Shearwater Piano vs Originals Mrs Mills Piano

The fundamental difference between these two sampled upright pianos lies in their unique sonic character and historical context. Shearwater Piano offers an intimate upright sound with an alternative "paper mode" achieved by placing masking tape on the strings, while Originals Mrs Mills Piano captures the vibrant, historic tone of a specific Steinway Vertegrand.

Mrs Mills Piano boasts a bright, metallic character due to its lacquered hammers, famously recorded at Abbey Road Studio Two and featured on many 1960s pop records. It provides three distinct microphone positions for mixing flexibility. In contrast, Shearwater Piano emphasizes a warm, lo-fi aesthetic and does not specify multiple mic positions, instead offering a distinct secondary playing mode.

Choose Shearwater Piano if seeking a modern, intimate, and warm upright sound with a unique percussive "paper mode" for ambient or songwriting contexts. Opt for Originals Mrs Mills Piano if you desire a historically significant, bright, and characterful Steinway sound with microphone options, particularly suited for pop, recording, or filmscoring requiring a vintage touch.

Products Compared

• Shearwater Piano
• Originals Mrs Mills Piano

Insights from Real-World Use

Shearwater Piano

• Shearwater Piano is the best piano plugin the reviewer has used in years.
• The piano sounded euphoric, spacey, grand, live, and real.
• Expresses strong positive sentiment regarding the warm and cozy sound of Shearwater Piano.
• Versatile tone slider offers many tonal options, from bright to warm and dark.
• Presets and effects sound amazing and elevate the plugin.

Originals Mrs Mills Piano

• Fantastic rendering of the piano, well worth the money at 29 quid.
• Originals Mrs Mills Piano uses authentic 60's/70's recording equipment.
• As a piano player, this sounds amazing
• Former Beatle and music icon Sir Paul McCartney said: “Really exciting for me to hear Spitfire's sampling of what we used to call Mrs Mills piano from Abbey
• The Originals Mrs Mills Piano offers exceptional eight dynamic layers, outperforming typical three-to-four layer pianos.