The Crow Hill Company has launched HARMONIC PIANO as the latest entry in its VAULTS series of virtual instruments. The new instrument captures harmonic tones from two grand pianos and is available as part of the company’s ongoing VAULTS collection.
…HARMONIC PIANO was recorded at Castlesound Studios near Edinburgh. For this production, the developer removed the lids from two grand pianos and sampled harmonic overtones created by lightly touching each string at approximately a quarter of its length while striking the corresponding key. This technique produces bell-like harmonics that are difficult to achieve consistently in live performance.
By sampling these tones in detail, The Crow Hill Company aimed to preserve a fleeting studio moment and make it accessible as a playable virtual instrument. The two pianos were recorded and presented in an ultra-wide stereo configuration, positioned antiphonally to the left and right channels. The result is a stereo instrument built around naturally occurring harmonic overtones rather than conventional struck piano tones.
According to company co-founder and composer Christian Henson, the idea emerged during a session involving two grand pianos with their lids removed. The harmonic sampling process required firm key strikes while managing sympathetic resonance from other strings, particularly when the sustain pedal was engaged. This interaction between the activated harmonic and the surrounding resonances contributes to the instrument’s distinctive spatial character.
In addition to the core sampled material, …HARMONIC PIANO includes several onboard controls designed to shape the sound:
- Synth, which introduces a supporting layer at concert pitch to complement the harmonic material.
- Delay, providing time-based processing.
- Pitch Shift, which offsets the two pianos slightly against each other for additional tonal variation.
- Reverb, allowing users to further adjust the sense of space.
The instrument is built around the harmonic register of the piano, with reduced emphasis on low-frequency content. The added synth layer is intended to provide additional body and immediacy while maintaining the focus on the sampled overtones.
…HARMONIC PIANO forms part of the company’s VAULTS series. The VAULTS line is described as a collection of experimental or exploratory instruments, often based on specific recording sessions, research ideas, or distinctive source material. These releases are made available for a limited initial period before moving to the company’s main catalogue.
The new release continues this approach by focusing on a specialised piano technique and presenting it as a dedicated virtual instrument for composers, producers, and sound designers interested in harmonic textures and stereo spatial detail.
…HARMONIC PIANO is available as a free download for six months as part of the VAULTS series, after which it will be offered for sale through The Crow Hill Company website.
Find out more about The Crow Hill Company and set deal alerts.
What do you think?
We’d love to hear your thoughts about this news. Please leave a message in the comments section below.
