Pssst! Instruments has announced the release of a new sample library featuring the percussive sounds of a prepared piano. Available as a one-shot sample pack and as a full Kontakt instrument, Preparist: Piano Percussion offers a massive percussion kit with a wide palette of sounds, moods and emotions.
Forget lifeless, overused samples. Preparist brings you something entirely different – a percussive library created from a vintage Gustav Rosler upright piano, modified, prepared, and played with everything we could find: hammers, chains, magnets, sticks, fists, elbows… you name it.
The result? A massive, modern-sounding, organic percussion library that breathes character. Inspirations? John Cage, Krzysztof Penderecki, George Crumb, sonorists, minimialists and avant-gardists.
Preparist features
- Clusters: Played on keys using elbows, fists, forearms, wooden boards, and directly on strings with sticks and various tools. Covers the full range from deep booms and classic stabs to swipes and shimmering highs. Try layering them and/or use pitch knob – this multiplies the colors and makes the cluster kit incredibly handy and versatile. Seriously, you will use it in countless tracks.
- Atonal percussion: Played on prepared strings. Every note is tonal or quasi-tonal. However, each round robin has a slightly different sound. What does that mean? It means that when you repeat a note, you get a quasi-random, atonal rhythmic feel. Rare and unique!
- Long & short hits: Long hits instantly add cinematic atmosphere. Short hits are great for accents and impacts.
- Nontonal percussion: A classic alternative drum kit made from wood and metal sounds; played on every part of the piano except the strings.
- FX: Includes mechanism noises, creaks, and long room/player ambiences to add organic depth to your track.
- Bonus: 30 loops.
Preparist is on sale for the intro price of $19 USD until August 31st, 2025 (regular $49 USD). The sample pack includes 440 WAV files (88 one-shots x 5 variations each), while the Kontakt library (full version 6.8 or higher) comes with a single kit with 88 articulations and round robins.
The Prepared Piano Series including Preparist and the previously released Avant-Gardist: Tonally Prepared Cinematic Piano is on sale for $88 USD during the promotion.
More information: Pssst! Instruments
