# Skybox Audio announces Hammers + Waves Modern Keyboard Collection



## skybox Audio (Jul 15, 2021)

​

Hello VI Control Forum! 

My name is Danny Dunlap. I’m a long time lurker here and co-founder of a fledgling sample library company called skybox Audio. 

We’re very excited to announce the release of our first product. It’s a deep sampled 10 instrument modern keyboard collection called Hammers + Waves.

We hope you will find it incredibly useful and inspiring.

I’m well aware that no one thinks they need ANOTHER piano library. Especially on the heels of so many rapid fire piano releases the past few weeks. That being said, I’d like to quickly run down a few of the things that set this collection apart.


Firstly it was recorded entirely by robotic automation. We designed a robot from the ground up with the sole purpose of capturing the most even and honest velocities possible. The results are instruments that respond freakishly like the originals.


It’s a 10 instrument deep sampled collection including acoustic pianos, prepared acoustic pianos, electric pianos and bell tone instruments.


The playback engine has too many of unique and innovative features to mention in this post.


The complete bundle comes with 500 meta-tagged highly curated and USABLE presets.

Learn all about it at: http://www.skyboxaudio.com

We’re launching today with an intro price that will end August 31st.

Let us know if you have any questions by posting in this thread. Looking forward to everyone’s thoughts.

Thanks,

Danny


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## KarlHeinz (Jul 15, 2021)

Maybe it would help to post the link right:









skybox Audio


skybox Audio creates modern music tools designed to stoke creativity. Hammers + Waves Modern Hybrid Keyboard Collection Kontakt Sample Library is a must have for anyone producing or performing music.



www.skyboxaudio.com







Not my price range anyway and, yes, I really dont need another piano library add all (and really not 10 of them) 

But very interesting idea, maybe other instruments to come ?


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## skybox Audio (Jul 15, 2021)

KarlHeinz said:


> Maybe it would help to post the link right:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hey Karl-

Thanks for the heads up on the link.... fixed now! I hear ya on the piano library thing... totally get it... and I know everyone says the same stuff but it's really worth checking out. Lots of things that you can't find anywhere else.

Cheers!

Danny


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## Alex C (Jul 16, 2021)

Are they any demos on the website that I can listen to? I can only find the flashy promotion vids.


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## Sunny Schramm (Jul 16, 2021)

Alex C said:


> Are they any demos on the website that I can listen to? I can only find the flashy promotion vids.


Here is all you need - Simons & the Developers Walkt- & Playthrough:


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## Technostica (Jul 16, 2021)

Will this run on a Sky Q box?


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## skybox Audio (Jul 16, 2021)

Technostica said:


> Will this run on a Sky Q box?


Kinda?


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## skybox Audio (Jul 16, 2021)

Alex C said:


> Are they any demos on the website that I can listen to? I can only find the flashy promotion vids.


Hey Alex-

Sunny is right. I did a *Ken Burns* length walkthrough with Simeon yesterday.  He's the greatest. Such a pleasure. 

Also, you can hear demos of each instrument under the "What's Included" section of our website. The demos are in the form of a video. Each one is structured so that the front half is the default sound of the instrument with minimal accompaniment and the back half showcases what's possible with the engine using that instrument. The sounds in the demos are 90% coming from the instrument itself. (drums and a few string swells excluded). Those same videos can be found on a youtube playlist here (this embed will play through all the videos right in this post or click "Watch onYoutube" on the bottom left to open the playlist in a new window):





More info and sound examples can be seen/heard in our "Video Manual" here:







Hope this helps,

Thanks Alex!


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## davinwv (Jul 17, 2021)

Hi Danny (@skybox Audio)! Thanks so much for doing the livestream with @Simeon. It was great to have the developer providing an inside look for such an exciting product!

You mentioned during the stream that skybox Audio will eventually sell the four modules separately. A few questions on that:

1. Will those standalone modules still be Kontakt Player compatible?
2. What is the prospective pricing per module?

I'm just trying to make a good decision regarding the intro pricing given the specific parts of the Hammers + Waves library that I will actually use.

Thanks so much for making such a cool library!


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## skybox Audio (Jul 17, 2021)

SanjayC just included us in his weekly video. He does some really nice playing as well!



​


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## skybox Audio (Jul 17, 2021)

davinwv said:


> Hi Danny (@skybox Audio)! Thanks so much for doing the livestream with @Simeon. It was great to have the developer providing an inside look for such an exciting product!
> 
> You mentioned during the stream that skybox Audio will eventually sell the four modules separately. A few questions on that:
> 
> ...


Hi Davinwv-

Simeon is a national treasure.

Yes we will eventually break off the 4 bundles into individual products. No time frame is planned right now but it will certainly be some time after the intro sale has ended. The pricing will most likely be as follows:

Acoustic - $189 Retail - $129 intro price
Electric - $129 Retail - $99 intro price
Chime - $129 Retail - $99 intro price
Prepared - $129 Retail - $99 intro price

So grabbing the complete bundle now is definitely the best value. But I am certainly biased .


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## Drumdude2112 (Jul 17, 2021)

Sounds DAMN impressive i gotta say.
Congrats 🍾🎊 on the release.
Seems like a very elegant product.


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## davinwv (Jul 17, 2021)

skybox Audio said:


> Hi Davinwv-
> 
> Simeon is a national treasure.
> 
> ...



Agreed - both as to @Simeon and the value of the intro complete bundle price. Getting everything for $20 more than just the acoustics & electrics is a no-brainer!

Another question:

How does the 58GB total installed size of the complete bundle break down among the 4 constituent bundles?


