Piano keyboards

Keys samples by piano patrons

Some players come on the music scene and completely transform the world of keys — and Native Instruments has partnered with legendary artists to make their unique sonic palettes accessible to creators everywhere.

Noire was inspired by the soft, alluring sound of Nils Frahm’s compositions. This keyboard VST was sampled from a Yamaha CFX grand piano and tonally adjusted by Nils Frahm himself. To achieve his trademark mystical style, the samples were recorded with a piece of felt placed between the hammers and the strings. Una Corda, the brainchild of Frahms and Klavins, continues to carry the legacy of their unique piano sound — with one string per key, this VST instrument layers music with a dreamy quiver.

Alicia’s Keys comes directly from the R&B and soul royalty Alicia Keys’ personal recording studio, sampled from her custom Yamaha C3 Neo. The keys samples were captured as pedal-down notes, giving any player the harmonic range created by the piano’s natural resonance.

The keyboard loop library in George Duke Soul Treasures offers 500 sliced keyboard phrases recorded through rare vintage gear by the soul keyboardist himself. The triumphant, versatile sound of this pack is great for hip-hop, reggae, or funk. With the option to flip any keys loop on the fly, you can build a track in no time. 

VST keys with class

Pianos with full-bodied character: high-definition, powerful, and always classy. The Definitive Piano Collection includes three glistening instrument packs: The Gentleman, The Maverick, and The Grandeur. The lush, balanced tone of The Gentleman was sampled from a graceful-sounding 1908 upright piano, reborn as a keyboard VST with 2,300 presets and extensive tweaking options for hassle-free creative manipulation that delivers every time – whether you’re looking for a dreamy jazz jam or a strong melodic solo. The Maverick was made to immortalize the unique sound of a 1905 grand piano originally made for the prince of Prussia. This instrument pack allows you to get as detailed as you want with its expressive, realistic tone by adjusting the pedals, strings, and hammers to hit just the right way – making it a great fit for productions across pop, rock, urban, or jazz genres. Lastly, The Grandeur is a concert-ready VST keys instrument that sings with bright, piercing highs and reverberates with resounding lows that will illuminate any soundtrack, classical composition, or pop track with its sharp, authentic presence.

For those who need to go even bigger, The Giant abounds with striking, awe-inspiring gravitas. Sourced from an impressive concert grand, the Klavins Piano Model 370i, the incredibly dynamic tonal range is ideal for cinematic scoring, pop, or anything that deserves a strong and memorable sound. 

 

A hybrid evolution

Piano Colors is the perfect blend of innovative technology, experimental playing, and reverence for the art of keys. The samples were made by brushing, strumming, or bowing a grand’s strings with a variety of objects, including rubber or screws. With the multitude of arpeggiator’s playing modes, real-time modulation, and the Particles Engine, the deep creative control within the interface empowers you to stretch all those unusually recorded sounds to their absolute limit.

Hybrid Keys were also designed to encourage creative play and blending of unconventional textures and sounds. Combine pianos, synthesizers, mallets, and an extensive roster of presets to take your creativity to new heights.

Retro keys

Retro instruments that still hit the spot, without needing to invest in expensive repairs of rare hardware. The Retro Machines MK2 software is the golden ticket to the electronic pop of the 70s and 80s. With its groovy, playful, and creamy sounds, the 16 meticulously recreated synths and keyboards will deliver colossal analog thickness, ready to be re-lived or incorporated into modern mixes.