Artist Series - Randy's Prepared Piano

Cinesamples' Randy's Prepared Piano delivers a curated collection of prepared and extended techniques captured across three instruments at Sony Pictures Studios' MGM Scoring Stage and Hollywood Scoring Studios. The library represents the studio practice of Los Angeles session pianist Randy Kerber, translating unconventional piano preparations into a flexible software instrument suitable for both composition and sound design.

The plugin's architecture prioritizes mix flexibility through five discrete microphone perspectives - Full, Close A, Close B, Close C, and Room - each capturing distinct tonal characteristics. Individual timing controls allow sample realignment across microphones up to 100ms, essential for phase-coherent mixing when combining multiple perspectives. The standard mixer features include phase inversion, stereo width manipulation via Haas or Mid/Side processing, and separate reverb sends with pre or post-fader options.

Technical refinement comes through thoughtful controls targeting piano mechanics. The Pedal Vol and Hammer Vol parameters isolate mechanical components, allowing precise balance between sustain and percussive character. The Dynamic Range slider effectively rebalances velocity response, while a 4-band parametric EQ with shelving highs and lows operates independently across mix perspectives. An ATTACK parameter softens transients for cinematic contexts, though its inverse relationship with output level requires compensatory gain adjustment.

The prepared piano articulations serve specific creative needs - from muted strings to prepared effects - making this collection most valuable for composers seeking authentic acoustic textures without overdubbing costs. For sound designers, the extended techniques and granular mixing controls provide worthwhile source material. The tool succeeds as a specialized instrument rather than a universal piano solution.