KID NEPRO
Kid Nepro's The King's Collection, vol. 2 ($100), presents more than 1,000 new multisampled instruments. The samples come on a CD-ROM in AIFF and WAV formats.
The multisampled instruments are primarily keyboard and synthesizer sounds, including Steinway pianos, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzers, Farfisa and Hammond organs, Mellotron, and Minimoogs. The synthesizer sounds include pads, lead instruments, and basses.
In addition to multisampled instruments, you also receive an assortment of drum grooves and other rhythmic loops. Loops indicate their original beats per minute in the title.
Many of the instruments and the grooves in the collection can be downloaded as individual files from the Kid's Web site for $5 per instrument. Kid Nepro; tel. (246) 420-4504; e-mail kidnepro@aol.com; Web www.kidnepro.com.
WIZOO
Wizoo GmbH presents HALion String Edition (Mac/Win, $379), a sound set for Steinberg's HALion, along with the HALion String Player, a VSTi and DXi for playing the samples without using HALion. The collection compiles 5 GB of samples. Wizoo claims that the samples are suitable for styles ranging from classical to contemporary music.
The HALion String Player has no controls for filter, envelopes, LFOs, or other synthesis parameters. However, the programs offer additional features including crescendo crossfading, switching, and alternate bowings.
The design team recorded string sections with 8 double basses, 10 cellos, 12 violas, and 16 violins, playing with a variety of techniques including legato, spiccato, and tremolo. The software adds real-time control of expressive maneuvers such as crescendo, diminuendo, bowing, and portamento. The programs offer as many as nine Velocity layers.
To use the HALion String Player, Mac users will need a G3/500, Mac OS 9 or OS X 10.2 with a 100 MHz system bus, 256 MB of RAM, and a VST 2.0 host. The Windows side requires a 400 MHz Pentium II or AMD-processor equivalent; 256 MB RAM; Windows 98, ME, 2000, or XP; and a VST 2.0 or DXi compatible host. Wizoo GmbH; tel. 49-421-701-870; e-mail info@wizoo.com; Web www.wizoo.com.
ILIO ENTERTAINMENTS
Ilio Entertainments' World Winds (Akai S3000-compatible CD-ROM, $199) taps the ethnic wind instrument collection of U.K. composer and multi-instrumentalist Dirk Campbell. In addition, Ilio sampled an Andean panpipe player and a shakuhachi master. The result is a collection of evocative wind-instrument samples gathered from around the world.
You get samples of a variety of flutes including the Indian bansuri, Turkish and Persian ney, the kaval from Southeast Europe, and sulings in slendro and pelog tunings from Java. The CD-ROM offers several types of bagpipes such as the gaida, which is usually found in Greece and Bulgaria; medieval Praetorius bagpipes; and Uillean pipes. The collection also presents a number of horns such as the nafir and African kudu horn.
In addition to multisampled instruments, the library includes articulated samples with up and down bends, grace notes, and authentic phrases and performances. The programs are primarily tuned to concert pitch, but the collection provides instruments with basic programs that demonstrate native tunings, scales, and pitch ranges. The programmers also used the samples to design atmospheric pads and textures. Ilio Entertainments; tel. (800) 747-4546 or (818) 707-7222; e-mail ilioinfo@ilio.com; Web www.ilio.com.