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## skybox Audio (Jul 17, 2021)

davinwv said:


> Agreed - both as to @Simeon and the value of the intro complete bundle price. Getting everything for $20 more than just the acoustics & electrics is a no-brainer!
> 
> Another question:
> 
> How does the 58GB total installed size of the complete bundle break down among the 4 constituent bundles?


Complete it's 53.8GB and it breaks down like this:

Acoustic - 22.81GB
Electric - 9.88 GB
Chime - 8.99 GB
Prepared - 12.12 GB


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## skybox Audio (Jul 17, 2021)

Drumdude2112 said:


> Sounds DAMN impressive i gotta say.
> Congrats 🍾🎊 on the release.
> Seems like a very elegant product.


Thanks so much!


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## filipjonathan (Jul 17, 2021)

I love the idea! As you have already said that you're planning on releasing individual modules, I'm looking forward to that! Congrats guys!


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## filipjonathan (Jul 17, 2021)

Also, do we have any more info about velocity layers for the acoustic modules?


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## skybox Audio (Jul 17, 2021)

filipjonathan said:


> Also, do we have any more info about velocity layers for the acoustic modules?


Thanks Filip -

Every instrument is sampled at 16 velocity layers. (Cause the robot said so ) Even the release samples are 16 zones!

BTW Jamming your youtube channel now. Sounds good!


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## filipjonathan (Jul 17, 2021)

skybox Audio said:


> Thanks Filip -
> 
> Every instrument is sampled at 16 velocity layers. (Cause the robot said so ) Even the release samples are 16 zones!
> 
> BTW Jamming your youtube channel now. Sounds good!


Thanks for the reply! 16 sounds great!! And thanks for checking out my YT channel


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## davinwv (Jul 17, 2021)

skybox Audio said:


> Complete it's 53.8GB and it breaks down like this:
> 
> Acoustic - 22.81GB
> Electric - 9.88 GB
> ...


Thanks very much for the breakdown. My apologies for incorrectly stating the total disk space number.


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## Simeon (Jul 17, 2021)

Hello everyone!
I am very grateful for all of the kind encouragement, man, it really means a lot ;^)

I have added chapter markers to the FULL replay, and I am working on uploading the Flashbacks as separate videos to help present the content in more accessible ways.

I didn't think Danny knew what he was in for, and neither did I going into this, but it was one of those livestreams that I will remember for some time to come. It is what I love to do; experience things in the moment to share the transformative power of music and the incredible tools that help us create the music that we love.

Part 1 is live:


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## Alex C (Jul 17, 2021)

I know there was a lot to cover but I never heard the pedal resonance of the acoustic pianos. I did see a slider, but how does it sound? Don't you guys care for that?  In all seriousness, to me, everything will stand or fall with pedal resonance.


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## Simeon (Jul 17, 2021)

Alex C said:


> I know there was a lot to cover but I never heard the pedal resonance of the acoustic pianos. I did see a slider, but how does it sound? Don't you guys care for that?  In all seriousness, to me, everything will stand or fall with pedal resonance.


Well, it was like visiting Disney World for the first time, you were trying to hit all of the rides and were bound to miss something. Let me see what I can do ;^)
Stay tuned.


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## skybox Audio (Jul 17, 2021)

Alex C said:


> I know there was a lot to cover but I never heard the pedal resonance of the acoustic pianos. I did see a slider, but how does it sound? Don't you guys care for that?  In all seriousness, to me, everything will stand or fall with pedal resonance.


Hey Alex-

Funny you should mention pedals... Hammers + Waves pedal scripting listens to the intensity of your playing and triggers one of 3 velocities (5 round robbins) based on how loud you are currently playing. Play soft ... soft pedal samples...(no big pedal sample clunking) play loud... louder pedal samples. 

You may be talking about the sympathetic string resonance. Yes that is included and adjustable. The resonance of each note was sampled individually.

Thanks so much


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## skybox Audio (Jul 17, 2021)

Simeon said:


> Hello everyone!
> I am very grateful for all of the kind encouragement, man, it really means a lot ;^)
> 
> I have added chapter markers to the FULL replay, and I am working on uploading the Flashbacks as separate videos to help present the content in more accessible ways.
> ...



Thank you Simeon!


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## Simeon (Jul 17, 2021)

Part 2


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## Simeon (Jul 17, 2021)

Part 3:


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## Simeon (Jul 17, 2021)

Part 4


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## skybox Audio (Jul 17, 2021)

Simeon said:


> Part 4



Such lovely playing Simeon! Just re-listened to a little... so tasty.


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## Simeon (Jul 17, 2021)

And last but not least Part 5:


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## Simeon (Jul 17, 2021)

skybox Audio said:


> Such lovely playing Simeon! Just re-listened to a little... so tasty.


Thanks so much.
It was so much fun while editing these smaller parts to see how much fun you were having, it made me smile. Thanks again for this epic journey. I look forward to more ;^)
Let's call it "Skybox Audio: The Sequel!


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## skybox Audio (Jul 17, 2021)

Simeon said:


> And last but not least Part 5:



Part 5: The Return to Mordor


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## Laptoprabbit (Jul 17, 2021)

Good to see new developers offering a return policy


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## Alex C (Jul 17, 2021)

skybox Audio said:


> Hey Alex-
> 
> Funny you should mention pedals... Hammers + Waves pedal scripting listens to the intensity of your playing and triggers one of 3 velocities (5 round robbins) based on how loud you are currently playing. Play soft ... soft pedal samples...(no big pedal sample clunking) play loud... louder pedal samples.
> 
> ...



I know it's included but that wasn't really my question . The question is how does it sound? I know not everyone finds that a big deal. I bought two piano libraries where the pedal resonance is not good but many people don't seem to be bothered by that. 

