RECORDING FOR SPIRIO - sheer magic

What a great experience to record for Spirio, Steinway’s high resolution player piano!

Lots of people have asked how the process works, and it really is a bit of piano magic.

Following my invitation to come to Steinway New York to record for Spirio, I was not entirely sure what to expect. My experience as a recording artist had always been between two and four days of intense recording work in a studio with a crew.

Since I was not sure if the recorded  material could be edited, and just to be on the safe side, I prepared myself for a play through without the option of ‘repairs’.

As we got to Steinway I immediately got the impression that things would be a lot of fun. The super friendly and relaxing atmosphere made it feel like a great time spent with friends. As a Steinway Artist I have always had a very special place in my heart for Steinway NY, an oasis in the hustle and bustle of the city, a place to visit and feel right at home. And this was exactly the feeling I had recording for Spirio. It felt fun and inspiring to play a superb piano without any microphones cluttering up the performance space. Other than the typical recording announcement sounding through invisible speakers something like “Liszt Take 1”, it was just like playing in a beautiful hall on a beautiful piano in the city I love.

Recording means listening. It is quite standard to play and then listen back to see if a take is a go, or if something needs to be redone. Recording for Spirio is no different in this aspect, but the mind boggling moment comes immediately following the recording: Spirio plays back seemingly magically. The keys move precisely the way I had just touched them, making the piano sound gorgeous with an immediacy a studio recording cannot equal. Here the piano itself performs and it captures the spirit of a live performance. Absolutely stunning.

We were able to put down a good number of tracks today, and I cannot wait to listen to the product!