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A classic upright piano blended with layers of synths and effects!
| ADD TO CARTA classic upright piano blended with layers of synths and effects!
| ADD TO CARTBuilt on a foundation of a carefully sampled vintage upright piano, but featuring extensive layers of synths and resampled sounds run through granular and time-stretching effects, outboard processors and more, this expansion for EZkeys 2 presents the ultimate synthesis of old-world charm and cutting-edge sound design. If you’re looking to boost your EZkeys 2 with an expansion that is equally as timeless in tone as it is limitless in scope, this is the one.
The principal instrument in this EKX is a classic Grotrian-Steinweg* piano dating back to the mid-1950s. Recorded using an array of different microphones in the famed Riksmixingsverket studio in Stockholm, Sweden, by engineer Linn Fijal, it presents a stunning natural timbre just by itself. The bare-bones piano can, of course, be called up in a variety of presets, but the core concept of this EKX wasn’t to provide only that, rather a palette of multi-layered and complexly textured tones where the piano acts as the common ground. To achieve that, the original recordings were duplicated and resampled through various pieces of analog and digital outboard processors, like compressors, EQs, saturators, tape emulators and more. To add, a host of analog synths were recorded separately. All of these raw sources of sound were then intertwined and seamlessly blended in the product’s collection of 80 individually crafted presets. These presets are categorized in three distinct groups: Natural, Processed and Experimental. The first category offers mostly acoustic-sounding renditions of the instrument using different microphone and ambience blends in combination with sparse use of effects, like reverb and delay. The Processed category, on the other hand, features sounds of a more layered nature, often involving non-natural reverbs and more saturated effects. Finally, the Experimental section has all the out-of-this-world-sounding textures that blend the piano with tweaked and warped synths as well as extensively pushed effects. All in all, this gives you sounds that span the entire range from natural and organic to wildly distorted, ambient and unconventional.
In addition to the sounds and the presets, a basic collection of MIDI unique to the product and tailored for the instrument is included.
Whether you’re working on an ambient sound design concept, an EDM banger or virtually any facet of popular music, from subtle singer-songwriter to experimental electronic-meets-acoustic, this expansion has the sounds you need. If you got a limitless mindset and aren’t afraid to let sound be a determining factor in your composition style, have a go at this EKX – you won’t regret it.
This EKX requires EZkeys 2. Learn more about the program here. Note: The MIDI included with this EKX is unique and not related to any existing or yet-to-be-released EZkeys MIDI pack.
*All other manufacturers’ product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Toontrack. See full notice here.
Timeless in tone. Limitless in scope.
Brand: Grotrian-Steinweg*
Model: 120
Era: Mid-1900s
The central instrument in this sound library is a Grotrian-Steinweg,* a classic German brand of pianos with a history that stretches all the way back to the 1800s. Known for its colorfully vivid timbre and warm and earthy yet clear and refined tone, this is a piano that has stood the test of time and successfully lent itself to virtually any style and genre for two centuries and counting.
*All other manufacturers’ product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Toontrack. See full notice here.
For the resampling of the piano, granular and time-stretching effects were used to create new and wildly interesting layers. In addition, the recordings were run though various pieces of analog and digital outboard processors, like compressors, EQs, saturators and tape emulators like the Hologram Microcosm* and the Eventide H9000.* New textures of synths were also recorded, like the UDO Super Gemini,* Sequential Prophet* and Roland Juno,* to name a few.
*All other manufacturers’ product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Toontrack. See full notice here.
From classic to warped and experimental.
The included presets feature anything from the traditionally acoustic and organic to the utterly otherworldly. As always, each preset includes its own control hub in which you easily can tweak the underlying parameters to your liking.
Natural
Acoustic-sounding renditions of the instrument using different microphone and ambience blends in combination with sparse use of effects.
Processed
Sounds of a more layered nature, often involving non-natural reverbs and effects.
Experimental
Out-of-this-world-sounding textures that blend the piano with saturated and warped synths as well as extensively pushed effects.
The piano was recorded using several pairs of microphones. The different sonic flavors and ambiences are represented behind the scenes across the variety of presets.
The mics used to capture the piano include:
Neumann U47 FET* (stereo)
Thuresson CM 402* (stereo)
DPA 4011* (stereo)
Shure SM57* (stereo)
Coles 4038* (stereo)
AKG C 24* (stereo)
Vintage bakelite ship announcement horn (mono)
*All other manufacturers’ product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Toontrack. See full notice here.
Instant inspiration – at your fingertips!
This EKX includes its own basic collection of MIDI. It was tailored specifically for the instrument and designed to give you a starting point of material to work from and be inspired by when exploring the sonic possibilities of the product.
As always, the profound set of features in EZkeys 2 designed for tailoring MIDI to fit your needs will let you expand on these basic ideas and take them to whatever musical space your compositions call for.
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5.5 GB free disk space (plus 5.5 GB for download), 4 GB RAM (8 GB or more recommended).
A working EZkeys 2.1.0 (or above)