# OUT NOW: Originals Intimate Grand Piano



## Spitfire Team (May 3, 2022)

OUT NOW - Originals Intimate Grand Piano 

Welcoming in the new alternative to the felt piano. An up-close-and-personal grand, so classic and versatile that it will suit a range of styles — whether for solo composition, accompaniment or as part of a larger ensemble. 

Available now for just £29/$29/€29
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## d4vec4rter (May 3, 2022)

It's nice and, at £29, great value but... I need another piano library like I need another strings library.


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## TomislavEP (May 3, 2022)

As a pianist, I deeply believe that each type and brand of a piano has its unique charm and feel so I have quite an extensive collection of virtual pianos, including the free ones. I can agree to a degree that the market seems to be a bit oversaturated in this department. However, I love SA libraries and the format of Originals. Also, from what I've heard in the short overview above, they've really managed to capture the intimacy of a grand piano in an upright piano style very well. This, in a conjunction with microphones used in this particular library, will probably be my main motive for picking this up some time in the future, despite having quite "enough" virtual pianos in my collection.


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## sostenuto (May 3, 2022)

SFA ? _ Originals ? _ $29. ? _ Done ! ❣️


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## SupremeFist (May 3, 2022)

How many velocity layers are there?


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## PhilA (May 3, 2022)

SupremeFist said:


> How many velocity layers are there?


Only three. 
However it sounds lovely and I have use for even more piano’s and the mic selection is great, oh and I have. £10 originals gift card in my account so for £19 I’ll grab it.


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## SandChannel (May 3, 2022)

SupremeFist said:


> How many velocity layers are there?


In this thread (Here), they are saying three.


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## SupremeFist (May 3, 2022)

SandChannel said:


> In this thread (Here), they are saying three.


Ah. Thanks!


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## Double Helix (May 3, 2022)

I think the higher register sounds translucent/delicate/moonlit/"airy" adjective of your choice.
That ribbon mic is nice but the middle ("Color"? Condenser? Hard to make out the text) would be my selection
Though I have Pianoteq & Keyscape (among others), the edu discount comes out to ~$20, so this could be a sensible* addition


*sensible in VI-C's wide-ranging interpretation


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## Hendrixon (May 3, 2022)

I hoped it was the felt grand piano from Olafur's library, its not, but it still sounds sweet
3 layers? wish it was more like 5-6, but the mics do sound very good.
*still listening*


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## JashandeepReehal (May 3, 2022)

I downloaded it and been playing for a while. Sound wise.... Marvellous. Love the tone and all. Could really be my go to for sketching and stuff. Binaural is just wonderful. But i do wish for more velocity layers. 3 is not enough for this piano and the room. I would honestly love a upper version of the same piano. But deeply sampled with a lot of velocity layers. Like maybe a $49 version or something. I wish they'd done that. But overall, lovely sound


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## applegrovebard (May 3, 2022)

I have so many free/cheap pianos with few and/or poorly programmed velocity layers that I've been wary of Spitfire Originals. Playability comes first for me. But to have more mics than velocity layers seems to be the Spitfire aesthetic...


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## filipjonathan (May 3, 2022)

@Spitfire Team please give us more velocity layers! 🙏🏻


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## JashandeepReehal (May 3, 2022)

filipjonathan said:


> @Spitfire Team please give us more velocity layers! 🙏🏻


Plus one to this request. Would actually love it if they do the same piano in the same room. Add more velocity layers PLEASEEEE!!!! @Spitfire Team


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## robgb (May 3, 2022)

This is a very, very nice sounding piano.


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## Manontroppo (May 4, 2022)

This piano sounds nice but who plays in the range of "ppp-p" all the time? Unfortunately it is not a "super-versatile, classic grand" since it has three dynamic layers only. Excuse me if I repeat myself but as a trained piano player I would rather decide for myself when to use ppp and when fff. Even if this would raise the price of the library significantly. And, btw, mechanical noises do not always "add to realism". There are more than enough present due to the nature of the instrument, I don't need two knobs to make them even louder. If you restrict the piano to the ppp-p range, you want it rather quiet - a "cut" knob for all noises would be satisfactory, imho.


