Grammy Winner's Piano Sounds For Kronos

KORG Inc. has announced Glasper's Grand & EP (EXs43), a signature sound collection created in close collaboration with Grammy Award-winning pianist, producer and bandleader Robert Glasper for the KRONOS music workstation. A spokesperson told us, "Created so Robert could bring the sound and feel of his favorite instruments wherever he performs, the collection captures the touch, tone and musical character behind one of the most recognizable sounds in modern jazz, hip-hop and R&B and places it directly under the fingertips of KRONOS players everywhere, free through the KORG Sound Library."

Here's more details direct from Korg...

You cannot load a nine-foot grand into the back of a tour bus. That practical truth set this project in motion. Glasper wanted the emotion of an acoustic instrument he could carry into a festival, a hip-hop club, a rock room or an R&B lounge without surrendering an ounce of feel and KRONOS became the vehicle for it. Working alongside the KORG engineering and sound-design team, Glasper handpicked a piano that sounded and felt like him, then spent days in the studio translating every nuance of his playing into KRONOS.

Inside Glasper's Grand & EP (EXs43)
Recorded note by note to preserve Glasper's dynamics and phrasing, EXs43 delivers a studio-grade portrait of his grand piano and electric piano for the SGX-2 and EP-1 sound engines.
    •    Approximately 2 GB of grand piano samples, captured across soft, medium and loud dynamics for every key
    •    Two SGX-2 piano types: Glasper German D and Glasper German D (Equal Temperament)
    •    16 Programs, including 7 grand piano and 9 electric piano Programs
    •    Available as a free download through the KORG Sound Library

To capture the full character of the room, the sessions used a wide array of microphone perspectives, from an intimate close-miked tone to a wide, luxuriant studio sound. On the electric piano side, EXs43 incorporates the drive, delay and reverb effects Glasper relies on in performance, allowing players to move from clean, expressive tones to more saturated textures.

KRONOS System Updater v3.2.3
Released alongside EXs43, KRONOS System Updater v3.2.3 is a free update for all KRONOS owners (1 / X / 2 / 3) that adds the new Tine EP VIII model to the EP-1 engine, expanding the workstation's already deep electric-piano palette for every generation of the instrument.

A Sound Built in a Room With History
The grand piano sessions took place in Studio A at Chaplin Recording Studios (formerly Henson Studios), a room whose walls have witnessed everything from "We Are the World" to Glasper's own album FYF -- the latter home to an impromptu session with Herbie Hancock that made the record, performed on two KRONOS workstations. Recording his signature sound in the same space closed a circle for Glasper, and it gave EXs43 the unmistakable air of a great studio baked into every sample.

The collaboration comes full circle at the announcement, captured on camera at the Blue Note Jazz Club, where Glasper unveils the Glasper Grand and Glasper Electric Piano living inside KRONOS, making these sounds available to musicians around the world.

Availability:

Glasper's Grand & EP (EXs43) and KRONOS System Updater v3.2.3 are available now as free downloads for all KRONOS users.
    •    Download EXs43: https://korg.shop/sound-libraries/exs43.html 
    •    Download KRONOS System Updater v3.2.3: https://www.korg.com/us/support/download/software/0/988/1514/ 
    •    Learn more about KRONOS: korg.com/kronos3

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