Verticale

The deal

$41.30 at Native Instruments (down from $59.00, 30% off). No coupon code needed - the discount is already applied at checkout. No end date is listed on the sale page, so grab it while it's live.

What it is

Verticale is a Kontakt instrument from Sonora Cinematic built around a real upright piano, recorded both natural and felted across four layers - reportedly the only quadruple-felt piano library available. Three mic positions (a room pair of AKG C414s plus two spot mics) let you dial in the exact tonal character, and an onboard Cassette circuit runs the sound through an old Portastudio for warped, lo-fi warmth.

Who it's for

Composers scoring quiet, intimate trailer moments, lo-fi and ambient producers looking for a felted piano with built-in tape character, and singer-songwriters who want a warm, close-mic'd upright as the foundation of a track.

Key features

• Four layers of felt on top of the natural upright tone, for a softness few other piano libraries attempt
• Three independent mic positions with full blend control for shaping the room and character
• Built-in Cassette signal path for authentic pitch-warbled, lo-fi texture
• Color, Crunch, and Lo-Fi macros baked into the GUI for fast sound-shaping without digging through menus
• Runs in the free Kontakt Player, so no full Kontakt license is required