Luigi Maria Maesano on Cinematic Sound Design and Synth Programming
I’m Sabrina Schinaia, Digital Content Manager at Synthcloud, and I recently had the opportunity to speak with Luigi Maria Maesano, pianist, composer and, above all, a skilled synth programmer whose work focuses on building detailed, performance-ready sound architectures for modern keyboards.
Although Maesano’s background is rooted in classical and jazz piano, much of his musical identity today revolves around sound design and advanced keyboard programming. Over the years he has developed a structured approach to programming performances where layers, articulations and arpeggiators interact to create rich, evolving sonic environments.
This philosophy is at the core of the three sound packs he created for Synthcloud. Rather than simply offering individual presets, these libraries are designed as complete performance systems: sounds are programmed to interact with musical phrases and arrangements, allowing players to move naturally between harmonic layers, rhythmic elements and cinematic textures.
One of the inspirations behind this approach comes from 826aska, known for her elaborate soundtrack arrangements performed on the Yamaha Electone. With its dual manuals and pedalboard, the Electone allows musicians to control multiple musical layers simultaneously, creating arrangements that feel almost orchestral in scope.
Another key influence is Jordan Rudess, widely recognized for his sophisticated approach to keyboard programming. Inspired by this level of creative control, Maesano focuses his work on instruments such as the Yamaha MODX and Yamaha Montage, exploring ways to combine layered synthesis, motion and performance programming to achieve cinematic depth from a single keyboard.
Looking ahead, one of his ideas is to develop sound libraries inspired by the iconic keyboard sounds of Dream Theater, translating sonic concepts traditionally associated with Korg instruments into the Yamaha ecosystem, while also acknowledging the influence of Kevin Moore, whose early work helped define the band’s keyboard sound.
Alongside his sound design work, Maesano continues to explore composition and performance through his recent album Anima in Notis, a project that blends acoustic instruments and synthesizers into a single musical language.
And if there’s one thing that clearly emerges from his work, it’s this: with the right programming, a synthesizer can become far more than a keyboard, it can become an entire musical universe.
Purchase his sound banks from Official vendor profile.
You can also pre-save Luigi Maria Maesano’s first two singles on Spotify: Gravity Shift - If I Ain’t Got You.
Stay tuned!! And keep your synths warm.
