Awesome Piano, Jaw-dropping Sound
At Sweetwater, you'll find an extensive selection of acoustic grand piano virtual instruments, but even among these, the Garritan Abbey Road CFX Concert Grand stands out. That's because this instrument combines three extremely cool elements in a way that offers authenticity, sonic clarity, and and flexibility. First off, Garritan chose a premium Yamaha CFX Concert Grand piano, which is one of the most astounding instrument of its type ever produced. Next, they recorded it extensively in Abbey Road Studios' Studio One, one of the best-sounding recording rooms on the planet. Finally, they put it all together in their ARIA Player, offering you a ton of playing expression for live performance and musical composition.
Related Videos: Abbey Road CFX Concert Grand Virtual Instrument
The amazing sound of Yamaha's CFX Concert Grand piano
In a world full of amazing pianos, why did Garritan sample the Yamaha CFX Concert Grand? Because the CFX Concert Grand is easily one of the most popular and best-loved full-sized grand pianos ever made. If you've listened to any music featuring piano recorded after 1991, then chances are, you've heard this instrument more often than you could ever realize. None the less, for as popular as it is, each CFX is hand built by some of the most experienced piano builders in the world. The result is a grand piano capable of expressing the lightest pianissimo touch, yet powerful enough to thunder out over full symphony orchestras. If you're creating music in the box, then this is the piano sound you want.
Painstakingly recorded in Abbey Road Studios Studio One
Few rooms in the world compare to Studio One at Abbey Road Studios, which is why Garritan chose it as the recording space for their CFX Concert Grand virtual instrument's samples. Over its 80+ years of service, Abbey Road Studios have played host such artists as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Elton John, and a great many others. Studio One is particularly loved for its warmth and natural ambience, offering a clear reverb time of 2.3 seconds. If you're a composer, then you'll really appreciate Studio One. John Williams used this same room to record the music for Star Wars, and Howard Shore chose it when recording the score to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. When you hear the Abbey Road CFX Concert Grand bloom to life the first time you lay into a chord, you'll know how remarkable this intensely musical atmosphere is.
Multiple Microphone Perspectives provide dimensional sound
One of the things songwriters here at Sweetwater really love about Garritan virtual instrument is the sheer flexibility of their ARIA Player sample engine. This engine allows for creative options such as the Abbey Road CFX Concert Grand's Microphone Perspectives, which allow you to situate the listener in different positions relative to the piano. There are three perspectives to choose from. The Classic option is a traditional multi-microphone setup that blends room ambience with close miking across the soundboard and into the body of the piano. The Contemporary perspective shifts the emphasis to the hammers, adding percussive attack and brightness to the overall warmth of the sound. Finally, there's the Player setting, which puts your audience on the piano bench, providing them with a truly intimate listening experience.
Garritan Abbey Road CFX Concert Grand Virtual Instrument Piano Features:
- The realistic sound of a Yamaha CFX Concert Grand piano recorded in one of the best sounding rooms on Earth
- Hand-built Yamaha CFX Concert Grand piano is one of the finest pianos money can buy
- All samples recorded using top-of-the-line equipment by the expert staff at Abbey Road Studios
- Recordings capture the warmth and natural reverb of Abbey Road Studios' Studio One
- Three different Microphone Perspectives (Classic, Contemporary, and Player) let you place the listener in the room
- Aria Player supports AAX, VST, and AU plug-in hosts on Mac and Windows PCs
