Dexibel Vivo S9 Review
The Vivo S9 is a digital stage piano that is fresh on the market. This European brand is made with a much craftsmanship than the mass-keyboards from other parts of the world. Much care taken into the creation of this instrument, and it certainly shows. From the motorized drawbars, to the extremely authentic sound engine, I was ecstatic with how the S9 turned out. It comes at a steep price, but this professional instrument is worth every penny.
$3,999.99
The Vivo S9 is a digital stage piano that is fresh on the market. This European brand is made with a much craftsmanship than the mass-keyboards from other parts of the world. Much care taken into the creation of this instrument, and it certainly shows. From the motorized drawbars, to the extremely authentic sound engine, I was ecstatic with how the S9 turned out. It comes at a steep price, but this professional instrument is worth every penny.
Dexibel Vivo S9 Review
This review contains affiliate links to Sweetwater.com and Amazon.com, meaning we get a small percentage of sales at no extra cost to you.
The Dexibel Vivo is a brand-new stage piano with 88 full-sized keys loads of features, and stellar hammer action. In this Dexibel Vivo S9 review, we will dive deep into the instrument’s complex plug-ins, hardware, and hybrid structure.
Dexibel is an Italian music company that specializes in digital instruments. Dexibel instruments aren’t very well known here in the Midwest US, but most European musicians have at least heard of the brand.
According to Amazon.com and the maker, this model is Dexibel’s “Revolutionary flagship stage piano”. The technology in this baby is state-of-the-art and is advertised as being the cutting edge of stage piano technology. That’s some steep talk- So let’s check it out:
Features
Dexibell’s Unlimited Polyphony
First things first, let’s check out this instrument’s limits- Or lack thereof. The S9 has 320 oscillators and a quad-core, which means that the polyphony on the Vivo S9 is virtually unlimited. In short, this instrument passes my Rachmaninoff! This is the first instrument I have reviewed on the site that has had virtually unlimited polyphony.
True To Life (T2L) Modeling
True to Life of T2L is a Dexibell-exclusive type of modeling that includes many algorithms that make the instrument sound more real. According to the manufacturer’s website, True to Life modeling contains “Various algorithms designed to simulate every single nuance”. True to Life increases the instrument’s accuracy and responsiveness and allows users to personalize sounds in a way that was not possible before.
True to Life technology is available on all Dexibell Vivo models, and allows for unlimited polyphony, and boasts 15+ seconds in recorded waves in 3D surround sound, as well as 24-bit and 48Khz (Dexibell).
According to Sweetwater.com, as far as the duration of waveforms goes:
“In the T2L sound engine that drives the Dexibell VIVO S9, the recorded waveform length of each individual note is between three and 15 times longer than the typical digital piano. For example, a low note on the VIVO S9 has an original waveform length of 15 seconds, whereas most current models average between one and 5 seconds. This means that the tails of your piano notes are allowed to decay naturally, without the unnatural looping that shorter samples require. The result? Thrillingly vibrant and realistic harmonics throughout the evolution of each sustained note.”
This feature is also known as the “XXL-Sample”, and, is reportedly 3-15 times the length of your average piano sample. The samples in this sound engine are harmonically rich and are also loopless.
And with specs like this, the T2L engine means that long samples and high-def sounds are now at your fingertips.
To learn more about Dexibell’s T2L modeling, check out this page.
Hybrid Keys
The S9 has sturdy hybrid keys that are made of both plastic and wood, so you can get the best of both worlds. The keys have 3 contacts built into them for added accuracy, as well as graded weight, and ebony and ivory (simulated) textures.
Versatile Soundbank With Impressive Organ Tones
Sweeterwater dubbed the sound in the S9’s soundbank as “Exquisite” and “World Class”. The sound bank includes electric pianos and concert grands, as well as organs including classic tonewheel, transistor, and pipe organs. The instrument also has interesting vintage synths; plucked and bowed orchestral strings, brass, woodwinds, and more. (Sweetwater.com). This piano has a total of 85 sounds, and has an excellent balance of quality and quantity, in my opinion.
High-Def LED Screen
The Dexibell Vivo’s LED screen measures 128 x 64 dots and has high contrast.
Not 3, but 4 Pedal Inputs
This model has a whopping 4 pedal inputs including the following: Damper, plus assignable Foot, Expression, and Morphing pedal jacks. This is the first piano I’ve reviewed on the site that has more than 3 inputs- Between this and the unlimited polyphony, that makes two first…Color me impressed!
Unparalleled Accuracy
Because the S9 Vivo has the cutting edge of technology on its side, the accuracy of the stage piano is virtually unparalleled. The response on the instrument feels authentic and natural.
The S9 has a Fatar keyboard- Fatar keyboards are made in Italy and are known for supplying big-name pianos such as Nord. and Native Instruments. Decibels calibration on the Vivo S9 rivals that of the Nord Stage pianos. I’d highly recommend trying out both brands (Be sure to check out our Nord Stage reviews as well) and seeing which feel you prefer.
Digital Organs: Motorized Drawboard Faders for Organ-Enthusiasts
The S9 isn’t just a workstation keyboard synth- It also doubles as a digital organ, so you get two professional instruments for the price of one. The 9 motorized drawboard faders /organ mixer/MIDI control function takes the digital organs to the next level.
Downloadable Voices, WAV Recording, Storage
The S9 has 1.5 gigs worth of voices via WAV memory, as well as an extra 1.5 gigs for downloadable sounds. These voices are editable by the user. It also has 81 internal, and unlimited user/USB memory (Sweetwater.com).
