The Gong
A multi-patch instrument featuring different Gong drones, strikes (hits), crescendos's and modular synth processed tones. Play as single notes or harmonically with up to 6 voices.
BySi Gordon
The story
A walkthrough video on how I created a new Kontakt 7+ instrument out of the amazing tones of a beautiful gong, which is my first attempt at creating a multi selectable group / patch instrument. It has been a BIG exploration in scripting but got there in the end, even if it is a little crude! After a recording session with one of my talented students and her Gong and playing style it was abundantly clear that this could be a great first multi-patch instrument, and here we are…
Using various ‘Flumies’ (beaters to you and I), Cassy performed lots of drones and crescendos, plus some strikes (hits).. I have edited, noise reduced and processed the best ones and also ran a select few through some of my modular synths and effects, so there is a collection of original sounds and processed new experiments. I have also added 6 voices to all but the crescendos as it soon transpired that these make wonderful harmonic texture too! There are however no velocity layers but using some clever envelope (A/R) settings on the interface you can get som e fantastic results. I have also included my obligatory additional effects on the front panel for even more sound design…. enjoy! : 😉
Walkthrough Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StmyR2Bt2eI
Interface
Reviews
No velocity?
Converting the gong to be a chromatic instrument makes it very flexible. However, not responding to velocity (just for volume, not even to have different dynamic layers) makes it harder to use for me.
For some reason the scripting makes it more difficult to edit the instrument to add velocity to the modulators of the Kontakt amplifier section. I have done in the past with my limited Kontakt skills. Perhaps I misunderstood something, anyway I could not make it respond to velocity.
I did not try all the sound design features, I just needed a simple gong to substitute the one I was using in a project... I prefer to just drag & drop the samples into the DAW to control the dynamics.
Anyway thanks for the samples, the sound is really good.