Ultra Soft Piano

Captured at Baltic Studios in east London, this double-felted Yamaha U1 is perfect for singer-songwriters. We used a selection of the best mics, including U67's, Coles and U87's to get the close, intimate sound that is highly sought after.

Building on the legacy of Soft Piano—our most downloaded LABS pack that helped shape the sound of piano music over the past decade—Ultra Soft Piano reimagines what a piano can be. Featured in countless pop hits, film scores, and TV soundtracks, Soft Piano became synonymous with intimacy and emotion.

For its sequel, we set out to define the next ten years of piano sounds by asking ourselves: What is the piano we most want to play? The answer led us to create a sound inspired by the piano in the home—the one in the living room by the fire, in the kitchen whilst someone is cooking, or surrounded by friends and family. This sound isn’t defined by its perfection, but rather by its character and warmth.

Recorded on a Yamaha U1 upright at Baltic Studios’ Studio 2 in East London—a mid-sized hall with beautiful natural reverb—we combined two layers of felt: an ultra-thin fabric often used in jacket linings and the built-in soft pedal felt. Using a close-mic setup with Coles 4038s, U67s, and U87s, we captured every intimate nuance, creating a warm, immediate sound perfect for the indie, pop, and singer-songwriter genres. Ultra Soft Piano offers a deeply personal playing experience, giving a modern, tactile twist to one of music’s most cherished instruments.