Excellent Placement and Impeccable Detail
This instrument was set up with much foresight; Here’s one example of many. The S9 has pitch and modulations that are placed at the perfect distance, making it easy to alter your sound in a pinch. These mod wheels have a rubberized grip to them, so you have the ultimate control, and you won’t have to worry about a wonky sound due to your finger slipping.
A Solid Set of FX
Dexibell’s Vivo S9 has a total of 24 onboard reverbs, as well as the organ FX (rotary, overdrive, vibrato/chorus). In addition to this, it has 6 independent Digital signal processing effects, with two for each individual part.
Other Notable Features Include:
- Bluetooth audio streaming
- Aftertouch
- Hybrid sampling
- Tonewheel 4’ percussion
- Bi-directional audio transmission
- Brand new downloadable sounds (Soundfont SF2 compatible)
- Compatible with the following Apple apps: Vivo Editor, XMURE
Specifications
- Weight: 44.09 pounds
- Dimensions:
- Height: 5.11 inches
- Width: 50 inches
- Depth: 13.93 inches
- Aftertouch: Yes
- Controllers: Mod Wheel, pitch bend, drawbars
- Display: LED
- Presets: 100, 85 sounds, plus user-loadable sounds
Who Is The S9 Suitable For?
The S9 is best suited for professional pianists be it for recording, stage performances, or composition. In fact, this model of stage piano is one of the best new digital instruments we believe you could buy. One video I scouted out even dubbed this model as “The Nord Killer”, making it some stiff competition for the Swedish brand.
The Dexibell Vivo S9 In Action
Check out this “All playing, no talking” video to get a better feel for this Vivo model.
My first impression of the instrument is that it is amazingly resonant and vibrant, and had a quick response to the slightest of touch. If you watch the video or try the instrument out in stores, let us know what you think in the comments beneath this review!
Pros and Cons
Pros
- You get two instruments in one: A digital stage piano and an organ
- The sound engine contains cutting-edge sampling technology
- The piano is intuitively set up
- You get a decked-out keyboard with 88-hammer action keys with triple-sensors, aftertouch, and synthetic ivory and ebony materials
- There are 4 pedals inputs, and the instrument comes with a continuous pedal
Cons
- No internal speakers
- It’s pricey and complex
- Not everyone is a fan of the action
The first two cons will never steer away professional players. The only real con I spotted was that there are a handful of musicians who don’t care for the Fatar keyboard or the action. So: try before you buy!
Customer Reviews
The Dexibell Vivo S9 received a 4 out of 5 on Sweetwater. Here’s what the musicians who tried it had to say:
- It is an unbelievable performance instrument
- It is versatile, be it in a live setting or studio setting
- It has a rich and deep sound
- The keyboard is as advertised
- It has a great feel, escapement, and aftertouch
- The feel is nice
- One customer wished there was more storage/memory onboard
- Another wished there was more RAM
- The same customer who wanted more memory said the piano sounds took a lot of engineering and tweaking to get the sounds where they wanted them
As far as ‘cons’ and critical reviews go, there were no huge red flags for me. The Vivo S9 could admittedly have more onboard recording, but since the USB memory is unlimited, this is no dealbreaker, at least not for us at Best Piano Keyboards. And, aside from this singular review on Sweetwater, I haven’t heard anyone complain about the sampling technology on the S9.
Comparable Instruments
Both the Kurzweil Forte 8 and Nord Stage 4 have elements that are similar to the new Dexivell Vivo S9.
The Kurzweil Forte 8 is a digital stage piano, workstation, and virtual analog synth. It’s also the “Most advanced keyboard to ever bear the Kurzweil logo” according to the maker. Like the Dexibell Vivo S9, it has a powerful sampling engine and an Italian action keyboard. Unlike the S9, it has features such as the riff generator, as well as 16 simultaneous arpeggiators. the price runs around $5,000, making it about $1,000 more than this Dexibell. If you are looking for great string sampling technology and more sequencers, check out this one.
As I mentioned earlier, the Dexibell Vivo S9 has become quick competition for the Nord Stage 4. The Nord Stage 4 (Which I previously reviewed) has a triple-action keyboard, and amazing sounds and responsiveness. It is one of my favorite stage pianos on the market- But good luck finding one! They are currently unavailable on Sweetwater.com, but you can check out the specs here.
The newer Nord Stage 5, however, is available here.
Another instrument you may want to look into if you are an organist is the Hammond SKX. The Hammond SKX is a dual manual organ that you can occasionally find for resale. While it only has 61 keys compared to the Vivo S9, it does have a huge amount of high-quality organ sounds. T
Quick View
Keys | 88 full-sized, hammer-weighted hybrid keys with ebony/ivory feel |
Touch sensitivity | 7 types, or fixed |
Sounds | 85 total voices, plus downloadable user sounds |
Recording capabilities | Internal WAV recording, USB/MIDI |
Metronome | Yes |
Polyphony | Dexibell’s unlimited polyphony |
Speakers | No |
Headphones | Not includes: 1 ¼ inch input available |
Accessories | 24V DC power supply, continuous pedal, sheet music rest (See links to specific retailers like Sweetwater and Amazon for more details on accessories) |
Price point | $3,999.99+ |
Vivo S9: Conclusion
In conclusion, the Dexibell Vivo S9 is a really solid Italian-made digital stage piano with a lot of ‘pros’. While you may have never heard of the brand before, we would highly recommend you try out this artfully crafted stage piano for yourself- It’s a keeper.
Music quote of the week:
“The slower you go, the faster you’ll get there. “
-John like
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