BTW, is it wrong to call it "pedal resonance"? The ringing out of the strings when you press the sustain pedal? I'm not referring to 'sympathetic resonance', which is when you play and hold down a note, other notes will vibrate in sympathy.

Thanks!


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## cqd (Jul 19, 2021)

I came across an add for this on Facebook, and came here wondering what the story was..
I was like "I don't need another piano"..
But this one was made by a robot..
And the first video review I click into the reviewer has broken into song, and the second one says it's one of his top libraries this year..
Hmmmnn..


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## skybox Audio (Jul 19, 2021)

cqd said:


> I came across an add for this on Facebook, and came here wondering what the story was..
> I was like "I don't need another piano"..
> But this one was made by a robot..
> And the first video review I click into the reviewer has broken into song, and the second one says it's one of his top libraries this year..
> Hmmmnn..


I know, I know..... it's the old "another piano" joke... but we think it's worth a look  It's a lot more than "another" piano to be sure. Let me know if you have any questions.


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## José Herring (Jul 19, 2021)

I for one don't have a ton of piano libraries. Actually I do but most of them I don't like so I'm looking at this with some interest. 

I haven't gone past the intro video so forgive if this is a dumb question but the reason why I don't like 99% of the piano libraries is that they are all recorded from the annoying players perspective which gives me a headache trying to get it in situ. The ones that aren't I find I'm not willing to pay the cost for yet another piano library. Yours is not so expensive but I'm not interested in another player's perspective. Do you have a mic position that doesn't put the left hand far left and the right hand far right so that when you glide across the keys it makes it seem like your pianist is moving his piano at the same time?


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## cqd (Jul 19, 2021)

You can only pay in installments if you're in the US?..


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## skybox Audio (Jul 19, 2021)

José Herring said:


> I for one don't have a ton of piano libraries. Actually I do but most of them I don't like so I'm looking at this with some interest.
> 
> I haven't gone past the intro video so forgive if this is a dumb question but the reason why I don't like 99% of the piano libraries is that they are all recorded from the annoying players perspective which gives me a headache trying to get it in situ. The ones that aren't I find I'm not willing to pay the cost for yet another piano library. Yours is not so expensive but I'm not interested in another player's perspective. Do you have a mic position that doesn't put the left hand far left and the right hand far right so that when you glide across the keys it makes it seem like your pianist is moving his piano at the same time?


Hi José-

I think I'm understanding you. This library contains 10 instruments with varying stereo images based on the size of the instruments etc. That being said, no attempt was made to make the instruments sound "hyper-realistically" wide. There are 2 mic positions Close, and Far that can be blended with a single control. Hope that helps.


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## skybox Audio (Jul 19, 2021)

cqd said:


> You can only pay in installments if you're in the US?..


I just confirmed that it seems this is true unfortunately. We will look into expanding this offering.


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## skybox Audio (Jul 20, 2021)

​

Jef Gibbons just released a super informative review. So fun to see him put Hammers + Waves to work! He goes thru a lot of the features in an awesome way. Thanks Jef!


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## zimm83 (Jul 20, 2021)

Man this is sounding awesome ! 
And a new sampling company ! 
Welcome and congratulations !
We love new and fresh things ! 
This sounds awesome !


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## Jkist (Jul 20, 2021)

I ended up picking this up. The sounds are amazing, and the playability is top-notch. The tuneability is quick and easy too. Overall really love it.

I did find one issue though. It seems...I believe its the pedal noise samples, but im not sure. But it seems sometimes in some of the samples there is a very loud "snap" sound, like a twig breaking or something. Its quite jarring, and I don't believe its supposed to be there. I think its only on one of the round robin samples, because it just randomly happens. Its definitely not the plugin crackling or anything, it is absolutely part of a sample. Anyways, figured I'd mention it.


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## skybox Audio (Jul 20, 2021)

Jkist said:


> I ended up picking this up. The sounds are amazing, and the playability is top-notch. The tuneability is quick and easy too. Overall really love it.
> 
> I did find one issue though. It seems...I believe its the pedal noise samples, but im not sure. But it seems sometimes in some of the samples there is a very loud "snap" sound, like a twig breaking or something. Its quite jarring, and I don't believe its supposed to be there. I think its only on one of the round robin samples, because it just randomly happens. Its definitely not the plugin crackling or anything, it is absolutely part of a sample. Anyways, figured I'd mention it.


Hey! Thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated. If you want to let us know which of the 10 instruments you are experiencing the noise with we will investigate for sure. A recording of the noise would be really helpful as well if you are up for posting it.


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## Jkist (Jul 21, 2021)

Couldn't manage to get a clip because its so sporadic. I have narrowed it down to the black keys between C3 and C5, at somewhere around ff to fff velocity. Its difficult because I believe it happens somewhere way after the note is sustained, as if you recorded the note and, once the note was nearly done sustaining, somebody knocked something over or something.

Add on top of this the fact that you've done who knows how many round robin samples per velocity level, and yeah its really hard to reproduce 

Its almost rare enough to not be a problem, happens when I am noodling and creating soundscapes with the sustain pedal held down constantly, but yeah, definitely in there. Hope that helps you track it down!


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## pulsedownloader (Jul 21, 2021)

skybox Audio said:


> I just confirmed that it seems this is true unfortunately. We will look into expanding this offering.


You should try partial.ly


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## GrumpyM (Jul 21, 2021)

I am a sucker for piano libraries, and I bought this. So far, I really like it.

- The base sounds (in particular the modern grand) are really excellent. I believe Danny mentioned in the video the modern grand is a sampled C6 - and it's fantastic. I see it becoming my goto piano library over Cinepiano, Noire, and Pianoteq (my previous go-tos).

