How To Sample A Piano (in 2 minutes 10 seconds) - PB001

I can't seem to download anything, always asks for passwords and the ones listed don't work.
On a side note, really looking forward to this project, seeing what comes out of it, and perhaps starting my first sampling project for it.

Why not record all notes independently?

Really impressive work.

HI, what a great project!
I have a 1901 C. Bechstein Model V I'd love to sample. I am familiar with recording and instruments, I have the gear, but am a complete novice to the how to turn the sounds into a digital format that could be used on a synth. Do you have a sampling for utter beginners guide? I'd be happy to share my piano sample if I can make it happen.
Cheers!

I've always wanted a piano sample that also samples the sound of the damper. I know a lot of people hate this sound but to me it makes the piano sound more authentic. Is it possible to sample the sound of the damper and have it play every time you take your foot off the pedal?

Edit: I know nothing about piano sampling. This is actually the first time I've ever looked into it because I much prefer the sound of a real piano. But a real piano is very expensive not only to buy but also to maintain.

You are a genius, thanks for sharing with us.

None of these fools can read music. Incredible! And they can't play keyboard very well either. LOL.

Hi Christian,
Will you be doing the same thing for guitars ?

Beautiful, you Sir are creating magic that we all can share especially when times are hard. Thank you.

im very surprised that you cut and name all the samples one-by-one. in cubase you can make a template where you can automate the cutting and the naming process at once - and it doesnt matter if you export 12 samples or 12000.

Love it. I have made a few sampled pianos in Ableton Live (using Sampler). I appleid some of the same techniques you showed in some videos, though they don't translate exactly on the tech side to Ableton.

I like this idea :-) I have a Yamaha baby grand that has a very bright sound, especially on long-stick, that is overdue for a tuning. I am going to sample it prior to being tuned and then after it has been tuned. it will also be interesting to blend the two. hmmmm...

Hi Christian. Awesome as usual! Two requests please: 1, I think you should make a whole video about Oscar! he is a very cute doggie and I love when he gets in the way of your filming :-) 2, can you please share your tempo map for sampling in this vid? it would be very helpful. apologies if it is somewhere else, I have not found it. thanx.

Can anybody tell me those amazing chords in the intro and thrroughout??
Amazing video as always Christian!

Similarly, why is it hard to save blown out highlights in a photo, but one can easily save collapsed shadows?

It's decided...God has a deep voice and the Devil is a deathly Toddler, like Annabelle, or Chucky...

no dislikes with that much likes and views is amazing

Bass of that intro just fried my little iPhone speaker! Haha

Thanks for giving us such cool stuff to look forward to!

Wow, it's that simple?! Problem is I'm now weighing up whether to spend my next windfall on Spitfire libraries, or posh microphones and a decent preamp/DAC

Thanks for the samples! I'm going to create a key group in my MPC. Just one question, is the file of samples missing a B3 (between E3 and F#4)?

Can we get that Logic click template you used to create the samples? That would definitely be helpful for me.

Christian! This looks like a marvellous project that we would love to be a part of. We have three pianos in studio, a well-stocked mic locker, and are already investigating other instruments in the region that we may be able to sample. Cheers from Charles H. Root, III of Electric Owl Works in South Wales, NY USA.

You can't just pitch up or down samples because the relation of the harmonics won't be the same anymore creating dissonance.

great project. great video. very exciting.

Thank you very much! Great idea I will gladly contribute to this project.
I can not explain why sampling down is better but I think that is something analogue to the photography. When you have a picture is always better to zoom out and not to zoom in.
When you have high pitches you have more clarity, and maybe that's the reason why is more natural to loose some clarity than to add some artificial.

Anyway thanks again, and Merry Xmas to you and your family!

Don't you record all 88 keys to sample the piano? or would that be in the high end categorie of samples like HZ piano?

Christian, I'd love to help out with the possibility of running a piano book insta and soundcloud! If you might be interested in sending that out! Love the new logo (:

-Alden

Excellent! One question sir (if you happen to be reading these): you sorta’ “glossed over” the NAMING part of this and, while I have MUCH to learn, I’m curious about how you (and Spitfire) organize the names, files, server folder structure, whatever information in that regard that you can give us without giving away any Spitfire IP or whatever. I’m super interested in this but I feel like this is something that could get out of hand if I don’t follow some sort of structure on the “data storage” side. Perhaps there are some guidelines on the webpage... headed there now.

And THANK YOU for all you do for this community. Now go spend some holiday time with your family. Happy Holidays (or whatever seasonal, non-offensive, way you can interpret that).

I’m so keen to be on board, but I’m let down by my access to good microphones. How can I (minimal expense) get around this? My skills are pretty hot if I can for a moment blow my own 🎺 But I am not financially too great currently

Have a Schimmel piano (not as nice as yours) and have a Eurorack modular. For Pianobook, are we just supposed to sample pianos for you to mangle, or could we also have a go at piano-cum-modular?

excellent. i'm in.

Well done Christian, this is going to be a very valuable resource and a great way for those of us new to sampling to get out there and make an instrument.

This is really helpful! Thank you so much Christian, I'm planning on sampling my parents old upright piano as it's the piano I first learned on and has great sentimental value :D

I’m excited about this. A year or so ago I watched a video of Christian sampling a piano and ever since I’ve wanted to do this myself with the baby grand in my living room. This might be just enough of an excuse to actually do it 😁.

Jeez Christian... you make me want to switch from Live to Logic...

I really think pitching up samples messes up everything because it sounds so unnatural but when you pitch down samples this "unnatural" sound gives a very unique feeling to your samples in the low end. Thanks for this great tutorial and merry christmas to all of you!

How would you deal with velocity, is it complicated to add say 2 (quiet / loud) velocity layers ? Your example sounds lovely without velocity, it surprised me. I would love to join and sample my Yamaha piano, will have to find some nice mics to do the recording, never sampled anything like an instrument before !

wow this is a great idea, I just sampled my family's old upright piano a while back using a zoom mic, can I send it on?

Higher pitches oscillate faster, and therefore have more information. When you pitch up, a sampler will effectively synthesise the sound? Maybe that's why it sounds worse

Just slap a waves NS1 on for super quick noise reduction, works a treat

Hi Christian! There's actually a much easier way in Logic to create an EXS24 instrument.

Just right-click the clip you've recorded and go to 'Strip Silence' (which I think has a new name now...) to make sure all notes are in individual regions, with all of them starting exactly on the transient.

Then select all regions, right-click and go to 'convert to sampler instrument'

Small menu allows you to instantly create an EXS24 instrument that way.

Small question apart from this.. What made you choose the 1073? Seems that they might be a bit too particular in sound for cinematic music, I always thought. Why not go for something relatively flat?

Wow, I thought to be able to sample any piano with "decent" quality you had to play every single note at least in three dynamic levels (soft , medium, loud) so that it sounds convicing. But apparently I was wrong, your way is much more time efficient and I was suprised with the result! :O
I tried to sample my guitar and I gave up in trying to make it realistic, The possibilities of playing the same pitch with different dynamics and articulations are so many that makes you go crazy :P .