Sitar Nation: Classical Instruments of India (Kontakt Library)

CONTENT

• Sitar, tambura, tabla & baya samples
  
• Sustains, tremolos, mordents, chords
  
• Bends, phrases, drones
  
• A wide array of percussive strokes
  
• Special FX patches
  
• Close and room mic positions
  
• 50 percussive MIDI grooves

FEATURES

• Fresh new UI reworked in 2017
• Easy mic mixing, per-artic ADSR
• Flexible microtuning
• One-touch filters, CC-learnable
• TACT for 100% custom artic control
• Built-in FX rack

DETAILS

We came up with the idea for Sitar Nation in mid-2007 after noticing that despite the growing popularity of ethnic instrument libraries, few products sampled non-Western instruments with a level of depth expected from a modern sample library. We spoke with numerous composers and producers who were unhappy with the current offering of ethnic instrument samples which only provided an “overview” of sounds and lacked the detail necessary to provide realistic solo performances.

The sitar, tampura, tabla and baya were chosen for our library because these instruments have remained a foundation of Indian classical music for centuries and have even permeated Western music since the 50s and 60s. Sitar Nation is the first library to capture these instruments with a level of detail and realism, usually reserved for violins and pianos, allowing the composer to control and play these beautiful sounds without relying on extreme programming.

The library is built on 2.7GB of “unlocked” 24-bit/44.1khz audio content. Eighteen prominent patches cover a variety of essential playing techniques for all four instruments, all of which can be loaded from up to three positions: close, room, and ambient. This, combined with extensive sampling for velocity and round robins, allows you to carefully reproduce authentic sounds OR add flourishes of flavour to your compositions with a minimum of time.

Also included with Sitar Nation is a set of seventeen FX patches which take the core audio content into new directions using both pre-rendered offline processing and effects/programming within Kontakt. The result is various instrumental sounds, from drones and percussion to chimes, pads and keyboards.

INSTRUMENTS

Handcrafted, Gourdless Sitar

Performed by Thomas Flanagan, the sitar we recorded is a custom-made instrument crafted from wood that has been seasoned for seven years! Articulations include plucking (thumbed and picked), mordents (quick “turns”), strums of the chikari (rhythm) strings, whole tone bends, glissandos at different speeds and both major and minor tonalities, basic phrases and tremolos. Thorough velocity and round-robin sampling were used for many articulations, with up to four layers and three round-robin groups.

Tampura

Traditionally an instrument was played by an apprentice sitar player to accompany an expert. Though the body is smaller than the sitar, its simple, open drones have a unique timbre that provides an excellent rhythmic base. Thomas Flanagan also performed this instrument.

Tabla & Baya

A set of two custom-made, carefully tuned hand drums performed by Jeremy Dyen. The sheer number of strokes possible for the tabla or baya alone is staggering. Still, we chose to thoroughly record some of the most widely used and recognizable techniques, such as both edges and open and muted strikes. Multiple pitches bend in different directions and at different speeds. Every stroke was recorded with nine velocity layers and three round robins to allow for seamless, human performances.

Special FX

We created several patches from the unprocessed audio content using offline and Kontakt processing to open up a new dimension in sound. For example, “Livewire Drone” takes sitar drones and uses FM synthesis and waveshaping to “electrify” the timbre of the sitar. “Deep Chime” uses extensive granular synthesis to create an ominous, semi-harmonic orchestral chime hit with a reverberant ambiance. The two “Shaped Kit” patches use ring modulation and waveshaping to turn the tabla and baya into an electronic percussion set.