- One of the things I love about this library is the UI and how there's so much space to customize and play. For example, I really enjoy playing the modern grand, upping the "space" to add a bit of reverb, with a touch of the default "swarm" pulled in. The result is a really warm, ringing sound that I am not sure I could get any other way. It's musical, inspiring, and a lot of fun - I've lost over an hour to it already just sitting and playing. I'll noodle around and just lose myself in it ... I've frequently hit the "midi capture" when I come out of my trance and had 400+ bars of noodling to sift through.

- The presets are really well done. They are well labeled/tags, musical, and inspiring. A lot of times I find presets are all very similar or kind of unusable - these are generally great and really span a very wide variety of sounds. You can do everything from a banjo-like sound to ethereal pads to heavenly chimes to dark earthy hits. Well done!

- I haven't even really explored some of the other instruments all that much - but the electric pianos (rhodes style) and the OBscura grand (in the prepared section) seem like standouts for my next adventure.

Really enjoying the library. Highly recommended. I think it has uses in both composition (flexible sound design, creating cinematic cues, etc) as well as just straight playability - it's massive fun and you can lose yourself in it. I haven't found too many libraries that fit both niches so well - this one is a home run.


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## skybox Audio (Jul 21, 2021)

Jkist said:


> Couldn't manage to get a clip because its so sporadic. I have narrowed it down to the black keys between C3 and C5, at somewhere around ff to fff velocity. Its difficult because I believe it happens somewhere way after the note is sustained, as if you recorded the note and, once the note was nearly done sustaining, somebody knocked something over or something.
> 
> Add on top of this the fact that you've done who knows how many round robin samples per velocity level, and yeah its really hard to reproduce
> 
> Its almost rare enough to not be a problem, happens when I am noodling and creating soundscapes with the sustain pedal held down constantly, but yeah, definitely in there. Hope that helps you track it down!


Wow thanks for the detective work! Sounds like a needle in a haystack for sure but we're on it. We'll let you know if we find it and certainly address it in an update. Really appreciate you helping us narrow it down!


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## skybox Audio (Jul 21, 2021)

pulsedownloader said:


> You should try partial.ly


Thanks for the tip Emmett! We'll look into that for sure.


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## skybox Audio (Jul 21, 2021)

zimm83 said:


> Man this is sounding awesome !
> And a new sampling company !
> Welcome and congratulations !
> We love new and fresh things !
> This sounds awesome !


Thanks Zimm83. Excited to be here and really grateful for all the support.


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## skybox Audio (Jul 21, 2021)

GrumpyM said:


> I am a sucker for piano libraries, and I bought this. So far, I really like it.
> 
> - The base sounds (in particular the modern grand) are really excellent. I believe Danny mentioned in the video the modern grand is a sampled C6 - and it's fantastic. I see it becoming my goto piano library over Cinepiano, Noire, and Pianoteq (my previous go-tos).
> 
> ...


Thank you very much! We're so glad you are enjoying it. The "getting lost in it" test was a big metric for us when designing and curating the presets. Glad to hear we aren't the only ones.


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## GrumpyM (Jul 21, 2021)

I dediced to upload a couple of the "noodles" I've done with this as people might find them interesting. These are 1 take just playing around - please forgive any wrong notes! No other effects are added and there's no post-processing. This is just loading up the DAW, loading up kontakt, playing with Hammers and Waves, recording, and uploading.

The first is modern grand with both "space" and "swarm" turned up to give it that ringing sound.


The second is the Obscura Grand - in the "prepared" library - specifically the "Release the Flurry" preset. I thought this sounded a bit like almost an electric guitar - especially in the lower registers, and had a bit of fun with it.


Feedback wanted, but mostly just posted these so people could hear some different people playing music with the library.


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## Jkist (Jul 21, 2021)

Awesome playing, love the power! It is no doubt a library worthy of its place among the many other household names. Also I agree with what was said about the UI. Its a bit unintuitive in that, for the longest time, I had no idea I could click the words below the knobs, but once one understands that it works very well, and visually it is beautiful!


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## GrumpyM (Jul 21, 2021)

Jkist said:


> Awesome playing, love the power! It is no doubt a library worthy of its place among the many other household names. Also I agree with what was said about the UI. Its a bit unintuitive in that, for the longest time, I had no idea I could click the words below the knobs, but once one understands that it works very well, and visually it is beautiful!


Thank you! I was trying to push the dynamic range of the library a bit. Supposedly 16 dynamic layers. So some quiet bits and some real pounding.


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## P3TAAL (Jul 21, 2021)

I always assumed all sample libraries were played by robots when I first got into it many years ago. I thought surely no is sitting there pressing each key by hand!!


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## holywilly (Aug 2, 2021)

Just bought this library and I have to say Hammers + Waves is one of the best purchase of the year. The creative side of this library is so stupid good and instant inspiration. Thanks @skybox Audio for this truly awesome library, I love love love it so much.


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## skybox Audio (Aug 2, 2021)

holywilly said:


> Just bought this library and I have to say Hammers + Waves is one of the best purchase of the year. The creative side of this library is so stupid good and instant inspiration. Thanks @skybox Audio for this truly awesome library, I love love love it so much.


Hi -

Thanks very much! We're so glad you are liking Hammers + Waves. The response has been overwhelming and we're very grateful. Please tag us @skyboxAudio or #hammersandwaves if you post anything you've made. We love to hear what everyone is up to!

Daniel James posted a really fun live stream yesterday. Really cool watching him go thru his process.

