Brian Funk has released an Ableton Live instrument based on recordings of his 1913 Kranich & Bach upright piano. Loaded with life and character, every note of this piano was sampled to reel to reel tape to create the 100-Year-Old Tape Piano.
Over the past century it has developed its own unique sound and personality. The strings have lived through two world wars, the invention of television and rock and roll, as well as the moon landing. The worn hammers and mechanics are those of a piano that has been played by many. It has soul.
Recently, my friend Eric, a piano technician, carefully worked on some of its issues while being careful to preserve its vintage sound. In the time I have owned it, it has never played or sounded better.
To celebrate its new life, I sampled every note 3 times to reel to reel tape on my Tascam 388 8-Track. Using the tape-kissed samples, I built an all new Ableton Live Instrument Rack complete with 16 Macro Controls and 10 Macro Preset Variations.
Available for Ableton Live 11.1 Lite or higher, the tape piano instrument is priced $15 USD. It’s also included with a subscription to Brian’s Music Production Club.
More information: Brian Funk
