# THE OESER vintage grand piano by Key Instruments



## CGR (May 16, 2022)

I was recently contacted by Arjen de Graaf, a composer and pianist from the Netherlands, who together with the studio owner of Key Productions (and guitarist) Rogier Trampe, established Key Instruments in 2020.

*BACKGROUND*
Key Instruments' first, impressive entry into the world of virtual instruments is called ‘THE OESER’ – a sampled piano based on a restored, handmade Austrian grand piano from 1877, captured in detail across four different “instruments” (Pure, Felted, Muted and Picked). This is a Kontakt Player instrument, so is installed via Native Access and runs in the free Kontakt Player. There is detailed information on the website about the history of the piano, and the equipment and sampling techniques employed to create ‘THE OESER’.

Although there have been a few vintage grand pianos released in recent years, the variation in character and tone across each piano is substantial. The results each developer achieves with their chosen piano, mic choices, mic positions and sampling techniques further contribute to the uniqueness of each sampled piano. A complimentary license of THE OESER was provided for me to assess, and while this is not a comprehensive review (the official walkthrough and the video review by @Simeon cover that) after spending a few hours on two occasions with THE OESER, I thought it was time to share my thoughts.

*THE INSTRUMENTS*
The Pure, Felted, Muted and Picked instruments are separate .nki files, and each have three mic sets: Close, Bottom (under the piano) and Overheads. First impressions after loading up the Pure instrument is that Key Instruments have captured a realistic and detailed representation of a vintage grand piano, with a full resonance and 3D presence which really drew me in. I’m glad they resisted the temptation to “airbrush out” any of the unique quirks and swirling resonances of this piano. There are more than enough pristine sampled pianos out there, so an honest capture of this piano’s raw character is a welcomed approach.

*DYNAMICS & CONTROLS*
Often these types of character sampled pianos are limited in dynamic range or controls, or have obtrusive mechanism noises baked into the samples which start off being charming, but soon become annoying. The dynamic range of THE OESER is quite wide, and although it can’t compete with a modern grand piano, that’s not the point – the dynamic range and response feels natural and appropriate for a piano built nearly 150 years ago. Key Instruments decided to isolate the key mechanism and sustain pedal noises, so the amount can be dialled in according to taste. These are not only multi-sampled but also programmed to velocity for more realism. Although they have recorded note release samples, there is no dial to control their volume, but to my ears they are well matched to the velocity, and sound natural. There is also a reverb dial called ‘Lounge’, which is an Impulse Response taken from the space in which the piano resides at the Key Productions studio.

*A FELTED GRAND PIANO!*
The Felted instrument was a real surprise. Felt upright pianos are everywhere, but there are only a few felted grand pianos on the market, and apart from the Felt instrument in ‘Noire’ from Native Instruments, none others I know of have been captured with such a broad dynamic range. I really appreciate having the ability to play softly, but then dig in on the keys and allow the tone to open up naturally. The three mic options allow you to shape the tone and stereo image further. The Muted and Picked Instruments have two velocity layers each, but are still dynamic and resonant, and broaden the sound palette at your disposal. They are also great fun to layer with the Pure or Felt Instruments in a Kontakt Multi, and can really give the sound a bite and edge.

*GUI & SYSTEM RESOURCES*
The GUI is simple and intuitive, with no menu diving or multiple screens to navigate. Due to the amount of detail captured, the RAM foot print of each instrument is substantial – around 2.08GB on my system for the Pure, 1.88GB for the Felt, and about 1.27GB for the Muted and Plucked instruments. All three mic sets are active at all times (they can be muted on the GUI, but not “unloaded”) so the ability to purge mic sets would be a welcome update, especially when using all 4 instruments in a project.

*CONCLUSION & DEMO*
For me the sign of a good instrument is how quickly it inspires me to play and improvise, and with the four instruments loaded up in my DAW, I was soon pulling together an idea using all instruments in different roles. The Pure and Felt as main/lead instruments, the Muted for rhythmic patterns and the Picked for shimmering accents. Below is a short demo of the results of that first play. Every sound is from THE OESER, including a percussive loop taken from the included ‘THE OESER Sample Pack’ – a collection of soundscapes, FX and loops created from the acoustic OESER piano. I added some ambience on the Master Output courtesy of the free Supermassive reverb/delay plugin by Valhalla.

I’m looking forward to what Key Instruments have in store for future releases. There is already a Yamaha C7 grand piano in the works, so keep an eye on this new developer – they really know how to craft a superb and unique sampled piano.






THE OESER virtual piano instrument by Key Instruments


Discover THE OESER virtual piano instrument, learn about the original Oeser baby grand piano and experience the magic through the previews.




key-instruments.com


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## poly6 (May 16, 2022)

Umm, when the Pure kicks in with that bottom end, wow, shivers. Thanks, Craig!


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## CGR (May 16, 2022)

poly6 said:


> Umm, when the Pure kicks in with that bottom end, wow, shivers. Thanks, Craig!


Thanks for listening. Those bass notes are actually the Felt instrument! Plenty of body & dynamics


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## keyinstruments (May 17, 2022)

What an awesome review Craig! Super to read all your feedback on the instrument as we intended it to be. And that demo, WOW! Love it!
Thanks to the VI-control community for pointing me in your direction.
p.s. That purge option is something I will place on the list for future instruments and perhaps an update of The Oeser in the future. It can be quite heavy on RAM.


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## JonChr (May 21, 2022)

This is an absolutely magnificent piano


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## doctoremmet (May 22, 2022)

I am happy to announce I have joined the ranks and have an afternoon ahead of me where The Oeser and myself will acquaint ourselves.