​


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## Syncopator (Aug 5, 2021)

skybox Audio said:


> Hey Karl-
> 
> Thanks for the heads up on the link.... fixed now! I hear ya on the piano library thing... totally get it... and I know everyone says the same stuff but it's really worth checking out. Lots of things that you can't find anywhere else.
> 
> ...


Except all of the promo videos feature full-music productions, so we can't actually HEAR the instrument. While I'm sure you mean well, this gives the impression that you're "hiding" the instrument. 

The "Swarm" video: Full track. Can't hear the swarms.
The "Fractals" video: Full track. Can't hear the fractals.

Please—get rid of the other stuff, and let us just hear. the. instrument. Until then, it's just another piano swimming in a track of other, unspecified sounds.


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## cedricm (Aug 5, 2021)

I have so many pianos already and don't want to spend another $249.

Perhaps you could offer smaller bundles, such as only 1 or 2 pianos, for a lower amount?


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## Alchemedia (Aug 5, 2021)

Syncopator said:


> Except all of the promo videos feature full-music productions, so we can't actually HEAR the instrument. While I'm sure you mean well, this gives the impression that you're "hiding" the instrument.
> 
> The "Swarm" video: Full track. Can't hear the swarms.
> The "Fractals" video: Full track. Can't hear the fractals.
> ...


+1
Also, the website demo format is rather convoluted. Why not provide the various demo files all in one location?


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## Daren Audio (Aug 5, 2021)

skybox Audio said:


> I just confirmed that it seems this is true unfortunately. We will look into expanding this offering.


PayPal offers payment installments in multiple countries for businesses.


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## RMatute (Aug 20, 2021)

This library sounds great!
Can anyone confirm that it will run normally on a mid-2012 MacBook Pro 15-inch that has been upgraded with a 1TB SSD and 16 MB of RAM?
Thnx!


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## rottoy (Aug 20, 2021)

RMatute said:


> and 16 MB of RAM?
> Thnx!


I would be very impressed if it did.
But I assume you meant to type '16 GB of RAM', 
which should be more than sufficient to run this library.


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## IsaacK (Aug 20, 2021)

skybox Audio said:


> Hey! Thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated. If you want to let us know which of the 10 instruments you are experiencing the noise with we will investigate for sure. A recording of the noise would be really helpful as well if you are up for posting it.


I just picked up this library, and I believe I'm hearing said sound in the Modern Grand. Check the recording attached.
View attachment pkChBOJkTH.mp4


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## RMatute (Aug 21, 2021)

rottoy said:


> I would be very impressed if it did.
> But I assume you meant to type '16 GB of RAM',
> which should be more than sufficient to run this library.


Yes, 16GB of Ram. Running Mac OS 10.14.6 so meets all Skybox requirements. But I was wondering if the FX, such as Swarm and Fractals, might stress my antiquated I7 2.6 GHz CPU, especially when running other items in Logic?


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## BradHoyt (Aug 27, 2021)

My 2 cents: If you're a pianist, you'll appreciate this library. If all piano libraries are mostly the same to you, then you will not have the capacity to appreciate this library.

I'll be using this library for many years to come. Highly recommended.


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## Laptoprabbit (Aug 27, 2021)

Two thumbs up from me. If we could have the source be a mix of two separate instruments in the future like Pianoteq, that'd be great


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## filipjonathan (Aug 29, 2021)

Do we have any info on when the individual modules will be available?  @skybox Audio


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## skybox Audio (Aug 30, 2021)

IsaacK said:


> I just picked up this library, and I believe I'm hearing said sound in the Modern Grand. Check the recording attached.
> View attachment pkChBOJkTH.mp4


Hi,

Sorry for the delayed reply here. I just realized vi-control stopped emailing me when people post to this thread! Thanks for making the video. I don't hear anything unusual in there. Is it all three of those notes that you're hearing a noise on? Or just one in particular?


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## skybox Audio (Aug 30, 2021)

BradHoyt said:


> My 2 cents: If you're a pianist, you'll appreciate this library. If all piano libraries are mostly the same to you, then you will not have the capacity to appreciate this library.
> 
> I'll be using this library for many years to come. Highly recommended.


Thanks so much Brad. Really glad you are liking it.


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## skybox Audio (Aug 30, 2021)

Laptoprabbit said:


> Two thumbs up from me. If we could have the source be a mix of two separate instruments in the future like Pianoteq, that'd be great


That would be interesting for sure. In the meantime, I know I'm stating the obvious here but you can always load 2 instances of H+W in the same Kontakt . If you're only using one mic position you can save RAM by going into settings and turning on "Dynamic Purge" which will purge the samples from the unused mic position as well as other unused samples.


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## skybox Audio (Aug 30, 2021)

filipjonathan said:


> Do we have any info on when the individual modules will be available?  @skybox Audio


We have not set a date yet but it will happen. We'll definitely post an announcement here when they go on sale. Thanks so much.


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## rrichard63 (Aug 31, 2021)

Since this is a Kontakt Player instrument, I assume that the normal download procedure is through Native Access. Is there an alternative? Specifically, is there a way to download the components separately rather than as one 58 GB monster? My internet situation makes that difficult. Thanks in advance!


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## TomaeusD (Aug 31, 2021)

This is a fantastic set of keys and great value as a bundle! The Relic Upright and Dulcitone are my faves. Thanks for your hard work on this!

I was wondering if there is a way to adjust the Pre-Strike delay from -200ms. Having a bit of control over that would be amazing. I know a lot of effort went into programming and implementing this feature, so I appreciate you all for not giving up on it!


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## Scottyb (Aug 31, 2021)

Wellllll I couldn’t miss out on the intro price and even though I didn’t need to spend the money, I’m so extremely excited about this library! I’ve been super impressed with everything I’ve heard from it. Can’t wait to get home tonight and give it a go!


