Timpani
Timpani hits and rolls.
ByJack McKenzie
The story
After being unable to find solo Timpani within my first purchased sample library in 2017, Albion One, I decided to sample and create my own basic Timpani Library. This was my first EXS24 sample library and so it ain’t pretty, but it does the job! There are two patches: Hits (split into 3 velocity sensitive dynamic layers) and Rolls (crossfading between 2 dynamic layers). At this point I hadn’t quite worked out the looping feature of EXS however the roll samples are reasonably lengthy. This served as a mainstay in my sample library arsenal for 2 years before finally purchasing a professional percussion library.
Reviews
Simple perfect solo timpani
I use timpani a lot in my compositions! This may not be designed for big epic ensemble timpani, but for solo or for layering, it is perfect! I think for a more authentic intimate orchestra timpani section, this instrument will work really well. The GUI controls are very simple as expected with percussion. One of the most fantastic features is the Roll preset. Every timpani instrument I have used has a set length for the rolls, meaning you have to time the roll sample to end on a beat you need. Since this instrument uses crossfades, you don't have a crescendo, but you can roll as long or short as you like. A cool addition in the future could be some sort of multiplier rather than just a reverb, that way you could build an ensemble with a time/velocity variation.
Just right for background rolls and hits
I tried the timpani in BBCSO Discover and found them too thin and baked in reverb for my purpose, so my next stop was this pack. The rolls are consistent, and by adjusting the dynamics knob, you can create dynamic crescendos and decrescendos, as opposed to simply using the volume knob. There is enough dynamic layers for basic parts, especially deep in a mix. The reverb is a little small for my liking. Overall, very useful!