Waves Grand Rhapsody Piano

There’s a reason why a custom-made Fazioli F228 can cost $200,000 or more, and take 2-3 years to complete: crafted from the same Italian red spruce forest used by Antonio Stradivari, the tonal consistency, rich tone, balanced touch, superb clarity, and powerful bass are in a class of their own.

Sampled with ultimate care and precision at London’s Metropolis Studios, Grand Rhapsody captures the sublime tone favored by artists from classical virtuoso Angela Hewitt to Adele, who used the very piano we’ve sampled on her hit “Hello.”

Breathtaking Sound

Just sampling a piano isn’t enough, because piano reacts to an acoustic space. Combining Metropolis Studios’ superb acoustics, with stereo multi-miking and flexible reverb, deliver a grand piano experience.

The Secret Is in the Miking

Nothing influences recorded piano sounds as much as mics and mic positions. The original Fazioli was sampled with eight cream-of-the-crop ribbon, condenser, and dynamic microphone models, including Neumann U87, Neuman KM84, AKG C451, and Royer R121—giving you access to all mics in the plugin.

Blend Multiple Mics for Flexibility

Grand Rhapsody lets you choose from all 8 mics, up to 3 stereo mic pairs at a time. With the ability to mix their levels, phase, and delay, it feels like you’re in the studio, doing the miking yourself.

Exquisite Piano Tone

The Fazioli is known for its clarity and bright sound, but some prefer the darker sound of other pianos. The 3-stage EQ, with frequencies optimized for piano, allow customizing the Fazioli’s sound to your exact preference.

Place Your Piano in Lush Spaces

From recording studio, to concert hall, to cathedral, the built-in reverb’s 10 spaces—based on the acclaimed H-Reverb engine—provide the flexibility needed to wrap your piano in a gorgeous acoustic environment.

Ultimate Realism for Pedals and Keys

An acoustic piano’s mechanical elements contribute their own sounds. Accurate sampling of key up and sustain pedal artifacts adds to the realism, as does sympathetic string resonance when using the sustain pedal.

Shape Every Detail of Your Piano Sound

Alter the formant to generate new types of piano sounds. Tame dynamics with compression or limiting. Adjust the velocity curve for a soft touch, or aggressive playing. Assign soft and sustain pedals… and more.