OSC Audio releases Thru-Zero E-Piano, a freeware electric piano virtual instrument for Decent Sampler.
Electric pianos have been a staple of music for decades. OSC Audio’s latest release, Thru-Zero E-Piano, is a novel take on the instrument. It is entirely sample-based, using rich-sounding VCOs and analog saturation over 88 keys.
Thru-Zero E-Piano uses the SSF Zero Point oscillator as its basis. The Eurorack module allows through-zero frequency modulation and gets into fairly weird territory while maintaining pitch tracking. Here, however, it is used instead to create something sonorous, an idealized bell of sorts.
The core sound of Thru-Zero E-Piano is reminiscent of the timbres one might expect from the venerable DX7 and its famous electric piano presets. It isn’t an identical experience, but the sound has that same glassy feel to it.
The library loads via Decent Sampler and joins a plethora of excellent free instruments and sounds tailor-made for the instrument.
Upon first loading the library, the interface calls to mind some of the offerings from Spitfire LABS. A large central knob controls the reverb, with little else in the way of control over it.
The reverb does sound great on the sound source and compliments the sound quite well. Also included is a chorus effect, befitting for an FM-based electric piano.
The final control is the release, which allows you to tailor the envelope’s release stage. You can keep it short and sweet or allow the keys to ring out until you’re sick of it.
The sound sources are also looped, giving users infinite sustain. You can easily coax pad-like sounds out with a little creative filtering and judicious application of delay, reverb, and other modulation effects.
There is a lot to like about Thru-Zero E-Piano. It is a decidedly different take on a familiar sound and fits quite well in similar contexts.
Using Decent Sampler as the main platform for Thru-Zero E-Piano also affords it quite a wider audience. Thru-Zero E-Piano is a pay-what-you-want download, available for free or for any price you feel is necessary.
Decent Sampler runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac computers. Supported plugin formats are VST, VST3, AU, and AAX.
Download: Thru-Zero E-Piano
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