MAKING OF

MAKING OF
MAKING OF
This UVI Soundcard contains seven legendary instruments: Three “eras” of a classic tine-based
electric piano, a famous electro-acoustic piano, a soulful reed piano, one funky clav and his “little
brother”. We searched the world to find the best-sounding instruments to be able to capture the
essence and soul of these unforgettable keyboards.
Each keyboard was carefully multisampled using up to 12 velocity levels, delivering a range of
expression that feels like the real thing under your fingers. Audiophile recording gear was used to
capture the sounds in stunning detail, using top quality mics, mic-pres, convertors and more.
Classic Electric Pianos
1972
1979
1984
The electric piano was invented in the 1940s , and its principles are derived from
both the celesta and the electric guitar. The action is similar to that of a conventional
piano, but whereas in a conventional piano each key causes felt-covered hammers
to strike sets of strings, in this piano felt-tipped hammers ( after 1970 neoprene
rubber tips on plastic hammers ) strike metal dowels called "tines" to create a ping
sound which also resonate the tone bars over each tine ( the assymetrical tuning fork
principle ), creating a mellow ring. Different models of the pianos were manufactured
between 1970 and 1984, 73 and 88 note versions, the stage model, and the suitcase
model which included built in amplifier and speakers.
Electric pianos were particularly popular from the early 70's-mid 80's, and many of its
signature songs date from this period: The Doors' "Riders on the Storm", "Just the
Way You Are" by Billy Joel, "Still Crazy After All These Years" by Paul Simon,
"Babe" by Styx, "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" by Stevie Wonder, "Peg" by
Steely Dan, the intro to "Sheep" by Pink Floyd, “Get Back”, by the Beatles (with Billy
Preston), plus jazz fusion/crossover classics like “Spain” Chick Corea (Return to
Forever), “Watermelon Man” by Herbie Hancock (Headhunters), “A Remark You
Made” by Weather Report and “Angela (theme from “Taxi”)” by Bob James. They
have never gone out of style, however, and are an integral sound in current neosoul, smooth jazz, and other genres.
MAKING OF
Super W
(Reed Piano)
This electric piano is usually a 64-note instrument whose keyboard range is from A
an octave above the lowest note of a standard 88-note piano to the C an octave
below the top note of an 88-note piano. Tone production in all models comprises a
single steel reed for each key, activated by a miniature version of a conventional
grand piano action and forming part of an electrostatic pickup system using a DC
voltage of 170v. A mechanical sustain pedal similar to that of a conventional piano is
fitted. Compared with the classic electric piano, this one has a brighter, more hollow
sound. When played gently the sound can be quite sweet and vibraphone-like,
becoming more aggressive with harder playing, producing a characteristic slightly
overdriven tone usually described as a "bark".
Some classic Reed Piano songs : “Dreamer” by Supertramp,”What’d I Say”, by Ray
Charles, “No Quarter” by Led Zeppelin, “Mama Told Me Not to Come”, by Three Dog
Night, “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” by Cannonball Adderley, “Stay With Me”, The Faces…
MAKING OF
Electric Grand
(Electro-Acoustic Piano)
This electric-acoustic piano is a particular type of piano manufactured and marketed
by a famous japanese manufacturer during the 1970s and 1980s, although
experimental instruments of similar type were made as early as the late 1920s.
Unlike a digital piano, this one has hammers and strings. What makes an electric
grand unique is its means of amplification, which is done via pickups under the
strings (like an electric guitar). This method of amplification yields a smaller, lighter
piano, and therefore easier to transport (these pianos are still substantially heavy).
The amplification-via-pickups method also bypasses the difficulty of having to mic a
conventional grand piano, and thus makes an electric grand easier to set up with a
sound system.
Some famous artists who used it: Phil Collins, Tony Banks/Genesis, Jeff Lorber
Fusion, Hall and Oates, Journey, Howard Jones…
MAKING OF
Funky Clav
This instrument is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an
electric guitar but is better understood as an electric harpsichord. Its distinctive bright
staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk and rock songs. The recorded
models consists of 60 keys and 60 associated strings, giving it five-octave range
from F0 to E5. Each key uses a small rubber tip to do a "hammer on" (forcefully fret
the string) to a guitar-type string when it is pressed, as with a conventional
clavichord. The end of each string farthest from the pickups passes through a weave
of yarn. When the key is released, the yarn makes the string immediately stop
vibrating.
The archetypal clavinet sound can be heard on Stevie Wonder's track "Superstition",
Led Zeppelin's "Trampled Under Foot", Sun Ra's "Atlantis", The Commodores'
"Machine Gun", Billy Preston's "Outa-Space", Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Tank"
from Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Herbie Hancock's "Head Hunters" and Steely
Dan's "Kid Charlemagne". The track "Up on Cripple Creek" by The Band, is the first
recorded example of patching a Clavinet through a guitar wah-wah pedal. A Clavinet
was also used in Tori Amos' track "Not David Bowie", which appeared on her
anthology "A Piano: The Collection" and in Soundgarden's "Fresh Tendrils" from
Superunknown.
MAKING OF
Planet H
Those were a series of electric pianos built in Trossingen, West Germany from the
1950s to the 1970s.
Sound is generated by an array of metal reeds which are plucked by foam pads,
which have been impregnated with adhesive (actually a proprietary viscous silicone
oil). The pads are connected to metal rods connected to the keys. On pressing a
key, the pad is released, creating a tension which makes the reed vibrate.
Electrostatic pickups mounted directly below the reeds transmit the sound to an
amplifier.
During its period of manufacture, this electric piano was offered in a number of
designs. It soon found popularity with popular music groups of the 1960s, leading to
produce the Combo model, designed for the performing musician in mind. This had
no legs, being designed to sit atop an organ or acoustic piano.
The early models of this Electric Piano were used on a number of hit recordings from
the 1960s and 1970s, including « She's Not There » by The Zombies, « Louie,
Louie » by The Kingsmen, « I Am The Walrus » by The Beatles, and « Joy to the
World » by Three Dog Night. This instrument is enjoying a renaissance due to the
popularity of retro sounds and the availability of new pads for the earlier models,
most of which had been reduced to unplayability due to pad decay.
All texts arranged from Wikipedia.org
MAKING OF
Credits
Produced by UltimateSoundBank
SOUND LIBRARY
Recording by Benoit Henriot
Programming by Sebastien Jeannot
Sound Design by Geoffroy Soulaine & Emmanuel Usai
SOFTWARE PROGRAMMING
Sebastien Métrot, Olivier Tristan
Installers by Benoit Henriot
INTERFACE DESIGN
Christophe Lécrivain
DOCUMENTATION
Benoit Henriot & Guy Cédile
Special Thanks to Michael Garçon
and Pierre-Luc Vallet (Studio du Flon - Switzerland)
for the great quality of their instruments.