Microhammer has released Bowed Bucket, a virtual instrument library for Native Instruments Kontakt.
This little beast is what happens when you build an instrument out of a 5 gallon plastic bucket, a wooden 4×4 and some cello strings. The bucket was fitted with tuning lugs and then holes were drilled out to allow individual strings to pass through, using the bottom wall as the bridge, so that sound projected outward and down. Then a 4×4 wooden beam was affixed to the bucket and the strings were then stretched up the heavy wooden neck, roughly nailed in place and hand -tuned. Remember that old string and paper cup trick from when you were a kid? Yeah, think bigger.
Bowing the strings produces a surprisingly clean, yet rich and beefy sound, with plenty of growl and low end and a nice clear bite. It’s sound is a little similar to electric cello, but with a unique rawness and body. For our percussion, we simply banged on it like an idiot, with results just as you’d expect – plastic bucket drums. We captured various bowed articulations from both inside and outside of the bucket. We also plugged in our custom polyphonic Sim-legato and Uberpeggiator systems to some instruments, just for kicks. And of course, as a bonus, we’ve also created a variety of very cool lead, pad, ambient droning and FX presets to take it to the next level.
Bowed Bucket features
- 29 Kontakt patches (unlocked).
- 568 Samples.
- 545 MB Installed / 348 MB download.
- 10 round robins for percussion and staccato patches.
- Multiple dynamic intensity and velocity layers.
- Custom Convolution Reverb Impulses.
- Powerful Custom Performance, legato, FX, and arpeggiator controls.
Bowed Bucket for Kontakt (requires full version) is available to purchase for the introductory price of $24 USD until May 21th, 2011 (regular price $29 USD).
