We have been working with UVI and the world’s leading acoustic research center, IRCAM, to bring you this very special instrument.

Recorded at the IRCAM labs in Paris on a Yamaha C7 Grand Piano, IRCAM Prepared Piano boasts over 45 contemporary preparation techniques deeply multi-sampled with the finest equipment available by some of the worlds leading acoustic technicians.
The UVI sample engine gives you up to two simultaneous preparations per note and advanced parameter editing, providing nearly endless configuration possibilities. Utilize screws, erasers, coins, clothespins, sticks and more–excite the strings with a mallet, plectrum, bow or even an eBow.
Also included is the latest UVI technology, SparkVerb™, a highly advanced synthetic reverb that focuses on sound quality and musicality. Add lush atmosphere to any of your configurations instantly!
Quickly explore new sound environments with the built in randomization features and listen as this massive instrument delights your ears with previously unheard timbre and texture combinations.

If you’re a musician or sound designer who likes to explore the cutting edge of avant garde, IRCAM Prepared Piano offers an experience like no other.

 

The Edit page is the main IRCAM Prepared Piano screen, this is where you select your playing techniques and preparations, three parameters can be adjusted per preparation:

1. Preparation Type: Choose from one of the 45 included preparation styles.
2. Volume: Adjust the volume of your preparation.
3. Tune: Adjust the fine tuning of your preparation.
EQ, Bass and Treble: a parametric EQ with the two knobs.
Reverb: We used an IR of a spring reverb to mimic the most used reverb on this kind of instrument.
Distortion, Chorus, Flanger: Wurlitzers are often played with these three effects so you have a faw to use them directly from the interface.
An Edit windows represents one octave. The yellow keys inidicate the selected octave with the note numbers for each note available just above. Using the left or right arrow you can navigate through the octaves. Two preparations can be assigned to each note, one via each of the two available layers. Use Preset 1 or Preset 2 to change an entire layer in one step and use the link button to change all volume or tune buttons at the same time.

 

Effects

The two proprietary effects included in IRCAM Prepared Piano are extremely well suited for use with the sound palette at hand. Use them subtely to enrich the sound of your instrument, or push them to explore new sonic landscapes.

ON/OFF Enable/Disable effect.
MIX Adjust the Dry/Wet weighting.
TIME Adjust the delay time.
FEEDBACK Adjust the amount of reinjected signal.
CUTOFF Adjust the filter cutoff of the delayed signal.
SPREAD Adjust the stereo spread of the delayed signal.

ON/OFF Enable/Disable effect.
MIX Adjust the Dry/Wet weighting.
SIZE Adjust the size of the room.
DECAY Adjust the RT60 of the reverb.
LO DECAY Adjust the level under the cross-over frequency.
X-OVER 1 Adjust the crossover frequency of the low decay.
HI DECAY Adjust the level beyond the cross-over frequency.
X-OVER 2 Adjust the crossover frequency of the high decay.

 

 

Settings page

 

Mic 1 / Mic 2

Adjust the volume of each mic independantly.
On/Off enables/disables and loads/unloads each microphone position.
Mic 1 is the close position inside the piano. (DPA microphones).
Mic 2 is the player position above the head of the player. (Shoeps mics).

Adjust the envelope settings of various preparations like the Bow, the Ebow or the Mutes..

Dynamics: Controls how the volume of the samples will respond to velocity.
Vel Curve: Controls how the sample splits respond to the velocity.
Una Corda CC: Set which CC value you want to control to the Una Corda pedal. This pedal on a prepared piano strikes only the strings 2 and 3; triggering only the preparation stuck between these strings.
Sostenuto CC: Allows you to decide which CC value you want to assign to the Sostenuto pedal.

Mapped from C-1 to G#-1, each of the pianos metal bars were recorded in different ways: you can choose between hitting the metal bars with the hands, with a small stick or with a mallet.
Preparation Selection, and Play button to audtion the sound.
Extra Lenght CC1 and CC2:
Strumming the unused part of the strings in a piano with a plectrum is often done as an effect in prepared pianos. These two knobs simulate that strumming and you can control them with the CC of your choice.

 

Ircam Prepared Piano comes with its own sample player, the UVI Workstation 3 (requires v3.0.0 or later).

 
We provide it for free with every library that you buy, you don't need to buy an expensive sampler to use our products. It works on Mac (10.9 or later) and PC (windows 8 or later), in standalone or as a plugin (VST / AU / AAX ) and in 64 bits only.