The story
This Player Piano came into my life when I was 3 years old (1957) and when it arrived in our home is was already old (as of this reading, over 100 years old!). Because it was a “Player” piano it meant that anyone could “play” it (whether sober or not!) so family parties always ended up singing around the piano playing our favourite piano “rolls”. One of my favourites was PIANO ROLL BLUES by Cy Coben which was the very last roll I played before she went to her new home.
I call her “Perfectly Imperfect” because she has lead a less-than-perfect existence. From the beer-rings to the cigarette burns to the lack of tuning she’s lived every second to the fullest. I sampled her with one layer only because she was never subtle. I will confess to fixing one note in the sample (C#1) that was so out of tune that the pain was unbearable. A simple, yet adequate H2ZOOM microphone was used in 10×20 U-Haul storage locker on a warm June day to record the samples – once by region and once, all 88 notes. Because each note has a character of its own, for the EXS24 instrument I used the full 88 note samples. I would suggest that my “Perfectly Imperfect Piano” is most suitable for ragtime ditties, saloon scenes and perhaps underscore for demented clowns. In any event, the end of the story is that although I had to give her up after 63 years, she’s going to a new home in a piano bar (how appropriate is that!) and is being fully restored! A new life for a very old girl! AND – I can visit her any time I like!
Reviews for Robs Perfectly Imperfect Piano
- Sound
- Character
- Playability
- Inspiration
- GUI
Leave a review to let others know what you thought of the instrument!
Imperfect in the best way possible
I have been on the lookout for an authentic sounding twangy antique piano, and looks like I've finally found it. This piano has a great sound for something like Westworld style background songs, but I think it has a bit more dark moody tone, which I am digging. I've already written some fun stuff with it just improvising, but I am planning a few projects that I will use it much more heavily.
That westworld saloon piano
It's the piano with a twang. Lovely, just lovely. If you want introduce a sound that got stuck in time and evokes strong emotions in your listeners, this one does it perfect. I was looking for that old-timey, saloon piano for a while and it was here all along ;)
Intentionally imperfect piano library!
It sounds like a toy piano. Sounds a little detuned, but a warm piano which reminds you of good old times...
The character speaks for itself
This is a very imperfect piano, but that's what it is about. It's the slightly off-tuned sound, combined with the prominent attack and the sharp sound signature that make this very unique. It's not your emotional felt piano, and it's not the precise ultra resonant one either. It's in a league on its own, and you can't really compare it to anything else. For what it is, it plays well, it is sampled well, and it is just here waiting for you to check it out and do something creative with it.
Dusty Upright Grand
This library has a lot of noise, but also a lot of character. What makes this library really usable is that while the instrument isn't in tune with itself and gives you that detuned flavor, overall, it's in tune, which makes it far more usable. My fingers actually felt a little dusty and dirty after playing this sample like I needed to go wash my hands. Maybe it's the picture, but the sound was that evocative for me that it elicited that reaction! I struggled a bit to find the right setting for the note release knob to make it sound natural, and I was left wishing for a few more high frequencies in the recording, but overall, this is a great piano!
