I wondered if he was paid to say that, but, knowing McCartney, he probably started using VSTs years ago. He has always been open to new technology.
Apparently the piano for “Penny Lane” is layers and layers of Paul, George Martin and even John.
1 Like
Checking out the Mrs Mills piano I downloaded. Really enjoying what I am hearing.
You know, it really doesn’t matter which piano you use as long as #1 you play the intro part absolutely correctly - it’s a very well know riff and anyone familiar the song will recognize when it is (or isn’t) played spot on, #2 make sure that you choose a piano with a bright, quality sound and #3 make sure it’s mixed correctly live so that it stands out. The subtleties of which exact piano you choose will likely be washed out in the live mx
2 Likes
That and I think the real key is having that proper amount of detune. You don’t want it to sound like a honky-tonk barroom piano but it shouldn’t be a pristine studio piano either. That’s where the Pianoteq condition slider is genius.
thanks for the tip about Mrs. Mills. That’s a fun one. Won’t use it a lot but it will definitely stand out when I do.
For comparison:
I have the stems from Rockband: Beatles and that’s the source for this.
Hi Fred,
Hadn’t come across the isolated piano - that’s really helpful. I had it almost right - I had to remove some bass I was playing in the chorus. It’s weirdly satisfying to play - probably because of the major to minor chromatic James Bond thing 
I bought Mrs. Mills also. It is a bit too much out of tune but timbre wise it’s right. So far I haven’t experimented with any adjustments in it. Is it time for me to break down and buy Pianoteq? I’m guessing I would need more than the entry level to adjust the turning.
I think I can adjust the Mills to the piano in the video. It’s all right there in the plugin, very close. Not that we are being purist or anything… 
One recommendation if you want to avoid things being too honkeytonkish: before fiddling with “condition”, push the “unison width” slider (in the tuning section) somewhere into the right half - this spreads the tuning difference between the strings of one note and generates a “chorusy” kind of sound. Veeery useful when you want to liven up your sound without sounding like you’ve just fished the piano from the river…
I usually start with the unison width for the general flavor and then add “condition” to taste for the more random impact.
1 Like
OK. Here is a Preset Snapshot I made for Bulldog using Mrs Mills:
Originals - Mrs Mills Piano (64 Bit) 1-Bulldog.CantabileProgram (21.1 KB)
Now…I’ve never played this song before today. This is my lousy, out of time, 1st take on it. Yes, I didn’t use a click track(mistake), but it’s been awhile, so be gentle.
Here is a hurried compressed version…PROTECT YOUR EARS! So a lighter compression would get near the ball park. (side note: the preset on the compressor was called "mild compression)
3 Likes
I like the compressed version. There is something really special about this piano. I’ve been practicing with the default setting but put the vertical sliders at 90 and 80 and turned down the reverb and the “tightness”. It is miles past any honky tonk or distressed piano I’ve tried. It’s almost in the territory of a B3 in the richness of the overtones.
1 Like
Use my preset, compress it, and add some EQ to it, and you should be close. It needs a little boost in the highs. I tried it a little later that way, but didn’t record it. This piano has quite a history for a reason. It is the way Mills wanted it.
I sure wish I played keys in addition to guitar is all I can say. It sounds great, its priced right and it evokes such familiarity.
1 Like
I was wishing I had McCartney’s hands after I recorded the example. 
But, I can only imagine where his hands have been.
I’ve been practicing it for days and you get it just while creating the preset!
The preset sounds great - I’m going to run it through the Abbey Road 124 - I’ll let you know how it goes
1 Like
The Beatles did love their compression! I like it squished.
I’m curious as to how the Spitfire Mrs. Mills sounds compared to the old Cinesamples one. I assume they re-sampled the instrument and didn’t just reprogram with the old ones- it looks like the new one has more mic positions. But who knows!
If I have a moment tomorrow and can remember I may try playing it on the old Mrs. Mills.
1 Like
I might try this on Lucretia MacEvil (reprise) by Blood Sweat and Tears.
Reprise starts at the 3 minute mark.
1 Like
Hey, it’s good enough to convince me to buy it even though I’m not a keys player. Meanwhile Spitfire’s demo did not convince me…and I’m a huge Spitfire fan…you should get a commission from them!
1 Like
I ought to get a discount since I’ve purchased several of their libraries in the past. Really like Spitfire though, but you need deep pockets to buy from them. That’s why I like their new “Originals”. Only $29…and their free plugs are really good. I do despise having to go online to activate…I try not to put my gigging machine on the internet.