There are 12 tracks on the album, coming out in iTunes, Amazon etc soon. Take a listen to the album below.

The Alecia Keys piano running in Logic

The album includes Clair de Lune and First Arabesque by Debussy, Liszt’s stunning Consolation No 3 in D flat, all 3 of the mesmerising Gymnopedies by Satie and pieces by Bach, Faure, Brahms and Schumann.

One of my favourite tracks on this album is the achingly beautiful Clair De Lune by Claude Debussy (1862-1918) Take a listen below.

Alecia Keys sampled piano – a virtual piano created by Danish sample specialist Thomas Skarbye (better known as Scarbee). The piano is Alecia Keys very own Yamaha C3 Neo grand built in 2002 and represents the very top of the Conservatory Collection line, and the samples perfectly capture the warm, soulful and inspiring sound of the C3 – perfect for Clair De Lune.

The Alecia Keys piano running in Logic

Background

Clair de Lune (moonlight) is part of Debussy’s Bergamasque Suite written around 1890, but not published until 1905. Clair De Lune was originally titled “Promenade Sentimentale”.

Links
Alecia Keys Piano

In my experience using the Sony version, I found that in terms of wind protection it made the recorder useable outside but it was still sometimes vulnerable to wind noise, plus it’s not difficult for the hat to come away from the recorder.

All round protection
If you were out with a pro mic rig, like a pair of Sennheiser MKHs, they would be in shock absorbing cradles and enclosed in a basket or blimp,  with the whole thing wrapped in womble fur to shield the mics from airflow. Of course what this rig does as well is offer some wear and tear protection for those expensive Sennheiser microphones.

"Are you from the Baa Baa Cee?"

So wouldn’t it be cool if someone came up with an all in one wind protection “jacket” for the D50. Well luckily for us Sony D50 users, “the windcutter.com” in the USA, have done exactly that!

The Windcutter StormChaser

Appropriately called “Stormchaser” these jackets completely enclose the D50 with fur protection all the way around. There’s a vinyl window for monitoring record levels and access to front panel control as well as velcro openings on the sides for cables and adjusting the record level and headphone amp.

In a recent storm we had here in the UK I took my D50 and stormchaser jacket out for a test. With a bit of drizzle in the air it was reassuring to have the D50 protected from the raindrops by the vinyl front cover. Below is the recording of the wind I made. Whilst you can’t hold the D50 straight into the eye of the fiercest gusts and expect to get no rumble whatsoever, the results are very impressive.

My Sony D50 now permanently lives in it’s new “Stormchaser” jacket home.

More details from thewindcutter.com

The video was filmed on a little Sony camera so please excuse the picture quality.