Infinite Glissandos - a first for samples harps

The very reason we decided to embark in sampling a concert harp in 2012 was to achieve a flexibility unknown in sampled harps. The sound of the harp is unmistakably linked to the Glissando technique, where the harpist runs her/his fingers through the strings creating a dreamy and catchy sound unique to the harp.

Our Glissando engine lets you play Glissandos at any speed, in any tonal center and setting playable on a real harp.

Any Tuning, any Scale, any Chord

When using the Glissando Mode you're left with only the white keys (as the harp features 7 strings per octave) and change the tuning of each string by switching the positions of the Pedals via MIDI or GUI. We created a selection of the most used tunings in the section on the right to give you a quick way to get the Glissando you want.

Speed and Intensity

Turn on Glissando Mode, play a starting note, then play an ending note. The Glissando starts right away.
Press D#0 to stop or C#0 to quit Glissando mode.

The time difference between the two notes will tell the engine the speed of the Glissando. The relative velocities will be used to create eventual crescendos and decrescendos.

Use the ModWheel to change the velocity/intensity of the Glissando in real time.
Use the Pitch Bend to slow down or speed up the Glissando in real time.

Glissando Modes

Select one of 7 Glissando Modes via the menu.

Details

Fine tune the Glissando:

• Soften will raise the attack time to emulate a Glissando played with lightly on the tips of the fingers

• Accell accelerates or decelerates the glissando along its duration

• Accent tells the engine how much accent to give to the Start/End notes when one of the Accent modes is selected

• Randomize Time and Velo introduce a randomization in the timing and velocity between notes giving the Glissando a more human-like response

Playing Modes

This harp instrument can be played in two fashions:

• PIANO MODE: play the instrument just like you would play a piano

• HARP MODE: play using only the white keys and modify their tuning using the Pedal keys (C0 to B0)

In both modes, use the Sustain pedal to sustain notes indefinitely like the harp is supposed to do, or release the pedal and play every note in a Staccato fashion.

 The user interface is thought out to be easy and quick to learn and use while featuring the power-user tools some of us love to tweak when working with drums.

Articulated Customs

Customize your playing using the Articulations Panel:

List of Articulations

To these Articulations, add the string Resonances, the 3 types of release trails (finger nails, tips and Etoufee) and the sound of stopping the strings with the hand which is produced automatically when releasing the Sustain Pedal.

Mix, Effect and Reverb, with class

The mixer module allows you to balance the mics and apply effects like Delay, EQ, Compression, Distortion and Amp/Cab.

The IR Reverb module in our engine currently features 39 unique proprietary impulse responses. These are originated from vintage plates, hardware and coveted real rooms, which, when used with the harp, push the limits of what can be done with this instrument.

Sound Design with fun

The Mixer page features a section dedicated to envelopes and filters.

Control the Amplitude Envelope with precision using an AHDSR envelope with the addition of the Attack Curve parameter.

Choose among 4 filter types - low pass 2 and 4 poles, band pass and high pass 4 poles - with MIDI CC# assignable Cutoff, Resonance and Envelope Modulation.

Use an intuitive AHD Envelope to influence the filter cutoff via Env Mod.

Screenshots

Ready-to-go

26 global mix-ready factory presets ease your way into using this instrument, or create and save your own.

The Recordings

We selected a warm mid-sized room to record the harp: we wanted to have a flexible sound, one that fits many different styles and scenarios, not an harp fit only to be drowned in an orchestra.

All recordings were done using a pair of Schoeps CMC6 (with matched MK4 capsules) in a stereo AB configuration (wide stereo) and a Neumann M149 tube in cardiod mode as the Mid and a Royer R121 as the Side of a MidSide pair. Vovox cables were run direct to a Millennia HV3D-8 preamp and to an Apogee Symphony converter set at 96KHz/24bit.

Experience and Quality you can tell

We released our first sample library in 2003, with Scarbee.

We know sampling.

We know how to turn a recording session into a set of coherent, greatly playable sampled instruments. Not just a collection of sounds. This effort needs a lot of love for the instruments, preparation, setup, tuning, time, ear, knowledge, dedication and experience.

Our samples have been used on countless tracks in the last 13 years, counting on an ongoing success still sprawling from our first library, Imperial Drums, re-released in BFD format through FXpansion at the end of 2013, our ever-growing product line and the large large number of companies we worked with along the years: Native Instruments, Ableton, Steinberg, Arobas, Cakewalk and Presonus to name just a few.

DISCLAIMERS:
- this Instrument requires the FULL RETAIL VERSION OF NI KONTAKT 5.5.2 or higher
- this Instrument DOES NOT WORK with the Free Kontakt Player
- this Instrument may be acquired only in downloadable format, download size is about 4 Gigabytes, so expect longer download times on slower connections

Features

Kontakt Features