NEO STRINGS is a modern solo string ensemble comprising of violin, viola, cello and double bass. Recorded in the same beautiful space through 4 mic signals, and a huge 24 articulations captured for each instrument in great detail.
With articulations ranging from the staple bread and butter articulations of a stringed instrument (though still jam packed with unique character) to ultra modern textural playing effects and extended techniques.
AT A GLANCE
- 1 Violin, 1 Viola, 1 Cello, 1 Double Bass
- 24 articulations per instrument (17 main, 7 extended techniques & FX) [listed in detail at the bottom of the page]
- True Legato with 4 powerful legato modes; Adaptive Speed, Adaptive Velocity, Fixed Fast & Fixed Slow legato options
- Dynamic Crossfading & live Vibrato/Non-Vibrato control
- 4 mic positions; Close (Overhead), Room (Left & Right), Ambient
- Mic Purging for RAM economisation
- Overlays for layering multiple articulations in one performance patch
- 'Chord Mode' in Ensemble Patch with pre-arranged tutti chords
- 8GB download size (13GB Pre Lossless Compression)
- 32,815 samples
Important Note: Neo Strings requires the FULL version of Kontakt 5.8.1 or above (also works with the FULL version of Kontakt 6). Do not purchase this if you only have Kontakt Player.
Update information v2.0.0
Since Neo Strings release in early 2021, we have worked toward a huge new update with many of the above functions being created for this new update (multiple adaptive legatos, mic purging, overlays, chord modes and many more updates). Reference the full walkthrough to discover all that is new in this trial blazing solo string library!
LISTEN
WALKTHROUGH
CONTEXTUAL DEMO
SAMPLE LIBRARY REVIEW (UPDATED)
"6 months on, I'm still using this library a lot. It's a testament to Insanity Samples"
THE CONCEPT
This library at it's heart is a selfish endeavor on our part to create something that existed between a broken and character driven sound world of the likes of Tom Waits, or Marc Ribot. Blended in an orchestral instrumentation setting of the likes of Bartok. With his string quartet no. 1 being a good frame of reference for the way in which this library wanted to feel. For example, the performed trills, which unlike plenty of readily available and wonderfully put together libraries, has a non continuous finite bows length, full of the individual performers character and playing style. To paraphrase Waits 'I like beautiful melodies, telling me terrible things'. That encapsulates what was attempted to be captured here...
All articulations are present for each instrument unless specified otherwise
Main Articulations
Sustained Longs - Vibrato & Non-Vibrato (With True Legato & Dynamic Crossfades)
Polyphonic Sustained Longs - Vibrato & Non-Vibrato (With Dynamic Crossfades)
Staccato (Shortened notes, still with some length)
Staccatissimo (Very short notes)
Spiccato (Short notes with Bow starting off string)
Pizzicato (Plucked with fingers)
Col Legno (Struck with the Back of the Bow) [On all instruments bar the Violin]
Expressive Longs - Non-Vibrato (Notes with a natural performance arc)
Expressive Longs - Vibrato (Note with a natural performance arc & vibrato)
Sforzando Decrescendo (A dramatic Decrescendo from Fortissimo)
Ornaments (Semi-tone and Whole tone turns both up from the root note and down)
Trills (Whole-tone and Semi tone performance trills, with a dynamic arc)
Tremolo (With accented start)
Note: The new 'Overlay' function allows for the Spiccato, all Ornaments & Trills to be used as overlays on the legato and poly longs keyswitch. Accessible above 120 velocity when selected as a secondary overlay keyswitch. Ref the walkthrough for further information.
Extended Techniques & FX
Harmonics
Extreme Sul Pont (Bowed on the edge of annihilation at the bridge)
Pont-Tasto Cycles (A circular bow from bridge to fingerboard, like breathing)
Extreme Sul Tasto (Bowed over the fingerboard for a woodwind-esque texture)
Behind the Brige FX (Scratchy, harmonic laden special FX with bowing post bridge)
Sul Pont Erratic Trems (Slow to fast erratic trems on the edge of the bridge)
Erratic Vibrato (Ultra wide to narrow vibrato)
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“I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.” - John Cage