Christian Raffael Duke

Pianoman, Keys, Synthesizer

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43 Reviews (37 Verified)
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

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

43 Reviews - 8 Repeat Clients

Endorse Christian Raffael Duke
  1. Review by Teddy
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    by Teddy
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    It's always a great pleasure working with Chris, and I always get amazing output!!

  2. Review by Bav
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    by Bav
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    Christian always delivers high quality work that exceeds expectations. The communication is top notch, a great collaborator.

  3. Review by Teddy
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    by Teddy
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    Always great work with Chris!!! Easy to talk and he will deliver his ideas in great details and get yours very quickly!!! Will reach out again for more projects!!!!

  4. Review by Bav
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    by Bav
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    Christian is an excellent keys player, who can take your project to the next level. A great collaborator, highly recommend.

  5. Review by Valentin D.
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    My second collaboration with Christian was as smooth as our first. Always on point, he adds depth and musicality to my productions, provides great additional ideas, and offers helpful advice. I look forward to our next collaboration.

  6. Review by Teddy
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    by Teddy
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    One more new project done with Chris!! No words to say... Always make your track develop into another level and always get your feeling right! Will definitely have more projects to work on in the future!

  7. Review by francois
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    Christian has done a remarkable job on the keys for an house dub track. He manages to capture the expectation really easily and has a rare sense to write catchy synth solos. Moreover he can also come with new great ideas and new synth line to upgrade an existing track. Great musician 10/10

  8. Review by Valentin D.
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    An exceptionally dedicated and highly skilled musician with a profound understanding of his craft. Beyond showcasing a remarkable musical sensibility, he possesses extensive expertise in music production. A solid 10/10!

  9. Review by Daren Dominique Davis
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    Working with Christian was a pleasure! His keys brought new life to my song and gave me the confidence to release it as a single!

  10. Review by Stefan W.
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    Christian is OUTSTANDING at what he does! A real all-things-keyboard gem. I can’t recommend him highly enough :D

  11. Review by Vincent Aire
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    Christian is really that guy! He has the Melodie’s, originality in his music playing and is genuine and collaborative. I had such a blast working with him on my song dream. I definitely recommend working with him. You won’t regret it!!

  12. Review by Teddy
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    by Teddy
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    It‘s such a pleasure to work with Chris in this fresh online way. We worked on a lot of projects through the whole summer. He really developed my composition into another level and always get my feel of the music!I will definitely bring more new works to collaborate in the future!Thanks and 5 stars always!

  13. Review by Darren D.
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    Words can't describe how happy I am to have connected with Christian! Communication was solid right from the beginning—Christian is articulate, responsive, and thoroughly explains his process. It's clear that he spends time with the music to ensure creations remain true to the song's essence. His musicianship is unbelievable, and the results of our collaboration exceeded my expectations. I will 100% be working with Christian again!

  14. Review by Teddy Zhou
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    Always easy and great to talk the thoughs with Chris and excellent feedback of the recording down!5 Stars always!

  15. Review by Cliff L.
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    Always so smooth working with Christian! Great communication and top notch quality as per usual. Love how he is so involved in every step of the way and how he really caters to understanding the vision of the artist. Many more to come!

  16. Review by Teddy Zhou
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    Thank you again for the great synth composing and advice on the track, Chris! It's always very clear and easy to talk with you about the ideas, also you always give a very surprising result of the track! Would be always a pleasure to work with you!

  17. Review by Teddy Zhou
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    Another new project work with Chris! He always treats you well and writes down very clear instructions for your track. Very easy to work with and he really gives you thoughtful suggestions! Always 5 stars!!!

  18. Review by Bav
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    by Bav
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    Great communication throughout and Christian delivered high quality work that fit the brief wonderfully. A fine collaborator, highly recommend.

  19. Review by Teddy
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    by Teddy
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    The sixth project with Chris,easily to talk the idea to him and he always replies you with his thoughts in detail. Hope to the next one and we almost to the end of the album!

  20. Review by Cliff L.
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    Amazing as always!
    Super talented and always provides top quality work.
    Won't be the last time working with Christian

Interview with Christian Raffael Duke

  1. Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

  2. 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".

  3. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  4. A: my second album, which will be a jazz / lofi production.

  5. Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

  6. 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.

  7. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  8. 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!

  9. Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

  10. A: i won't stop until the job is done and you are happy !

  11. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  12. A: to create everyday :-)

  13. Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

  14. A: do you understand what i mean ? - Yes!

  15. Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

  16. A: that it ain't hard work to finish a song properly

  17. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  18. 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 ? ;-)

  19. Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

  20. 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 :-)

  21. Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

  22. 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 ...

  23. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  24. 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 :-)

  25. Q: How would you describe your style?

  26. A: playful, dreamy, colorful, melodic

  27. Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

  28. A: Lenny Kravitz - because the way he creates songs is really unique and i think he's a decent human being!

  29. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  30. 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.

  31. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  32. A: pop, indie, rock, film score, experimental sounds, electronic music

  33. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  34. A: harmony and melody & bringing the artists vision to life by really listening to what the song idea is about.

  35. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  36. 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.

  37. Q: What's your typical work process?

  38. 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 :-)

  39. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  40. 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.

  41. Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

  42. 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.

  43. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  44. A: playing & recording synthesizer, piano and rhodes / creating harmony / composing catchy melodies for vocals, solos, lead synths, also producing and creative consultation.

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my showreel

I was the keyboarder and songwriter in this production

Terms Of Service

typically 3 revisions, but depends on the project - i just want you to be happy with your final product!

GenresSounds Like
  • MGMT
  • Phoenix
  • George Duke
Gear Highlights
  • Juno 106
  • Sequential Prophet 12
  • Nord Stage EX 2
  • Universal Audio Twinfinity 710b
  • Neumann
  • Sennheiser
  • Ibach Upright Piano
  • Moog
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