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piano from “blueberry hill” by fats domino | ToneDB

blueberry hill

fats domino

piano

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

Warm, vintage piano tone with a slightly honky-tonk character. The sound is full and present, capturing the energy of a live performance.

Gear

Steinway Grand Pianoinstrument
ReverbSweetwater
RCA 44microphone
Reverb$950Sweetwater

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The Story

Fats Domino's piano on "Blueberry Hill" was recorded at J&M Recording Studio in New Orleans with producer Dave Bartholomew and engineer Cosimo Matassa. The piano was captured using an RCA 44 microphone, which was a staple ribbon mic of the era known for its warm, vintage tone. The recording captured Domino's characteristic honky-tonk piano style with the full, present sound typical of 1950s live studio recordings.

Production Credits

Producer: Dave Bartholomew

Engineer: Cosimo Matassa

Recorded at: J&M Recording Studio, New Orleans

Signal Chain

Instrument: Steinway Grand Piano

Microphone: RCA 44

Recreation Tips

  • Use a high-quality grand piano sample or instrument as your base.
  • Apply a touch of compression to even out the dynamics and add sustain.
  • Experiment with EQ to emphasize the mid-range frequencies, adding a slight 'honk' or 'bark' to the tone.
  • Add a touch of plate reverb to emulate the ambience of a live recording session.

Original Gear

  • Steinway Grand Piano(keyboard)
  • RCA 44(mic)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Native Instruments The Giant$149-199

Alternative to: Steinway Grand Piano

Sampled from a vintage Klavins Una Corda piano, captures the intimate, slightly honky-tonk character of 1950s piano recordings

ReverbSweetwater
Golden Age Project R1 MkIII$199-249

Alternative to: RCA 44 ribbon microphone

Active ribbon microphone that provides the warm, vintage character of classic RCA ribbons for recording acoustic piano

ReverbSweetwater
Addictive Keys Studio Grand$99-149

Alternative to: Steinway Grand Piano

Budget-friendly option that includes vintage microphone modeling and can be shaped to match 1950s piano tones

ReverbSweetwater
Royer R-121$1299-1499

Alternative to: RCA 44 ribbon microphone

Premium ribbon microphone that captures the smooth, warm character essential for vintage piano recordings

ReverbSweetwater

Sources

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