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## keyinstruments (May 22, 2022)

Thank you fellow pianists! ❤️


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## LA68 (May 22, 2022)

Oh, wait, this works with the free Kontakt player? It sounds fantastic.

The name makes me happy, for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with music. :D Sometimes life is really strange.


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## cfodeebiedaddy (May 22, 2022)

Oh, I want this and I appreciate the developer launching at a reasonable price point.

But do I need it?

Seems like a lovely sounding alternative to character pianos like Piano in Blue or the VSL Bluthner. Is anyone who's already bought it able to comment on playability?


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## Rudianos (May 22, 2022)

cfodeebiedaddy said:


> Oh, I want this and I appreciate the developer launching at a reasonable price point.
> 
> But do I need it?
> 
> Seems like a lovely sounding alternative to character pianos like Piano in Blue or the VSL Bluthner. Is anyone who's already bought it able to comment on playability?


I have the piano. Here is a post of some pieces.






Ultimate Piano Comparison Thread


I think if Chopin was still alive, he'd be tickled pink about the reverence his name conjures, from pristine Deutsce Grammophone recordings to piano competitions to live performances to endless discussions on the internet, while his contemporaries like Czerny, Henselt and Alkan are wailing...



vi-control.net





Id say the Oeser shines it its variety of articulations ... picked, muted ... its a little less foward in sound than Piano in Blue ... laid back with a sort of warm glow. The playability is great. And a very respectable amount of control over the mics.

Oeser is one of those pianos that can transport you to a different time and place. Very special release.


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## keyinstruments (May 23, 2022)

I feel the love guys! Amazing how well people can describe our instrument in such a way that reflects our intentions at the start of our endeavours as a developer. I guess it's a hate or love thing. You either really like the piano, or you don't. That's what you get when you walk in a piano store and play several pianos, you will always find that you don't like every piano you play. But sometimes you'll find that instrument that tickles your fancy.
Yesterday Paolo Cattaneo uploaded a great ambient track with amazing soundscaping. For anyone who likes this sort of thing:


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## Rob (May 23, 2022)

keyinstruments said:


> I feel the love guys! Amazing how well people can describe our instrument in such a way that reflects our intentions at the start of our endeavours as a developer. I guess it's a hate or love thing. You either really like the piano, or you don't. That's what you get when you walk in a piano store and play several pianos, you will always find that you don't like every piano you play. But sometimes you'll find that instrument that tickles your fancy.
> Yesterday Paolo Cattaneo uploaded a great ambient track with amazing soundscaping. For anyone who likes this sort of thing:



I was looking at the video and thinking "this guy looks exacty like Paolo..."


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## keyinstruments (May 23, 2022)

Rob said:


> I was looking at the video and thinking "this guy looks exacty like Paolo..."


What an amazing artist he is, right? Great footage, awesome vibe, and superb beard!


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## Rob (May 23, 2022)

keyinstruments said:


> What an amazing artist he is, right? Great footage, awesome vibe, and superb beard!


yes, been a student of mine for a while... he is a real musical talent, in the broadest sense. Extremely good taste and sensitivity for sound, sincere love and competence for synthesizers ( a collector too). Plus, he's able to build and customize instruments in a way nobody can, I've seen for example a Rhodes he has reduced in size and weight and assembled in a beautiful wood case, making it a unique wonderful instrument...


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## keyinstruments (May 23, 2022)

Rob said:


> yes, been a student of mine for a while... he is a real musical talent, in the broadest sense. Extremely good taste and sensitivity for sound, sincere love and competence for synthesizers ( a collector too). Plus, he's able to build and customize instruments in a way nobody can, I've seen for example a Rhodes he has reduced in size and weight and assembled in a beautiful wood case, making it a unique wonderful instrument...


How awesome! I saw he uses the Kawai VPC-1 keys, but got rid of the case and build that in a custom wooden case as well. His creativity and content creation sparked my enthousiasme when he wanted to use our piano in one of his productions.
His synth, keys and effects collection is impressive!


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## bbrylow (May 25, 2022)

I have really enjoyed this piano and I have dozens of them. The detail and the overall control of the sound is excellent and it has a very unique tone to it. Kudos on your entry into the market and I hope that this is the first of many great instruments.


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## CGR (May 26, 2022)

Been busy exploring the Felt, Picked and Muted instruments of THE OESER, and have just found some time to work with the Pure instrument. Great work @keyinstruments.

Here's a simple solo piece for your listening pleasure (if you're into this kinda thing):


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## poly6 (May 26, 2022)

Is that an external reverb or the built in reverb?


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## CGR (May 26, 2022)

poly6 said:


> Is that an external reverb or the built in reverb?


It's an impulse response reverb from ConvologyXT. See this recent post of mine:






Free Convology XT Impulse Response plugin


Just saw this was recently updated, and a paid collection of impulse response packs of real spaces has been released: https://impulserecord.com/convology-xt-real-spaces/ This is a very good sounding reverb well worth checking out. The GUI looks a little dated (in a nice 'retro' way though!)...



vi-control.net





The built-in reverb of THE OESER is a small room impulse response of the studio lounge, which gives it some nice 'room depth' only. The piano handles external reverb very well.


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## CGR (May 31, 2022)

poly6 said:


> Is that an external reverb or the built in reverb?


I meant to mention. There is a very useful EQ and Reverb Decay of Frequency adjustment panel in ConvologyXT. Really helps to clear up any mud that the longer, more lush impulse responses may impart. EQ at top, Decay below that:


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## JonChr (Jun 2, 2022)

This is simply a fantastic instrument all around!


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## keyinstruments (Jun 3, 2022)

@JonChr Thank you for the compliment! Glad you like it


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