Wavesfactory has announced W-Harpsichord, a sample library for Native Instruments Kontakt and Logic EXS24.
The harpsichord doesn’t respond to any dynamics, so there’s 1 velocity layer. But, in order to have the more realism as posible, we sampled all (no pitch shifting) notes 3 times (3 round robin), even though is always the same volume there are always nuances that make the difference. Even the release samples have been sampled with 3 round robin.
There are 2 knobs in the GUI that control the type of the release: Dry and Resonance. With the “dry” you can only listen the key sound, and with the “resonance” one you can listen the key sound + natural resonance of the other strings.
The sample library is available to purchase for 9.95 EUR.
SampleTekk has announced the release of Virginal, a sample library for Kontakt, EXS24, HALion, and NN-XT.
A virginal is a smaller and simpler rectangular form of the harpsichord with only one string per note running more or less parallel to the keyboard on the long side of the case.
The heyday of the virginals was the latter half of the 16th century to the later 17th century until the high baroque period.
The sample library costs $12 USD. Until December 1st, 2012, all sample SampleTekk products are 50% off in a Winter Sale.
Tronsonic has announced Micro packs, a new range of sample libraries for Native Instruments Kontakt.
Tronsonic Detroit Hammond Mikcro pack for NI Kontakt.
These can be seen as extra ‘tape banks’, in the same way for example that the mellotron has it’s own range, though of course these are virtual (the original samples however have all been recorded to different varieties of tape at some point).
The interface enables full control over how ‘damaged’ you’d like the tape to sound, as well as how expressive the instrument is – having controls over velocity, velocity to filter cutoff and adsr envelopes.
There is a constantly running tape machine behind the scenes, with the ‘degrader’ allowing you precise control over how much you’d like the tape to be damaged, via volume, tone or pitch. The ‘warble’ generator is completely randomized, so no damage will ever sound the same, and can give you instant ‘Boards of Canada’ type sounds, should you wish.
Tronsonic Micro packs
Detroit Hammond – Moody damaged 7th chords from the Hammond m100.
Electric Harpsichord – Harpsichord preset from the Farfisa 110pro 1970′s portable organ.
DubDrum 141 – 16 variations of a beat from the Hammond auto-vari64 drum machine, dubbed out through 2 daisy-chained wem copicat tape delays. Tempo at 70.5/141 bpm.
The Micro packs are available to purchase for £1.99 GBP each.
Sound Magic has announced Hybrid Harpsichord, a hybrid modeling vintage harpsichord for Windows.
The Hybrid Harpsichord is based on an instrument built by Kirckman in the 1770s. This rare-seen classic instrument has a single manual with 3 stops, including a lute stop. The Krickman Harpsichord is famous for its unique, high quality sound and although this particular instrument is over 240 years old, it’s in surprisingly excellent condition.
To make this wonderful instrument available to all musicians, we did careful sampling and used our Sound Magic Award-Winning Hybrid Modeling Technology to bring it to life once again. During the recording session, we use several acclaimed Brauner VMA microphones, which nowadays are considered to be the best microphones available for this sort of job. We also used API preamps and dCS’s Analog to Digital Converters to record it.
Sound Magic Award-Winning Hybrid Modeling Technology offers both the authentic sound of sampling and the playability of Physical Modeling. With over 20 controls on final sound, the Hybrid Harpsichord provides you with everything you need for a great sounding harpsichord suitable for many different styles of sound. Its NEO Hybrid Modeling Engine reshapes every note to ensure that each successive note sounds slightly different. Although by it’s very nature the original harpsichord is not sensitive to dynamic changes, Sound Magic has included an optional dynamic response system if you want to add something a little different to your instrument. Accents and crescendos on a harpsichord might have been unheard of in the 1770′s, but it might be exactly what you’re looking for! The NEO Hybrid Modeling Engine also makes the CPU usage of the Hybrid Harpsichord unnoticeable and its 190MB size allows it to run fast – even on an old pc.
Hybrid Harpsichord features
Industrial Best NEO Hybrid Modeling Engine.
Optional Dynamic Response System.
Multi Microphone Positions.
Over 20 Controls on Sound.
KeySwitch between different Stops.
Built in Professional Reverb Effect.
The Hybrid Harpsichord for Windows (VST) is available to purchase for 69 EUR. Existing Sound Magic customers pay 50 EUR. A Mac version (VST/AU) is expected end of May, 2012.
Spitfire Audio has released Orchestral Grand Piano, a piano sample library for Native Instruments Kontakt.
A quick walk-through of Spitfire’s Orchestral Grand Piano
Orchestral Grand Piano is a super realistic “contextual” piano designed specifically to fit proudly within your full orchestral arrangements. Having recorded it in one of the greatest studios in the world we’re confident it will fit in with any palette. But if you’re an existing Spitfire user, this VI will seamlessly integrate.
Pianos tend to be recorded in a very scientific manner which is why, for larger orchestral mockups and realisations they can often be very difficult to blend in and mix. You will have no such problems here. We simply recorded the piano as we have the rest of our modules. In situ, a real-world setting with mics placed as they would be for any orchestral session. The end result a piano sounding as it would, where it would be and recorded as it would be for any of the great film scores to have been recorded in Air-Studios Lyndhurst Hall.
The Orchestral Grand Piano library for Kontakt (full version required) is available to purchase at the introductory price of £39 GBP.
Spitfire has also announced the upcoming Steven Devine’s Harpsichord sample library for Kontakt.
Soon to hit our shelves; Steven Devine graced us with the presence of his beautiful Harpsichord (the soundboard of which makes up this product’s artwork) enthusiasm, passion and detailed practical advise to complete our latest module which will be available for a limited period (until the 18th April 2012) at a once-off introductory price.
Soniccouture, in conjunction with The Birmingham Conservatoire, has announced The Conservatoire Collection, a completely unique collection of 10 different baroque, renaissance and early musical instruments.
The collection centres around two magnificent reproduction harpsichords, and also features guitars, theorbos and a hurdy gurdy.
These beautiful new instruments bring the soundscape of our musical past to life, showing us how incredibly diverse our modern instruments’ predecessors were. We are now able to enter into our musical heritage more faithfully, and the new palette of sounds available offers fresh inspiration for composers today.
The Conservatoire Collection features
23 GB core sample library ( 9 GB on disc with NCW lossless compression).
24 bit 96 khz stereo sampling.
10 Kontakt Player instruments: French Harpsichord, Flemish Harpsichord, Theorbo, English Theorbo, Baroque Guitar, Psaltery, Baroque Timpani, Renaissance Side Drums, Nakers, Hurdy Gurdy.
Up to 10 velocity layers, 3 alternate Round Robin layers.
Key-off samples and multiple articulations according to instrument.
Real time hand postion control for guitar instruments.
User selectable scales and tuning control for all pitched instruments.
The Conservatoire Collection is available at an introductory price of €179 EUR / $219 USD until Sept 16, 2011. Use coupon code OVD069KVPK at checkout to take advantage of this offer.
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