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Spectrasonics Keyscape 1.5 includes a Double Felt Grand piano, and existing users get this “#1 most requested sound” for free

Spectrasonics does not release major software updates for its products very often, but when it does, it tends to get them right. And that certainly looks to be the case with Keyscape 1.5, which adds the Double Felt Grand piano. This is said to be “the number one most requested sound” among the plugin’s users.

Spectrasonics let us know that, in honor of International Piano Day (the 88th day of the year), they’ve released Keyscape 1.5 – a free update that adds a brand new instrument, Double Felt Grand.

The Double Felt Grand is the first brand-new Keyscape instrument since the product was launched back in 2016 and comes as part of the v1.5 update. This is free for existing users.

Traditionally, the felt piano sound is achieved by draping a layer of felt vertically between the strings and hammers of an upright piano, creating the intimate, muted tone that we’re all familiar with. However, Spectrasonics wanted to create this sound using a seven-foot grand piano, in which the hammers and strings are situated horizontally.

In this case, the draping method wouldn’t work; the felt would simply lay on top of the hammers and prevent them from rising up and striking the strings.

The solution, discovered by renowned piano tech Jim Wilson, was to cut up, fit and glue two individually layered strips of felt to each hammer, which explains why this is a ‘double’ felt piano rather than a standard one.

The modified instrument was sampled at Spectrasonics’ LA studio. The company also developed new reverb algorithms that are exclusive to the Double Felt Grand, which promises the best aspects of a felt upright combined with the body and decay of a grand piano.

To demonstrate Double Felt Grand, Spectrasonics shared this performance video, featuring Sony classical pianist and composer Olivia Belli, performing her works As I Was and Spiderwebs of Clouds.  You can check it out at the top of the page.

What Spectrasonics shared about the new instrument:

“Creating the Double Felt
Normally, the highly coveted “felt piano” sound is achieved by draping a layer of felt vertically between the strings and the hammers of an upright piano. This softens the strikes and gives the upright piano an intimate, muted tone. Because of gravity, this technique is not feasible on a grand piano, since the hammers and strings are situated horizontally. The felt would simply lay on top of the hammers, preventing them from rising up to strike the strings. Attempts to attach the felt above the hammers, against the strings, yields less-than-satisfactory results and laying the felt on top of the strings mutes their sustain drastically.

Through careful experimentation, renowned piano technician Jim Wilson (creator of the unique Yamaha grand used in Keyscape for the LA Custom C7), discovered how to achieve this gorgeous muted sound on a world-class 7-foot grand piano. After a great deal of thought and experimentation, Jim ended up carefully cutting, fitting, and gluing two individually layered strips of a thick, natural felt to each hammer.

Sound/Software Development
Once the acoustic piano was prepared in this special way, the acclaimed Spectrasonics sound development team (led by producer Eric Persing) then painstakingly sampled the instrument at the company’s newly developed private recording studio — which features some of the largest naturally ambient recording spaces in Los Angeles.

To complete the experience, the Spectrasonics software team developed lush new DSP reverb algorithms that are exclusive to this new Keyscape sound. The final result is the unique Double Felt Grand: a warm, soft piano with the best aspects of a felt upright, but with the body and the decay of a grand.
The new Double Felt Grand is now available and included with Keyscape. Keyscape runs on PC and Mac in VST/AU/AAX formats and costs $399/€349. All existing users can get the new piano as a free update, using the “Get Updates” button on the splash screen of the Keyscape user interface. Find out more on the Spectrasonics website.

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Earlier this week, Waves Audio announced that it would be adopting a subscription-only model called Waves Creative Access. This means customers will no longer be able to purchase the brand’s plugins individually – in fact, the only way to access any Waves software will be to sign up to a tiered subscription service that ranges from $14.99 to $24.99 a month.

Responding to user criticism of their announcement that they would only be offering their plugins via a subscription model, the plugin developer has responded to widespread outrage by backtracking on its plans to discontinue perpetual licenses.

Waves Audio reverses its decision to adopt subscription-only model: “We are genuinely sorry for the distress it has caused”

It seems that Waves has taken heed of its customers’ complaints, as the company has announced that it’ll be reversing this decision and bringing back the original perpetual license plugin model as an alternate offering to sit alongside the new Waves Creative Access subscription service.

“Following your feedback, we are bringing back the option to purchase and update perpetual Waves plugin and bundle licenses, side-by-side with the new Waves Creative Access subscriptions,” their website reads. “We are working to make perpetual licenses available to you again as quickly as possible.”

Waves Audio has announced the return of the “perpetual license” option for their plugins:

Dear Waves community,

Over the past few days, many of you have expressed concerns about our decision to discontinue perpetual plugin licenses and our move to an exclusive plugin subscription model. I would like to start by apologizing for the frustration we have caused many of you, our loyal customers. We understand that our move was sudden and disruptive, and did not sufficiently take into consideration your needs, wishes, and preferences. We are genuinely sorry for the distress it has caused.

After respectfully listening to your concerns, I want to share with you that we are bringing back the perpetual plugin license model, side-by-side with the new subscriptions. You will again be able to get plugins as perpetual licenses, just as before.

In addition, those of you who already own perpetual licenses will once again be able to update your plugins and receive a second license via the Waves Update Plan—again, just as before. This option, too, will be available alongside and independently of the subscription program.

We are currently putting all our efforts into making perpetual licenses available to you again, as quickly as possible. In the meantime, you can keep up-to-date on this webpage, where we will post real-time updates as they are available.

I would like you to know that we are committed to you, our users. We listened to your feedback, and we will continue to listen to you. Waves is a company filled with users and creators, just like you, and we are all as passionate about the products as you are. With this in mind, we will strive to find the way to make things right by you, and hopefully regain your trust.

Thank you for your feedback and continued support—I wish you all the best,

Meir Shashoua

CTO and Co-Founder

In making their initial announcement, Waves did not effectively communicate their stated driver for the change: the “StudioVerse“.

The idea of the StudioVerse is that it allows users to use professionally-created plugin chains, tailored to specific tasks. An AI-powered system suggests plugin chains, designed for specific genre styles, based on your track.

Their introduction to StudioVerse:

The StudioVerse system holds the promise of massively streamlining the process of creating effect chains for professional quality results. But it’s dependent on users having actually having current versions of all Waves plugins, which creates the need for a subscription model option.

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Now that Waves is offering both options, what would they need to do for you to be interested in the StudioVerse and their subscription option? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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The creators of CHOMPI, a new sampling keyboard that’s designed to make musique concrète style audio manipulation fast and fun, have launched their Kickstarter project to fund production of the device – and it’s already blown past their project goal.

The goal for the project was to raise $30,000, and backers have already committed over $850,000.

CHOMPI is designed to make it easy to sample sounds and play them back, using a built-in keyboard. The interface provides big, dedicated controls for sampling, pitch, sample editing and effects.

CHOMPI also features a looper, so you can record phrases and play over them, and even overdub layers.

The developers is making CHOMPI available via a Kickstarter project, priced at $499 for backers (normally $599).

*Note: Crowdfunded projects can involve risk. See the project website for details.

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