Toy Piano - Ableton Live Pack

I found this little toy piano this past Spring, abandoned in the alley by my house. Covered with dirt, it still had a gorgeous plinky toy sound, and the missing top made it perfect for mic’ing it up!

I recorded it with a small-diaphragm condenser from 6 or 8 inches away, and simultaneously with a contact microphone stuck inside, against the metal bar that holds the tines. The Ableton instrument has a macro knob that lets you crossfade smoothly between the two mics, and includes not only 4x round robins, but release samples, too!

There’s something about the sound of this instrument that reminds me of psychotic clowns, so feel free to load it up next time you’re scoring a circus-themed horror movie. (Or, if you don’t share my neurotic associations, perhaps you can use it for something truly playful or child-related.)

Compatible with Ableton Live version 9.7.2 and up