Spitfire Audio’s most detailed and versatile piano to date, the BBCSO Piano faithfully captures the live concert sound of a pristine Steinway Model D grand, at the iconic home of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Maida Vale Studios — also host to The Beatles, Hendrix, Bowie, and countless film scores.
Recorded in concerto position in Studio One, this highly expressive piano has been captured with the same expertly curated microphone positions, designed to blend seamlessly with the orchestra. A range of specific close mics are available for cinematic and pop contexts, as well as pedal and hammers volume control, for stunning realism. The BBCSO series has something for everyone, available in three editions – Discover, Core and Professional – with the Professional edition being unmatched in its versatility, featuring 15 signals in total for endless sound sculpting possibilities. Whether paired with the BBCSO or as a standalone instrument, BBCSO Piano promises to provide a rich, authentic piano sound suited to any genre.
THE BBCSO PLUGIN
The library opens in the existing award-winning dedicated BBCSO plugin – with a beautiful, modern design by ustwo (Monument Valley, DICE) – allowing for seamless integration with the rest of the BBCSO line and proving incredibly useful when writing for the piano and orchestra together.
In the Professional edition, the majority of mic signals are recorded in the same configuration as the original BBCSO library, while the close mics get you straight to the heart of the instrument. The piano has been expertly played by BBCSO concert pianist Elizabeth Burley — an exceptional player with a consistent touch.
ONE PIANO, THREE EDITIONS
A universal starting point for composers and music creators of every level, BBCSO Piano comes in three editions: Professional, Core and Discover.
- Professional: Full sampling depth, the full range of controls and 15 signal options
- Core: Full sampling depth and full range of controls, with one curated mix signal
- Discover: Get to know the BBCSO Piano with this ultra lite version, integrated into the BBCSO Discover orchestral plugin — featuring limited sampling depth and one signal
BBCSO Piano Discover and BBCSO Piano Core are included for owners of BBCSO Piano Professional.
THE PROFESSIONAL EDITION
The Professional edition is the definitive tool for writing professional, world-class music. Its 15 signals and four controls offer all the options you could possibly need to curate your own bespoke mix to match the exact sound you’re looking for. It’s also ready to play straight out of the box, with two expertly curated professional mixes to choose from — Mix One offering your standard orchestral mix, and Mix Two offering a wider, more vibrant cinematic sound.
KEY FEATURES FOR THE PROFESSIONAL EDITION
- ~35GB
- Reverb, Tightness, Hammers & Pedal Volume Control
- Four Round Robins
- Six Dynamic Layers
- 15 Signal Options – including two bespoke mixes:
- Mix One – An all-purpose standard orchestral classical mix.
- Mix Two – A hyped, wider, more vibrant mix, perfect for cinematic purposes
- Mics:
- Tree – Situated above the conductor’s head, this gives a great representation of the sound. Use this as a basis to add other signals to
- Outriggers – A wide set of omnidirectional microphones, designed to be used in conjunction with the Tree to add width
- Ambients – High above the orchestra near the back of the room, these microphones add the most reverberant sound of the room
- Mono – Traditionally what the BBC used to record the orchestra, a single ribbon microphone above the conductor’s head
- Piano Hammers – A set of condenser mics placed directly above the piano hammers for a tight, percussive sound
- Piano Ribbons – A set of ribbon mics positioned fairly closely to the strings.
- Piano Mids – A stereo pair at a medium distance from the piano.
- Piano Far – A stereo pair at a further distance from the piano.
- Sides – Super wide omnidirectional microphones. Ideal for adding a unique level of width or for adding into an Atmos mix
- Balcony – As far away from the instrument as possible, these are right at the back on the viewing balcony of the studio
- Atmos Front – A stereo submix specifically for use within the front of a Dolby Atmos mix
- Atmos Rear – A stereo submix specifically for use within the rear of a Dolby Atmos mix
- Spill All – A combination of other section mics covering the rest of the orchestra, use to add an element of realism to the mix
- Velocity Curves – Use a range of controls to fine tune the dynamic response of the Piano. Setting the Dynamics to Compress Velocity High/Low enables the Mod Wheel to alter the sensitivity, while several velocity curve shapes are available
MODE SWITCHING
It’s now easier than ever to share and collaborate with fellow composers, collaborators and directors — whatever edition of BBCSO Piano you own. Spitfire Audio’s groundbreaking mode switching technology makes each edition of BBCSO Piano and BBCSO interchangeable, so you can mock up your scores quickly and with ease. For composers on the go or with a limited technical setup, start writing a piece of music using Discover, and finish it in the Core or Professional edition, with a fuller range of signals, controls and versatility. It also works the other way around: write a piece in the Professional edition and a collaborator can open it in Discover, play what you’ve written (with the sounds intelligently substituted), and add to it. When you reopen their edited version, you will hear their additions alongside your original composition – with your full selection of signals.
A UNIVERSAL INSTRUMENT
Since its release in 2019, the BBCSO library has become a core staple in the musical journey of thousands of composers, producers and musicians worldwide. With this new grand piano, Spitfire Audio is enabling users at any level to further expand on their virtual orchestra — with a path to upgrade to new features and sonic possibilities when you’re ready, through Spitfire’s innovative mode switching technology. This feature also makes it easier than ever to share and collaborate with fellow composers, regardless of which edition they own.
THE BBC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the musical beating heart of the BBC itself – the oldest entertainment organisation in the world, trusted and respected globally. The BBC Symphony Orchestra has been performing for nearly a century, and is at the forefront of championing new orchestral music and composers at the BBC Proms and beyond, selling out concert halls the world over.
In the spirit of the BBC’s founding values — to inform, educate and entertain — Spitfire Audio has created a frequently updated range of resources designed for the next generation of producers, composers and musicians — from templates, to tutorials, to score breakdowns.