Thread: Getting an ambient "dreamy" soundtrack piano sound

I've been trying to get that typical dreamy piano sound for some time now with little results. It's often used in film soundtracks and such, a few notes high up the keyboard that have a lot of reverb/ambience and perhaps a little echo. Most of the time with strings backing. I'm not totally sure, which is why I'm posting here.

I can't find too many examples right now, though 8:10 on this sounds like it:
06- Ljudet Innan - YouTube

And 1:06 on this:
Halo 3 Theme (Strings and Piano) With Slideshow - YouTube

Also the piano on Amsterdam by Coldplay, Cluster One by Pink Floyd, and the opening of Surrounded by Dream Theater.

I've been looking for the right kind of samples too. Anything on the brighter side will not do. In fact an upright with a slightly loose damper(like mine) would be excellent. And then I cut a bit of sheen and boost a bit of the fundamentals, and add reverb. But I'm not able to get it right. If somebody has any experience with this I'd be extremely grateful for any advice.

In your first example I think that a high cut filter, a big space reverb and some modulation effect would do the job, but you should combine some electric piano samples together with the acoustic ones. Maybe with one octave distance between them (with the electric being the higher ones)

In the second example sounds like an ordinary piano with some ambience (mid-high frequencies)
For this case you don't need "special samples" for achieving this sound, it's a matter of processing.