Sonokinetic has announced the release of Espressivo, a Kontakt Player instrument library that captures the sound of shock and awe.

Sonokinetic Espressivo screen

Many of our phrase-based libraries are conceived with a specific usage in mind… Maximo for intense action, Sotto for subtle scoring and Grosso for dramatic chases. The performances captured in these libraries have been put to use by our composer base in varied and surprising ways. For this reason we can’t wait to hear what you create using our most intense library yet… “Espressivo”.

The sounds of horror, terror and suspense are as old as cinema itself, from Herrmann’s “Psycho” & “Vertigo” to Goldsmith’s “Alien” & “The Omen”. These dissonant strings, stabbing brass sections, skittering percussion and aleatoric woodwinds are as synonymous to the genres, making our hair stand on end and forcing us to avert our eyes from the screen. Many other composers such as Krzysztof Penderecki, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Charles Ives have been our inspiration too, creating a palette of sounds which provide both inspiration and intimidation.

In the recording sessions we pushed our orchestra to their physical and mental limit and they rewarded us with some extraordinary playing techniques that would be just impossible for a composer to pull off using multi-sampled libraries. Our strings, brass, woodwind and percussion players wrung everything out of their instruments. After they were done we wrapped the performances in a brand new Kontakt engine to ensure maximum flexibility and playability from the hundreds of phrases on offer.

For the first time ever with a Sonokinetic library you can trigger up to 48 phrases simultaneously (from the hundreds available), all tempo synced and with multiple microphone options. Pads, rhythmic loops, crescendi, melodies and stabs all meld together in one gloriously terrifying instrument sure to add realism, authenticity and a dose of drama to your cues.

Espressivo is available for the introductory price of 199.90 EUR (regular 249.90 EUR).

More information: Sonokinetic / Espressivo