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## Scottyb (Aug 31, 2021)

Ok Ok I’ve only skimmed through the NKS presets but have already heard so many songs in my head - and put down a few melodies so I wouldn’t forget. 

It’s more than the sounds and fx whirling all around every note you play… it’s how this library feels! Not every library (especially piano based) makes me feel connected to the keys in front of me. Actually more often than not something usually does the opposite and that’s what keeps me from coming back to some libraries. This library has amazing playability! The velocities all feel, just right!

I WILL admit I never thought I’d see a piano library cause pops and clicks for my computer trying to keep up on runs. And I get there are a lot of FX going on (and more with some presets than others), but I didn’t expect that. I’m hoping for some optimizations in that department in the future. Maybe there are some options I’ve yet to discover to lessen these instances other than the obvious adjusting buffer size. 

That’s the only thing though that removed the huge smile from my face as I explored this wonderful library! There’s SO much depth here! And many thanks to the deep NKS integration that makes the depth a whole lot more accessible and fun to experience and experiment with! 

I made myself stop playing to workout! So I can assure you after doing so, this library will have my full attention into the wee hours of the morning! Really can’t wait to dive back into it and see where I end up!


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## skybox Audio (Aug 31, 2021)

rrichard63 said:


> Since this is a Kontakt Player instrument, I assume that the normal download procedure is through Native Access. Is there an alternative? Specifically, is there a way to download the components separately rather than as one 58 GB monster? My internet situation makes that difficult. Thanks in advance!


Thanks for posting! At this time Native Access is the only way to download Hammers + Waves. However the product is separated into 4 smaller bundles on Native Access which makes downloading a bit less intense.

Hahahaha nice of you to chime in Emmett.


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## skybox Audio (Aug 31, 2021)

TomaeusD said:


> This is a fantastic set of keys and great value as a bundle! The Relic Upright and Dulcitone are my faves. Thanks for your hard work on this!
> 
> I was wondering if there is a way to adjust the Pre-Strike delay from -200ms. Having a bit of control over that would be amazing. I know a lot of effort went into programming and implementing this feature, so I appreciate you all for not giving up on it!


So glad to hear you are using the Pre-Strike feature. Not a lot of folks have been talking about that but I think it's one of the things that makes this library truly unique. That 200ms is not adjustable unfortunately. Curious what scenario you would be in to want to change it though. Let us know!


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## skybox Audio (Aug 31, 2021)

Scottyb said:


> Ok Ok I’ve only skimmed through the NKS presets but have already heard so many songs in my head - and put down a few melodies so I wouldn’t forget.
> 
> It’s more than the sounds and fx whirling all around every note you play… it’s how this library feels! Not every library (especially piano based) makes me feel connected to the keys in front of me. Actually more often than not something usually does the opposite and that’s what keeps me from coming back to some libraries. This library has amazing playability! The velocities all feel, just right!
> 
> ...


Thanks Scotty! To free up a bit of CPU you can try turning on "Dynamic FX" in the settings page. This will bypass all FX that are not used in a current preset. You can also try turning on "Dynamic Purge" to save some disk load and RAM. Dynamic Purge unloads all samples that aren't being used in the current preset. Both of these options will make browsing presets a little slower however. 

That being said you are correct. Not all the presets are intended to have concertos performed on them


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## Scottyb (Aug 31, 2021)

Perfect! Thanks for the response and I will definitely give those options a shot! I know you guys all put a ton of work into the library and I can’t wait to see how the library might evolve and what you might release in the future!


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## skybox Audio (Aug 31, 2021)

Scottyb said:


> Perfect! Thanks for the response and I will definitely give those options a shot! I know you guys all put a ton of work into the library and I can’t wait to see how the library might evolve and what you might release in the future!


Thanks Scotty! The robot IS getting a bit antsy


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## TomaeusD (Aug 31, 2021)

skybox Audio said:


> So glad to hear you are using the Pre-Strike feature. Not a lot of folks have been talking about that but I think it's one of the things that makes this library truly unique. That 200ms is not adjustable unfortunately. Curious what scenario you would be in to want to change it though. Let us know!


Thanks for responding! I suppose the added delay is hard to play on. When I max out the pre-strike volume I also don't notice much of a sound (at least on the Modern Grand, the Relic is much more noticeable). So what should feel like hitting a key and then hearing the sound a split second later, ends up being just way more delay and therefore a less realistic experience. With control over that delay you could adjust the gap between when you are supposed to hear/feel the key press and then the actual sound of the string.


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## kevinh (Aug 31, 2021)

Okay I’m going to get this out of the way because I can’t help myself. The samples sound quite robotic hahaha Okay now that it’s out of my system, love the library. Super inspiring. Really glad I got it and THANK YOU for NKS integration. Works amazing.


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## Tavman (Sep 2, 2021)

This is a must have!!! Unlimited creativity. Great Sound...not like the others you miight own.


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## Drumdude2112 (Sep 2, 2021)

Tavman said:


> This is a must have!!! Unlimited creativity. Great Sound...not like the others you miight own.


Well when ya put it like that , how can i resist 😁👍🏻


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## Tavman (Sep 3, 2021)

A must have!!! Unlike any other keyboard library.


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## Napier Lopez (Sep 3, 2021)

Hi @skybox Audio, I bought this library on a whim when like so many, I definitely didn't need another piano library, especially one with 'just' 16 velocity layers and another Yamaha. I also wasn't even that interested in all the amazing feature's you've built in, mainly just the piano samples. But hearing the few demos out there, I thought there was something really special. And I really commend you for offering a return window as a new company. That's too rare for expensive libraries.

