Noire by Native Instruments

Overview

A unique concert grand piano featuring a pure and felt-dampened sound, meticulously sampled in an ambient environment.

Key Features

• Particles engine
• Particles engine
• Extensive sound design options
• Integrates noises for realism
• Sound profiles
• Attack fine-tuning
• Release fine-tuning
• Resonance fine-tuning
• Overtones fine-tuning
• Velocity curve adjustment
• Blend noises
• Apply effects
• Una corda pedal

Technical Specifications

Library Size

16 GB GB

Mic Positions

3 (Close, Room, Sub)

Presets

100

Plugin Formats

VST3, AU, AAX

Standalone

Yes

Ideal Use Cases

• Film composers crafting expressive and delicate piano passages for dramatic scenes.
• Pop producers seeking an intimate and clean grand piano sound for ballads and acoustic tracks.
• Sound designers creating nuanced and atmospheric textures for video games or interactive media.
• Songwriters wanting an inspiring and responsive piano for developing new compositions.
• Music students and teachers desiring a high-quality, articulate piano for practice and instruction.

Insights from Real-World Use

Strengths

• huge variety of atmospheric, layered, just vibey, moody, cool stuff
• totally usable
• functional
• great value
• awesome
• simple
• good price
• good job of sampling pianos with the lowest self noise
• great repertoire
• holds its own
• clean and playable
• pure / felt sounds are clean and playable
• best a mere mortal like myself will even get since a Yamaha CFX 9' grand piano is financially (and roomwise) so far out of my reach
• most beautiful instrument

Weaknesses

• felt could be a little strong
• not particularly unique
• hard to make it cut through without killing the dynamics
• sounds a bit thin and narrow compared to a mic'd up grand
• struggling to find one that really sounds authentic still
• difficult to get it to sit in a mix
• boomy mess (if controls not used sparingly)

Tone: clear enough, atmospheric, layered, vibey, moody, cool, pleasant, emotional, delicate sounding soft, thin, narrow, warmth, depth, width, clean, playable, boomy, joy to play softly, beautiful

Review Snippets

• I've owned Noire from day one, and I still play it almost every day.. While it's only a sampled version, it's the best a mere mortal like myself will even get since a Yamaha CFX 9' grand piano is financially (and roomwise) so far out of my reach.. I'm overjoyed that I found this piano VST; I was loo
• 45 years playing the piano here, and this is the most amazing piano VST ever made!
• Noire excels at unique, atmospheric soundscapes for writing and sound design.
• This plugin is loved for its versatility, tone quality, and great value.
• Noire isn't a primary detailed acoustic replacement, yet it still offers a nice sound.
• Noire is beautiful, capable of unique sounds beyond real pianos, with incredible sampling quality.
• Noire is versatile and flexible for £129, still relevant, and highly recommended to customize.
• It sounds really amazing and it just feels silky smooth when you play. You can really play soft and go ballistic with very little effort.
• Speaker loves Noire as their favorite piano, uses felt piano often live.
• I love Noire and it has been my go to for several years. Galaxy instruments manage to consistently do a great job of sampling pianos with the lowest self noise.
• Noire is absolutely amazing and lives up to the hype.
• The Noire particle engine is a 'super wild' and fun feature, not a gimmick.
• Both pure and felt Noire versions sound gorgeous out of the box.
• Noire is one of the speaker's favorite and underrated Native Instruments pianos.
• Speaker loves Noire's emotional felt preset and its powerful resonance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What host software is required to use this piano VST?

It requires the free Kontakt Player or full Kontakt (version 6.0.4 or higher).

Is this a sampled or modeled piano VST?

This piano VST uses a sampled sound engine. It was meticulously sampled using vintage mics and preamps.

What is the library size for this product?

The library size is 16 GB.

Does this piano VST support half-pedaling and sympathetic resonance?

Yes, it supports half pedal, repedal/catch, and sympathetic resonance.

What platforms are supported by this VST?

It is compatible with Mac (macOS 10.14 or higher) and Windows (Windows 10).

How many microphone positions were used in sampling?

The piano was sampled with three microphone positions: Close, Room, and Sub.

What are the key differences between the 'Pure' and 'Felt' sound profiles?

The 'Pure' profile offers a clear, unadulterated grand piano tone, while the 'Felt' profile provides a distinct sample with a felt moderator for a gentle tone.