The story
Windy Welsh Tenor came about as a response to the Winter Voices campaign.
Aware that I can’t sing, I began to think about the process of making music that people go through after they’ve tried singing. In many instances once a child has taught themselves to sing, they to graduate to a Recorder in school. With that thought in mind, I dug out an old childhood Tenor Recorder and took it with me on a hike around the Carneddau in Snowdonia, North Wales.
On the side of a ridge, I recorded a selection of notes on the Tenor Recorder with a Rode iXY. The location conditions affected most of the recordings but I got a few workable takes. Back home, the clean recordings were processed with reverbs, layered with ‘dry’ recordings in Kontakt and tuned back to roughly A (440).
Two simple controls. Depth (Modwheel) is a Single Pole Low Pass Ladder filter on each of the 2 Round Robin groups. This is also assigned to Mono Aftertouch for two handed expressive playing. Space (CC21) affects the size and length of Delay.
The resulting instrument is an evolving ethereal pad with vocal-like qualities.
(Built in Kontakt 6.4.2 – sorry Kontakt 5 users!)
Reviews for Windy Welsh Tenor
- Sound
- Character
- Playability
- Inspiration
- GUI
Leave a review to let others know what you thought of the instrument!
Recorders are cool, okay!
Recorders are cool, okay! Perhaps that's because this doesn't sound much like what you'd expect from a tenor recorder. What this does sound like however is dollop of whipped creamy ambience... whatever that is. This is one of pianobook's simple but brilliant libraries where the tone of the instrument is rather unique and sounds great as soon as you load the patch. However, ride that modwheel and hear the 'depth' control take you somewhere else. Heavenly!!
Mesmerizing for real.
I have tested and reviewed a lot of vocal samples and pads, but I have to admit this one was something special. Everything is so wonderfully great about this. I wish the range was a little bigger - which is just 4 octaves right now. It is great as it is though, don't get me wrong. The GUI blends it really well, and it prepares you for what's about to come. I'd love to see more customization though, such as ADSR envelope, reverb controls, and perhaps stereo-image setting.
Abolutely OUTSTANDING!
I cant put it in words how the first notes played with this made me feel. Its just something from other world. The ambience, the feeling of this peaceful sound just surrounding me. This is the first time i felt something like that while playing a sample library and i have goosebumps on my hands! GUI could use a little work but its absolutely functional and i wish there was more range but overall i couldnt be more happy with it!
Mountain Ambience
I remember this instrument from when i first downloaded pianobook instruments. The picture on the GUI always stood out to me and i remember hearing this back when i was just finding out about all these organic based sample instruments. Coming from using synth based sounds in rap beats i remember being amazed at how much character a sample instrument could have. This is like a pad and a winds longs patch at the same time. The tones are evolving and interesting and notes kind of sneak in and out in a really interesting and organic way. No complaints here, for what this is this is a beautiful and inspiring library.
Voices in the breeze
A lovely cross between a pipe organ, voices and wind instrument - of some sort yet to be determined. Certainly doesn't sound like a recorder! This is beautiful. Like others I wish the (octave) range was slightly bigger and yes ADSR controls on the GUI would be great - though it's not too arduous to just go into and edit the sound - everything you need is already set up in the modulation setting - just tweak away. A beautiful and more importantly unique texture which lends itself to reflective and haunting passages.
