Publisher: Native Instruments
Website: native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/keys/alicias-keys/
Format: KONTAKT
Size: 7.06 GB
THE SOUND OF AN ICON.
• Developed in collaboration with Alicia Keys herself
• 17 GB of samples, 12 layers of velocity sensitivity for each key
• Authentic feel with a sustain pedal
FROM ALICIA’S STUDIO TO YOURS
Together with Danish sample specialist Thomas Scarbee (better known by his company Scarbee) and impulse response expert Ernest Cholakis, Alicia Keys created a virtual piano that meets her professional standards and embodies the soulful sound that has become her signature superstar. It was this piano sound that helped Ms. Keys win multiple Grammy Awards and reach the top of the charts.
ALICIA’S KEYS samples were taken from her own playing, recorded in her own studio under the guidance of her trusted engineer, Ann Minchieli.
ALICIA’S OWN KEYS
The instrument samples are taken from Alicia Keys’s own Yamaha™ C3 Neo grand piano. This unique and highly sought-after instrument was created in honor of Yamaha’s 100th anniversary in 2002 and represents the pinnacle of the Conservatory Collection. The C3 Neo’s exquisite and distinctive sound has been meticulously recreated by Thomas Skarbier, Kontakt script master Nils Liberg, and Grammy Award-winning engineer Ann Minchieli, making this exclusive instrument available to all. Using vintage microphones and preamps, as well as meticulously analyzing Alicia’s playing, the team was able to capture the warm, soulful, and inspiring sound of the C3 Neo down to the smallest nuances.
Alicia herself says:
“I’m confident we’ve created the best virtual piano you’ve ever heard, and I’m thrilled to present it to you! Anne, Thomas, and Nils are a brilliant team!”
KEEPING IT TRUE
Much effort was put into making ALICIA’S KEYS as authentic as possible. This unique instrument, designed with incredible precision and incorporating subtle details such as mechanical key release sounds, a specially developed resonance and release system, and even the optional finger strike sound, delivers an incredibly realistic sound. So much so, in fact, that Alicia Keys herself used it exclusively on her latest album, The Element of Freedom.
• The sound of Alicia Keys’ personal Yamaha C3 Neo piano:
– Nearly 3,000 individual samples.
– 12 discrete velocity layers with and without pedal.
– Data size equivalent to 17 GB of uncompressed WAV files.
• Sampled directly from Alicia Keys’s playing, recorded in her studio with her personal engineer.
• Developed in collaboration with the artist and tailored to her recording and performance requirements.
• Meticulous sampling technique, including finger noise on the keys (optional).
• Sampled sustain and release phases with authentic sustain pedal implementation.
• All-new sympathetic resonance system for harmonics in unmuted strings.
• Exceptionally clear quality with adjustable microphone noise for an old-school sound.
• Natural mechanical release noises for each of the 88 keys and pedal noises.
• Built-in convolution reverb for shaping the sound directly in the instrument.
• Simple user interface with built-in documentation for all settings.
