Propellerhead Software today announced Reason Pianos ReFill. Reason Pianos provides three highly realistic, infinitely shapeable pianos that exploit Reason 3.0’s Combinator device.

Reason Pianos were recorded using multiple microphones, leaving the mixing and shaping of the piano sound to the user. A large selection of Combinator presets ranging from basic microphone setups to wide multi-mic patches guarantee absolute sonic control and the flexibility to change the piano, mics and recording setup in the mix.

The Pianos

Reason Pianos features a Steinway D grand piano, a Yamaha C7 grand piano and a Steinway K upright piano, each selected for its distinctive pop music feel. The Steinway grand is considered to be the world’s finest grand piano, the Yamaha C7 is a classic rock and jazz piano with a distinctive sound, and the Steinway upright is a well balanced upright known for its deep tone. The hand-selected instruments were tuned and adjusted to perfection.

The Pianos in the Mix

The Piano with its wide tonal range and broad frequency spectrum is a notoriously tricky instrument to handle in a mix. Not any more. Each of the four stereo pairs and two separate mono microphones used to record the pianos show up as individual channels in Reason’s mixer, enabling the user to tailor the piano sound to suit the other elements in a song. For example, the mono ribbon mic signal alone might be perfect for a busy track, or the floor microphones can be brought up a notch to boost the bass. Additionally there are EQ, compression and other effects for the individual mics as well as front-panel controls for hammer noise, presence and release.

About Hypersampling

The three pianos reproduced in the Reason Pianos ReFill were recorded in large, hardwood floored recording rooms, the perfect environment for pop piano recordings. To capture every aspect of the pianos’ sounds – from resonance in the room to their unique timbres – each was recorded at multiple velocity levels from multiple angles using six different sets of microphones. A quality blend of vintage and modern day technology was used throughout the recording process, for a warm yet crystal clear sound.

Philosophy Behind the Library

The Reason Pianos ReFill does not seek to deliver a set of clinically perfect, scientifically reproduced concert pianos. Rather, these are pianos to play, highly responsive instruments that simply sound good – without filling up hard drives, chewing up RAM, or depleting CPU resources. The pianos are set up ready to go for production with 42 preset patches. In addition, 29 “style” patches are included for tweaky, layered, processed pianos that mimic many classic sounds.

What Artists Say

“Lovin’ it. Now I can save on renting piano rooms for $2000 a day!” says Printz Board – musical director and keyboard player for Black Eyed Peas.

“Reason Pianos has incredible feel and control,” says Richard Devine – remixer, sound designer, engineer, commercial composer and performer of his own ear-tearing music mayhem worldwide. “This excellent virtual piano works so well in various situations. Reason Pianos’ rich tonality and realistic key response has made this library one of my new favorites.”

“I think I’ve listened to every sampled piano on the planet, and these are about the best out there,” says Jeff Rona – composer, sound artist, and performer, whose scores include White Squall, The Legend of EarthSea, Slow Burn, The Quiet and Chicago Hope. “Reason is taking a huge leap further into professional record and soundtrack production with these amazingly expressive and terrifically recorded pianos.”

Pricing and Availability

The Reason Pianos ReFill will be available at Propellerheads’ Dealers on August 15, 2006 worldwide or directly from Propellerhead Software for a MSRP of US$129/EUR120.