Native Instruments Alicia's Keys is a new software instrument bundle that features samples from Alicia Keys' very own Yamaha Grand Piano. Native Instruments Alicia's Keys is the result of NI teaming up with Danish sample specialist Thomas Skarbye, better known by his company name Scarbee, and impulse response expert Ernest Cholakis to deliver this awesome collection of piano samples. Alicia's Keys delivers a virtual piano that meets her own professional standards and embodies the soulful sound that has become her trademark as a superstar. Alicias Keys software is the piano sound that has helped Miss Keys win multiple Grammys and reach the top of the charts. Native Instruments Alicia's Keys software was sampled from her own playing, recorded in the artist's own studio under the supervision of her trusted engineer, Ann Mincieli.
Instrument samples come from Alicia Keys' very own Yamaha C3 Neo grand piano. This unique and highly sought after instrument was built to celebrate Yamaha's 100th anniversary in 2002 and represents the very top of the Conservatory Collection line. The exquisite and unique sound of the C3 Neo were painstakingly captured by Thomas Skarbye, Kontakt script wizard Nils Liberg, and Grammy-award winning engineer Ann Mincieli making this exclusive instrument available to everyone. Using vintage microphones and preamps and through detailed analysis of Alicia's playing, the team succeeded in capturing the warm, soulful and inspiring sound of the C3 Neo all the way down to the finest nuances.
Great effort was put into making ALICIA'S KEYS as authentic as possible. Designed with incredible precision, and incorporating subtle details such as mechanical release noises, a specially developed sympathetic resonance and release system, and even the sound of fingers hitting keys (optional), this unique instrument delivers plenty of lively realism. So much in fact, that Alicia Keys herself used it exclusively on her latest album The Element of Freedom.
The sound of Alicia Keys' own personal Yamaha C3 Neo piano: Almost 3,000 individual samples on 12 discrete velocity layers with and without pedal equivalent to 17GB of uncompressed WAV files.