Having played it now, I have to say that the Modern Grand has one of my favorite base samples out there with very realistic dynamics. The default velocitycurve is a little too agressive for my piano, but alittle tweaking gets it right. _Finally_, a sampled grand that doesn't feel clinically perfect without leaning too much towards the 'character piano' direction. It feels like a real, imperfect, but very nice piano.

That said, there are a few things that bother even an intermediate piano player like myself. The one thing that stands out to me like a sore thumb, unless I missed a setting somewhere, is there doesn't seem to be a repedaling feature (press the pedal, release and quickly press again to lower the sustain sound). When you try to repedal the sustain just completely dies out. That really hurts the realism of the instrument to me. Related is the lack of half-pedaling, though that's a little more subtle and forgivable to me.

Any plans to implement these in the future?


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## Tavman (Sep 4, 2021)

Strange , i have replied here 3 times.. never see.. hopefully this works.
This is a must have library. i do thomas newmans sound design and can't 
wait to use it with him. onward and upward skybox!!


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## kevinh (Sep 4, 2021)

Tavman said:


> Strange , i have replied here 3 times.. never see.. hopefully this works.
> This is a must have library. i do thomas newmans sound design and can't
> wait to use it with him. onward and upward skybox!!


I see your three posts  just tell people you commented once per included library and you are golden haha


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## Tavman (Sep 4, 2021)

Tavman said:


> Strange , i have replied here 3 times.. never see.. hopefully this works.
> This is a must have library. i do thomas newmans sound design and can't
> wait to use it with him. onward and upward skybox!!


Idiot that i am. i now see all 3 doh


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## catibi79 (Sep 4, 2021)

I love this wonderful library. Very inspiring me. Here is my composition using some presets from this library.


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## skybox Audio (Sep 6, 2021)

TomaeusD said:


> Thanks for responding! I suppose the added delay is hard to play on. When I max out the pre-strike volume I also don't notice much of a sound (at least on the Modern Grand, the Relic is much more noticeable). So what should feel like hitting a key and then hearing the sound a split second later, ends up being just way more delay and therefore a less realistic experience. With control over that delay you could adjust the gap between when you are supposed to hear/feel the key press and then the actual sound of the string.


Ahhh I see. That makes sense. We totally agree that 200ms is much too much latency to perform with this feature enabled. Truth be told the Pre-Strike feature was designed to be implemented AFTER you are finished with your performance. Simply turn it on for an added layer of realism once you have your part played in the way you like. I personally think it brings the samples to life in a special way.


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## skybox Audio (Sep 6, 2021)

kevinh said:


> Okay I’m going to get this out of the way because I can’t help myself. The samples sound quite robotic hahaha Okay now that it’s out of my system, love the library. Super inspiring. Really glad I got it and THANK YOU for NKS integration. Works amazing.


 Thanks Kevin! So glad you are liking it. We'd love to hear what your making with it.


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## skybox Audio (Sep 6, 2021)

Napier Lopez said:


> Hi @skybox Audio, I bought this library on a whim when like so many, I definitely didn't need another piano library, especially one with 'just' 16 velocity layers and another Yamaha. I also wasn't even that interested in all the amazing feature's you've built in, mainly just the piano samples. But hearing the few demos out there, I thought there was something really special. And I really commend you for offering a return window as a new company. That's too rare for expensive libraries.
> 
> Having played it now, I have to say that the Modern Grand has one of my favorite base samples out there with very realistic dynamics. The default velocitycurve is a little too agressive for my piano, but alittle tweaking gets it right. _Finally_, a sampled grand that doesn't feel clinically perfect without leaning too much towards the 'character piano' direction. It feels like a real, imperfect, but very nice piano.
> 
> ...


Hi Napier,

Thanks SO much for the kind words. We really appreciate it. We are definitely open to exploring adding these features in the future. You are the second person to request this. I will add it to our wish list now and let you know when we are able to include these features.


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## skybox Audio (Sep 6, 2021)

Tavman said:


> Strange , i have replied here 3 times.. never see.. hopefully this works.
> This is a must have library. i do thomas newmans sound design and can't
> wait to use it with him. onward and upward skybox!!


Hi Tavman,

Thanks so much! Keep us posted. We're in awe of the amazing things users have been doing with Hammers + Waves. One of our favorites so far... James Poyser (an early beta tester) heavily featured the UX Upright on the score to the Oscar winning short film "Two Distant Strangers". 

Please let us know if Mr. Newman gets any milage out of these!


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## skybox Audio (Sep 6, 2021)

catibi79 said:


> I love this wonderful library. Very inspiring me. Here is my composition using some presets from this library.



Great work! So cool of you to post. Thanks for sharing.


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## applegrovebard (Sep 7, 2021)

Just bought this and wanted to post for the consideration of those on the fence in the last few hours of the introductory pricing... I didn't think I really needed more pianos, rhodes, celestes etc plus creative presets at a fairly serious price. But this is exceptionally good. The walkthrough with Simeon convinced me of the impeccable standards and ambition of its creators. I've regretted buying a few reduced $20 plugins recently but don't regret this. The default instruments are very very good- the rhodes up there with the best- many of the presets are stunning, beyond what I've heard before and the potential for creating new delicious patches is vast . It's up there with products like Keyscape, Noire in its sheer detailed quality, maybe goes beyond those- it's state-of-the-art- a delight, a gift of living in 2021 to explore such gorgeous sounds.


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## Napier Lopez (Sep 8, 2021)

skybox Audio said:


> Hi Napier,
> 
> Thanks SO much for the kind words. We really appreciate it. We are definitely open to exploring adding these features in the future. You are the second person to request this. I will add it to our wish list now and let you know when we are able to include these features.


