Icebreaker Audio has released the Akebono Collection, a sample-based emulation of the Akebono Koto Synthesizer – a unique suitcase instrument from Japan – for Native Instruments Kontakt 4 & 5.
Akebono was released exclusively in Japan some time in the 1980s. It was designed as a portable practice instrument for Koto players, and as such it features many unique features that are intended to make performing in the traditional style a lot easier than using a MIDI keyboard.
All sounds were meticulously sampled and integrated into in a custom Kontakt instrument that emulates the performance options available on the original hardware.
Key Features:
- All 15 instrument sounds and 13 percussion sounds sampled.
- 24-bit 48kHz sample quality.
- Original performance features emulated with custom scripts.
- 7 impulse responses of the original speaker.
- 5 custom and easy-to-use effects: Amp, EQ, Mod, Echo, and Dynamics.
Price: £12.50 (approx. $20 / €15) from the Icebreaker Audio website.
Audio Demos: soundcloud.com/icebreaker-audio/sets/akebono-collection-audio-demos