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## JashandeepReehal (May 4, 2022)

Manontroppo said:


> This piano sounds nice but who plays in the range of "ppp-p" all the time? Unfortunately it is not a "super-versatile, classic grand" since it has three dynamic layers only. Excuse me if I repeat myself but as a trained piano player I would rather decide for myself when to use ppp and when fff. Even if this would raise the price of the library significantly. And, btw, mechanical noises do not always "add to realism". There are more than enough present due to the nature of the instrument, I don't need two knobs to make them even louder. If you restrict the piano to the ppp-p range, you want it rather quiet - a "cut" knob for all noises would be satisfactory, imho.


Agreedo! Playability comes first.


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## GtrString (May 4, 2022)

Where's the flautando patch? Seeing the Cole's, tbh, I was hoping for another songwriter type library like Fink, just piano powered. 

Can't justify just another piano at ™, even at 29,- But I could justify something at the level of Fink to 49,- But not like Heirloom at 299,-... errr I'm difficult, right?


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## Lee Blaske (May 4, 2022)

This is definitely a nice, vulnerable, soft-dynamic piano. There's definitely room in the marketplace for this sort of thing done well. If you need louder dynamics, there a PLENTY of other libraries out there.
And actually, this sort of softer dynamic mapping is really something that's needed for people who don't have very high-quality weighted MIDI keyboards that accurately put out velocity data from key to key. If you, say, have something with a Fatar action that does not have predictable velocity from key to key, it's hard to play expressively with a patch that has a wide range of dynamics.


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## JashandeepReehal (May 4, 2022)

Lee Blaske said:


> This is definitely a nice, vulnerable, soft-dynamic piano. There's definitely room in the marketplace for this sort of thing done well. If you need louder dynamics, there a PLENTY of other libraries out there.
> And actually, this sort of softer dynamic mapping is really something that's needed for people who don't have very high-quality weighted MIDI keyboards that accurately put out velocity data from key to key. If you, say, have something with a Fatar action that does not have predictable velocity from key to key, it's hard to play expressively with a patch that has a wide range of dynamics.


Makes sense actually


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## Manontroppo (May 4, 2022)

Okokok. To be honest, I 'm spoiled, I have played on a LMK4+ for the last 15+ years. I have a cheap keyboard next to it that I only use for its knobs and faders. If you have to use some sort of unreliable keys, this library may do the trick. Good point, and sorry for the snobby comment.


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## Alex C (May 4, 2022)

This library is not meant to give pianists a serious alternative for a real grand piano. It's meant for film composers who use samples and that need a typical cinematic piano. And at that it succeeds very well.


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## JashandeepReehal (May 4, 2022)

Alex C said:


> This library is not meant to give pianists a serious alternative for a real grand piano. It's meant for film composers who use samples and that need a typical cinematic piano. And at that it succeeds very well.


Yes. I think it's not for huge piano arrangements and compositions. It's for like in film and drama music you need just few intimate piano notes as an accompaniment. And it succeeds very well. I'm actually using it much more than I thought


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## Justin L. Franks (May 4, 2022)

That piano is absolutely gorgeous. And not just the sound. The flamed figured wood on the actual piano is stunning.

I agree that a more deeply-sampled version at, say $99, with more velocity layers, is definitely something I would be quite interested in. For now though, at $29, for what you get, this is a phenomenal value. As all Originals libraries tend to be of course, but this is one of the standouts IMO.


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## JashandeepReehal (May 4, 2022)

Justin L. Franks said:


> That piano is absolutely gorgeous. And not just the sound. The flamed figured wood on the actual piano is stunning.
> 
> I agree that a more deeply-sampled version at, say $99, with more velocity layers, is definitely something I would be quite interested in. For now though, at $29, for what you get, this is a phenomenal value. As all Originals libraries tend to be of course, but this is one of the standouts IMO.


Yes sir. I was putting of buying felt and cinematic soft cause they sound too muddy to me. I have the Firewood one but this, i think sound wise this is just the best Originals piano Spitfire has made. Now using it, I've started to look more to the positive side of it than one negative side. And I'm in love with it. The flamed wood is truly stunning


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## filipjonathan (May 5, 2022)

JashandeepReehal said:


> Yes sir. I was putting of buying felt and cinematic soft cause they sound too muddy to me. I have the Firewood one but this, i think sound wise this is just the best Originals piano Spitfire has made. Now using it, I've started to look more to the positive side of it than one negative side. And I'm in love with it. The flamed wood is truly stunning


Is the playability affected by the (lack of) velocity layers or not really?