Thank you for considering it. I know you probably aren't really marketing this towards classical-leaning pianists, but it would open the door to a wider audience as a do-it-lmost-all piano. Cheers!


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## Tavman (Sep 8, 2021)

skybox Audio said:


> Hi Tavman,
> 
> Thanks so much! Keep us posted. We're in awe of the amazing things users have been doing with Hammers + Waves. One of our favorites so far... James Poyser (an early beta tester) heavily featured the UX Upright on the score to the Oscar winning short film "Two Distant Strangers".
> 
> Please let us know if Mr. Newman gets any milage out of these!


Wiil do!!


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## Allen Constantine (Oct 20, 2021)

@skybox Audio Congratulations on this marvelous set of instruments! Will definitely get the Prepared (Obscura and the Muted Relic) when it goes on sale. Any updates on when the individuals will happen?


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## skybox Audio (Oct 21, 2021)

Hi Allen,

Thanks for the kind words. We appreciate it. We are working on the smaller bundles release with NI now. Truthfully it looks like it will be Q1 of 2022. However keep on the look out ... we will of course be announcing some year end pricing soon on the Complete bundle.

Thanks for your interest!


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## Allen Constantine (Oct 21, 2021)

skybox Audio said:


> Hi Allen,
> 
> Thanks for the kind words. We appreciate it. We are working on the smaller bundles release with NI now. Truthfully it looks like it will be Q1 of 2022. However keep on the look out ... we will of course be announcing some year end pricing soon on the Complete bundle.
> 
> Thanks for your interest!


Amazing news! Thanks and congrats once again!


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## pixelcrave (Nov 3, 2021)

I bought this during the introductory sales but have only recently started playing with it. MAN, this is quite a treat! Well done @skybox Audio — one minor request, it'd be great if the scroller (displayed when you navigate for the presets) works with / reacts to the hardware input device — in my case my MacBook trackpad (instead of me having to drag the scroller). Otherwise, congrats again for such a fun product to play with! Cheers!


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## fantasiom (Nov 17, 2021)

if you are a pianist you'll love this piano. It's wonderfully even and the tone is great. My one niggle with it is Middle C on the Modern Grand. There is a high frequency peak at around 7500k in the higher velocities that after a while it's all you'll hear if you are playing a middle C heavy tune lol. I just had to slip a precise EQ on it to take it out, so maybe it's just me. But the whole package is worth the money IMO.


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## filipjonathan (Nov 17, 2021)

fantasiom said:


> But the whole package is worth the money IMO.


And on that note... @skybox Audio, any info on the separate packs???


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## CGR (Nov 17, 2021)

filipjonathan said:


> And on that note... @skybox Audio, any info on the separate packs???


See here (top of this page):






Skybox Audio announces Hammers + Waves Modern Keyboard Collection


Hi Allen, Thanks for the kind words. We appreciate it. We are working on the smaller bundles release with NI now. Truthfully it looks like it will be Q1 of 2022. However keep on the look out ... we will of course be announcing some year end pricing soon on the Complete bundle. Thanks for...




vi-control.net


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## filipjonathan (Nov 17, 2021)

CGR said:


> See here (top of this page):
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ahhh missed this. Thanks!


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## Roger Bremen (Dec 19, 2021)

skybox Audio said:


> However keep on the look out ... we will of course be announcing some year end pricing soon on the Complete bundle.
> 
> Thanks for your interest!


Can't wait to see if this library goes on sale for the holidays, I've seen (and heard) so many amazing examples of what it's capable of! Just when I said I had enough piano libraries... they pull me back in!


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## CGR (Dec 19, 2021)

Roger Bremen said:


> Can't wait to see if this library goes on sale for the holidays, I've seen (and heard) so many amazing examples of what it's capable of! Just when I said I had enough piano libraries... they pull me back in!


Wasn't it on sale recently?


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## skybox Audio (Dec 19, 2021)

That's right CGR. Our year end sale ended on Wednesday of last week. BUT we do have something fun and new cooking for tomorrow. (Not Hammers + Waves related) So keep an eye/ear out.


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## Sunny Schramm (Dec 20, 2021)




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## filipjonathan (Dec 20, 2021)

Did I miss that new announcement? 👀


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## skybox Audio (Dec 20, 2021)

filipjonathan said:


> Did I miss that new announcement? 👀


We started a new thread here:

https://vi-control.net/community/threads/fun-and-free-drop-designer-from-skybox-audio.118975/


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## Braveheart (Feb 22, 2022)

Bundle is on sale at 249$, but 4 payments advertised still US only after so many months. Sadly, a missed purchase opportunity…


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## gamma-ut (Apr 2, 2022)

Jkist said:


> I ended up picking this up. The sounds are amazing, and the playability is top-notch. The tuneability is quick and easy too. Overall really love it.
> 
> I did find one issue though. It seems...I believe its the pedal noise samples, but im not sure. But it seems sometimes in some of the samples there is a very loud "snap" sound, like a twig breaking or something. Its quite jarring, and I don't believe its supposed to be there. I think its only on one of the round robin samples, because it just randomly happens. Its definitely not the plugin crackling or anything, it is absolutely part of a sample. Anyways, figured I'd mention it.


I'm getting the noise. This is on the Grand. The patch here is Ready For It, though I don't think that matters. It just happens to be the one I was playing when I realised I could trigger the noise reliably. The notes that triggered are in the attached MIDI file. I thought at first it might be a pedal-down resonance sample but I just triggered it without but I can't isolate it to a single note - it seems to need a chord and several goes to get the round robin to roll round.


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