Results for harpsichord

Bolder Sounds has released Virginal, a sample library created from a replica of a 4 octave Italian Box Virginal.

The Virginal is the predecessor of the Harpsichord with the strings running parallel to the keyboard rather than from front to back like the Harpsichord. England’s Virgin Queen ( Elizabeth I ) was said to be a fine performer on the instrument.

Virginals were made all over Europe between the years 1500 and 1800. The earliest and some of the best Box Virginals were made in Italy with a spruce soundboard.

Virginal is available to purchase in Kontakt 3 and EXS24 formats for the introductory price of $29.95 USD until the end March 2011.

More information: Bolder Sounds

SampleTekk has announced an Acoustic Piano Sale, a time limited offer on its acoustic piano sample libraries.

SampleTekk Acoustic Pianos

• 7CG – Seven Seas Grand, Yamaha C7 – Super detailed multisampled Grand Piano No less then 93 unique samples per recorded note.
• 7CG Jr, Yamaha C7 – A subset from the 7CG – The most detailed sampled Yamaha C7 (c) ever.
• Black Grand – Steinway D – The magnificent Steinway D, recorded in a concerthall for the true concert grand experience.
• Harpsichord – The instrument was sampled in thirds, (C, D#, F# and A) in each octave.
• PMI Bosendorfer 290 – This Bösendorfer library provides the greatest possible control during the softest pianissimo, through crescendos to the reserves of power needed for the loudest fortissimo.
• PMI Clavichords – This library brings you a small and a larger Clavichord. The clavichords have been sampled with their release sounds, giving them an unbelievable realistic quality.
• PMI Estonia – Estonia Concert Grand piano is a multi-velocity level chromatically sampled piano of the highest realism!
• PMI Forte E – A new 24 bit sampled Fortepiano with 3 velocity layers, sustain and modulator patches.
• PMI Historic Keyboards – A collection of historic instruments: 2 harpsichords, a virginal and a fortepiano for GigaStudio and compatible samplers.
• PMI Hybrid – Modular: Design Your Own Piano. The Hybrid Pianos are unlike any other piano library available today.
• PMI Old Lady – The final 24 bit grand piano library! This library brings you an amazing Model 1923 Steinway D grand piano.
• PMI Steinway D – We recorded the best grand piano we could find. This particular instrument is in premium condition, a Steinway model D3 with serial number 393210 which was built in 1965.
• PMI The Emperor – The final 24 bit grand piano library!!! EMPEROR: This library brings you an incredible Bösendorfer 290 SE as the most realistic sample library available today.
• PMI Yamaha C7 – PMI Yamaha C7 concervatory grand. Pop piano! Up to 16 levels of velocity, recorded at 96kHz/24 bits.
• Rain Piano – A serious Upright piano with character. Sometimes a Grand Piano is simply too much or lacks personality. Rain Piano is professionally setup to add character while staying in tune with your other instruments.
• SG88 Mk II – Studio Grand 88 – A large sample instrument that provides extra responsive velocity layering smooth transition from softest to loudest timbres.
• Steiny D – Steinway D – Based on the same samples as the award winning Black Grand. Sampleset contains more then 1000 individual samples.
• Steiny D Close! – Steinway D – Based on the samples recorded during the Black Grand session.
• TSO Yamaha C7 – The TSO is the stripped down, slicker, smaller version of TBO. Same timbre, same great sound, but a more economic, no fat version that can be useful when you need to work on a smaller budget. Still, it’s a big one!
• Vertikal Jazz / Pop – The Vertikal is a upright piano recorded and designed to do the job when you need that little extra “umpf” in your songs.
• WG Jr – Based on the same samples as the famous White Grand we have managed to make a smaller version that has the sound and playability that makes the White Grand so grand – in short: a little brother with a lot of attitude!!!!
• White Grand – SampleTekks White Grand – The Ultimate Studio Grand Piano.
• White Sister – The White Grand by SampleTekk is by many musicians and composers believed to be the finest contemporary studio rock/pop/jazz Grand Piano.

The SampleTekk acoustic piano libraries are available at 25% discount until February 18^th, 2011.

More information: SampleTekk

Realsamples has released Italian Harpsichord III – Edition Beurmann, a sample library featuring a 300 year old harpsichord.

The Italian Harpsichord III library features an instrument built around 1690 by an anonymous maker.

Featuring three sounds – a front and a rear 8′ register as well both together – it allows for the traditional rich and slick Italian harpsichord tone, offering additional flexibility by choosing the adequate 8′ or using the gentle 2 x 8′ combination with its inspiring and complex harmonics.

