New Indian sample library for Kontakt

[zircon]

Hi guys! I haven't been around these forums for the last few months primarily because I've been working on a large sample library project, which has just now been completed. It's a set of samples exclusively focusing on the sitar, tampura, baya and tabla - classical Indian instruments that have, until now, only been touched upon, even by expensive offerings like "RA". If this piques your curiosity, check out the press release below, which has additional information, links, and demos. I think this will be of particular interest to anyone doing film/TV/video game cues, as we've not only included traditional sounds but special FX, so if you're just looking to add flavor you can do that as well. New Age artists may also find this very useful... from personal experience I can tell you that trying to use, say, Korg or Roland sitar samples from a workstation is not a good idea if you want things to NOT sound cheesy Anyway, here's the full scoop! Feel free to post with any questions, comments, suggestions, etc. ---Impact Soundworks is proud to announce the release of our latest sample library, Sitar Nation: Classical Instruments of India!As the title suggests, this is a sample library focusing exclusively on several instruments considered to be part of the foundation of Indian classical music: the sitar, tampura, tabla and baya. The end result of our meticulous recording, editing, and programming is the deepest and most detailed samples of these instruments ever released. Besides a variety of standard techniques, we also created a host of special FX patches - more info on that below.(Note: for complete information about the product, check out the full PDF manual, downloadable from our support page, as well as the product page)All audio was recorded at 24/44.1 and programmed in Kontakt format (version 2 and above), "unlocked" so you can take the raw WAVs and import them into your sampler of choice, chop 'em up, or generally do whatever you want with them (besides give them away!) A total of three mic position are available for any of the non-FX sounds - close, room, and ambient, with the "ambient" position actually being created through a number of Kontakt effects, allowing for total control over the wetness of the sound. Kontakt scripting appears in a number of patches to make editing easier and playing more expressive.INSTRUMENTS INCLUDEDHandcrafted, Gourdless Sitar - Performed by Thomas Flanagan, the sitar we recorded is a custom-made instrument crafted from wood that seasoned for seven years! Articulations include plucking (thumbed and picked), mordents (quick 'turns'), strums of the chikari (rhythm) strings, whole tone bends, glissandos at different speeds and both major and minor tonalities, basic phrases and tremolos. Thorough velocity and round robin sampling was used for many articulations, with up to four layers and three round robin groups.Tampura - Traditionally an instrument played by an apprentice sitar player to accompany an expert. Though the body is smaller than the sitar, the simple, open drones it produces have a unique timbre that provide an excellent rhythmic base.Tabla & Baya - A set of two custom-made, carefully tuned hand drums performed by Jeremy Dyen. The sheer number of strokes possible for the tabla or baya alone is staggering, but we chose to thoroughly record some of the most widely used and recognizable techniques such as both edge, open and muted strikes as well as multiple pitch bends in different directions and at different speeds. Every stroke was recorded with nine velocity layers and three round robins to allow for seamless, human performances.Special FX - From the unprocessed audio content, we created a number of patches using both offline and Kontakt processing to open up a whole new dimension in sound. For example, "Livewire Drone" takes sitar drones and uses FM synthesis and waveshaping to 'electrify' the timbre of the sitar. "Deep Chime" uses extensive granular synthesis to create an ominous, semi-harmonic orchestral chime hit with a reverberant ambiance. The two "Shaped Kit" patches use ring modulation and waveshaping to turn the tabla and baya into an electronic percussion set. AUDIO DEMOS* Traditional Demo 1 - Traditional playing techniques in a rather free rhythm and improvisational style. Uses 100% Sitar Nation.* Ambient Demo - Our library has very realistic samples, but when you delve into the FX patches it can pull off some very deep, ambient sounds. This demo is an example of a film-style cue written entirely with Sitar Nation.* Psychesphere - A wide range of patches from our library (non-FX) used in the context of an electronic, 'psychedelic' composition written for a video game. * Dark Exploration - Dark, tense underscore created entirely using Sitar Nation sounds (primarily FX patches.)* Nun Kun Peaks - Another example of the sounds being used within a groovy electronic composition. This track shows off how both the traditional and FX patches can be combined to form a totally new texture.---Sitar Nation: Classical Instruments of India is available now as a download product via our online store for $119 (US). We are currently using Paypal as our payment platform and will be adding Share-It within the next week.Whether you are a pop producer, composer for media, New Age artist or anything in between, we think you'll find it both useful and highly enjoyable to play!

[mazz]

Thanks for the heads up and welcome back!!Great to see you're keeping busy (like you were slacking before! )Looking forward to listening to this. Your stuff is great so I expect it will be top notch!Cheers!Mazz

[trentoliphant]

That is some great sounding stuff - I definitely want to add that to my library at some point.

[zircon]

Thanks for the comments, guys We've sold a fair amount of copies so far (almost recouped the recording/musician fees) and we should be getting some magazine reviews within the next couple months. The first update is also going to be ready soon, which will add some new MIDI grooves and patches.

[allends]

Oct 20, 2008, 10:00am, zircon wrote:Hi guys! I haven't been around these forums for the last few months primarily because I've been working on a large sample library project, which has just now been completed. It's a set of samples exclusively focusing on the sitar, tampura, baya and tabla - classical Indian instruments that have, until now, only been touched upon, even by expensive offerings like "RA". Opps! How could I have missed this one? I'll be checking this one out since you're my competition now! <hahahaha> -Allen The Sitar Player

[gitarrero]

great stuff, andrew!best of luck with it!martin