Review: The Grand Mechaniano by Atom Hub

by AMM

Many unique sounds with 54 basic patches with original samples, 155 patches derived from basic nes and 20 multi patches
Control individual layers within each patch
Built-in effects rack for additional customization

Many of the patches are quite “hot” in Kontakt
Very difficult to read the UI due to low contrast in the artwork

Mangled, twisted and eery. This is a disembodied piano from “beyond.” Designed to highlight the “ugliness” and mistreatment of a piano, the user will derive a sort of sadistic pleasure in inspiring discomfort and terror in others.

Jump to the Videos of The Grand Mechaniano by Atom Hub

Jump to the Demos of The Grand Mechaniano by Atom Hub

Review: The Grand Mechaniano by Atom Hub

The Grand Mechaniano is a sound design library based on a piano sample, self-described as a “crippled” piano layered with other sounds. Designed to highlight the “ugliness” and mistreatment of a piano, the user will derive a sort of sadistic pleasure in inspiring discomfort and terror in others.

The Grand Mechaniano sells for £34.90 from Atom Hub

Thoughts

The Grand Mechaniano consists of 54 basic patches consisting of three layers: a metallic sound (left channel), a piano sample (middle channel), and an effect usually consisting of piano or synthesizer (right channel). Some of the patches I most like are Iron Bubblewrap, Drum Kit Keys, Southwind Scrapyard, Magical Marimba, Steelboard Apparitions from Outer Space, Gentle Cottage Piano with Starshine, In Laundry Behind the Fencing, and Brutally Overdriven.

The basic patches are combined in 155 derived patches. A number of these are very intriguing, some standouts being: Iron Islands, Alien Factory, Siberian Side Road, Whale Highway Traffic, Demonic Drummer, Autumn Impressions, Lovely Piece of Glass, Unspecific Events, Biomechanoid Breath and Cockroach Blues. The patches can also be manipulated with the following effects: Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, EW, Lo-Fi, Drive Stereo, Limiter, Volume Cabinet, Delay, Reverb, Attack, Release, Tuning, Pan, LFO. Additionally the library contains 20 multi patches. I quite liked Arctic Exile, Medieval Evil Invocation, Secret of the Green House, and Underwater Structures.

There is a lot of potential for customization of the sounds with the various built-in effects. I also really enjoy the ability to control the various layers of sounds within each patch (for example, to increase or decrease the metallic “noise” layer). With libraries such as this I often find I am freezing tracks to audio in order to maximize control over the envelope.

The patches are laid out across four octaves, but due to the amount of intentional “noise” in the various layers, I find most patches sound very, very different across their range and tend to gravitate towards a more narrow registration for each particular patch (utilizing an octave or so before it changes color dramatically.) The patches tend to run “hot” at medium to higher velocities, so it may be necessary to adjust the output in Kontakt to compensate.

Some of the patches are suitable for melodic and even polyphonic playing, but the majority work very well as sparse texture or elements of color within a texture. There are several that make for very effective and very distinctive stings. The applications for this library run the gamut from haunted houses and supernatural happenings, to alien encounters and nostalgic journeys into other worldly realms. Cold, metallic, and piano.