GREAT BALLS OF FIRE
Legend has it Jerry Lee Lewis doused a piano with a mixture of Coca-Cola and gasoline, set it on fire, and played until it burned to the ground. Fast forward to the present where we find Sample Logic subjecting a piano to its worse nightmares, setting it on fire, sampling it, bringing us Cinematic Keys.
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Sample Logic brought together a wide variety of musical instruments for this creative library; everything from a beautiful acoustic concert grand piano to a toy xylophone is featured. The recording sessions ranged from traditional to the slightly more unconventional using indoor and outdoor spaces. The standout sessions were where they utilized blowtorches, sledgehammers, axes, and other tools of torture on their acoustic victims; my heart goes out to them.
BROWSING THROUGH
So with the material captured, it was time to put it all together so we could enjoy the fruits of their labor. Cinematic Keys presents its content through several main categories; Atmospheres, Instrumentals, and Percussives. The sub-categories assist you in further navigating the amazing sound content provided.
TRADITIONAL MEETS MODERN
As you browse through the presets of Cinematic Keys, you will see a wide variety of instruments. What Cinematic Keys allows you to do is combine traditional instruments with modern sampling techniques and effects; this results in sound combinations not possible in previous libraries. Being able to combine a harpsichord with a child’s toy piano becomes a fascinating journey into experimental sound design.
EDITS MADE EASY
Cinematic Keys uses a very intuitive, centralized, tiled interface, allowing you to modify in real-time the various sound content parameters. Arpeggiators, filters, distortion, delays, EQ, and many other effects are available, opening up new and exciting possibilities to you in Cinematic Keys.
WHERE DID THE DRUMKITS COME FROM
What do drums have to do with a piano library? The very nature of Cinematic Keys takes you to the outer realms of sound creation. The most unusual kits were the result of some brutal recording sessions, involving the sledgehammers and blowtorches. These unique percussive kits provide very organic possibilities.
THE STACKS ARE WHERE IT’S AT
After spending time with the individual presets in the library, the next step was to uncover the powerful MULTIS provided. The Multi patches combine individual presets that take the library to an entirely new level.
The Multis take advantage of the power of the Cinematic Keys engine, creating sounds that are animated and full of depth and motion.
RETHINKING WHAT A PIANO LIBRARY SHOULD BE
My initial concepts were challenged after spending some time with Cinematic Keys. I am grateful for the bold individuals, who are crazy enough to overcome traditional mindsets. So next time you see a bottle of Coca-cola and a box of matches, the only thing you need to fire up is your copy of Cinematic Keys.
by Simeon Amburgey
