Alicia's Keys by Native Instruments

Overview

Alicia's Keys is a virtual piano instrument developed in collaboration with Alicia Keys, featuring samples from her Yamaha C3 Neo grand piano, designed to deliver a warm and soulful sound.

Key Features

• 17 GB sample library
• 12 velocity layers per key
• Sympathetic resonance system
• Mechanical release noise samples
• Key press noise samples (optional)
• Adjustable pedal noise samples

Technical Specifications

Velocity Layers

12 velocity layers per key

Sample Count

3000 (approx)

Plugin Formats

VST3, AU, AAX

Standalone

Yes

Sympathetic Resonance

Yes

True Pedal Modeling

Yes

Ideal Use Cases

• Producers needing a rich, expressive grand piano sound for contemporary music productions.
• Songwriters seeking an inspiring and responsive piano for composing and arranging their musical ideas.
• Film and game composers requiring a natural and emotive piano for underscore and thematic development.
• Home studio enthusiasts wanting to add a high-quality, authentic grand piano to their virtual instrument collection.
• Educators and students utilizing a realistic piano for practice, performance, and music theory exercises.

Review Snippets

• I connect with this gorgeous piano, can't stop playing, highly recommend it.
• Pricing/value assessment and use-case recommendation
• Interface design and parameter layout
• Preset quality and overall sound enjoyment
• Attack/release behavior, sound-design flexibility, release samples
• Alicia's Keys offers a unique, intimate character, a middle ground between upright and grand pianos, though it may require additional plugins.
• The A5 (3rd from the highest) is sampled really loud. My controller is a Studio Logic SL88 Grand, so I was able to scale that down via software. That was my only complaint. I tried it with my friend's Kawai VCP and yeah it is still loud but maybe that's the character of the sampling and they intende
• Macro workflow, parameter mapping, controller assignment
• Sampling origin, mix suitability, use-case recommendation
• It's hard to get expressive response from a sample piano because of another's intention.
• Alicia's Keys is a useful and functional plugin, offering a unique sound between upright and concert grand pianos.
• Alicia's Keys VST is in the bottom tier and he's passing on it.
• I discovered this many years ago with the Roland MKS20 module, that used a very unnatural SA Synthesis engine compared to Pianoteq 7. While realism was poor, playability was quite satisfying. In your demo, I prefer the air and smoothness in the NI Alicia's Keys piano. With Pianoteq, I would invest i
• I think a modeled piano does make more fun to play at it has a much larger variety to respond to my playing than a sampled one. I think playing on a real YC5 is also not as smooth as playing on Alicia's Piano. That seems to be a special build to have a different bridge and soundboard tuning to refle
• I personally find these two VSTs to be quite different sonically. The NOIRE is definitely a more dramatic sounding piano, whereas the Alicia's Keys VST is a bit more a neutral sound. With that said, with the right customizations to the adjustable parameters, I have found the Alicia's Keys VST to be

Frequently Asked Questions

What host or player is required to use this VST?

It requires the free KONTAKT PLAYER, or KONTAKT.

Is this a sampled or modeled piano VST?

Alicia's Keys is a sampled instrument, featuring samples from Alicia Keys' own Yamaha C3 Neo grand piano.

What is the library size?

The library size is 17 GB. The uncompressed WAV audio is 17 GB, while the installed size is 6.9 GB.

What are the key features of this VST?

Key features include a 17 GB sample library, 12 velocity layers per key, sympathetic resonance, adjustable pedal noise, and mechanical release and key press noise samples.

What genres is this VST best suited for?

It is ideal for jazz, pop, soul/r&b, urban, hip hop, and contemporary music.

Is this VST compatible with Mac and Windows?

Yes, it is compatible with both Mac and Windows platforms.

Does it have sympathetic resonance?

Yes, it features a sympathetic resonance system.