The quiet intimacy of felted strings

Ningbo Felt 2021 offers a quiet, expressive voice shaped by felted strings and a naturally intimate recording space. The tone is soft and subdued, with gentle attacks and a warm, muted resonance that invites slower playing and subtle dynamics. It’s a piano built for restraint, ideal for cinematic scoring, ambient textures, and moments that need to feel personal.

Sampled from the same upright as Ningbo Upright 2021, this version was recorded with the felt engaged across all registers. Five stereo microphone positions capture its full character, from close and focused to spacious and atmospheric, giving you control over how the piano sits in your mix without losing its quiet charm.

The Piano

This piano speaks in hushed tones. With the felt engaged, each note emerges gently, softened at the edges and wrapped in warmth. The attack is subdued, the resonance quiet, and the overtones held back just enough to let the silence between notes carry weight.

It’s a sound built for restraint. The felt dampens not just volume, but urgency, creating a space where the music feels personal and unforced. It invites slower tempos, sparse voicings, and moments where the performance is more about presence than projection.

Whether you’re scoring for film, writing late at night, or simply chasing a quieter mood, this piano offers a voice that stays close to the listener. It doesn’t demand attention. It earns it.

Instrument Specs

• Nearly new condition, minimal play wear
• Felt engaged across all registers during sampling
• Hailun H-1P upright, built in 2021
• Height: 48 inches

Recording Environment

• Small living room, naturally controlled ambience
• Mic positioning chosen for a balanced, realistic stereo image

Sound Profile

• Soft, muted tone with gentle attack
• Reduced brightness and minimal overtones
• Ideal for cinematic scoring, ambient textures, and intimate arrangements

Microphone Positions

• Front Under - A pair of Omni-directional condenser mics underneath the keyboard facing the bridge. Provides a close, intimate sound with very light hammer action noise.
• Behind Close - A pair of cardioid microphones near the soundboard behind the piano. This gives that woody characteristic sound of an upright piano while still being close and wide.
• Behind Spaced - Pulled back a couple feet from the back side of the soundboard. This gives a more spacious and natural sound, with a bright crisp tone.
• Front Over - A wide pair of microphones aiming at the hammers. Despite what you may expect, this position gives a dark, distant, but wide tone.
• Room - A pair of spaced omni-directional microphones about 6 feet away from the piano. These capture the entire piano and the room. This position gives a more distant sound and works best blended with the other microphone positions.