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piano from “still d.r.e.” by dr. dre | ToneDB

still d.r.e.

dr. dre

piano

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

A clean, bright piano sound with a slightly compressed and polished feel, contributing to the track's signature West Coast hip-hop vibe. The tone is clear and present, cutting through the mix without being overly harsh.

Gear

Yamaha Motifinstrument
Reverb$600Sweetwater
SSL G-Master Buss Compressorprocessing
ReverbSweetwater

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The Story

The iconic piano sound on 'Still D.R.E.' was created using a Yamaha Motif workstation synthesizer. The track was recorded at Sierra Sonics Recording Mansion in Reno, Nevada, with engineer Richard Huredia and Dr. Dre. SSL G-Master Buss Compressor was used during mixing to give the piano its polished, compressed feel that cuts through the dense hip-hop production.

Production Credits

Producer: Dr. Dre

Engineer: Richard Huredia

Recorded at: Sierra Sonics Recording Mansion (Reno, NV)

Signal Chain

Instrument: Yamaha Motif

Processing: SSL G-Master Buss Compressor

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a clean, bright piano sample or synthesized piano patch.
  • Apply compression to achieve a polished and glued sound. A buss compressor like the SSL G-Master Buss Compressor is a good choice.
  • Use EQ to shape the tone, focusing on clarity and presence in the mix.

Original Gear

  • Yamaha Motif(keyboard)
  • SSL G-Master Buss Compressor(compressor)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Yamaha Modx8$1400-$1600

Alternative to: Yamaha Motif workstation

Modern successor to the Motif with the same piano engines and sampling technology used on the original track

ReverbSweetwater
SSL G-Master Buss Compressor Plugin$200-$300

Alternative to: SSL G-Master Buss Compressor

Official plugin version of the exact hardware compressor used to achieve that polished, glued piano sound

ReverbSweetwater
Native Instruments The Giant$150-$200

Alternative to: Yamaha Motif piano samples

High-quality sampled piano with similar brightness and clarity, works well for hip-hop production when compressed

ReverbSweetwater
Klark Teknik EQP-KT$150-$200

Alternative to: SSL G-Master Buss Compressor

Budget hardware compressor that can provide similar bus compression characteristics for that polished feel

ReverbSweetwater
Arturia Keylab 88 MkII with piano plugins$600-$800

Alternative to: Yamaha Motif workstation

Quality MIDI controller that can trigger modern piano plugins to recreate the bright, sampled piano character

ReverbSweetwater

Sources

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