Rhythmic Robot has announced the release of Crank, a hybrid synthesiser instrument for Kontakt, featuring acoustic and electronic sources in a 4-oscillator architecture.
Crank takes over six hundred samples of an Eastern European stringed hurdy-gurdy – and places them at the heart of a four-oscillator analogue synthesiser framework ideally suited to the creation of strange, eerie, evolving patches.
The acoustic hurdy-gurdy produces its sounds by rubbing a rosined wooden wheel over a series of violin-style strings: the sound is half violin, half hand-cranked barrel organ and can be both plaintive and raw-sounding. Rhythmic Robot has sampled a hurdy-gurdy extensively to create the basic tones for Crank, and named the instrument after the handle that the player cranks round to make the hurdy-gurdy play.
The twin Crank oscillators are independently controllable, with dual filters, envelopes, pitch control, LFOs and so on; they also run in tandem with twin Analogue Oscillators, adding some classic analogue waves to the tonal palette. The characteristic attack “squeal” of the acoustic hurdy-gurdy can be turned on or off individually, and the sound sources mixed and blended to create haunting and evocative instruments that sound “almost real.”
Crank features
- Unique blend of characterful acoustic and analogue electronic waveforms.
- Constant erratic instability to add colour and organic warmth to the sound.
- Multi-Osc adds up to ten detunable oscillators.
- Two different noise types – white analogue and vinyl crackle.
- Dual filters with different filter types and LFO control.
- Factory library of over 60 patches.
The library is available for purchase for the introductory price of £19.95 GBP (regular £24.95 GBP). Requires Kontakt v.4.2.3 or later, full version.
More information: Rhythmic Robot
