VCSL KEys
Successor to VS Upright No. 1, this collection contains all of the keyboard instruments from the Versilian Community Sample Library in one convenient package! Explore 3 grands, 2 uprights, and 5 harpsichords, all derived from Versilian Studios commercial libraries.
Why SFZ Format? I’m looking for a VSTi!
VCSL Keys uses SFZ Format instead of being a standalone VSTi or Audio Units plugin. You will need to download and install the free Sforzando player plugin by Plogue to use these instruments.
Sforzando itself loads as a VSTi or Audio Unit plugin inside your DAW. SFZ patches are then loaded into Sforzando (like a CD into a CD player!). This way you can load all kinds of different instruments inside Sforzando, instead of needing to install DOZENS of plugins for each sound you wish to use.
Unlike a standalone VSTi plugin, VCSL Keys will not stop working because of an operating system update, and will take up far less space on your hard drive. The patches will work and behave the same regardless of which operating system or DAW you use, even on Linux.
For more information, please read our blog article: Why we don’t make VSTi/AU plugins anymore
Looking for More?
If you’re looking for more sounds in the future, you can grab the full, free VCSL collection! Dozens of percussion instruments and more, completely free.
License
VCSL Keys is under a Creative Commons 0 (CC0) license, as a derivative of VCSL. No royalties, attribution, or credit are required to use these samples, and they can be used in commercial and non-commercial works without any restrictions or limitations. You can even edit and tweak the samples and patch files if you wish; everything is Open Source!
Free
| Developer: | Versilian Studios LLC.; Patches by Peter Eastman |
| Software: | Free Plogue Sforzando plugin required (alternately ARIA Player or Sfizz) |
| Format: | .sfz (SFZ Format) |
| Samples: | 1,466 Samples (1,466 Files) (?)Samples are individual performances, not including duplicates from multiple mixes or mic positions. The File count is the total number of sample audio files in a product. Instrument list |
| Filesize: | 680 MB of HDD space (+680 MB for installation files) |
| Other: | SSD for sample storage & loading recommended Keyboard MIDI controller recommended |
FEATURES
The SFZ Format: Archival-Grade Patches
In the 40+ years of digital sampling, countless formats have come and gone, yet the quality of even very old samples can still provide a surprisingly realistic sound if used appropriately.
The SFZ format, invented in the early 2000’s, is a completely open-source, non-proprietary format for sample libraries, providing an extensive, powerful ecosystem for cross-platform sample libraries with multiple player plugins across multiple developers to choose from.
Unlike VSTi or AU plugins, SFZ files from nearly 20 years ago work perfectly fine today and will for decades to come.
Losslessly Compressed Samples (FLAC)
Compared to the original WAV samples used in the old standalone versions, the FLAC sample files used here are roughly 20-40% of the original size while retaining 100% of the quality, reducing the size of the entire collection to a comfortable 680 MB.
FLAC is also an open source format, and can be loaded and modified in most DAWs if desired.
Five Harpsichords
The harpsichord is a unique historical keyed instrument which uses small plectra to pluck the strings, unlike a piano which uses a hammer to strike the keys. Over the years, Versilian Studios has sampled many harpsichords, but few have made it to commercial release.
Exclusive to this set is the English Harpsichord, a kit harpsichord from the 1970’s, which sounds truly amazing in pop and classic rock contexts!
For most instruments, separate Release samples are included for realism.
Four Natural Pianos
Five sampling sessions of four different pianos are included here as well, models “K”, “S”, “Y”, and “Knight”. All of these instruments are vintage or antique, most have had rough lives in practice rooms and rehearsal halls.
What you hear is the real sound of pianos “in the wild”, not some artificially perfected studio tone or modelled sound. These are not archival instruments kept in dust-proof rooms and tuned between every note, but rather working, living pianos with quirks and imperfections.
Pianos “S” and “Knight” both feature sustain pedal samples, and all pianos feature releases.
Instrument List
Grand Pianos
- Grand Piano, “K” (from VSCO 2 Pro)
- Grand Piano, “K” (Legacy session)
- Grand Piano, “S Model B” (Joachim’s Piano)
Upright Pianos
- Upright Piano, Y (a.k.a. “VS Upright No. 1”
- Upright Piano, Knight (VSCO 2)
Harpsichords
- English (Natural & Lute)
- Flemish (4′, 8′, 4′ + 8′)
- French
- Italian
- Unknown