What's new

Super characteristic sample libraries?

ein fisch

Dreamer
I find myself more and more manually adding chair, pedal and key noises to my midi piano performances to make them sound human and it did the trick for me to make everything sound more interesting..

I am planning to buy a little arsenal of libraries of any kind which already feature that certain kind of human feel and dont sound too perfect (only in terms of performance, the sound quality itself should be good)

Any recommendations?
 
Well, though this is not much of a standard piano, Una Corda has all these things, from chair noises to sustain pedal noise. Also, it just has very nice characteristics.
 
The Midnight Grand from Fracturesounds (chair, pedal, player movement)

VSL Dimension strings have an extra layer of playing noises (tapping strings, seats, cloth)

Audiomodeling Woodwinds have adjustable key noises

I play Audiomodeling and Samplemodeling instruments by wind controller. Beside recording the midi data I tried to record myself playing with a microphone to capture my breath noise. Works well but didn't really change the impression in a dense mix. Probably useful in very intimate arrangements only. But I think the easiest thing is (as you already did) to add a self made foley layer on top.
 
Last edited:
The first developer that comes to my mind is Sound Dust. I have several their libraries, especially those of keyboard instruments, and each of them has an unique character that is full of tiny imperfections, yet the sound quality is second to none, as is their GUI and capabilities.

https://dulcitone1884.virb.com/

Also, I often use libraries from Exotic States. Again, fantastic sound shaping possibilities thanks to the flexible and innovative Photosynthesis Engine, but at the same time, somewhat dusty and organic feel of the sounds themselves. I especially recommend their "Sphere" and "Mystic" libraries - I use them very often myself.

https://www.exoticstates.com/

BTW, some may not agree, but this credo of "imperfection through perfection" is a staple for most of the Spitfire Audio libraries, which is only one of the many reasons I love them so much. I think that the fact they endorse libraries from Sound Dust as a part of their own portfolio additionally confirms this philosophy.
 
Well, though this is not much of a standard piano, Una Corda has all these things, from chair noises to sustain pedal noise. Also, it just has very nice characteristics.

on my list!

i had a look at sound dust's stuff and have to listen, read and watch into their stuff a bit more.. from what i've seen now on youtube i wasn't satisfied with its sound quality

thanks for the recommendations and keep em coming!
 
Pianoteq is great for this! The controllable noise, tuning (on the individual string level, unlike any sample library), hammer noise, release noise, resonance, there are so many ways to get a piano full of character. I'm constantly getting closer to my perfect piano!

As for others, VSL winds have really nice key clicks and you can feel the air passing through the pipes. As previously mentioned their Dimension Strings come with noises as well but they aren't baked into the performances.

Sonokinetic has a gorgeously flawed (but utterly flawless!) celesta and music box.
 
I'm not into this stuff but I'd say +1 for Una Corda which makes you play all the noises separately -> this means you can also layer the noises with any piano that you like.
 
Fracture Sounds

Absolutely! For now, I only have Granulate 2, but FS definitely fits the bill here. Although Granulate is not only a library but rather a sound design tool, the included sounds are unique yet easy to morph in every direction, even without using your own samples as the starting point.

Also, their Woodchester piano looks very interesting and inspiring as is their newest piano project, Midnight Grand. Personally, I could record a whole album only using one of these libraries - their main felt piano sound plus those wonderful background layers. (On the other hand, I already have Una Corda and plenty of libraries from Spitfire Audio and Sound Dust that have similar feel).

Atom Hub should probably also be mentioned here. I only have a couple of their libraries, but must say there is a characteristic and recognizable charm behind their products. Each of them tells its own story, both in the terms of GUI and the included sounds, although they can be a somewhat niche because of this very approach. But you simply can't deny their originality.
 
they even offer a free desk bell library.. nice, thx for recommending :)

One additional fact I've noticed about Fracture Sounds is that they sample the original sounds with an unusual level of detail which is reflected in the above average number of dynamic layers and round robins available. Even a simple library like their Water Glass follow this trend. That certainly contributes to they playability and instant inspiration.
 
One additional fact I've noticed about Fracture Sounds is that they sample the original sounds with an unusual level of detail which is reflected in the above average number of dynamic layers and round robins available. Even a simple library like their Water Glass follow this trend. That certainly contributes to they playability and instant inspiration.

Wow their products look fantastic. Thank you to all who mentioned them. 100% my style
 
One additional fact I've noticed about Fracture Sounds is that they sample the original sounds with an unusual level of detail which is reflected in the above average number of dynamic layers and round robins available. Even a simple library like their Water Glass follow this trend. That certainly contributes to they playability and instant inspiration.
Whether it’s sampled or modelled, I sure like being able to dial in the ambient sounds separately including instrument noises, fingering squeaks, breaths, etc. It’s not real but it makes it sound more real.
 
Yes, that is a super nice feature to have - being able to control those effects
Whether it’s sampled or modelled, I sure like being able to dial in the ambient sounds separately including instrument noises, fingering squeaks, breaths, etc. It’s not real but it makes it sound more real.
 
Top Bottom