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The Solstice Orchestra
The Elders (strings)
Distinctive strings form the core of all Albion libraries, and Albion Solstice is no exception. This grouping includes two string sections, split into three subcategories — The Classic Octet, The Traditional Sextet, and The Elders Bass. These sections feature articulations from the classic and folk traditions as well as totally new techniques developed for these performances. Additionally, there is a curated mix for each preset and 3 detailed microphone positions offering Close, Outriggers, and Room. Unique to this section is the use of a high-end DPA clip-on mic, for ultra-close, detailed sounds.
The Elders - Classic Octet
The Classic Octet includes violins, violas, and cellos (2,2,2,2) performed in a distinctly organic fashion. This group is a new take on classical strings, focusing on orchestral playing styles including all the articulations you would expect — a multi-layer legato, dynamic hairpin sustains, trills, staccato, pizzicato, col legno but equally focusing on new bowing techniques such as circular bowing, sinister sul ponticello, Evos offering cinematic evolving textures, circular sustains (performed by moving the bow in circular motions, allowing for slight pitch and timbral shifts over time, a breathy and organic sound), and motors. Traditionally referred to as measured tremolo, motors is a new technique of playing tremolos with a different feel, giving a higher sense of depth and giving you a tool to create a sense of pace in your score.
- Circular
- Col Legno
- Evo 1 (Disturbed)
- Evo 2 (Trembling)
- Evo 3 (Quiver)
- Evo 4 (Unsteady)
- Evo 5 (Flickering)
- Evo 6 (Hesitant)
- FX Bends (Major 3rd)
- FX Cluster
- Legato
- Long (Con Sord)
- Long Hairpin
- Long
- Malevolent
- Marcato
- Motor (90BPM)
- Motor (110BPM)
- Motor 16ths (90BPM)
- Motor 16ths (110BPM)
- Motor Triplet (90BPM)
- Motor Triplet (110BPM)
- Pizzicato
- Short Gliss Down FX
- Short Gliss Up FX
- Sinister
- Spiccato
- Staccato (Brushed Con Sord)
- Sul Pont
- Sul Tasto
- Trill (Major 2nd)
- Trill (Minor 2nd)
The Elders - Traditional Sextet
The Traditional Sextet also features violins, viola, and cello (2,2,1,1) but takes inspiration from Celtic traditions, embracing playing styles and timbres outside of the conservatoire, with distinctive bends in pitch and characterful tone, sans vibrato. This band invokes more freedom and culture in the sound, via pitch and performance, with a wider portamento legato, an array of rising sustains, and an all-new type of articulation we developed called cellular longs. This exciting new articulation is created from dynamic performances set to a fixed scale, each note being entirely different, each its own unique voice with individual characteristics.
- Cellular D (Combo)
- Cellular D
- Cellular G (Combo)
- Cellular G
- Col Legno
- Crescendo
- Evo 1 (Unstable)
- Evo 2 (Shaken)
- Evo 3 (Fractured)
- Flautando Cold
- Flautando Warm
- FX Cluster
- FX Gliss Up (5th)
- FX Gliss Up (Octave)
- FX Gliss Up
- Harmonics
- Legato
- Long (Combo)
- Long Artisan Infinite
- Long Artisan
- Long
- Motor (110BPM)
- Motor 16ths (110BPM)
- Motor Triplet (110BPM)
- No Rosin
- Pizzicato (Loose)
- Pizzicato (Torn)
- Pizzicato
- Scattered Tremolo
- Sforzando
- Spiccato (Brushed)
- Spiccato (Pointed)
- Spiccato (Ricochet)
- Sul Pont
- Sul Tasto
- Tremolo
The Elders bass
A booming, solo double bass, captured to increase the range of The Classic Octet and The Traditional Sextet. Gritty, deep, and dramatic, this instrument stands alone as the only soloist in Albion Solstice, allowing you fine control of this foundational element and designed to perform independently or mixed with either string band.
- Bartok
- Col Legno
- Harmonics
- Legato
- Long
- No Rosin
- Pizzicato
- Staccato
- Sul Pont
- Sul Tasto
The Callers (brass & winds)
An eclectic selection of haunting brass and woodwinds, including saxophones, trombones, euphonium, tuba, contrabass, and clarinet. An inspired section designed to fill that of a conventional woodwind section, The Callers feature all of the articulations you would expect, legatos, sustains, shorts but is enriched with Celtic playing styles, including short pitch bends at the attack of notes, longs with slowly evolving timbres, and unique overblown sounds with natural distortion. To help spark inspiration, a specially workshopped technique called scattered tremolos (unmeasured tremolo) gives incredible performance realism. Spread out across the entire keyboard range, a truly full sound is immediately accessible.
