Recording - October 2021 - 22

-Review by Paul Vnuk Jr.
Spitfire Audio Originals
Jangle Box Piano
The sonic yin and yang of
classic Abbey Road uprights
In the June 2021 issue, we stepped inside the hallowed halls
of Abbey Road and had a plunk on an authentic piece of Beatles
history as we looked at the famed Mrs Mills Piano from the
Spitfire Audio Original series. Now we get to let our fingers fly
on the other famous Beatles upright, the Jangle Box Piano.
Meet the Jangle Box
Built in the 1930s by Piano Works in London, this Challen
'studio' piano is unique even by today's standards. It is, in
effect, two pianos in one. When a foot pedal is pressed,
brass-tipped strips drop between the hammers and strings,
offering an instant jangly tack piano tone, hence its nickname,
the Jangle Box.
You can hear the Jangle Box most notably on Magical
Mystery Tour and The White Album. The most famous Fab Four
song to bear its stamp is 'The Fool On the Hill'.
Light and shade
The Jangle Box is indeed bright and tacky in brass-strip mode,
but it stays just shy of a western saloon sound because it sticks
to standard tuning. The piano's non-tack mellow sound is very
dark, with a round hammer attack and warm tone. Both characters
are sampled in Jangle Box and load as two separate sample
sets selected as Tack or Piano in the preset browser window.
The settings
The Jangle Box GUI features the same layout and controls as
Mrs Mills Piano. In addition to expression (volume), dynamics
(a blend of playing dynamics and range limiting) and a master
control dial on the top, there is a section of three microphone
voicings and controls for Reverb (2.5 seconds of classic EMI
plate reverb). 'Tightness' highlights or lessens the mechanical
noise, 'Hammers' alters the level of the hammers, and 'Pedal'
controls the overall foot pedal noise.
The mics and room
Just like Mrs Mills, Jangle Box offers a trio of mic scenarios
with a twist. Close mic in 'Tack' mode is a stereo pair of classic
U 67 mics spread in stereo, offering a 3D depth and presence.
In mellow 'Piano' mode, these are replaced with a couple of
Coles 4038 ribbon mics adding more warmth and weight. In
'Room' mode, the piano was captured at a distance with a pair
of omni patterned Schoeps MK2H mics.
22 RECORDING October 2021
The Vintage slider blends
in a mono AKG D19 microphone
captured through a
REDD.47 tube preamp on
a Studer J37 tape machine.
Nicely, all three settings
blend well with a very full
and robust sound.
Tack tones
Comparing Mrs Mills and Jangle Box, both offer their own
take on a tack piano. Mrs Mills uses lacquered hammers and a
wide, chorused spread. Jangle Box is thinner and more metallic
but more in-tune.
Mellow
In the mellow 'Piano' mode, I found Jangle Box perhaps too
dark initially for use on the average pounding rock or pop
song, but these rich tonalities come to life when played with nuance
and a light touch. With eight dynamic layers, this piano
is all about delicate expression.
Dialed in
In 'Tack' mode, 'Tightness' does a great job of chilling out
some of the jangle, while in 'Mellow' mode, the mechanical
noise adds life to the performance. To my ears, the weight and
after-thump of the hammers is also slightly more pronounced in
Jangle Box than it is in Mrs Mills.
Mills vs. Jangle
Which is better? Whichever fits your song and style the best. I find
Mrs Mills the more grandiose, aggressive and forward of the pair,
while the jangle in Jangle Box has an excellent thin, wispy sound with
a well-defined brassy top end that sits nicely in a mix. As much as I
love the forward airy tack sound, to me, the warm, nuanced weight
of the mellow piano is the hidden gem of this virtual instrument.
It's a wrap
Even if the Beatles aren't your jam, Jangle Box excels on several
levels. It is two distinct pianos in one, it sounds phenomenal and
unique in the current soft-piano landscape, and it brings a classic
piece of history into your studio for a mere $30.
Price: $29 More From: spitfireaudio.com
http://www.spitfireaudio.com http://www.spitfireaudio.com

Recording - October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - October 2021

