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piano from “drivers license” by olivia rodrigo | ToneDB

drivers license

olivia rodrigo

piano

80% ai confidence

Tone Profile

A clean, resonant, and emotive grand piano sound with significant atmospheric reverb, providing the melancholic foundation of the track.

Signal Chain

Instrument: Spectrasonics Keyscape (Yamaha C7 Grand Piano preset likely)

Amp: Direct Input / Software Instrument

Processing: EQ (subtle low-cut, presence boost), Compression (light, for dynamic control), Reverb (Large Hall/Plate, medium-long decay)

Other: MIDI performance capturing dynamic variations. Potential subtle saturation for warmth.

Recording Notes

  • Likely recorded using a high-quality piano sample library via MIDI.
  • The reverb is a crucial element, creating the song's atmospheric space.
  • Performance dynamics (velocity) are key to the emotional delivery.
  • EQ likely used to ensure the piano sits well against the vocal without cluttering low frequencies.

Recreation Tips

  • Use a high-quality sampled grand piano (Yamaha C7 models are a good starting point).
  • Apply a spacious reverb (Hall or Plate) with a decay time around 2-4 seconds.
  • Adjust EQ to remove muddiness (below 80-100Hz) and add clarity (around 2-5kHz).
  • Use light compression (ratio 2:1 or 3:1, slow attack, medium release) to even out dynamics slightly.
  • Focus on playing with expressive velocity changes.

Sources