Publisher: Vienna Synchronic Library
Website: vsl.co.at/products/synchron/harp
Format: Vienna Synchronic Harp
Size: 31.36 GB
Pleasant to the ear yet incredibly challenging to play, the harp is shrouded in an aura of mystery, like the unearthly sounds it is known to produce. One of the oldest instruments in human history, the harp continues to enchant with its timeless elegance. The harp’s ethereal, soft timbre is not limited to accompanying the journey to the Garden of Eden with more than 40 strings.
Thanks to its heavenly versatility, it can impart a special magical aura to recordings of any genre, from classical romanticism to 60s experimental rock and contemporary pop. With our dedicated Synchron Harp Player, you can now easily perform complex harp pieces, even with average keyboard skills.
Harp Mastery
While the harp is capable of producing dreamy sounds unmatched by other instruments, it presents a unique challenge for performers. It’s nearly impossible to master a complex piece simply by sight-reading; it requires considerable preparation and pedaling practice. Even some of the greatest classical composers often struggled to write for the harp. With this in mind, playing the harp has become easier. We recorded Tina Gerdin, a longtime virtuoso harpist with the Vienna Synchron Orchestra, playing the remarkable Lyon & Healy Style 30 concert harp in the impeccable acoustics of the Synchron Stage Vienna. To make playing the harp as close to the real instrument as possible, we developed the unique Synchron Harp Player, which allows you to easily recreate all the typical glissandos and harmonies for which these instruments are famous.
Chromatic and Pedal Modes
Synchron Harp Player offers two playing modes. In chromatic mode, you can play the harp just like any other keyboard instrument. In pedal mode, the software recreates the pedaling mechanism and scale capabilities of a real harp. The seven harp strings of each octave are represented by the white keys of the keyboard. This means that playing glissandos is as easy as sliding your fingers across the white keys, just like on the strings of a real harp.
In pedal mode, the harp’s seven pedals are controlled using seven function keys (key switches), with the pressure you apply to each key determining the upper, middle, and lower positions of each pedal. There are also several additional pedal selection options. You can use individual key switches to access preset keys (C, C#, D, etc.), specify scale families (major/minor, seventh, whole-tone, pentatonic), and scale variants (major, melodic minor, harmonic major, harmonic minor). A pedal matrix containing 144 preset scales and their pedalizations is also accessible via the key switches. You can also create your own pedalizations and use the stepper during live performance, similar to an organ stepper, to step through the registers one by one.
Even More Control and Expression
This collection also offers a choice between a ringing and a muted sound, typical of expert harp playing. A muted sound means the harpist stops the string vibration with a flat hand (etouffer). The decay of the ringing sound when the key is released can be shortened or lengthened using the key release control. Dynamic Range control reduces or expands the harp’s dynamic response to key velocity. The Glissando Smoother feature is activated automatically when the software detects a glissando, a rapid succession of adjacent notes. Here, you can adjust the attack of notes to create smoother glissandos, simulating a harpist’s gentle stroking of the strings rather than plucking them.
Harp Player also includes our powerful tuning system, which responds to the selected playing mode. In chromatic mode, it works like Vienna Synchron Player. In pedal mode, it behaves like a real instrument, tuning only the white keys. Explore a variety of tuning presets, import your own Scala and KBM files, and creatively experiment with advanced microtuning options like MTS-ESP to dynamically change the tuning.
Articulations
• Regular
• Harmonica
• Bisbigliando
Each articulation can be played with a clear and muted decay. Synchron Harp offers a chromatic mode for keyboard-like playing and a pedal mode specifically adapted for the harp.
• Lyon & Healy Style 30 Concert Harp
• The new Synchron Harp Player recreates the pedal mechanism
• Chromatic and pedal modes
• Play glissandos by simply sliding across the white keys
• Quick access to preset pedal modes
• Expertly crafted mixer presets
