocity’s powerful new engine, creating utility far beyond that of the superb piano this instrument is built atop."
-
ASCEND
Charlie Clouser
American Horror Story (theme), Dead Silence, Resident Evil: Extinction, Saw, Wayward Pines"ASCEND starts with a great collection of prepared piano samples but that’s only the beginning. It goes deep into uncharted territory with the automatable Three Point Mixer, a great pitch-shifting and pitch-quantizing delay, and a really amazing set of convolution impulses. From dark emotional pianos to hypnotic patterns and all the way to subtle atmospheres and evil dronescapes, ASCEND will go there. Highly recommended!" Don't just take his word for it, try Heavyocity's ASCEND Grand Piano Virtual Instrument yourself!
-
ASCEND
Sean Callery
"Bull", "Jessica Jones", 24, Bones, Elementary, Homeland, The Hot Zone“I absolutely love, LOVE this instrument. So gorgeous and expressive, and full of endless creative possibilities. So easy to use, too. One of the best libraries they have ever put out. Bravo Heavyocity.”
-
ASCEND
Kevin Riepl
ATROPA, Batman Unlimited, Constantine: City of Demons, Higher Power"ASCEND is a beautifully-sampled grand piano. Straight out of the box, the Core Concert D fits perfectly within a myriad of different mixes. Heavyocity treats this piano no different than any other library they’ve created. As beautiful as the original piano does sound, and this library could stand on its own with just being a sampled grand, the bulk of the library gets Heavyocity’s signature treatment. The palette of sounds, whether pads, ARPs or rhythms, is immensely inspiring to say the least. They’ve done some pretty innovative stuff with ASCEND, taking full use of Kontakt's abilities. There’s a lot going on under the hood. I was off and running on three different pieces just from hearing and being inspired by these sounds. ASCEND definitely gets the creative juices flowing and I am glad it’s part of my arsenal."
-
ASCEND
Newton Brothers
Doctor Sleep, Extinction, Oculus, The Haunting Of Hill House"ASCEND is an incredible instrument piled with creative options. There's so much demand to be creative and exploratory nowadays that you need tools that go beyond what an instrument and a performer do. You need to be able to be flexible with the production of what you write to better enhance and care for the sonic story you're telling. ASCEND will let you capture a performance and then add chaos, or darkness, or a shine or even a quality of recording or lack thereof. It allows you to enhance your ideas, while not slowing down the process of an initial performance. The FX sound great, the arp is easy to use for quick results and the ECHOES feature is inspirational. A wonderful addition to the Heavyocity lineup!"
-
ASCEND
Germaine Franco
"Coco", "Dope", "Tag""ASCEND: Modern Grand encapsulates the timeless nature and true power of a deeply sampled Steinway Piano. The library provides me with an inspirational toolkit of thousands of unique sounds. I find the ability to combine gorgeous piano textures with extended techniques very effective. Whether it is bowed, brushed, twined, and harmonic techniques, these combinations provide wonderful new colors and tones for sonic inspiration. The interface is user friendly. The spatial and timbral effects presets are dynamic and exciting. The arpeggiator, echo, modulations, and multiple filter options allow me to transform the default settings into my own patches with ease. Thank you Heavyocity!"
-
ASCEND
Jordan Rudess
Keyboardist - Dream Theater"With ASCEND- Heavyocity has taken the sound and spirit of the piano to another level. From traditional to otherworldly- this instrument is inspiring and original…I was immediately drawn into its sonic magic and found myself hitting the record button to capture my performances!"
-
ASCEND
Ronit Kirchman
Limetown, The Sinner, Zen & The Art of Dying"ASCEND sounds beautiful, organic, and contemporary because it uses the natural potentials of the piano and seamlessly blends that with intuitive synthesis tools. The result is an elevated expression that sits wonderfully inside a cinematic mix. ASCEND provides a new take on piano that many composers have been waiting to add to their palette - including myself! Thanks Heavyocity."
