The course
Ambient Piano
A beautiful piano sound is just the beginning. Learn to write, arrange and finish emotional piano music for trailers, adverts and television.
View the course →Family Grand
A free grand piano from Christian Henson (Pianobook), played in Decent Sampler.
Family Grand is a grand piano sampled by Christian Henson, one of the founders of Pianobook, as a Christmas release. The piano sits in a roomy, ambient space. It was recorded with a binaural head microphone and a pair of Neumann 149 microphones. The binaural signal aims to put you right beside the instrument. Its diffuse tone also takes added reverb well, so you can place it in other rooms. The sound is natural and open rather than close and polished. It suits family drama, festive scenes, documentary and reflective moments. The catch is that the binaural mic is made for headphones, so it may feel less focused on speakers. The make of piano is not named.
Worth knowing: You need a free Pianobook account to download it. Use the Decent Sampler version, and listen on headphones to hear the binaural mic as intended.
Get Family Grand from Christian Henson (Pianobook) →More free grand pianos
- Turning your piano into a pad
- Building your own ambience and drones
- Simple melodies that keep evolving
- Bittersweet music for drama and documentary