Claire concert grand piano Kontakt instrument by Native Instruments interface

Claire: Concert Grand Piano Kontakt Instrument by Native Instruments

Claire is a Kontakt instrument from Native Instruments that models a concert grand piano, sampled from an Italian concert grand and recorded at Galaxy Hall. It runs on Windows and macOS and requires Kontakt.

REQUIRESKontaktHost player sold separately
KontaktWindowsmacOS64-bit
AVAILABLE ATPlugin Boutique
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01Overview

Claire is a piano instrument from Native Instruments built on the Noire engine. The developer describes it as sampled from a world-class Italian concert grand, recorded at Galaxy Hall with both close and room microphone setups. Producers can blend those two positions to move between intimate, direct tones and wider ambience. It is designed for Kontakt, so it loads into the Kontakt host on Windows and macOS.

Best for

  • Pop ballad piano
  • Cinematic piano scores
  • Intimate solo piano
  • Ambient piano textures
  • Layered harmonic pads
Requires
Kontakt
Store
Plugin Boutique
02Key features

What you get

  • Samples from an Italian concert grand piano with clarity, depth and power
  • Recorded at Galaxy Hall with close and room microphone setups
  • Blend close and room mics from intimate tones to expansive ambience
  • Color, tonal shift, depth and richness controls for shaping tone
  • Adjustable mechanical and pedal noise for an authentic performance
  • Particles engine adds harmonics, textures and rhythmic layers
  • Responds to performance for dynamic added layers
  • Runs in Kontakt on Windows and macOS, 64-bit
03In depth

Sound and Microphone Blend

Claire is built around two microphone positions captured at Galaxy Hall. The close mics give a direct, focused piano sound, while the room mics add the space of the hall. Because the two can be blended, you can set the balance to suit a dry, intimate part or a larger, more open arrangement.

Native Instruments describes the sample source as a concert grand known for tonal clarity, depth and power, with a harmonically rich range from deep basses to clear, shimmering overtones.

Tone Controls and the Particles Engine

Four controls shape the sound: color, tonal shift, depth and richness. Mechanical and pedal noises are also part of the sampled performance, and can be dialed in for a more authentic feel.

The Particles engine layers rippling harmonics, textures and subtle rhythmic patterns over your playing. These elements respond to how you perform, so the added layers change with your dynamics and touch.

04Specs

Will it run?

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

DeveloperNative Instruments
TypePlugin
CategoryKontakt Instrument
RequiresKontakt
FormatsKontakt
Operating systemsWindows, macOS
Architecture64-bit
05FAQ

Questions, answered

What do I need to use Claire?

Claire requires Kontakt. You need the free Kontakt 8.1 Player or Kontakt 8.1 or higher to use this instrument.

Which operating systems does Claire support?

Claire is available for Windows and macOS. On Windows, Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) is required. On macOS, macOS 13, 14 or 15 is required, and it supports Intel or Apple Silicon processors.

How large is the Claire download?

The download size is 29.2 GB, so plan for enough free disk space before installing.

What does the Particles engine do?

Particles adds layers of rippling harmonics, textures and subtle rhythmic patterns. These layers react to your performance.

07Developer

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