-
ASCEND
Jason Graves
"Dead Space" Series, "The Order: 1886", "Tomb Raider", Far Cry Primal"Finally! A piano that can make all those abstract "piano-based sounds" I hear in my head, with all the usually delicious and sublime Heavyocity accoutrements. The core sounds are spot on as well - beautiful and emotional - everything I need for cinematic writing."
-
ASCEND
Paul Haslinger
Halt and Catch Fire, The Perfection, Underworld"Instantly inspiring, this is yet another Heavyocity instrument that checks the 'I always wanted this' box for me! Zero learning curve, maximum adaptability - goes straight into my main template!"
-
ASCEND
Ramin Djawadi
"Game of Thrones", "Iron Man", "Pacific Rim", "Safehouse", "The Great Wall", "Westworld""Fresh sounding and malleable, ASCEND: Modern Grand is perfect for creating evocative organic piano textures. ASCEND is packed with wildly creative articulations that come together seamlessly with Heavyocity’s powerful new engine, creating utility far beyond that of the superb piano this instrument is built atop."
Industry Accolades for ASCEND
-
PraiseTracks.com - October 2019
Reviewed: ASCEND
"Wow, some very wonderful possibilities for doing some very creative sound design."
-
Sample Library Review - October 2019
Reviewed: ASCEND
"A plethora of piano inspiration, full of great-sounding presets and an engine with a never-ending source of originality."
-
Bonedo.de - October 2019
Reviewed: ASCEND
"[TRANSLATED] Heavyocity's ASCEND is a lush announcement and blends smoothly into the product family. Whether ASCEND becomes a classic, time has to decide, tonally it definitely has what it takes and the price offered by Heavyocity is definitely unbeatable. 5 out of 5 stars!" Read the Full Review
-
Sample Sound Review - October 2019
Reviewed: ASCEND
"It's true brilliance. Whether you're scoring a drama, crime, thriller, romance, horror, documentary, or video games, you'll find a crucial amount of tools you can employ on your next composition. Virtual Piano libraries is a fairly saturated market, and yet Heavyocity has proven once again a way to transform and reinvent such an important instrument. Composers looking for that extra spark of inspiration should pick this up without hesitation. ASCEND by Heavyocity rises to the level of excellence in cinematic sound design and is as remarkable as it is innovative! 5 out of 5 stars!" Read the Full Review
-
KK-Access - October 2019
Reviewed: ASCEND
"Ascend is yet another worthwhile and desirable edition to the Heavyocity stable of professional and highly polished media composers tools, it will immediately fit right in with any other product you might own from their now extensive sample library portfolio. Ascend will work alongside you delivering that sought after signature sound, to competently carry your chords and melodies and convey the emotions you write into them with ease." Read the Full Review
-
PraiseTracks.com - October 2019
Reviewed: ASCEND
"Wow, some very wonderful possibilities for doing some very creative sound design."
-
Sample Library Review - October 2019
Reviewed: ASCEND
"A plethora of piano inspiration, full of great-sounding presets and an engine with a never-ending source of originality."
