Spitfire Audio has released LABS Intimate Grand Piano, a free piano sound library for LABS.
I can never get enough piano libraries, and I was particularly excited about this one because I know how much everyone loved the new LABS setup.
OK, maybe love is a little strong, but everyone liked it, that’s for sure!
I am reaching a little when I say everyone liked it, but I want to be as positive as possible. Let’s say this: everyone heard about the new LABS and certainly had some opinions to share; that’s the marketing tagline.
Intimate Grand Piano is new to LABS and is entirely free; you don’t need an LABS+ subscription to download it.
But it’s not an entirely new product; it comes from a previous Spitfire Audio Originals release of the same name.
As far as I know, the LABS version is almost identical, minus the Broad preset and independent microphone level controls.
I own a few Originals products, which are pretty good value for money, but I’m hearing Intimate Grand Piano for the first time now, and it sounds lovely. So, I’m glad Spitfire made it available as a free LABS instrument.
Intimate Grand Piano has seven presets: Ambient, Direct, Dynamic, Intimate, Reverberant Ribbons, Soft Drama, and Subdued.
The Subdued and Soft Drama presets are typical of Spitfire and perfectly capture the character of this library. It’s cinematic, but more specifically, it’s ideal for pensive and reflective moods rather than being big and bold.
That subdued character makes it ideal for melancholy pop/country, too.
We’ve recently had a few great free ambient pianos, including Dust Piano from Westwood Instruments. If you prefer a big and bold sound, you could try Epic Grand by Fracture Sounds.
The sound of Intimate Grand Piano comes from a vintage Steinway Model A grand piano, recorded at the excellent Castlesound Studios, not a million miles from me, in Tranent, Scotland.
The interface follows the standard LABS format, and if you click the centre of the large dial, you’ll see four parameters: Reverb, Hammers, Tightness, and Pedal.
The Hammer control adjusts the level of the key release noise.
The Tightness setting adjusts the responsiveness of the piano by cutting further into the samples.
Lastly, the Pedal control adjusts the level of the pedal noise. These parameters and the reverb control dictate much of the sound’s character and realism.
I like this piano a lot. It’s beautiful, and I hope people try it despite the LABS changes. But I can’t help feeling like that ship has sailed for many previous users.
The need for an internet connection while using LABS led to complaints from most people, and Spitfire Audio addressed them somewhat by introducing an offline mode.
However, you must use the plugin online at least once every 30 days (even if you just flick the switch quickly).
While I may be in the minority of people who don’t mind the new interface, I’m not sure offline mode is enough to bring everyone back.
The decision to introduce a paid subscription version undoubtedly changes the sentiment around LABS, a once favourite of so many.
Download: LABS Intimate Grand Piano (FREE)
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