Publisher : Rhythmic Robot Audio
Format : Kontakt (4.2.4+)
Quality : Stereo/mono 44.1 kHz 24/16 bit
Description : Vintage strings
Strings have a unique ability to add warmth and richness to music: there’s something about the way dozens of individual players merge into a single, stunning soundscape that just seems to capture the hearts of listeners. Of course, not every rock star can hire the London Philharmonic Orchestra to record their album; hence the rise of string synthesizers, which replace dozens of individual players with dozens of detuned oscillators to achieve a similarly rich result. String synthesizers are one of our favorite musical machines, and Vintage Strings is a tribute to them.
At the heart of Vintage Strings are both real acoustic string samples and electric synth oscillators. You can combine them to your liking using the Levels controls in the center of the panel. You also have a fully functional subwoofer, the ability to adjust tube saturation, and a soft low-pass filter to customize the tone of your hybrid string section.
Where things get interesting, however, are the two signature controls: Complexity and Vintage. Complexity tweaks the extra electronic string components, adding two levels of Jupiter 6 supersaw to the Logan String Melody II’s original waves for a thicker, warmer sound (which you can enhance by detuning it a bit).
Vintage, meanwhile, is a massive knob that’s impossible to miss. Turning it changes the entire character of the instrument, from clean and clear to dusty, gritty and unstable, taking on every kind of battered instability in its path. With Vintage at its lowest setting, you can use the other controls to create a superb modern string part that combines acoustic realism with synth-like capabilities, or stick with one or the other for a cleaner sound. But using Vintage anywhere past 12 o’clock causes the sound to become unstable; clean acoustic string samples are mixed with, and then replaced by, vintage tape recordings, while electronic strings become jagged and compressed and begin to lose both high- and low-end elements. Turn Vintage clockwise, and the sound is seasoned, flecked with oxide, with background crackle and hiss. It’s simply stunning.
As the icing on the cake, we have the Icon Reverb, a convolution reverb from the Lexicon PCM70. This gives the string sections a wonderful smoothness and period style, while allowing them to breathe.
Vintage Strings is perfect for reproducing vintage strings that match a specific musical era. For example, if you want strings to sound like the background of your Motown track, or for creating completely unique string synth patches that don’t imitate existing instruments but still sound historically accurate. If you want strings that sound like a Chamberlin, Mellotron, or Optigan, but with more playability or a more defined sound, this might be for you. Above all, they should be inspiring and easy to use: you can tweak a few knobs and get something cool, or just hit the randomize button and see what the machine throws at you. All without having to lift a baton!
• String sounds from a bygone era
• Unique Vintage single-dial control for simple yet powerful time manipulation
• Combined acoustic string section and electric string synth for a wide sonic palette
• Vintage Icon reverb for sparkle and shimmer
• Clean, soaring strings or sharp, erratic warbles… the choice is yours!
