Sonora Cinematic have announced the launch of Mezza Coda, a new Kontakt Player instrument which captures the sound of a baby grand piano, and also offers additional Cassette and Distbox signal layers which aim to add some warmth and character to the instrument’s sound.
The core sound of Mezza Code promises to deliver a rich and authentic tone that captures the beauty and nuances of a baby grand piano, and is said to be well-suited to a wide range of musical genres from jazz to pop and electronica.
The simple GUI provides users with access to three microphone signals which can either be mixed directly within the instrument, or routed to separate channels within the host DAW. Pairs of ribbon microphones and large-diaphragm condensers placed close to the instrument offer differing close-miked tones, whilst the third signal provides some ambience courtesy of a pair of room mics.
Cassette & Distbox
To offer some tonal variety, Mezza Code is equipped with a pair of additional signal layers that have been created by utilising an old Tascam Portastudio. The Cassette layer (which also featured in the company’s Verticale upright piano) has been produced by recording the captured samples to a cassette running at maximum speed, and then transferring them back to a DAW whilst slowing the tape down as much as possible.
Distbox was then created by using the Portastudio as a distortion effect, driving its preamps with an extremely hot signal and slowing down the tape. The resulting signal is said to be perfect for adding some unique character and lo-fi edge to the signal.
Effects
The instrument is also equipped with its own built-in effects, offering both delay and reverb send effects with multiple modes, as well as a Color parameter which operates in a similar way to a tilt EQ. The Cassette section features some dedicated effects of its own, offering a Crunch control that adds some additional saturation, a Lo-Fi dial that implements some bit and sample rate reduction, and a Deck Noise parameter.
Compatibility
Mezza Coda runs within Native Instruments’ free Kontakt Player v7.3 or higher, which is supported on PCs running Windows 10 or 11, and Macs running macOS 10.15 and above. VST3, AU and AAX plug-in versions are available. The instrument requires 15.5GB of disk space.
Pricing & Availability
Mezza Coda is available now, and is being offered for an introductory price of £39 until 30 June 2023, after which it will cost £49. For a limited time, the company are offering users the chance to buy both Verticale and Mezza Coda together for £69. Prices exclude VAT.
