Apple Mac OS X Version 10.5 Leopard
Apple Mac OS X Version 10.5 Leopard [5-User Family Pack]
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Apple Mac OS X Version 10.5 Leopard
Hammered Dulcimer TrilogyAvailable from Bolder Sounds online shop only in EXS24 format for Apple Logic. Bolder has always been the king of ‘eclectic’ sounds…from their revolutionary Granular sampling disc back before granular was known out of the academic world as well as putting out instruments like the Fortepiano, a prehistoric piano that sounds out of place in todays world but captured perfectly, as well as instruments like the Hurdy Gurdy, rarely heard outside of the realm of renaissance fairs played by guys in tights who feel just as home behind a D20 at a GenCon convention. These days, Bolder is bringing us a bit of Americana in the form of Hammered Dulcimers. Juxtapose the ‘simplicity’ of a bluegrass jam with that of modern computer based samplers and this paradox is what you find. This library was a bit of a surprise to me because a recent fascination with the simple musics after picking up a mountain (strummed) dulcimer from McCabes in Santa Monica (honestly, the best stringed instrument store in the world) so having more old-timey instruments at my fingertips was more than welcome. This library is comprised of 3 different dulcimers the cimbalom, the concert grand, and a standard hammered dulcimer. The library weighs in at around 1.3 gigs equally distributed between the three instruments. Each instrument, in the standard Bolder method, is comprised of a dozen or two variations. The first instrument, the Cimbalom is more pianolike than the other 2 instruments. More like a thin almost broken piano who’s felt has worn off the hammer, with the sustain pedal holding out this instruments real damper recordings open. With the four and a half octave range, you can almost use this as a vintage piano substitution for effect, remembering to select a patch that has removed the roll. This instrument is sampled at forte and mezoforte and as mentioned, includes a roll. The only detriment to this one is that the roll was recorded after the main recording was done and feels slightly out of the aural space as the rest of the instrument. Maybe different hammers? I don’t know. Using purely the hammers or just the rolls and it sounds perfect. Add a bit of EQ to the entire mix and a little of your favorite vintage convolution reverb and you’ll never notice it. All in all, this is the darkest of the instruments. The next, the Concert Grand is a more traditional dulcimer but with 3 string courses for a bit fuller sound. It is a bit brighter than the last and definitely sounds more modern. This has 3 velocity layers, including thumb plucked felt and then wood hammers getting brighter as it gets louder. As an extra bit of authenticity, a ‘drag’ is included to allude to the hammer coming down twice on one string set and getting cut off. Nice. And the fact that its so hard to hit the velocity needed to get to this in the 4 velocity layer (vels 123 – 127) means that it will be an unexpected surprise when you hear it. All in all, I have no complaints about this, and it would fit well in the aural space left behind by a banjo in most mountain musics. The final instrument is the standard, traditional hammered dulcimer. Nothing special about it other than it is a damn fine specimen that would be at home at any of the bluegrass festivals I’ve attended. It is exactly what one thinks about when you think Hammered Dulcimer. It has a much lighter feel and is a faster play. It just sounds like a hammer dulcimer. What more? Leather and Wood hammers along with the same sort of drags found on the last instrument. Yeah yeah. No surprises here, which occasionally is a good thing. Of the three instruments, I feel the Cimbalom is my favorite – warts and all. Not an ultra clean sound and it had a few quarks…it would be a little harder to fit into a mix than the other two and that is more of the challenge. Will I use this disc? Hell yeah, I already have on a few songs? Can you hear them? Hell no…I’m not that confident in my playing of the real instruments and as such, I leave you with a few demos from Boldersounds.com. MP3 Demos: Cimbalom Bartok Cimbalom Rolls Concert Grand Concert Grand – Felt Hammers Hammered Dulcimer – Leather Hammers Hammered Dulcimer |
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