Alicia's Keys piano instrument by Native Instruments Kontakt interface

Alicia's Keys: Piano Kontakt Instrument by Native Instruments

Rated 4.7/5 on Plugin Boutique (971 ratings)

Alicia's Keys is a Kontakt piano instrument by Native Instruments, developed with Alicia Keys and built from samples of her own Yamaha C3 Neo grand piano. It requires Kontakt 7 or higher.

REQUIRESKontaktHost player sold separately

VST3AUAAXStandaloneKontaktWindowsmacOS64-bit

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01Overview

Alicia's Keys is a piano instrument developed in cooperation with Alicia Keys. Its samples come from her own Yamaha C3 Neo grand piano, recorded in her studio. The library is designed for producers who want a piano sound with a warm, soulful character. It runs inside Kontakt, and the developer supplies it in VST3, AU, AAX and Standalone formats alongside the Kontakt version.

Best for

Soul and R&B piano
Pop ballads
Warm piano pads
Singer-songwriter productions
Film and TV piano cues

Developer: Native Instruments
Category: Kontakt Instruments
Requires: Kontakt
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Piano samples recorded from Alicia Keys' own Yamaha C3 Neo
17 GB of samples with 12 velocity layers per key
Sympathetic resonance and release system
Mechanical release noises and optional finger-on-key sounds
Authentic feel with sustain pedal support
Developed in cooperation with Alicia Keys
Runs in Kontakt; also available as VST3, AU and AAX

03In depth

Sound Source and Recording

The instrument is built from samples of the Yamaha C3 Neo grand piano that belonged to Alicia Keys. Native Instruments says the recording team used vintage microphones and preamps and analyzed Alicia's playing in detail to capture the piano's tone down to subtle nuances.

The library totals 17 GB of samples, with 12 velocity layers per key. That layering gives you a range of dynamics from soft touches to hard strikes. The developer also notes a sympathetic resonance and release system, along with mechanical release noises and an optional sound of fingers hitting keys.

Playing Feel and Controls

Native Instruments highlights an authentic feel with sustain pedal support. The developer describes the instrument as designed for realism, and says Alicia Keys used it on her album The Element of Freedom.

Because the instrument runs in Kontakt, you control it through the Kontakt interface and your MIDI keyboard. Check the Kontakt 7 requirement before you buy into the workflow, since the instrument will not load without it.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	Native Instruments
Type	Plugin
Category	Kontakt Instrument
Requires	Kontakt
Formats	VST3, AU, AAX, Standalone, Kontakt
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What do I need to use Alicia's Keys?

You need Kontakt 7 Player or Kontakt 7 or higher to use this instrument. The developer notes this as a required condition.

Which formats and operating systems does Alicia's Keys support?

It is listed in VST3, AU, AAX, Standalone and Kontakt formats, for Windows and macOS. The Windows version supports Standalone, VST3 and AAX, and the macOS version also supports AU.

Which computers can run Alicia's Keys?

On macOS, the instrument supports Intel Macs with an i5 or higher and Apple Silicon Macs via Rosetta 2 or natively, running macOS 11, 12 or 13. On Windows, it requires Windows 10 or 11 and an Intel Core i5 or equivalent CPU.