-
Bonedo.de - October 2019
Reviewed: ASCEND
"[TRANSLATED] Heavyocity's ASCEND is a lush announcement and blends smoothly into the product family. Whether ASCEND becomes a classic, time has to decide, tonally it definitely has what it takes and the price offered by Heavyocity is definitely unbeatable. 5 out of 5 stars!" Read the Full Review
-
Sample Sound Review - October 2019
Reviewed: ASCEND
"It's true brilliance. Whether you're scoring a drama, crime, thriller, romance, horror, documentary, or video games, you'll find a crucial amount of tools you can employ on your next composition. Virtual Piano libraries is a fairly saturated market, and yet Heavyocity has proven once again a way to transform and reinvent such an important instrument. Composers looking for that extra spark of inspiration should pick this up without hesitation. ASCEND by Heavyocity rises to the level of excellence in cinematic sound design and is as remarkable as it is innovative! 5 out of 5 stars!" Read the Full Review
-
KK-Access - October 2019
Reviewed: ASCEND
"Ascend is yet another worthwhile and desirable edition to the Heavyocity stable of professional and highly polished media composers tools, it will immediately fit right in with any other product you might own from their now extensive sample library portfolio. Ascend will work alongside you delivering that sought after signature sound, to competently carry your chords and melodies and convey the emotions you write into them with ease." Read the Full Review
- 47.8 GB uncompressed (23.3 GB on Disk with NI lossless compression)
- Available as direct download only
- 1 NKI
- 110 Snapshot Presets
- 25 Ascended
- 10 Core Concert D
- 25 Extended
- 25 Rhythmic
- 25 Rhythmic Melodic
- 16 Sound Sources
- Intuitive Sample Browser
- ARP for building complex, rhythmic arpeggios
- THREE POINT MIXER for realtime source blending
- Stand-alone, VST, AU, AAX
- Powered by the Kontakt 6.1 Engine
- Latest Kontakt 6 (Player)
- Komplete Kontrol integrated (NKS-ready)
- Minimum System Requirements
- Mac: macOS 10.12, 10.13 or 10.14 (latest update), i5
- PC: Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 (latest Service Pack), Intel Core i5 or equivalent CPU, 2 GB RAM
Documentation
- ASCEND is uniquely watermarked for each individual customer
- All files in ASCEND are watermarked using a propriety technology
- Customers may be required to provide their full Identification for authorization purposes
Legal:
- Heavyocity Media, Inc. will use all remedies of the law, to their full extent, against anyone who illegally distributes/sells/shares the library
- Heavyocity Media reserves the right to modify these terms at any time
- Prices, Watermarking, and Availability subject to change without notice.
- 47.8 GB uncompressed (23.3 GB on Disk with NI lossless compression)
- Available as direct download only
- 1 NKI
- 110 Snapshot Presets
- 25 Ascended
- 10 Core Concert D
- 25 Extended
- 25 Rhythmic
- 25 Rhythmic Melodic
- 16 Sound Sources
- Intuitive Sample Browser
- ARP for building complex, rhythmic arpeggios
- THREE POINT MIXER for realtime source blending
- Stand-alone, VST, AU, AAX
- Powered by the Kontakt 6.1 Engine
- Latest Kontakt 6 (Player)
- Komplete Kontrol integrated (NKS-ready)
- Minimum System Requirements
- Mac: macOS 10.12, 10.13 or 10.14 (latest update), i5
- PC: Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 (latest Service Pack), Intel Core i5 or equivalent CPU, 2 GB RAM
Documentation
- ASCEND is uniquely watermarked for each individual customer
- All files in ASCEND are watermarked using a propriety technology
- Customers may be required to provide their full Identification for authorization purposes
Legal:
- Heavyocity Media, Inc. will use all remedies of the law, to their full extent, against anyone who illegally distributes/sells/shares the library
- Heavyocity Media reserves the right to modify these terms at any time
- Prices, Watermarking, and Availability subject to change without notice.
Related products
-
$199.00 Add to Cart
-
$149.00 Add to Cart
-
$39.00 Add to Cart
Modern Groove Design Stylized Production-Ready Beats
Redefine your grooves with an innovative collection of modular synth drums, live percussion, and processed classic analog drum machines. With more than 3,600 unique sounds and loops housed in 1500 presets, DM-307 introduces inspiring ways to quickly and easily create jaw-dropping beats in a variety of styles.
-
$149.00 Add to Cart
Expressive Ensembles with Unique Timbres
Master Sessions: Ethnic Drum Ensembles contains 6 unique ensembles comprised of Taikos, Daikos, Djembes, Brazil Drums, Frame Drums, and more. Quickly create grooves with the 490 presets and 375 tempo-synced loops organized into straight and triplet grooves.