CINEMATIC STUDIO PIANO

User Manual

Introduction

Hello and welcome to Cinematic Studio Piano! After creating our new string library
Cinematic Studio Strings, we decided that a detailed piano library recorded in the
same space would be the perfect accompaniment. Therefore CSP was also recorded
in the beautiful Trackdown Scoring Stage in Sydney, and has been designed
specifically to fit directly into the mix alongside the rest of our Cinematic Studio range
of instruments. However the library can also be used in any mix that calls for a rich,
detailed scoring piano.

To maximise CSP’s versatility, we spent many hours recording every note (pedal-up) in
6 dynamics. We also recorded pedal-down samples, which add that unmistakable
resonance whenever you engage the sustain pedal.

GUI & Mixer

As with our other libraries, CSP boasts an easy-to-use, economical interface. There
are just two patches: the main patch is “CSP Piano.nki,” which is performed as you
would expect any piano library to be performed. The “CSP Piano FX.nki” patch is a
straightforward patch containing a variety of scrapes and plucked effects.

 The mixer features four selectable channels. By default we have set the mix to a
somewhat dry setting, creating a detailed yet smooth sound. This will allow you to
seamlessly blend CSP into most mixes without having to adjust the mixer at all. If you
want a more ambient, dreamy sound, try reducing the volume of the close
microphones and boosting both the Main and Room mikes to compensate. The spot
mikes were placed directly over the sound board during recording, and are useful
when you want a very direct dry sound, for e.g. in a pop type mix. They are switched
off by default, but can be enabled via the small On/Off icon below each fader:

Note: switching a microphone off removes it from RAM, freeing up memory.

Each channel can be routed to a specific output within Kontakt by clicking on the
small triangle icon beneath the text below each fader. For more information on how to
configure routing in Kontakt, please click here

Key and Pedal Noise Switches

We sampled the sounds that occur when lifting either your finger
from a key or your foot from the sustain pedal. These samples
trigger accordingly while using CSP, and contribute a nice subtle
touch of realism to the sound. However they can be switched off
very simply via the two switches on the GUI:

CSP Piano FX

In addition to the regular piano samples, we also included a number of fun effects, to
add colour and tension to your compositions. The mapping is straightforward, with the
lower pitched scrapes and sounds down at the lower end of the keyboard starting at
C1. The general pitch of the FX increases towards the highest mapped note: G4. One
small twist is that E4 and F#4 are both looped samples that feature a dynamic X-Fade
controlled via the mod wheel. They can be used as either ambient beds, or to serve as
a crescendo in a horror score. F4 and G4 are the release triggers for E4 and F#4
respectively - you can play these at the end of a crescendo.