Publisher: Cinematique Instruments
Website: Cinematique Instruments
Format: KONTAKT v.5.8.1
Description :
WARM SOUND OF MEDIEVAL STRINGS
This is a renaissance lute with 8 pairs of strings tuned in unison in pairs. The lute is fitted with nylon strings – it’s amazing how many different ways the lute is used in music. In the secular music of the Middle Ages, it was the most common instrument. But it is also used today in soundtrack scores, such as in the Jim Jarmusch film Only Lovers Left Alive.
What is a lute?
Generally speaking, “lute” is a word that means almost any stringed plucked instrument whose strings are located directly above the body. However, when it comes to terminology, the word “lute” means exactly the European authentic lute (or the modern Middle Eastern Oud). Some of the instrument’s characteristics include a body with a decorated sound hole called a “rose”, a convex body made from thin strips of wood, and a headstock that angles back from the neck at almost 90°.
The first lutes were brought to Spain by the Moors and played with a plectrum; later, lutes were played exclusively with fingers. The strings of the lute are arranged in pairs, with the exception of the highest string, called the “chantrel” (“chanterelle”).
This lute is a renaissance lute with 8 pairs of strings: (from highest to lowest) a’ e’ b g d A G E – (La – Mi – Si – Sol – Re – La – Sol – Mi). Pairs of strings are tuned in unison with each other. Lutes today use nylon strings like classical guitars, and historically the strings were made from animal intestines.
The lute was very widely used in instrumental music: from the Middle Ages to the late Baroque era. It was the most common instrument in the secular music of the Renaissance. But it is also used today in soundtrack scores, such as in the Jim Jarmusch film Only Lovers Left Alive.
CONTENT :
The lute has been carefully sampled in minor thirds on all 13 strings in 3 dynamic layers and 4 circular variations. We spent a lot of time capturing the smooth transitions between these layers and variations to make the tool feel as natural and fluid as possible.
But this lute is not just sampled notes laid out on the keyboard! It’s more than that. As with real stringed instruments, you can now play the same note in different hand positions with different timbres. You can change the sound of the melody and achieve a more natural playing feel by changing this position.
As if that wasn’t enough, we also focused on the behavior of the course strings. In addition to a separate volume knob, we have additionally defined the flam and detune parameters, which allow you to change the time and melody in relation to the original string. This can be adjusted with individual knobs and controlled randomly or with speed. Finally, we recorded the sounds of fingers scratching the strings, which will be automatically added by a realistic noise trigger scenario – of course, you can adjust the volume. Once again, with the lute, we have expanded our string family with a unique and warm instrument.
Update note
With the new 2.0 update, we have given the lute a new modern design. We have simplified the work with the lute and added more useful tools and engines (for example, Arp/Recorder). Great update!
