Impact Soundworks has announced the release of a free prepared piano virtual instrument for Kontakt Player, created in collaboration with YouTuber Mattias Krantz.
For The 88E, Krantz tuned every note on the original instrument to an E. The virtual version sampled the sound of all keys played at the same time, and the recordings have been re-pitched so that users can play any pitch.
In addition to providing full keyboard playability, The 88E includes 30 dynamic layers and dozens of snapshots to change the sound from more delicate plucks and resonances to dramatic soundscapes. It also offers easy controls so that users can customize tone, velocity response, filtering, and more.
“When we saw Mattias’ video about this piano, we had to ask him to sample it for us. It’s such a huge, unique sound unlike any other kind of prepared piano,” said ISW lead developer Andrew Aversa. “And while it might seem like a strange concept, the tone really speaks for itself.”
The 88E is the second entry in the Engineer Series of collaborative sample libraries featuring Mattias Krantz’s experiments. The first entry, Hammer Klavier, was released in 2021.
The 88E is now available as a free download at the Impact Soundworks store.
