LABS Glass Piano
Key Features
- Recorded from Philip Glass's personal baby grand piano — the instrument behind 30 years of his compositions
- Captured at Glass's Manhattan home, preserving the room's natural acoustic character
- Six included presets covering bright, muted, soft, and atmospheric piano voicings
- No Kontakt required — runs in the free Spitfire LABS (Splice INSTRUMENT) plugin
- Compatible with macOS and Windows via VST2, VST3, AU, and AAX formats
- Usable offline after initial download and account creation
- Free to download and use permanently — no subscription required
Description
LABS Glass Piano puts one of the most storied instruments in contemporary classical music directly into your DAW. Spitfire Audio recorded the actual baby grand piano that composer Philip Glass has used to write every piece of music he has created over the past 30 years, capturing it in the same room at his Manhattan home where it has always sat.
The recording was made in January 2022 with Spitfire's characteristically meticulous approach to sampling — close microphone positions, natural room ambience, and careful velocity layering. The result is a piano with a distinctive personal quality: slightly intimate, a touch worn-in, with just enough resonance to sit beautifully in ambient or minimalist compositions.
Six preset variations shape the character of the instrument, each reflecting a different aspect of Glass's own catalog. These range from a bright and articulate standard grand to softer, more muted voicings suited for atmospheric underscoring or melodic layering.
Glass Piano runs inside the free Spitfire LABS plugin (now part of Splice INSTRUMENT), available for macOS and Windows as VST2, VST3, AU, and AAX — compatible with every major DAW including Logic Pro, Ableton Live, FL Studio, Cubase, Reaper, and Pro Tools. No Kontakt license is required.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does LABS Glass Piano require Native Instruments Kontakt?
No. LABS Glass Piano runs inside the free Spitfire LABS plugin, which is now part of Splice INSTRUMENT. You do not need Kontakt or any other third-party sampler. Download the LABS installer from labs.spitfireaudio.com/download and install it — the Glass Piano pack loads directly inside it.
How do I install LABS Glass Piano in my DAW?
Download the LABS installer from labs.spitfireaudio.com/download and run it. During installation, choose VST, VST3, or AU (plus Standalone if you want to run it outside a DAW). Once installed, open your DAW, scan for new plugins, load LABS, and use the browser inside to find and download the Glass Piano pack. A free Splice account is required to download packs.
Can I use LABS Glass Piano offline?
Yes, after the initial download. The LABS plugin requires an internet connection to download packs for the first time, but once the samples are on your drive you can use it in offline mode. Spitfire has documented offline use specifically for studio environments without internet access.
Which DAWs does LABS Glass Piano work with?
LABS is compatible with Logic Pro, Ableton Live, FL Studio, Cubase, Reaper, GarageBand, and Pro Tools (via AAX). It installs as VST2, VST3, AU, or AAX depending on your platform. Spitfire provides specific how-to guides for each DAW on the LABS help site.
