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Instruments
Anvils (x3)
Metal bars struck with hammers creating ringing sounds with excellent projection - A modern equivalent to the traditional metalworker's anvil used in orchestral settings.
Lump Hammer
Hits performed with a heavy lump hammer with a dark but metallic attack
Pin Hammer
Hits performed with a light pin hammer creating a bright, metallic attack
All in One
All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard
Brake Drums (x3)
Literally the brake drums from an automobile, these produce a surprisingly clear and resonant tone when struck - presented here as a set of three.
Poly Beater
Single hits performed with poly beaters creating a bright attack
Rubber Mallets
Techniques performed with rubber mallets producing a balanced attack
All in One
All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard
China Cymbal
A traditional 24" China cymbal hand-hammered in Wuhan, producing a distinctive attack with a dark, washy sustain.
Felt Mallets
Techniques performed with felt mallets for a rounded attack
Sticks
Techniques performed with drumsticks producing a hard and pronounced attack
Scrapes
Scrape techniques across the surface of the cymbal
Bows
Techniques performed with a bow across the edge of the cymbal to produce unearthly overtones
All in One
All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard
Crashers and Stack
A set of two crashers and a cymbal stack creating a palette of short, sharp and dirty metallic sounds - great for fast passages or layering.
Sticks
Techniques performed with drumsticks producing a hard and pronounced attack
Rods & Dreads
Techniques performed with a mix of rods and dreads for a variety of crisp transients
Pin Hammer
Hits performed with a light pin hammer creating a bright, metallic attack
All in One
All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard
Giant Crasher
Two thundersheets (rectangular metal cymbals) stacked together and struck from above to create powerful, shattering hits with little sustain
Pin Hammer
Hits performed with a light pin hammer creating a bright, metallic attack
Puili
Hits performed with bamboo puili sticks creating crisp attack
All in One
All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard
Oil Drum
A 40 gallon oil drum struck with a variety of beaters producing very unorthodox but highly complex sounds
Rubber Mallets
Techniques performed with poly beaters creating a bright attack
Felt Mallets
Techniques performed with soft felt mallets producing a mellow attack
Brushes
Techniques performed with wire brushes for a delicate timbre
Hands
Techniques performed with the hands producing very natural 'tapping' sounds
Superball
Drags across the instrument with a superball creating other-worldly textures
All in One
All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard
Piatti (x3)
An orchestral staple, piatti are hand-held clash cymbals struck together creating a dense and brilliant shimmer - presented here as a set of three (21” Dark/Germanic, 19” Mellow/Viennese and 17” Bright/French) performing a range of techniques.
Scaffolds (x3)
A trio of scaffold poles struck with beaters or hammers producing bright ringing sounds with discernible pitch
Yarn Beaters
Hits performed with yarn beaters for a rounded attack
Pin Hammer
Hits performed with a light pin hammer creating a bright, metallic attack
All in One
All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard
Spiral Cymbal
A spiral cymbal with a very bright attack, moderate sustain and a distinctly 'trashy' character
Sticks
Techniques performed with drumsticks producing a hard and pronounced attack
Splash Cymbals
A pair of splash cymbals (8” and 10”) with a fast attack and short sustain - ideal for accented hits
Sticks
Techniques performed with drumsticks producing a hard and pronounced attack
Suspended Cymbals (x3)
A set of three suspended cymbals (20” Dark, 21” Mellow and 16” Bright) performed with a variety of beaters providing a huge range of crashes and shimmering textures
Felt Mallets
Techniques performed with soft felt mallets producing a mellow attack
Brushes
Techniques performed with wire brushes for a delicate timbre
Sticks
Techniques performed with drumsticks producing a hard and pronounced attack
Scrapes
Scrape techniques across the surface of the cymbal
Bows
Techniques performed with a bow across the edge of the cymbal to produce unearthly overtones
Dark - All in One
All beaters and techniques for the dark 20" cymbal presented across the keyboard
Mellow - All in One
All beaters and techniques for the mellow 21" cymbal presented across the keyboard
Bright - All in One
All beaters and techniques for the bright 16" cymbal presented across the keyboard
Tam Tams (x2)
A pair of orchestral Tam Tams - large ‘gong-like’ instruments of indefinite pitch with a very long, deep resonance and dark overtones
Tam Tam Mallets
Techniques performed with tam tam mallets producing a soft attack and blooming sustain
Scrapes
Scrape techniques across the surface of the cymbal
Superball
Drags across the surface of the instrument with a rubber 'superball' producing other-wordly textures
All in One (Tam Tam A)
All available beaters and techniques for Tam Tam A (30" Swiss) presented across the keyboard
All in One (Tam Tam B)
All available beaters and techniques for Tam Tam B (36" Wuhan) presented across the keyboard
Temple Bowls (x4)
A set of four temple bowls to create meditative sounds with a rich blooming sustain
Rubber Mallets
Techniques performed with rubber mallets producing a balanced attack
Brushes
Techniques performed with nylon brushes producing a delicate attack with reduced fundamentals
All in One
All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard
Thundersheet
An extremely large (64” x 42”) but very thin suspended metal sheet which produces a characteristic thunder effect when struck or shaken
Felt Mallets
Techniques performed with soft felt mallets producing a mellow attack
Dreads
Techniques performed with heavy gauge coiled metal brushes producing a very metallic sound
Bows
Techniques performed with a bow across the edge of the instrument to produce unearthly overtones
Superball
Drags across the surface of the instrument with a rubber 'superball' producing other-wordly textures
All in One
All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard
