Soundiron Angklung: Deeply Sampled Indonesian tuned percussion

[freewayland]

We're happy to announce the release of our new Angklung library. It's a full-ranged traditional tuned percussion instrument originating from Indonesia, dating back to roughly the 7th Century AD. Over the past thousand years, it has become popular throughout Southeast Asia and Polynesia and can be heard in a variety of traditional and modern music. The Angklung is usually seen as an array of individual tuned pitched instruments, each one comprised of a pair of bamboo tubes in a higher/lower octave pair sounded by a loose rattle. It is struck or shaken in single notes and sustaining rolls. The result is a uniquely full, clear, woody note.

Check out our demos:
http://soundcloud.com/soundiron/sets/angklung/

For this massive multi-sample library, we've recorded a set of 18 Angklung, tuned over a major scale spanning nearly 3 full octaves. We captured them up close in a dry studio and out in a large open hall with 3 mic positions (close, mid, far). We recorded each up and down stroke separately, with 48 round-robin variations per-velocity/per-note for the dry (24 up/24 down) and 16 round-robin variations per-velocity/per-note for the hall samples (8 up/8 down). You can also adjust the ensemble "width" of the instrument to increase or decrease the stereo left-right spread of the individual angklungs relative to one another.

Here's a look at the custom UI:


We also recorded natural hand-played sustaining loops at different speeds and intensities, with smooth dynamic cross-fading between layers and adjustable release samples. And finally, we created a set of ambient soundscapes crafted from the raw source recordings that complement the sound of the instrument.

We've integrated this library with our newly upgraded Uberpeggiator. It allows you to create realistic sustaining angklung rolls with the multi-sample presets. You have fully customizable attack, sustain and release behavior, with fluid speed/tempo and intensity controls and optional host tempo-syncing and velocity graphing for up to 32 steps per loop cycle. This gives you total control and the ability to weave the instrument into just about any type of music, while preserving a completely life-like simulation of the instrument's real-world sound and feel. Of course, with the Uberpeggiator turned off, it also works as a single-strike wooden mallet tuned bamboo percussion instrument.

We've also incorporated our custom convolution reverb room/FX impulse selectors and a 3-band parametric EQ. We've built our Angklung library with full user control, sound quality and feature depth in mind, while maintaining instant plug-and-play usability that will let you jump right in and truly play this unique instrument. Here's a detailed walk-through video with Brad Halverson showing the ins and outs of the instrument:

http://youtu.be/yGh-p40j7VY


Weighing in at 3.5 GB, Angklung features 7 Kontakt presets, over 6700 samples and 50+ custom convolution impulses integrated into the GUI. As always there is a range of automatable EQ, Reverb and sound-shaping to expand on the creative possibilities that this library offers. It's on sale now for only $59 through Nov. 7th. The price goes to $79 once the sale ends. If you combine it with at least one other item with a cart total over $79, you can get an additional 10% off your whole order.

http://www.soundiron.com/instruments/tu ... /angklung/

We've also got the brand new Sick 3 horror/suspense ambient soundscape & environment library out as well today. More details on that coming shortly.