Sonokinetic lately added Noir 2: Breathe and Colors String Septet to its already stellar lineup of Kontakt libraries, and I’ve had the pleasure of giving them each a attempt.
Each libraries are suitable with the free Kontakt Participant 7.10 and above.
Even higher information is that the boutique sampling consultants are providing BPB readers an unique 25% low cost site-wide.
You possibly can declare your low cost utilizing the promo code “BPB_Sonokinetic_25”.
These new phrase-based libraries spotlight what I like most about Sonokinetic (moreover the excellent sound high quality).
Sonokinetic supplies way more versatility and originality in phrase-based libraries than most by articulations, phrase variation, layering, and mixing.
I additionally love the academic component introduced by the rating view; it’s an intuitive technique to choose phrases and an effective way to know voicings and association higher.
Noir 2: Breathe is the sequel to the favored Noir library. The brass and woodwind ensemble options flutes, horns, trombones, and clarinets.
There are twelve phrase fields, every with varied adjustable parameters, together with Offset, Crossfade, Pan, Quantity, and Randomize. Fields with solo woodwind phrases are blue, solo brass fields are yellow, and mixed phrase fields are pink.
You possibly can assign every area a phrase from the next themes: Dynamic, Flurries, Frills, Concord, Melody, Noir, Ostinato, Pads, and Rhythm. Moreover, you possibly can pattern any phrase earlier than assigning it and consider it (in any key) within the rating view.
The colour-coded interface continues with a number of key-triggering zones, and that is the place Noir 2 turns into one thing particular.
Blue – play main/minor triads or define seventh chords; phrases will conform to that high quality.
Orange – set off one or a number of phrases out of your phrase fields.
Yellow – set off phrase variations (not all phrases have variations, however most do). The inexperienced key on the finish triggers all variations concurrently.
Inexperienced – harmonic shifting
If I’m sincere, I anticipated Noir 2 to be good as a result of I like the sound of movie noir; it leans closely into jazz, and the pattern high quality is world-class.
I didn’t count on to take pleasure in a lot freedom when performing with it; it’s a media composer’s dream.
Certainly one of my favourite parts is harmonic shifting; when you can information concord with triads, harmonic shifting supplies extra dramatic actions, shifting the tonal middle.
You possibly can select which fields shift and which don’t, and with a number of phrases triggered, you get some superbly tense dissonance.
One other of my favourite options is the MIDI Drag operate; you possibly can drag MIDI information from any phrase into your DAW. This operate opens up a world of versatility the place you possibly can have completely different devices play Noir 2 phrases.
Should you’re going for dissonance and plenty of clusters, attempt including Sound Mud’s Drift Free Dangerous Piano.
You possibly can form the sound into huge, lush textures or sharp, chopping clusters by mixing mic positions (Shut, Decca Tree, Large, Balcony – Far).
Colors String Septet semitonal textured patterns proceed with the tense and dissonant really feel in a streamlined package deal. The septet contains two violins, two violas, two cellos, and a bass (over 6000 samples).
The streamlined interface shares some options with Noir 2, just like the microphone mixer, rating view, and blue and orange key-triggering zones. It doesn’t have the harmonic shifting operate, however it’s not required to create pressure with the phrases sitting proper between tonal and atonal.
Phrases come from the next themes: Low Finish, Dynamic, Rhythmic, Atonal, Risers, Pad, and Melodic.
Every phrase (A1 – A80) has three articulation/method variations.
The center of the Colors String Septet is the Triangle Mixer, with every triangle level representing one phrase or variation. Mixing completely different phrases creates some distinctive textures, nevertheless it’s mixing variations of the identical phrase that I like most to date.
Should you’re scoring ostinatos and need to enhance pressure progressively, you possibly can progressively introduce scratchy spiccato methods and even harmonics.
It’s excellent for creating an underlying feeling of unrest, which is like gold mud in movie scoring. Utilizing the X/Y axis to mix methods in actual time is nice, however my favourite function is which you could automate actions over a particular variety of bars.
Even seemingly random or chaotic scoring is often actual, so I like which you could create precision actions over time.
The library contains launch samples, a function I feel would possibly get much less reward than it deserves. However, if you happen to minimize a phrase quick, you’ll all the time get a sensible finish notice.
Admittedly, I’m the stereotypical consumer of orchestral libraries, so I’ll all the time discover positives. Nonetheless, phrase-based libraries typically lose their preliminary enchantment fairly rapidly.
The pliability and originality of Noir 2 and Colors String Septet have pleasantly shocked me; each can produce distinctive and life like scores time after time.
Each libraries are NKS suitable, and parameters will likely be auto-mapped to NI {hardware} controls.
Please notice that the 25% disount is legitimate sitewide, on any Sonokinetic product.
Take a look at the offers: Noir 2: Breathe & Colors String Septet (25% off sitewide for BPB readers utilizing code “BPB_Sonokinetic_25” – free Kontakt Participant 7.10 and above required)
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