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## JashandeepReehal (May 5, 2022)

filipjonathan said:


> Is the playability affected by the (lack of) velocity layers or not really?


I have the Komplete Kontrol A61 semi weighted keyboard. To me i think it sounds just perfectly working. Would trouble those who have high end weighted keyboards. It's actually pretty perfect for playing on mine. Loving it more and more as using more and more


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## TomislavEP (May 5, 2022)

filipjonathan said:


> Is the playability affected by the (lack of) velocity layers or not really?


Probably depending on the use, but in character-driven piano libraries such as this, the above-average number of dynamic layers and RRs is IMO not necessary the focus. I came across some rather two-dimensional piano libraries on Pianobook that still succeeded in capturing the sound and feel of a particular instrument despite the technical limitations.


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## CGR (May 5, 2022)

I appreciate the comments above stating that this piano is intended for cinematic, film scoring use. The tone from the demos I've heard is beautiful. Full and warm but with clarity and definition which is lacking in most sampled felt pianos out there.

Despite the 'fit for purpose' approach of this release, I still find it perplexing (and frustrating to a degree) as to why Spitfire didn't capture more velocity layers (or maybe they did, and made an artistic or commercial decision to keep it simple, given it's a $29 Originals product).

Even in a stylised "cinematic" sampled piano, I'd suggest 5 velocity layers (pp, p, mp, mf, f) would be the minimum to capture a decent snapshot of the piano, and then leave it up to the end-user to either work with the full dynamic range captured, or limit it to the softer dynamics via MIDI limiting/compression. Just my 2 cents.

PS: Love the tone of this piano though! These quality vintage grands really have something special going on.


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## CGR (May 5, 2022)

A play through of the presets by the wonderful Pete Calandra. Note: the audio of this video is very low in volume, so be careful afterwards to turn your monitoring volume back down! 

This section in particular sounds beautiful:


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## Alex C (May 6, 2022)

Regarding velocity layers, it's on par with their other originals pianos, is it not? I was already relieved that there are up and down pedal samples. This piano library can be used for much more than just a few notes here and there. 

The 'soft drama' preset is very good (with binaural mic) but it takes forever to load on my PC (not SSD).


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## Jackal_King (May 6, 2022)

CGR said:


> A play through of the presets by the wonderful Pete Calandra. Note: the audio of this video is very low in volume, so be careful afterwards to turn your monitoring volume back down!
> 
> This section in particular sounds beautiful:



I'm watching Pete's video right now and it sounds really nice! The different patches are kind of unique in their own ways.


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## doctoremmet (Aug 4, 2022)

@Spitfire Team and others

Any background information on the grand piano itself? Is it a new Model A, an old one, did you guys rent one for the occasion, or has it maybe been a fixed staple of Castlesound, since… oh I don’t know… The Blue Nile recorded their albums there from 1983 onwards?

Update:
So it seems to be the grand that is owned by Castlesound… (screenshot of their equipment list):






So does anyone know for how long they’ve had this grand?


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## sostenuto (Aug 4, 2022)

doctoremmet said:


> @Spitfire Team and others
> 
> Any background information on the grand piano itself? Is it a new Model A, an old one, did you guys rent one for the occasion, or has it maybe been a fixed staple of Castlesound, since… oh I don’t know… The Blue Nile recorded their albums there from 1983 onwards?
> 
> ...


GLAD you asked ! (4) Originals Pianos already and pondering. Had acoustic Mason & Hamlin A for many years. Wonderful experience ! 
Also _ made me check Spitfire App and there is LABS - Foghorn to add ! THX ! 😆


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## doctoremmet (Aug 4, 2022)

sostenuto said:


> GLAD you asked ! (4) Originals Pianos already and pondering. Had acoustic Mason & Hamlin A for many years. Wonderful experience !
> Also _ made me check Spitfire App and there is LABS - Foghorn to add ! THX ! 😆


To me this is a really great sounding piano despite the rather limited dynamic range. But I would LOVE for it to be the piano that was actually used on some of my favourite records from the 1980s.


