Native Instruments have announced the launch of a new addition to their ever-growing collection of sample libraries, capturing an Italian concert grand piano at Belgium’s Galaxy Studios. Built using the same engine that powers their acclaimed Noire library, Claire promises to provide composers, producers and musicians with a deeply immersive playing experience and an unparalleled sound.
The company say that the piano chosen for the library is well known for its tonal clarity, depth and power, with its extended strings resulting in a deep and cutting low end. It features a unique forth pedal that allows players to reduce the hammer-blow distance, maintaining its timbre while lowering the playing volume. A mixture of close and room mics were employed during the recordings, allowing users to blend seamlessly between immediate tones to expansive ambient sounds, as well as mixing in mechanical and pedal noises for authenticity.
Although Claire has been designed to offer a realistic piano-playing experience, it also features the company’s Particles engine. A popular feature from Noire, the engine generates additional layers of harmonics and introduces subtle rhythmic patterns that react to a player’s performance, allowing each note to be transformed into evolving soundscapes. As you’d imagine, the library also offers seamless integration with NI’s Kontrol S-Series keyboards, which provide hands-on control over all of the library’s parameters as well as the ability to browse and manage presets.
Compatibility
Claire runs in Native Instruments’ Kontakt or Kontakt Player versions 8.1.0 and above, which are supported on PCs running Windows 10 or above, and Macs running macOS 12 or higher. VST3, AU and AAX plug-ins are available, along with standalone applications.
Pricing & Availability
Claire is available now, priced at $149£129 including VAT / €149.
