If you’re looking for unique piano sounds, you’re sure to find something here. The ever-growing library on the Pianobook website features a wide variety of piano sounds created for all kinds of musical projects. You can download the piano libraries for free, and the stories behind the instruments and sampling sessions are fascinating as well. Above all, though, it’s about getting involved yourself.
“Every piano has a story” is the tagline under which Pianobook was launched as a collaborative sampling project. Above all, it’s about the sound designers, musicians, and artists who share their piano sounds there. And, of course, it’s also about the pianos themselves. Pianobook is curated by Christian Henson, co-founder of Spitfire Audio, who shares a wealth of fascinating insights into piano sampling through his expertise in sound design and sampling.
Browsing through the stories is genuinely fascinating, as you always learn something about both the instrument and the recording location. The best thing about the ever-growing Pianobook library is that you can download every sound for free and play it in your software sampler. Most of the time, you’ll need the full version of NI Kontakt, but sometimes the EXS24 sampler in Logic Pro is also supported.
The Pianobook library already offers a truly beautiful selection of very distinctive piano sounds. It spans a wide range, from the Steinway & Sons concert grand at the Kilden Performing Arts Center in Kristiansand to tiny toy pianos. Above all, though, there are countless atmospheric upright pianos, beautiful felt pianos, lounge pianos, and instruments from manufacturers such as Schimmel and C. Bechstein. More than anything else, these sounds are all about atmosphere and character.
The stories behind the sampled instruments are fascinating, and some include audio examples and video clips. You can learn even more about the individual sounds in this video. Here, Christian Henson plays a selection of the piano sounds and takes a closer look at the details of the sound programming.
Christian Henson’s Spitfire Audio video tutorials have achieved cult status, and the videos on his piano website are equally worth watching. Clearly, Christian is also passionate about teaching sampling techniques so that the collection of high-quality piano libraries can continue to grow.
How to sample a piano: Anyone interested in piano sampling will find excellent guidance here, along with plenty of practical tips and a piano sampling template. Simply open the MVP prototype in your DAW to create an efficient workflow for the sampling process. On Pianobook, Christian Henson highlights the small details you need to pay attention to when sampling pianos. Absolutely brilliant!
Website: https://www.pianobook.co.uk
Christian Henson Music – Christian’s YouTube Channel
Spitfire Audio
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