Handcrafted Audio 'Handcrafted Piano': A Boutique Felt Piano and Analog-Inspired Synth Engine for Modern Composers, Powered by the Free Kontakt Player
Handcrafted Audio, a Swiss sampling company specializing in high-end boutique instruments, has recently announced the release of 'Handcrafted Piano'. Handcrafted Piano is a Kontakt instrument designed with multi-dimensional flexibility to control both the space and the timbre of the instrument, with three analog-processed mic positions and two pre-rendered outboard reverbs, and adjustable felt control, giving you the possibility to place the instrument with extreme precision within your space. In addition to the traditional felt piano patch, the library features an analog-inspired synth engine created entirely from the original piano samples, expanding it into a complete composition toolkit that goes far beyond traditional keys. Handcrafted Piano runs on the free Kontakt Player as well as Kontakt 6.
Handcrafted Piano is not just a virtual instrument. It's a complete toolkit for modern composers seeking unparalleled musical expression. Built from meticulously recorded piano samples, each key features over 100 velocity layers, allowing seamless transitions from delicate, intimate passages to bold, cinematic statements. With five layers of felt control, the instrument's tone can be shaped from warm, open resonance to a muted, percussive timbre, providing composers with a dynamic palette capable of inspiring music that feels alive, emotional, and personal.
Every note of the Handcrafted Piano carries the sonic character of vintage excellence. Recorded with some of the finest microphones in history, including the Neumann M49, Coles 4038, and Neumann M62, the library was then polished through a complex analog mixing process on the legendary Cadac console that famously mixed Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. Combined with three analog-processed microphone positions and two pre-rendered outboard reverbs (Lexicon 960, Quantec Yard Stick), this meticulous production process ensures that each performance conveys extraordinary depth, warmth, and nuance, giving composers full control over spatial placement and tonal shaping.
Beyond its high-end felt piano, Handcrafted Piano offers an analog-inspired synth engine created entirely from its own piano recordings. Featuring over 150 sound sources, 120+ curated presets, and a wide range of pads, leads, plucks, and basses, this engine transforms the library into a full compositional toolkit. Composers can go beyond traditional piano roles, layering textures, crafting ambient soundscapes, or carrying entire pieces from start to finish with expressive, evolving tones that preserve the musicality and human touch of the original instrument.
The Handcrafted Piano's intuitive GUI offers a deep level of sonic control, designed to give composers and producers complete flexibility. On the main page, two sliders shape the instrument's character (see the image above): the top slider adjusts room placement, seamlessly shifting the piano from an intimate, close-up sound to a distant, spacious one, while the bottom slider controls the amount of felt, transforming the tone from bright and resonant to muted and percussive—at its most extreme, reducing pitch almost entirely into pure percussion. The central circular display visually reflects these adjustments in real time, making sound design both intuitive and engaging.
Beyond the main page, the Microphone tab allows precise balancing of three vintage mic positions, with the option to toggle each mic on or off and fine-tune levels. Outboard reverbs, including the Lexicon and Quantec, can also be individually controlled for added spatial depth. In the Settings tab, six advanced parameters unlock further customization (see the image above): Dynamic Range (expressive responsiveness), Tightness (performance humanization), Resonance (sustained string volume), Release (note-off articulation), Hammers (hammer noise control), and Interference (realistic note interaction). Unlike many sample libraries that treat notes in isolation, the Handcrafted Piano's interference control ensures chords naturally blend and interact, producing authentic harmonic beating and lifelike complexity. Together, these tools make the Handcrafted Piano not only an expressive virtual instrument, but also a fully customizable sound design environment for modern music creation.
Features
Boutique felt piano with unmatched expressivity
Five layers of felt control for a wide tonal range
100+ velocity layers per key, manually fine-tuned
Three analog-processed mic positions (Neumann M49, Coles 4038, Neumann M62) plus two legendary outboard reverbs (Lexicon 960, Quantec Yard Stick) for multi-dimensional sound placement
Mixed on the iconic Cadac console (the console that mixed Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody in 1975)
Ten mix presets for instant mood shaping
Built-in synth engine with 150+ sounds and 120+ presets
Production-ready design for solo or ensemble use
Warm acoustic tone blended with analog-inspired synth depth
System Requirements
Software:
Free Kontakt Player or Full Kontakt 6.7.0 or later
Operating System:
macOS 10.14 or higher
Windows 10 or 11, Intel Core i5 or equivalent CPU
Size:
~ 59 GB
Price
$139 USD
(This is an introductory price, 30% off the original $199.)
Handcrafted Audio is a sampling library company that specializes in high-end, boutique instruments. Our mission is to create instruments that feel alive. Through an innovative sampling and research process we focus on cutting-edge sound quality and expressivity.
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