Shearwater Piano Lite
Key Features
- Intimate upright piano instrument recorded at Shearwater Studios in Dartmoor, UK
- Lite edition focuses on the original piano sound set rather than the full version's tape and paper modes
- Tone control repitches sample selection in real time for quick color changes
- Velocity curve editor helps match the instrument response to different MIDI keyboards
- Microtuning support includes Scala files and MTS-ESP
- Available for macOS and Windows as VST3, AU, AAX, and standalone
Description
Shearwater Piano Lite is Imagiro's streamlined upright piano instrument, built from the same Shearwater Studios recording as the paid Shearwater Piano. The Lite page currently lists the product at $0.00 and describes it as a reduced-control version that is free forever.
The core sound is intimate and slightly storybook rather than glossy concert-grand realism. It gives producers the original piano mode, a tone control that repitches sample selection in real time, and a velocity curve editor for matching the response to a controller.
The Lite edition leaves out several full-version extras, including the tape and paper modes, detailed mic controls, wobble, pad, and factory presets. That limitation keeps the instrument focused on the main upright piano character, which is still useful for lo-fi keys, soft songwriting parts, ambient sketches, and understated cinematic cues.
Because the official download page exposes macOS and Windows installers and lists VST3, AU, AAX, and standalone formats, this fits SoundShockAudio's VST plugin category. The BPB lead and KVR listing both support the same permanent-lite positioning rather than a temporary sale or coupon offer.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is missing compared with the full Shearwater Piano?
The Lite page marks several sections as full-version features, including detailed mic controls, wobble, pad, and presets. It also presents the tape and paper modes as part of the broader Shearwater Piano feature set rather than the focused Lite edition.
Does Shearwater Piano Lite require Kontakt?
No. Imagiro lists Shearwater Piano Lite as available in VST3, AU, AAX, and standalone formats, so it runs as its own plugin or app rather than as a Kontakt library.
How large is the installer?
Imagiro's direct installer headers show about 54 MB for the macOS DMG and about 38 MB for the Windows EXE. The official requirements also say the instrument needs 16 GB of free disk space and uses 7 GB once installed.
Why are the downloads external in this artifact?
The official direct installer URLs are available and were verified, but this unattended run was restricted to artifact generation and no production touches. The parent automation should mirror those files to R2 before publishing if the page should use hosted downloads.