Italian Harpsichord III features

• 3 different register combinations sampled: Front 8′, Rear 8′ and 2 x 8′.
• 8 different samples of each note per register combination.
• 4 different release sounds of each note per register combination.
• ready to play HAlion®/Kontakt2®/EXS24® or GigaStudio3® presets.
• wave format (except GigaStudio® version).
• no mastering applied.
• recorded in 192 khz/24 bits resolution and downsampled.
• DVD set.
• license-free applicable in your music.

Italian Harpsichord III – Edition Beurmann is available to purchase for $149.95 USD excl. VAT and postage.

More information: Realsamples

Realsamples has released French Harpsichord – Edition Beurmann, a sample library featuring a double-manual instrument by renowned French builder Nicolas Pigalle.

The instrument – built in Dijon in 1771 – features an “enchanting sound with singing clarity and a substantial bass”, as Professor Beurmann explains. These qualities – along with its huge tone which also manages to bring out its delicate, sophisticated finesse and detail – make it is an excellent representation of the French style. “It is one of only two surviving harpsichords from Dijon, a city once so rich in musical tradition, the other also being by Pigalle.”, he continues.

Based on its two manuals and different registers, the Pigalle harpsichord offers lots of unqiue sounds, sampled with 5 different register combinations, including the upper 8′, lower 8′ (principal 8′), the 4′, both 8′ as well as the “tutti” combination of both 8′ registers and the 4′ recorded together.

French Harpsichord – Edition Beurmann features

• More than 3400 single samples, recorded in 192 khz/24 bits resolution and downsampled.
• 5 different register combinations sampled: Lower 8′, Upper 8′, 4′, Tutti and 2 x 8′.
• 8 different samples of each note per register combination (4′ register: 4 different samples per note).
• 4 different release sounds of each note per register combination.
• Ready to play HAlion®/Kontakt2®/EXS24® or GigaStudio3® presets.
• Wave format (except GigaStudio® version).
• No mastering applied.
• DVD or CD set.
• License-free applicable in your music.

French Harpsichord – Edition Beurmann is available to purchase for $159.95 USD excl. VAT and postage.

More information: Realsamples

Some interesting things I found recently:

# Squishy Circuits

Squishy Circuits were developed at the University of St. Thomas by undergraduate Samuel Johnson and Dr. AnnMarie Thomas.

The purpose of their development is to facilitate electronics education to younger students. Research is being done to determine the most effective implementation of this learning tool in a middle school science curriculum. Our hope is that through the use of this tool, students will better understand electronics concepts, become more interested in engineering, and ultimately participate in playful learning techniques. This page is dedicated to sharing out research and guiding the further use and creation of squishy circuits.

via Make Blog

# [CML001] Hope’s not lost by Various Artists

Camomille Music has released Hope’s not lost, an album featuring Emanuele Errante, Makunouchi Bento, Casper, Evo Luthi, Shiftless, Kyle Dawkins, Ilkae, Muhr, Transient, Ian Hawgood, Nunu, Woodworkings, and Hior Chronik & Logreybeam.

Yes, after closing down last year, we're back. We decided it was time to have fun again. Since we closed, the netlabel scene has changed a lot. The internet has changed a lot. Most of our favorite netlabels don't exist anymore. Everything has changed, for the better we think.

The thought of reopening occured to me in January 2010, after the haiti earthquake. As i stood helpless in front of my television screen, the way i envisioned to help was to make a compilation to raise awareness and funds for haiti. While that didnt turn out the way i wanted it to, i strongly and whole-heartedly advise you to go over to any of these fine establishements : Oxfam, Earthship, Google crisis response. If you think i'm missing some, please email me and i'll add them.

“Hope’s not lost” is available as a free download in various formats (mp3, flac, ogg, etc.)

Soniccouture has announced the release of RMI Rocksichord, a free sampled Rocksichord electric harpsichord instrument for Kontakt.

A certain Mikael Jorgensen from Wilco mentioned to us that he had started sampling his ancient RMI Rocksichord keyboard, but hadn’t the time to finish the looping and programing. We asked him how he would feel if we finished the job and offered it as a free download from the Soniccouture site.

Happily, he agreed, and you can now download the result.

RMI Rocksichord features

• Kontakt Format
• 350 MB Library
• 24 Bit 44.1Khz Sampling
• KSP Stops Mixing Script
• All 12 Original Stops + Accents

RMI Rocksichord for Kontakt (full version required, not compatible with Kontakt Player) is available as a free download. Registration (free) is required.

More information: Soniccouture / RMI Rocksichord