Roberto Macrì on Bringing Vintage Keyboards Back to Life

I’m Sabrina Schinaia, Digital Content Manager at SynthCloud, and I recently had a quick conversation with Roberto Macrì.

Macrì is not just a performer. While he does have solid experience as a professional keyboardist, including live work and touring, his core identity today is strongly tied to sound design and programming.

He works daily on building sounds that are meant to be used, not just heard. His approach comes from a very practical place: sounds need to respond well, sit properly in a mix, and remain consistent in real situations, whether in the studio or on stage.

Alongside his activity as a musician, he teaches electronic keyboards at the Conservatory of Pavia, and this educational background is clearly reflected in the way he structures his work. There’s a sense of method behind what he does, an attention to detail that goes beyond aesthetics and focuses on functionality.

During our conversation, one thing became clear: he builds sounds starting from real use. He uses them himself, in his own setups, refining them over time. That’s why they don’t feel abstract or overly designed, they feel grounded.

His sound libraries on SynthCloud follow this exact philosophy. They are not built as showcase presets, but as working tools. Sounds that you can rely on, that react properly under your fingers, and that don’t need to be fixed once you load them.

Another defining aspect of his work is his interest in vintage keyboards. Not from a nostalgic perspective, but from a creative one. He enjoys taking older instruments and reworking their sonic identity, updating them so they can function in a modern production or live context.

Looking ahead, he’s planning to expand this approach further, especially within the Korg ecosystem, with upcoming libraries for instruments like the Korg M1 and the Korg Nautilus.

There’s no need to overstate it, his work is quite straightforward in its intent. Build sounds that work, and make them usable for real musicians.

And in the end, that’s exactly what you get: not just presets, but tools shaped by someone who actually programs, tests, and plays them.

Purchase his sound banks from the official vendor profile.

Stay tuned and keep your synths warm.