Chicago Upright 1927 vs Firewood Piano
The fundamental difference between these two upright piano VSTs lies in their sonic character derived from their unique source instruments and recording approaches. The Chicago Upright 1927 provides a historically aged sound from an authentic 1927 Baldwin Monarch with five mic positions, while the Firewood Piano offers a more atmospheric and texturally resonant tone from a detailed upright with a cracked bridge, achieved through a single, intimate recording.
Specifically, the Chicago Upright 1927 emphasizes a warm, dark, and intimate character with distinctive "tubby low strings" and a worn-in midrange, reflecting its almost century-old origin. In contrast, the Firewood Piano, though also intimate, possesses a distinct atmosphere and textural quality due to the cracked bridge, which creates unique resonances. The Chicago Upright 1927 also dedicates 6 GB to its samples, compared to the Firewood Piano's 5.6 GB.
Choose Chicago Upright 1927 if you require a raw, aged upright piano sound with historical authenticity and multiple microphone perspectives for granular control, especially for recording, film scoring, or songwriting where character is paramount. Choose Firewood Piano if you are seeking a free, atmospheric upright piano with unique resonances and an intimate, textural sound ideal for ambient music, songwriting, or film scoring where a distinct character from a cracked bridge is desired.
Products Compared
Insights from Real-World Use
Chicago Upright 1927
- Reverb and mic choices yield beautiful, spacious results; Chicago Upright 1927 has an aged vibe.
- Prefers the more forward mix setting and finds the reverb sound pleasing.
- Frustrated by lack of a control and presets resetting output to zero.
- Chicago Upright 1927 is a vintage (and it shows) 48" upright Baldwin Monarch. This thing has serious character and grime. You won't be getting any shiny clear.
- Notes upright character with slight pitch wariness as part of its sound.
Firewood Piano
- Owners note that some Spitfire pianos, like Firewood, often sound thin and struggle to sit well in a mix. Source. Sorted by. Top Reviews
- Firewood Piano has a nice, unique sound and feel.
- Firewood is excellent for mid-range chordal textures, particularly when combined with lo-fi heavy reverbs and high-feedback tape delay. Pad elements catch long
- The pad sound has lovely sustained resonance and a nice ambient quality.
- I have the felt piano, firewood, and Mrs Mills. TBH I rarely use the ... Spitfire Audio. A subreddit to discuss Spitfire Audio libraries and music