As UVI brings us the audio equivalent of the greatest natural show on earth, we send Roland Schmidt north-bound
One instrument that never seems to fall out of favour is the humble piano. So versatile, it sounds perfect in just about any setting, from the Beatles to BT. But with such an abundance of piano libraries on the market, any new contender better have some serious tricks to call upon.
The Aurora
In previous packages, UVI has extensively sampled just about every piano available, as demonstrated throughout its product range. From the Model D to Keysuite Acoustic, the variety is pretty completist. So what does its latest piano-based instrument bring to the plugin table that we haven’t already heard?
Aurora is described as a textured piano library, providing 4.45GB of compressed samples, assigned across three layers, which combine to create an instrument patch. This begins with a new piano sample which UVI describe as a world-class concert grand piano. It doesn’t disclose the model or branding of the instrument, but it does tell us that sample capture was undertaken at the Guillaume Tell sound stage in Paris. During testing, we stripped the sample back to its bare bones; it has a brightness to the sound, suggesting that it may well be a Yamaha C7 or similar. This is important, because the C7 is a highly regarded concert and studio grand piano, balancing a depth of tone, with a brightness of response, which sits exceptionally well in a commercial mix.
Layers of light
The piano section provides the first and primary layer, with a number of editable parameters that allow the shaping of the tone. This begins with three mix/mic signals which extend from close miking to a channel described as Cinematic. Additional controls effect tone and dynamic range, finishing with a four-stage envelope, which is perfect for reshaping the decay of the original piano sample.
The colour pot has an amazing effect on the piano sample, pulling apart the harmonic integrity of the sound
The second layer is titled Texture, and allows up to two samples to be combined to create a textural layer of interest. These samples range from some very percussive sounds, such as a toy piano, through to orchestral instruments and even machine sounds. Some of these more abstract samples are perfect for creating otherworldly interest. We became quite obsessed by adding record and tape noise to our patches, which can then be sweetened (tonally speaking) so that the rumble doesn’t become too overwhelming.
The final layer, Atmosphere, provides even more musical colouration. Analogue strings reside alongside orchestral counterparts, or pad-like supportive instrumentation. As with all of the layers, you can adjust the tone and envelope to suit your layer and/or patch.
The Main Macro
As the three layers combine to form a patch, they sum and draw together at the M
