that "Shawshank Redemption" piano sound..........

Hi all,

I'm in the market for a professional piano-sample library for exs/kontakt....

The sound I'm looking for is that ultra quiet, intimate, Thomas Newman "Shawshank Redemption" tone.....

I need a library that really focuses on the ultra-soft hits of the piano (prefer not only at least 10 velocity levels, but also 10 or more hits for each velocity-level....to randomise between, if I restrike same key multiple times)

ps: Is that sound an upright, or some sort of grand?

thanx,

SvK

Posted on Sep 30, 2005 9:33 PM

24 replies

tbirdparis

Level 5

5,524 points

Oct 1, 2005 9:26 PM in response to Rick Whitelaw

true, big film scores = having the budget to get the instrument you are after recorded the way you want it.

however, it's worth remembering that recording a grand piano properly is no mean feat... in a practical sense for a lot of production, you will get a vastly better piano sound using something like ivory than you'll get trying to mic up a piano in an ordinary sounding room with average mics.

Oct 2, 2005 4:50 AM in response to George Whitty

as i said to steve, ivory takes a little bit of getting used to. it is close mic'd and i find it hard to get to sound as it would in a hall with an orch. but it can be done and with plenty of mucking aorund with the settings you can just get the richest fullest sound from it. infact it is so well recorded that it can really put other samples around it to shame. but i think if i had my time again i might have plumped for East West black grand. not that i'm complaining.

lovely cue by the way.

Oct 2, 2005 10:36 AM in response to Steven von Kampen

Another great plug/library to mention is latest Art Vista Virtual Grand Piano. Great moody presets too, very delicate and expressive... at that price is a bargain in my opinion!

Oct 2, 2005 1:37 PM in response to Steven von Kampen

wow, steve. i knew you wouldn't have any problems getting it sounding right but this goes further. thanks for this post - very interesting. i would love to hear how this turned out. any chance you could put up on a site if you have one - or would it be presumptious of me to ask you to email an mp3? just curious...

Oct 2, 2005 1:56 PM in response to Steven von Kampen

Hi,
Ive searched and bought most of the piano sets available.
I love the Faziloi Cd roms.
I have the Ivory set ,but they sound great on their own,but do not find their own space in a mix.
Has anybody got any of these modified IVORY presets they fancy sharing!!!!!!!
Cheers
ROB

Oct 2, 2005 6:26 PM in response to Steven von Kampen

Ivory is the best thing outside of having a 9 foot grand in your living room.

But living in NYC, I don't have space....

Oct 3, 2005 6:11 PM in response to Kenyatta Beasley1

Yeah Ivory is pretty darn good. One thing I don't like is when you activate the sustain resonance plug-in you can hear the noise floor rise. It's really amazing though, I find the Steinway to be the most playable of the three. The bosendorfer can sound a little choppy with the high notes. For that Thomas Newman sound I would suggest the Ambience reverb by smart electronix, it's free but has a very ethereal sound.

Cheers

John

Oct 3, 2005 8:34 PM in response to Steven von Kampen

IVORY

Here is what I am finding............

I have to side with George (tuning or miking or both are off)

Quality wise, the Steinway sounds best...however it seems that the pianissimo samples are beautiful, perfect......BUT the mezza and fortissimo samples are quite horrible, almost non-musical, especially in the mid-section of the keyboard....playing a simple power-chord sounds "Uneven", "Squashed", "Nasal"....doesn't sing.

like I said the soft samples are very pretty and playable, but not the rest.....Chords don't sound even....... Some notes in layers louder than others..

SvK

Oct 3, 2005 8:57 PM in response to Steven von Kampen

Ahh shucks.....

I'll buy this one as well......NI has never let me down before.......

http://www.nativeinstruments.de/index.php?id=apsound_us

AkoustiK Piano

SvK

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that "Shawshank Redemption" piano sound..........