Native Instruments’ Alicia’s Keys Virtual Piano Review
Striking the perfect balance between soul and R&B, a new music software is about to change the way you think about computer audio and music software.
Created together with award winning artist Alicia Key, Native Instruments’ new baby brings Alicia Keys’ very own sound much closer. The software accurately recreates Key’s very own Yamaha C3 Neo grand piano. The entire project is a product of a close craftsmanship between the renowned keyboard software developer Thomas Scarbee and Alicia Keys herself. . Finishing the project within two years, Native Instrument has finally captured the unique Alicia Keys sound.
Alicia’s Keys uses nothing but only the best vintage microphones as well as high-end outbound studio gear, which make this new sampled grand beyond your everyday piano. On top of that, it also has a number of strong features plus a great tone, all at a very decent price.
This virtual piano uses 17GB worth of high resolution samples plus 12 discrete velocity layers on every note. It uses sophisticated emulation of crucial sonic aspects such as key release, pedal sustain functionality as well as sympathetic resonance.
The software gives you utmost control over the sound so that you can adjust it according to your musical preference and playing style. And to make things even better, it also includes a studio-quality convolution reverb that allows a number of authentic room ambiences ranging from a small piano chamber to a large stage or concert hall.
The actual Alicia Keys piano is a Yamaha C3, a member of the Neo limited edition series. The C3 is a six-foot grand, which means that its low register is less full and deep than on a nine-foot concert grand. Yamaha pianos are unique from the rest because of its bright, in-your-face sound, and the same characteristic is preserved in Alicia’s Keys.
The moment you try it, you will notice right away the realistic features of Alicia’s Keys. Its velocity response makes it very playable even when you are no professional piano player with every range of the keyboard responding well as it should.
It also has a standard DSP reverb that allows you to run it smoothly on a slower computer. But even without the reverb, the pianos’ natural ambience is remarkable. Probably because of its meticulous tuning each of the unisons has exactly the right amount of microscopic tuning, making the tone of the choruses almost perfect, just like on a real piano.
If you are hoping for a pop ballad sound, Alicia’s Keys is the one it is richer and more up-front than the Yamaha C7 or the German Steinway. It is by far the most inviting to play and the most flexible to use compared to any other piano samples and virtual pianos.
With Alicia’s Keys, you can make music out of sheer inspiration. You can evoke pure emotions with every note. Why wait? Try Native Instrument’s Alicia’s Keys Virtual Piano today!
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Tags: alicia keys, instruments, music, music instruments, native instruments, piano