Arno of Acousticsamples has been working hard these last few months, releasing a bunch of new sample libraries including a slap bass, a jazz drum kit and most recently a Peruvian bass cajón. Not bad for a guy who does the recording, sampling, coding and website all by himself.
Earlier this year Arno released a sampled instrument featuring the sound of a classic 1972 electric piano. The 73 keys of this EP were recorded with the direct output plugged into a tube preamp.
E-Pian features
- 2.58 GB sample bank (no loops), 24bits 44.1Khz samples.
- 13 velocity layers/note for the sustain, up to 26 for the release.
- 2 types of release samples, pedal up/pedal down.
- Additional pedal noise (up and down) that actually plays the pedal sound when you use it (also in SFZ version).
- Advanced scripting, especially for the releases when the sustain pedal is down.
- Easy to play, just like a real piano, no more and no less.
E-Pian comes in Kontakt (2 & 3), EXS24, Mach5 and sfz versions, both in 16bit and 24bit audio quality. I used E-Pian in Kontakt 3, which features an easy to use interface.
The Kontakt instrument includes the following controls:
- Pedal, sets the volume of the pedal noise triggered for pedal down/up.
- Release volume, sets the volume of the note release (i.e. the sustained notes when the sustain pedal is up).
- Bass, sets the bass boost volume like on a real electric piano.
You might also notice this little button for switching between two modes, original and cleaned. Here’s what Arno has to say about that:
The original piano had some imperfections, i wanted to keep them, so you have the choice between the original piano and the repaired one.
The E-Pian sample library is available for purchase as a download for 49 EUR, and you can have it optionally shipped (worldwide) on DVD for an additional 3.50 EUR.
So what do I think?
E-Pian is a wonderfully crafted instrument. Since electric pianos tend to be one-of-a-kind type instruments, it is really nice to have the sampled instrument available in its original, imperfect state. E-Pian has lots of character and it has a lovely warm sound quality to it.
Arno took great care in sampling and editing the electric piano, recording full sustain notes and using advanced scripting to improve the playability of the instrument.
At just €49 I think E-Pian is a great instrument for anyone looking for a realistic virtual electric piano.
The audio demos at Acousticsamples do a much better job showcasing the lovely sound of E-Pian than I ever could, so make sure to check them out.
Visit Acousticsamples for more information.
Hey there, I'm Ronnie and I run Rekkerd.org. I'm a bedroom music producer and guitar player, and I love chicken vindaloo & all things glitch.
