SRM Sounds’ debut product, Max Richter Piano, was a software instrument created from recordings of Richter’s Steinway Model D SPIRIO | r grand piano. This week, SRM introduced Dark Mode, a free Kontakt instrument derived from processed versions of those original recordings.
Described by SRM Sounds as “a soft piano taken to the extreme,” Dark Mode is an atmospheric instrument crafted to blend subtly into a composition, offering a background presence that complements other elements in a mix.
The sound was shaped by processing select recordings from Max Richter Piano through a curated chain of filters and EQs, resulting in a tone described as “warm and characterful,” with minimal high-end frequencies. While Max Richter Piano provided users with various microphone options and placements, Dark Mode is built from a smaller, more refined set of recordings made with a mix of modern and vintage ribbon microphones.
“This instrument is part of my search for a piano sound that can sit behind visuals with transparency and subtlety,” Richter explains. “When scoring, we often need something that won’t intrude but can still evoke atmosphere.”
Dark Mode offers a distinctive tonal quality, with its high-end frequencies reduced almost to silence, creating an expressive, characterful sound.
Max Richter, the Grammy-nominated German-British composer and pianist, is celebrated for his compositions across stage, opera, ballet, and screen. His latest project, In A Landscape, was released in October.
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