Plucked Piano

Loot Audio's Plucked Piano captures the percussive resonance of a 1960s Danemann prepared with finger plucking rather than traditional striking. The 1.5GB instrument comprises 783 multisampled notes across 88 keys, recorded at three velocity levels and presented through three distinct microphone perspectives: a close Coles 4038 ribbon pair for intimacy, an AKG 414 for midrange clarity, and a Neumann KM184 room mic capturing the venue's natural acoustics. The source material was recorded in a converted cinema with exceptional spatial characteristics, with signal chain integrity maintained throughout via API and Neve 1073 preamps and Prism converters.

The result is a textured, plucked timbre distinct from harpsichord or clavichord libraries. This is genuinely novel - the sustain characteristics and harmonic complexity reflect the piano's full resonant body responding to finger excitation rather than mechanical hammer strikes. Velocity sensitivity across the three recording layers ensures responsive, nuanced playability without the artificial stepping that plagues undersampled instruments.

The interface prioritizes simplicity without sacrificing control, allowing real-time blending of microphone positions and straightforward parameter adjustment. This makes the plugin equally serviceable for ambient textural work and more compositionally integrated applications. Kontakt 5 or higher is required - the instrument does not function in Kontakt Player.

Suited for composers and producers seeking atypical tonal palettes, particularly those working in experimental, classical, or avant-garde contexts, Plucked Piano occupies a specific but valuable niche within prepared piano sample libraries. The recording quality justifies the storage footprint and full Kontakt dependency for most professional workflows.