CGR
Pianist, Composer & Arranger
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.
key-instruments.com
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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