Imagine having the exact piano sound that fueled John Legend's breakthrough hit, "Ordinary People," right at your fingertips. That dream is now a reality! But here’s where it gets controversial... Some might argue that replicating a sound diminishes the original artist's uniqueness. What do you think?
Splice, a leading music production platform, has just announced a collaboration with John Legend to bring this iconic piano sound to its users. This exciting news comes hot on the heels of Splice's recent launch of Splice Instrument, their virtual instrument platform, and their acquisition of Spitfire Audio, a company renowned for its high-quality sound libraries, for a cool $50 million.
The partnership between Splice, Spitfire Audio, and John Legend involved meticulously capturing the sound of Legend's Yamaha C7 baby grand piano – the very same instrument he used on "Ordinary People" back in 2004. And this is the part most people miss... They didn't just record any piano; they used the identical microphones and signal chain that Legend employed during the original recording process. This ensures that producers get an authentic, raw, and emotionally resonant sound that's virtually indistinguishable from the real thing.
Legend himself expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating, "Sometimes people just want that natural, raw sound of an acoustic instrument, and pianos, they’re undefeated. These songs I’ve recorded with the piano have become an iconic part of my identity as an artist. I hope when a producer loads this piano sound, they’ll feel connected to the music that inspired it, and that it inspires them to create their own story." It's like having a piece of music history in your digital audio workstation!
Splice Instrument already boasts impressive presets, including the baby grand piano of legendary composer Philip Glass and the drum sounds of Paul McCartney's drummer, Abe Laboriel Jr. However, the addition of John Legend's piano sound marks a significant milestone, bringing a truly high-profile and distinctive instrumental fingerprint to the platform. Splice plans to further expand its offerings with more instrument downloads from renowned musicians in the coming months. Furthermore, they are looking to integrate more AI-driven features in the coming year to enhance the music creation process.
Kakul Srivastava, CEO of Splice, emphasized the powerful synergy of this collaboration: "Being able to combine John’s artistry, the quality and precision of the Spitfire Audio recording technology, and Splice innovation has been powerful. This is a new frontier in music creation and a model for how creators of all expertise can collaborate with the artists who inspire them, and it’s only just the beginning."
This exciting partnership coincides with the 20th anniversary of Legend's debut album, "Get Lifted," which was released in December 2004. Currently, he's on the North American leg of his "Get Lifted" anniversary tour, celebrating two decades of musical excellence.
Paul Thomson, co-founder of Spitfire Audio, added, "John’s piano sound has a timeless quality, rich in soul, vibe and emotion. Being able to offer a signature sound like this was always an important part of the plan for Instrument. Producers will find inspiration in being able to play the sound that has defined so many iconic songs, and shape their own stories with the same character and depth – using the same magical signal path. The reaction to Instrument so far has been incredibly encouraging, and we have an exciting roadmap of features to come."
So, what do you think about this collaboration? Is it a game-changer for music production, or does it somehow diminish the artistry of the original performances? Do you believe that having access to such iconic sounds empowers creativity, or does it run the risk of homogenizing music production? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