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## doctoremmet (Aug 4, 2022)

doctoremmet said:


> To me this is a really great sounding piano despite the rather limited dynamic range. But I would LOVE for it to be the piano that was actually used on some of my favourite records from the 1980s.


@Simeon my friend… I bet you are THE person with the right connections over at Spitfire HQ to inquire!


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## Simeon (Aug 4, 2022)

doctoremmet said:


> @Simeon my friend… I bet you are THE person with the right connections over at Spitfire HQ to inquire!


So, a little bit of creative Googling took me here, to Discogs. There is quite the amount of projects that were produced there, I saw Mark Knopfler and Simple Minds among them. Check it out here:









Castlesound Studios


For Castlesound Studio in Bernburg, Germany, please use Castlesound Studios (2). A.k.a. Castle Sound Studios, Pencaitland, Edinburgh, Scotland. A studio that not only deals with the production of music, but also with audio for film, TV, radio, and advertising. Since they opened in the...




www.discogs.com





Of course if I discover any additional nuggets I will pass them along.


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## Petter Rong (Aug 4, 2022)

It's a shame they don't capture (or don't release) more velocity layers or RRs. For very intimate cinematic purposes I can understand why it's not important and for a $29 product, it's probably awesome, but some of their libraries could be absolutely fantastic for live playing as well, where dynamic range and no-machine-gun effect is alpha and omega for these more nuanced libraries


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## CGR (Aug 4, 2022)

Petter Rong said:


> It's a shame they don't capture (or don't release) more velocity layers or RRs. For very intimate cinematic purposes I can understand why it's not important and for a $29 product, it's probably awesome, but some of their libraries could be absolutely fantastic for live playing as well, where dynamic range and no-machine-gun effect is alpha and omega for these more nuanced libraries


Yes, a missed opportunity to have maybe released a deeper sampled version for say $49-$69. There is a decent range of dynamics, and for the product's intended purpose/style it's fine, but it's quite limited in the upper velocity range.

FWIW, here's a played dynamics test (velocities spanning 29-127) with the Condenser & Ribbon mics each at 100%, and the dynamic slider at 40%:
View attachment Spitfire Intimate Grand Piano - Dynamic Range Test.mp3







PS: The piano was sampled with sustain pedal up & down which is a plus, although it doesn't support re-pedaling (ie. playing a note or chord and then pressing the sustain pedal only triggers and sustains the pedal up samples. You need to press the sustain pedal *before* a note or chord to trigger sustain pedal down samples).


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## doctoremmet (Aug 4, 2022)

Simeon said:


> So, a little bit of creative Googling took me here, to Discogs. There is quite the amount of projects that were produced there, I saw Mark Knopfler and Simple Minds among them. Check it out here:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Excellent! As a matter of fact, all albums by my favourite Scottish band The Blue Nile were recorded there.

So my real question is: was this Model A Steinway already at Castlesound when they tracked there. So from 1984 onwards. I’d love to find out!

What do you reckon… could this be the same grand?


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## CGR (Aug 4, 2022)

doctoremmet said:


> Excellent! As a matter of fact, all albums by my favourite Scottish band The Blue Nile were recorded there.
> 
> So my real question is: was this Model A Steinway already at Castlesound when they tracked there. So from 1984 onwards. I’d love to find out!
> 
> What do you reckon… could this be the same grand?



Maybe . . . 
View attachment Spitfire Intimate Grand Piano - Blue Nile.mp3


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## doctoremmet (Aug 4, 2022)

Craig! ❤️

Such a heart wrenching piece… thanks. It absolutely sounds like it could be the same grand, doesn’t it. Many thanks for doing this. Lovely.


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## CGR (Aug 4, 2022)

I need to revisit their music. I remember a friend years ago making a tape for us with Nick Lowe on side A and The Blue Nile on side B


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## doctoremmet (Aug 4, 2022)

Another piano lead piece from their debut:



By the way, and partially on-topic: Albion Solstice was recorded at Castlesound too and I have found that I can get the string sextet to sound very similar to this masterpiece (from that same debut album, the title track):


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## JashandeepReehal (Aug 6, 2022)

Here's my little test with the Intimate Grand. Using mostly ribbons with half Signal of binaural. And just a touch of the condensers(faint)


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