Christian Raffael Duke on SoundBetter

Hey! I'm offering my services as pianoman, keyboardist and songwriter of indie band "Pax Verdi". I'm always looking for new music and challenges to work on, whether it's about nice rhodes, piano parts, warm synth-pads or beautiful melodies. Get in touch if you like :-)

I'm all about playing and composing beautiful harmonies and melodies, that fit your musical vision perfectly.
So for the last 12 years i have been working as a professional session musician and as a composer for artists and film music. I can record everything here in my studio in Cologne, Germany with my nice warm pre-amps and the nearly 1 million keyboards i got here ;-) If you're interested, just write me a message and we'll talk about your project and your vision!

Of course i will give everything i got until you're 100% satisfyed with the results!

Let's make some music :-) find me on Instagram for more piano: cdukemusic

Have a great day,
Christian

Send me a note through the contact button above.

Credits

61 Reviews - 12 Repeat Clients

Endorse Christian Raffael Duke

by Arjan S.
Verified
third time working with christian, super nice patient guy, was happy to go back and forth with revisions until we got it right. can't say enough how talented he is too! top musician.
by Arjan S.
Verified
Second time working with Christian, super talented guy, took what I asked and got it perfect first time round. really helpful guy too, can't recommend him enough!
by Teddy
Verified
The coolest project that I've ever made and the coolest cooperation with Chris here again!! Let's big up the music! 5 Stars always!
by Jay F.
Verified
Second time working with Christian and he once again blew me away with his talents! Like I mentioned to him, it's very clear that he puts a lot of care and dedication into his work. Oh, and he's a super kind and awesome human too. Will definitely be coming back for more!
by Teddy
Verified
5 stars for Chris always! Nice work done and very easy to connect with ideas! Looking forward to the next project!
by Valentin D.
Verified
Five-star experience again! It's always a pleasure collaborating with Christian.
by Carl P.
Verified
Christian is definitely the “KEYS MAN”!! Great communication and very talented musician! He brought some great melodies to my song.
by Cliff L.
Verified
Always amazing working with Christian. He is so talented and always brings top tier sonics. Many more to come!
by Vincent Aire
Verified
Chris is amazing. He helped me produce my second single and it’s been such a fun process. Chris is passionate in his craft and has style! Pick him for your next project!!! ✨
by Arjan S.
Verified
Christian literally had what I needed from the start, really cool with any revisions too. Exceptionally talented and soulful dude, can't wait to work with him again!
by francois
Verified
2nd collaboration with Christian and once again, it's an ace ! He really got the vibes. He's a real keyboard master in term of programming and arrangements. Also collaboration with him is very easy and runs like a breath. 5 Stars !
by maxg
Verified
Christian went above and beyond to deliver what I needed for my project. Christian is a very talented pianist and musician and a pleasure to work with. Highly recommended to anyone.
by Jay
Verified
First time working with Christian and I have nothing but great things to say. Incredibly talented, super friendly and just an all around good person. On top of that, he delivered fantastic parts in a really short time frame. Really appreciate all his hard work and dedication to make sure he got me something I'd love. Highly recommend, I'll be back for sure!
by Patrick M.
Verified
Christian was wonderful to work with. He immediately had great ideas to support my vision of the song and really went above and beyond to find excellent textures and tones. I highly recommend him and can’t wait to work together again soon!
by Valentin D.
Verified
Best musician I've ever worked with and a very kind person!
by Luis E.
Verified
It was so great working with christian, he was so fast! and also he gets what you are doing, incredible ear training and a terrific musician thanks for this
by Teddy
Verified
This is the most beautiful piece that I worked with Chris on, and again, it always brings great output to you! 5 stars again and again!!!
by Kit C.
Verified
Absolute pleasure working with Christian and great results. Look forward to more!
by Teddy
Verified
It's always a great pleasure working with Chris, and I always get amazing output!!
by Bav
Verified
Christian always delivers high quality work that exceeds expectations. The communication is top notch, a great collaborator.

Interview with Christian Raffael Duke

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: for sure my first album, which is a solo piano album with all my piano pieces i composed over 10 years - if you like you can find it on spotify & co - it's called "For One Smiling Day To Be Free".
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: my second album, which will be a jazz / lofi production.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: yes, Francois Michaud from WildHorseStudio, he makes a mix with some much heart! and of course Tim Bremer, a great producer that gets the job done perfectly everytime.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: both of course - i think when you record a signal it is important to "warm it up" and make it already sound great by using nice analog gear - but of course the digital workflow afterwards is much more easier to handle :-) So - first analog then digital. Easy!
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: i won't stop until the job is done and you are happy !
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: to create everyday :-)
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: do you understand what i mean ? - Yes!
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: that it ain't hard work to finish a song properly
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: 1) tell me about your vision of your song or project! 2) what kind of music / sounds do you like ? 3) how much time we got ? ;-)
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: talk to the person you wanna hire about your vision and your idea of how your music should sound - communicaion is key i think :-)
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: haha, good question. 1) my juno106 2) my 60's upright piano 3) my tape recorder 4) U87 5) and some cables to connect everything ...
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: i come from a musical family, my dad's a musical director and conductor, i've been playing piano since the age of 4, then got into a band, played a lot of bar piano in restaurants and clubs and studied composition and piano at the art university in Essen, Germany - so basically never did anything else :-)
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: playful, dreamy, colorful, melodic
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Lenny Kravitz - because the way he creates songs is really unique and i think he's a decent human being!
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: take your time when placing the mics for your upright piano recording - you can already find the right spot in the mix by placing the mics at the right spot.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: pop, indie, rock, film score, experimental sounds, electronic music
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: harmony and melody & bringing the artists vision to life by really listening to what the song idea is about.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: i can develop harmonic structures that go beyond usual chord progressions but still sound commercial and accessible. Moreover i'm able to create nice melodies and thoughtful arrangenments that can bring a song to the next level.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: usually the client shows me the demo or production he's working on and tells me what his vision might be; sometimes i get also some song examples of how a synth or a piano vibe should sound - then i get to work by creating little demos of how my part in the project would sound and send it over. Then we work on it until it's finished and my client is very happy :-)
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I've got a lot of keyboards in my set-up (Juno 106, Prophet 12, Nord Stage EX, Korg MS-20, Behringer Mini Moog, Korg X50, Yamaha PSS, an old Casio-Synth etc...) which i record through my beautiful UAD-Twinfinity 710b-4-Channel-Preamp. The sound is so warm and deep, you have to love it. On the digital side i work with UAD Apollo Interfaces and Logic Pro X with FabFilter and Soundtoys. I record my upright piano with stereo neumann or rhode mics, and neumann TLM 103 or Aston Origin as room mic.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: everything with clever harmonic compositions and soulful productions as phoenix, MGMT, Daft Punk, Tame Impala etc that are not only musically well made but also contain a lot of character and soul within their recordings.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: playing & recording synthesizer, piano and rhodes / creating harmony / composing catchy melodies for vocals, solos, lead synths, also producing and creative consultation.