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The Doghouse NYC

EXS Piano Sample from The Doghouse NYC

May 17, 2006 | Articles

A Meticulously Sampled Instrument from a Classic Grand Piano
by Zack Packer

Eighty-eight keys times eighteen velocity layers times three dynamic layers times two interns, a piano tuner, temperamental DAWs, the change of seasons, and one broken keyshaft on our Mason and Hamlin piano equals a whole lot of convolution - all the more satisfying when our brand new software instrument sounds its inaugural tones.

In a way, deciding to mic the Mason with two 414s was the easy part: the mounting bar fashioned by Slider held strong and the microphones quickly delivered a pristine, broad stereo image. We decided against vacuum tube preamplifiers, going for a cleaner Focusrite instead, converted into digital directly with a Digidesign 192 I/O recording in high definition at 24 bit, 88.2 kHz . Piano lid up, coffee machine off, doors shut, and we were ready to plunk away.

First complication: how does one go about "performing" consistent levels of velocity, or volume? For the first time around we decided we'd play each key five times, starting from barely depressing the key and ending with a rigid finger-extension dive from above. (We recommend trimming fingernails first and switching back and forth between your strongest digits as they will quickly begin to ache.) Each note rings for at least twenty seconds; the entire keyboard is one long meditation. Unfortunately, we didn't predict what would prevent us from using this session: first of all, by the end of the fortissimo layer the piano had gone out of tune. Also, our second, third, and fourth velocity layers weren't consistent in either their attack or their amplitude. It was back to square one.

In the process of completing this project everybody received a lesson in piano temperament. Did you know that the twelve chromatic tones that make up an octave... —wait, I'm already confused again. But the crux of the problem is that if you use math to derive the twelve scale tones, your piano will only sound good in one key at a time. Okay, we hired an expert piano tuner, Mickey Finn, to temper our piano. And he came back repeatedly - you'd be surprised how much simply playing a piano changes it (let alone slamming a piano). As a result, we ended up using samples from different stages of the piano's tuning in our working model. Some notes stood out like unhammered nails - unacceptable! - but others blended in well enough to fly. In the working model, at least.

The next time around, in order to pay better attention to our individual velocity layers, we decided to record the instrument one velocity at a time. Another meditation went by and soon enough we had a rough model of our instrument working. (Well, not before a painstaking editing and labeling process...) By mining notes from the previous session and incorporating them into this new model in Apple Logic's EXS sampler, we came up with pianissimo, piano, mezzo-piano, mezzo-forte, forte, and fortissimo layers. A little finesse in the software instrument's velocity calibration brought us "real_close_02" to our goal, but there was something important missing. That is, something beyond the additional sustain and una-chorda layers we'd planned. There is a certain brightness, a sweet dynamic to this Mason when it is played lovingly. It's that little extra that appears when you just want to poke those keys, but you're really not slamming anything. In our recording we'd captured slam and no-slam, but not enough poke. It's hiding somewhere between mezzo-forte and forte. So it was back to square two.

Building a software instrument is a learning process. Some people devote very large portions of their careers (and bank accounts) building software instruments to perfection - we're talking top secret plunking mechanisms, orchestral halls rented out for the winter, and teams of musicians, tuners, and engineers! How does one compete in this fold? Hopefully, with character. Our humble instrument is sampled from a one-of-a-kind, custom refurbished Mason and Hamlin piano that's nearly a century old. It's resonating qualities are as lush and unique as a temperate rainforest at half past midnight...did I just say that? Artists as diverse as the late John Hicks, Poe, and Luscious Jackson have sought its tone. In any case, the sound of it speaks for itself.


Zack Packer is an assistant engineer at The Doghouse NYC. He bruised his fingers, broke a key, and nearly went mad during the sampling and creation of this instrument.

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