Small Metals
A comprehensive collection of smaller metals to add additional colours and textures
Bell Tree
An instrument comprising of cup-shaped bells played by stroking with poly mallets
Mark Tree
Suspended metal tines played by stroking with the fingers to produce the instrument’s signature glissandi
Agogos (x2 pairs)
Pairs of cone-shaped bells with a short decay, each occupying a different pitch and struck with thin sticks to create characterful rhythms
Spring Coil
A large coiled spring played with a triangle beater - either suspended from a stand (open) or resting on a soft surface (muted)
Cowbells (x3)
Clapperless bells with a short, hollow decay and struck with drum sticks - presented here with three pitches
Cabassa
A hand instrument with beads wrapped around a ridged metal cylinder and turned with a handle, often used in place of a shaker
Chains
Heavy gauge chains dropped into a trash can to create aggressive metallic accents and textures
Finger Cymbals (x2)
Pairs of small cymbals struck together to produce a long and high pitched ring
Guira
A Caribbean instrument with a heavily textured metal surface, either tapped or scraped to create characterful repeating rhythms
Reco Reco
Popularised in Brazilian music, the Reco-Reco consists of springs extended across a hollow metal frame which are struck or scraped
Sleigh Bells & Indian Bells
Pellet bells attached to a handle (Sleigh Bells) or rope (Indian Bells) and shaken to produce a crisp 'jingle' sound
Tambourines (x3)
Metal 'jingles' attached to a hoop and either shaken or struck, equally adept at fast, repeating rhythms or single note accents - presented as a set of three
Wind Chimes
Small suspended metal tines which add light splashes of colour when flicked
Triangles (x3)
An orchestral staple, the triangle produces a bright, high pitched bell sound with a long decay - presented here as a set of three
Trash Cans (x2)
A spread pair of trash cans creating a 'street' sound - great for both layering and creating complex polyrhythms
Sticks
Techniques performed with drumsticks producing a hard and pronounced attack
Dreads
Techniques performed with heavy gauge coiled metal brushes producing a very metallic sound
All in One
All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard
Waterphone
A remarkable instrument of metal tines surrounding a water-filled chamber. Played with a bow, the tines create a otherworldly sounds with mesmerising harmonics
Bow (Arco)
Bow strokes performed across the instrument's tines to produce the signature waterphone sound
Bow (Col Legno)
Taps performed on the instrument's tines with the back of the bow
All in One
All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard
Wind Gong
A 26" Wind Gong with quick and bright attack which produces a sound resembling the rushing of wind when struck
Felt Mallets
Techniques performed with soft felt mallets producing a mellow attack
Bows
Techniques performed with a bow across the edge of the cymbal to produce unearthly overtones
All in One
All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard
Mics and Mixes
Mix 1
A full-sounding room mix by Simon Rhodes, formed from Tree 1, Overheads, Outriggers 1, and a curated blend of spots.
Mix 2
A tighter mix by Simon Rhodes, formed from Tree 2, Mids and Outriggers 2 with a curated blend of spots.
Section Overhead
A set of large diaphragm condenser microphones above the orchestral section capturing a clear representation of the instruments in the space.
Close 1
A blend of spot mics close to the source. Used in conjunction with the other close mics and section overhead to achieve the desired close sound.
Close 2
An alternative blend of spot mics which add body and air to the source.
Close Ribbons
A pair of close ribbon mics capturing a rounded and detailed image.
Tree 1
A decca tree formed of Abbey Road’s finest trio of classic valve omnidirectional microphones creating a lush and full sound.
Tree 2
A tighter, closer decca tree formed from mics with a more directional pattern, suited to faster, more detailed material.
Outriggers 1
Used in conjunction with either tree to obtain a wider image. This pair utilises omnidirectional mics to reproduce the full width of Studio One.
Outriggers 2
Used together with either tree to obtain a wider image. This pair uses mics with a more directional pattern, pulling the edges of the room inwards.
Mids
A pair of valve REDD mics placed between the conductor and the source which adds extra focus to the sound when combined with the Tree and Outriggers.
Ambients
A pristine pair of small diaphragm omnidirectional microphones to the rear of the room for a natural ambience.
Vintage 1
A pair of original 1940s RM1B ribbon microphones placed in front of the conductor to create a vintage scoring stage sound
Vintage 2
A pair of classic 44BX ribbon microphones placed by the conductor for an alternative vintage scoring stage sound
Pop Close
A Simon Rhodes mix of close mics panned centrally to give a flexible image not restricted to the orchestral layout.
Spill
A summation of spot mics placed around the other sections. These capture the natural 'spill' from the source across the orchestra for added realism.
Key Features
A notable list of features to extend the playability and natural realism of this sample library
Right/Left Mapping
Recalls discrete right and left hand performances on adjacent keys, tapping into the distinct timbral difference between each sticking hand. This allows the programming or playing of true-to-life rudiments when needed.
Two Handed Layout
Duplicates the main original mapping blocks to a higher octave, spacing the keys out further for a faster, more ergonomic performance - akin to playing a real instrument.
Voice Choking
Playing a hit when a roll key is held will interrupt (choke) the roll. This allows for very tight roll ends to be played in using a single hit. In Metal Percussion this extends to single note cymbal hits, allowing choked ('secco') cymbal hits to interrupt the ringing of preceding hits.
Soft Takeover
Roll dynamics become velocity sensitive whilst still maintaining modwheel functionality, allowing rolls to be triggered sympathetically and intuitively when playing without having to set the position of the modwheel. The modwheel remains active, however, with the option of being able to crescendo/diminuendo if desired.