Fade In
Tech 21: Bass Fly Rig v2
A Family of Microphones Compared: The Shure Unidyne... or, The SM57 & Friends
Soundware Showcase: Spitfire Audio Originals Jangle Box Piano
Closer to GWAR: Recording and remixing the masters of the Slave Pit, with Ronan Chris Murphy, Pustulus Maximus and the Berserker Blöthar
Zeppelin Design Labs: Cortado MkIII Contact Microphone
Session Log: The AngelHeaded Hipster, Part 10: Bass and Percussion
Plugin Outlet: Slate Digital FG-2A and Custom Opto
Morton Microphones: KickTone Microphone
Inside the Studio with Mark Hornsby: Nothing but the Mic
L-Acoustics: L-ISA Studio
KEMPER: PROFILER Head
Inside the Box with Joe Albano: Compression in the Box
Teegarden Audio: PPC-125 MD Condenser Microphone
Hit’n’Mix: RipX DeepAudio
Thirty-Five Years of RECORDING
Fade Out: The Right Mic for You!
Recording - October 2021 - Intro
Recording - October 2021 - Cover1
Recording - October 2021 - Cover2
Recording - October 2021 - 1
Recording - October 2021 - 2
Recording - October 2021 - 3
Recording - October 2021 - 4
Recording - October 2021 - 5
Recording - October 2021 - Fade In
Recording - October 2021 - 7
Recording - October 2021 - 8
Recording - October 2021 - 9
Recording - October 2021 - Tech 21: Bass Fly Rig v2
Recording - October 2021 - 11
Recording - October 2021 - A Family of Microphones Compared: The Shure Unidyne... or, The SM57 & Friends
Recording - October 2021 - 13
Recording - October 2021 - 14
Recording - October 2021 - 15
Recording - October 2021 - 16
Recording - October 2021 - 17
Recording - October 2021 - 18
Recording - October 2021 - 19
Recording - October 2021 - 20
Recording - October 2021 - 21
Recording - October 2021 - Soundware Showcase: Spitfire Audio Originals Jangle Box Piano
Recording - October 2021 - 23
Recording - October 2021 - Closer to GWAR: Recording and remixing the masters of the Slave Pit, with Ronan Chris Murphy, Pustulus Maximus and the Berserker Blöthar
Recording - October 2021 - 25
Recording - October 2021 - 26
Recording - October 2021 - 27
Recording - October 2021 - 28
Recording - October 2021 - 29
Recording - October 2021 - 30
Recording - October 2021 - 31
Recording - October 2021 - 32
Recording - October 2021 - 33
Recording - October 2021 - Zeppelin Design Labs: Cortado MkIII Contact Microphone
Recording - October 2021 - 35
Recording - October 2021 - Session Log: The AngelHeaded Hipster, Part 10: Bass and Percussion
Recording - October 2021 - 37
Recording - October 2021 - 38
Recording - October 2021 - 39
Recording - October 2021 - Plugin Outlet: Slate Digital FG-2A and Custom Opto
Recording - October 2021 - 41
Recording - October 2021 - Morton Microphones: KickTone Microphone
Recording - October 2021 - 43
Recording - October 2021 - Inside the Studio with Mark Hornsby: Nothing but the Mic
Recording - October 2021 - 45
Recording - October 2021 - 46
Recording - October 2021 - 47
Recording - October 2021 - L-Acoustics: L-ISA Studio
Recording - October 2021 - 49
Recording - October 2021 - KEMPER: PROFILER Head
Recording - October 2021 - 51
Recording - October 2021 - 52
Recording - October 2021 - 53
Recording - October 2021 - Inside the Box with Joe Albano: Compression in the Box
Recording - October 2021 - 55
Recording - October 2021 - 56
Recording - October 2021 - 57
Recording - October 2021 - Teegarden Audio: PPC-125 MD Condenser Microphone
Recording - October 2021 - 59
Recording - October 2021 - Hit’n’Mix: RipX DeepAudio
Recording - October 2021 - 61
Recording - October 2021 - Thirty-Five Years of RECORDING
Recording - October 2021 - 63
Recording - October 2021 - 64
Recording - October 2021 - 65
Recording - October 2021 - 66
Recording - October 2021 - 67
Recording - October 2021 - 68
Recording - October 2021 - 69
Recording - October 2021 - 70
Recording - October 2021 - 71
Recording - October 2021 - Fade Out: The Right Mic for You!
Recording - October 2021 - Cover3
Recording - October 2021 - Cover4
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