Hey guys,
I've been trying for weeks to get that perfect Cubeatz-style piano sound.
The plugins I have available are:
Keyscape, RC-20, J37, various vinyl samples, Capitol Chambers
Unfortunately, RC-20 tends to make the piano sound thinner and more lo-fi, which isn't really the Cubeatz sound I'm after.
So far I've tried the following:
Keyscape LA C7 (dry)
→ Render
→ Pitch down -2 to -4 semitones
→ EQ (HP at 30–40 Hz / LP at 11–12 kHz)
→ Capitol Chambers
Pre-delay: 40–60 ms
Decay: 2.5–3.5 s
→ Render
→ Optional J37 (very subtle, mainly for glue)
→ Optional vinyl noise at a low level
But honestly, I'm still not convinced. Same goes for the countless YouTube tutorials on the topic.
How do you approach this kind of sound?
Do plugins like Wavesfactory Cassette, Reels LoFi Tape Plugin or similar tape emulations have an advantage over RC-20 because they don't thin out the sound as much?
And what plugins would you recommend for achieving that warm, vintage Cubeatz piano vibe?
Thank You
Cubeatz Type Piano / The Perfect Vintage Piano
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- KVRist
- 161 posts since 22 Feb, 2013
Id be willing to bet Cubeatz has access to an actual piano and recording hardware. However, have you tried any sort of frequency specific saturation or tape emulations pre/post reverb?
Id imagine something like:
Start with decent piano VST >>>
room reverb, roughly studio size and don't use a send, but rather just slap it on and drop the percentage with something like Valhalla) >>>
the J37 that you listed, or even some sort of decent pre-amp plugin (Fuse Audio Labs has great shit that is paid, Analog Obsession is really good for free stuff) where you're adding weight and body without much else "character" stuff going on. e.g. no glaringly obvious added harmonics or distortion >>>
THEN bounce and do all that other jazz
I think beefing it up with the extra subtle pre-amp, which if done with any decent analog modeled plugin will also incorporate some slight HF rolloff, will make it feel warmer and more alive
Id imagine something like:
Start with decent piano VST >>>
room reverb, roughly studio size and don't use a send, but rather just slap it on and drop the percentage with something like Valhalla) >>>
the J37 that you listed, or even some sort of decent pre-amp plugin (Fuse Audio Labs has great shit that is paid, Analog Obsession is really good for free stuff) where you're adding weight and body without much else "character" stuff going on. e.g. no glaringly obvious added harmonics or distortion >>>
THEN bounce and do all that other jazz
I think beefing it up with the extra subtle pre-amp, which if done with any decent analog modeled plugin will also incorporate some slight HF rolloff, will make it feel warmer and more alive