Etude

The keys to inspiration

This world-class grand piano, a beautiful Yamaha C3X, was sampled in a recording space which was acoustically designed especially for playing and experiencing pianos. You can hear this in every nuance of Etude, its sound perfectly balanced with a delicate harmonic richness at the top end and deep, warm tones in the lower octaves. Its mixer, with four different microphone positions, makes it perfectly suited to scoring, but also for writing classical, jazz or more pop-oriented pieces.

Sampled resonances

Adjust the harmonic richness of the piano with individual control over the sustain and sympathetic resonances. You can freely mix these additional samples, which come from lifting the sustain pedal, or the individual strings triggered through resonance. This enriches the overall sound and makes the piano experience as realistic as possible.

Microphones

Player microphones These samples were recorded with a stereo pair of small cardioid condenser microphones, positioned above the hammers of the piano. These give the direct sound from the perspective of the piano player. Mid microphones The mid microphone channels were recorded using two large diaphragm condenser microphones, placed on the curved side of the rim, close to the position of the lid prop. Tail microphones Sampled with a stereo pair of small omnidirectional condenser microphones, placed at a medium distance from the tail end of the piano. Room microphones Sampled with a pair of small omnidirectional condenser microphones in an AB configuration, capturing the beautiful sound of the piano and the room.

Tuning system

Tuning system Adjust the tension of the strings to change the tuning character, from initial stretch to more varied and expressive temperaments. The Lehmann, Young 1, Young 2, EVBT and Stretch tuning systems are available.