Refraction - A Re-Imagined Piano Instrument For Kontakt Player

Where The Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary

Building on the spectral-shaping magic that made our Harmonic Bloom sound design tool so inspiring, Refraction reimagines the piano as a fluid, instrument – one that blooms, sustains, and morphs in ways no traditional piano library ever could.

Whether you’re crafting detailed piano performances, evolving pads, or hybrid acoustic-electronic beds, Refraction offers a unique palette that blends realism with spectral shaping – perfect for composers, producers, and sound designers looking for something beyond a standard piano library.

The Core Concept

Refraction begins with a beautifully recorded premium upright piano, captured with a selection of microphones and prepared with an ultra-thin layer of felt that preserves the full clarity of each note. But it’s what happens AFTER you hit the note that sets Refraction apart from any other library…

The Refraction engine captures the resonances of held notes, sustains them and passes them through a tuned filter bank that tracks the notes you’re playing. The result is a beautiful soundscape shaped from the sound of the piano itself, which you can control with your playing.

Sonora Cinematic · Sonora Cinematic Refraction

Recording studio with the U3 piano and a selection of mics

Capturing The Piano Sound

The mixer offers four main microphone positions plus an echo signal, which can be mixed and matched, keeping the signals phase-coherent…

Close Ribbons - a stereo pair of Coles ribbon microphones. Warm, intimate and perfect for capturing the hammer action of the piano.

Close - a KM 84 small diaphragm cardioid condense, offering crisp and detailed definition.

Back - Two Chandler microphones positioned behind the piano, adding depth and low-end richness.

Room – an AEA R44 ribbon mic, used to capture some of the studio ambience and great for adding a touch of colour to one of the main signals. On its own, it delivers a charming vintage vibe.

And then there’s the Echo signal – created with a vintage Roland Tape Echo running an extremely worn tape loop for a beautifully dirty, warbling sound.

The Resonator

Where The Magic Happens…

Like Harmonic Bloom, Refraction’s UI features sliders that control a series of resonant band-pass filters.

Their centre frequencies are automatically assigned to the fundamental of the note being played and the first six harmonics – polyphonically.

The sliders allow you to adjust the volume and panning position of each harmonic, giving you precise control.

Resonance Bloom

At the centre of the interface, sits the Resonance Bloom control, mapped to the mod wheel by default (and re-assignable).

Raising it boosts the output of the selected individual harmonics while simultaneously enhancing their resonance. Far more than a simple volume control, it enriches the overall spectrum with vibrant high-frequency content for a rich, organic sound.

The Resonator works on the tail of the held notes, driven either by the close-mic submix or the characterful Echo signal.

Because the Resonator is independent of the main mixer, you can mute the piano microphones entirely and play the resonance alone – turning the piano into exquisite cinematic pads crafted entirely from its own harmonics.

Add Some Ambience

We’ve incorporated refined versions of the ambience processing from Nocturne Electric Piano, tailored for Refraction’s character.

You’ll find three different ambiences, with any two able to be used simultaneously…

White – an algorithmic room reverb

Pink – a granular reverb

Red – a lush shimmery reverb.

Acoustic Authenticity Evolved Into Something Otherworldly

Whether you’re crafting piano performances, cinematic pads, or hybrid acoustic-electronic beds, Refraction offers a unique palette that blends realism with spectral shaping to deliver haunting, nostalgic, gently evolving soundscapes rich in emotion and atmosphere.