- Air FX
- Chatter FX
- Evo 1 (Sorrow)
- Evo 2 (Divided)
- Evo 3 (Turbulant)
- Evo 3 (Turbulent)
- Evo 4 (Cacophony)
- Evo 5 (Meandering)
- Evo 6 (Shaken)
- Falls
- Flutter Tongue
- Gliss Up (Maj)
- Gliss Up (Min)
- Key Noise
- Legato
- Long (Combo)
- Long
- Marcato
- Motor (90BPM)
- Motor (110BPM)
- Motor 16ths (70BPM)
- Motor 16ths (90BPM)
- Motor Triplet (90BPM)
- Motor Triplet (110BPM)
- Overblown
- Rips
- Scattered Tremolo
- Short Gliss Down FX
- Short Gliss Up FX (Fast)
- Short Gliss Up FX (Slow)
- Spoken
- Staccatissimo
- Whisper FX
The Mystics (pipes)
An intimate group of flutes, mixed with Celtic flutes and whistles, representing the top end of a conventional woodwind section. The pairing of Celtic flutes with flutes more commonly associated with the classical tradition allows for a sharper timbre and wider spread of sound due to variances of pitch between the playing styles. A collection of sounds, unheard before, offering a rich and deep sound that has a mysterious, slightly unsettling quality. Includes traditional articulations as well the identifiably Celtic slight pitch bend at the attack of notes.
- Flicker
- FX Gliss Up
- Legato
- Long (Combo)
- Long
- Overblown Staccatissimo
- Staccatissimo
- Staccato
- Trill (Major 2nd)
- Trill (Minor 2nd)
- Wavering
The Blaggards (band)
The soul of the Solstice orchestra, this rough-and-ready ensemble is composed of accordion, bass harmonica, nyckelharpa, hurdy-gurdy, harmonium, and clàrsach (Celtic harps). This grouping represents the clearest example of combining instruments from similar historical moments, but of different folk music traditions, curated for modern cinematic scores. Since this is the most diverse collection of instruments, care was taken to record these as an ensemble as well as in duo settings, allowing for greater control of the performances.
- FX Gliss Up
- Harmonics (Solo Harp)
- Long (Bellows)
- Long (Combo)
- Long (Senza Harp)
- Long (Solo Harp)
- Long
- Staccatissimo (Bellows)
- Staccatissimo (Senza Harp)
- Staccatissimo
- Staccato (Senza Harp)
- Staccato
- Tremolo (Senza Harp)
- Tremolo (Solo Harp)
- Tremolo
The Hosts (choir)
A haunting ensemble of female singers, 6 high voices and one low, originating from a variety of folk traditions. This collection of female voices may appear humble in size, but the multitudes of sounds and textures that are at your immediate disposal is truly beguiling. A pool of performers never heard before, each singer brings a wealth of knowledge from their traditional performance backgrounds, mixing different techniques, approaches to vibrato, and pitch inflection. Inherently performance-based, this organic ensemble conjures enchanting long pads, evolving textures, and vocalisations.
- Cellular
- FX Drone
- FX Songbath
- Long Infinite Ah
- Long Infinite Eh
- Long Infinite Mm
- Long Infinite Oh
- Long Natural Ah
- Long Natural Eh
- Long Natural Mm
- Long Natural Oh
- Motor (90BPM)
- Motor (110BPM)
- Wavering
- Wicken Glissando
The Generator Trio (electric)
The only amplified instruments in The Solstice Orchestra, this is a magnetic ensemble of two electric guitars and electric bass, creating textures with strummed, plucked, and Ebowed performances. Although these instruments are quite different from the others in this library, they are performed with similar intentions and techniques. Recorded as a group and performed live with all processing, including distortion, reverb, and delay, baked into the performances, this section represents a modern folk instrument—the electric guitar. A huge inspiration tool, these performance-based patches feature Evos (pads with effects tweaked in real-time), as well as motors (repeated, measured notes that loop), all serving as a powerful jumping-off point for your score or to add texture to existing cues.
- Evo 1 (Undulate)
- Evo 2 (Shiver)
- Evo 3 (Lament)
- Evo 4 (Raucous)
- Evo 5 (Enharmonics)
- Harmonics
- Long
- Motor (90BPM)
- Motor (110BPM)
- Motor 4ths (90BPM)
- Motor 4ths (110BPM)
- Motor Bends (90BPM)
- Motor Bends (110BPM)
- Motor Bends Triplet (90BPM)
- Motor Bends Triplet (110BPM)
- Motor Triplet (90BPM)
- Motor Triplet (110BPM)
- Overdriven Bow
- Spiccato Muted
- Staccato
- Tremolo Fast
- Tremolo Slow
- Wave
The Gut Circle (acoustic)
Representing the traditional folk side of the guitar family, this section is a shimmering grouping of ukuleles, steel and nylon string guitars, and mandolins. An identifiable sound that, like The Blaggards, provides a new palette without adjusting your writing style. Unique strum motors in this section bring a natural performance feel, each player drawing from their traditions, acting as a great inspiration for modern cinematic scores.
- Motor (90BPM)
- Motor (110BPM)
- Motor Bend (90BPM)
- Motor Bend (110BPM)
- Motor Triplet (90BPM)
- Motor Triplet (110BPM)
- Performance A (90BPM)
- Performance A (110BPM)
- Performance A 16ths (90BPM)
- Performance A 16ths (110BPM)
- Performance D (90BPM)
- Performance D (110BPM)
- Performance D 16ths (90BPM)
- Performance D 16ths (110BPM)
- Plucked
- Scattered FX
- Tremolo Fast
- Tremolo Slow
The Nursery (bells & mallets)
A quartet of tuned percussion, inspiring childlike sounds from a unique ensemble of vibes, celeste, dulcitone, glockenspiel, bike bells, hand drums, and various elements of found percussion. Performed together, these sounds combine to create unquestionably unique timbres, built from complex harmonics generated by multiple players striking notes simultaneously. This in-built human latency leads to a relaxed, natural spread that brings realism and nuance to your compositions.
