USB Ircam Solo Instruments

A truly unique collection of acoustic solo instruments

In collaboration with the famous IRCAM research department, this brand new collection presents the finest solo instruments (Violin, Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Flute in C, Oboe, Clarinet, Basson, Alto saxophone, French horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Bass tuba, Accordion, Guitar & Harp) played by the most talented contemporary musicians an captured in the very best conditions to ensure maximum fidelity.
This collection not only contains the usual sounds of these sixteen wonderful instruments, but also some very rare playing techniques that you will not find anywhere else: multiphonic, aeolian, hit-on-body, buzz, crushed... Carefully programmed with expressive key-switches and other crossfading techniques, each preset can be loaded and played instantaneously whatever your system thanks to the supplied UVI Workstation.
Better than any words, we advice you to listen to the audio demos and you will understand why this collection is so unique.
(NB: Guillaume Roussel, a young and very talented composer, did create and perform these 17 pieces of music only with IRCAM Solo Instrument)
If you need a first library of high quality solo instrument, this collection is the perfect choice to start. If you already own other sound libraries, you will find on this one some unique sounds as well as some very musical usual sounds.
The concept
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The Ircam Solo Instruments collection is the result of a more than ten year of research, recording, editing & publishing. Started in 1996, this huge project involved the very best musicians, artistic directors and engineers. The instruments were recorded using Prism converters with several high-end and customized microphones. After intense experimentation, the decision was to use the sounds obtained via the close-proximity mono channel; because this is the most natural way to work with solo instruments, specially if you want to add external reverberation (like the superb sounding convolution reverb from the UVI Workstation). Sounds are stored in 24 bits / 44.1 kHz..

Even if the IRCAM Solo Instruments collection offers the most usable and musical samples, it also offer some rare and unique features : for exemple, the stringed instruments (violin, viola, cello and double bass), we recorded string by string, and you can choose the string you want for the note you want thru keyswitching presets. You will find also some rare to find transitions from different playing techniques like Sul-tasto-to-ordinario and Ordinario-to-sul-ponticello to name a view..

The players

Don't forget that the most important actors of this kind of project are the players; specially for solo instrument, where musical experience and playing techniques are essential. IRCAM did collaborate with the very best musician to achieve and exceptionnal and musical result. Each instrument, each sample has a soul.