Behind the Scenes: The Making of Soft Cinema Keys for Arturia Pigments
Today, we're happy to share some details on our latest release, Soft Cinema Keys. As sound designers and composers ourselves, we're always looking to fill gaps in our own creative toolkit, and this collection represents a unique space in the world of cinematic sound design.
A Natural Evolution
Our journey with Arturia Pigments sound design has led us through various sonic territories. From the darker textures of "Dark Film Scores" to the evolving atmospheres in "Dynamic Film Score Moods," each collection serves a specific purpose in the composer's palette. Even our "Instant Moods" bank focuses on those one-finger, evolving presets that instantly establish emotional groundwork.
But we noticed something was missing: a collection that focused on immediate, expressive keyboard sounds with a softer, more intimate character.
Preview some of the presets in our audio playthru video here:
Crafting the Sounds
Custom Sample Recording Sessions
At the heart of Soft Cinema Keys lies a carefully curated collection of custom-recorded instruments:
- A beautiful Lyon Healy Concert Grand Harp, captured in both plucked and harmonic articulations
- Intimate electric piano samples from our Pianet T
- Delicate celeste samples
- And Soft-touched acoustic pianos samples
Here is a photo behind the scenes during our harp recording session. A hand selected pool of these samples were used in Soft Cinema Keys for soft plucks, and soft harp harmonic samples.
What makes these samples truly special is how they interact with Pigments' powerful synthesis engines. The combination of the Sample and Granular engines allows us to preserve the natural character of these instruments while opening up new sonic possibilities.
The Power of Hybrid Sound Design
Each preset in Soft Cinema Keys takes advantage of Pigments' multi-engine architecture:
- Blending sampled attacks with synthesized sustains
- Using granular processing to create evolving textures from acoustic sources
- Combining plucked strings with Pigments' Harmonic Engine
- Layering pitched percussion with modulated synthesis and fx
- Combining all of these techniques with Pigments' vast modulation capabilities
Design Philosophy
Our goal was simple: create keyboard presets that feel immediately playable and musically useful. We focused on:
- Quick attack envelopes for responsive playing
- Gentle, soft characteristics that maintain expressiveness
- Intuitive modulation controls for dynamic performance (we love using aftertouch on these presets too for variation in tone)
- Clean, defined attacks from plucked strings and percussion
- The Effects are always on Macro 4 to make it easy to dial these into your set, want to use your own reverb dial Macro 4 down. Want to use these patches standalone? Mix Macro4 to your taste.
These sounds needed to be approachable enough for immediate use but deep enough to reward exploration. Whether you're scoring an intimate character moment or crafting an ambient game soundtrack, these presets provide a foundation that's both reliable and inspirational.
Beyond Traditional Film Scoring
While we developed Soft Cinema Keys with film and game composers in mind, we've been amazed by how versatile these sounds have proven to be. The gentle, expressive nature of these presets makes them perfect for:
- Indie game soundtracks
- Documentary underscore
- Ambient music production
- Contemporary classical composition
- Pop production
- Multimedia installations
Technical Innovation Meets Musical Inspiration
What sets this collection apart is the seamless blend of custom samples with Pigments' synthesis capabilities. The Sample and Granular engines work together to create sounds that would be impossible with either approach alone:
- Using granular processing to extend harmonic textures
- Blending multiple articulations for complex evolving sounds
- Creating hybrid instruments that combine the best of acoustic and synthetic sources
Looking Forward
As we continue to develop new sound banks for Arturia Pigments, we're always listening to our community of composers and producers. Soft Cinema Keys represents an emphasis on immediate musicality alongside sonic exploration.