ZERO-G NOSTALGIA VSTi [DVD]
NOSTALGIA is a new ZERO-G virtual instrument powered by Native Instruments, featuring over 1.3 gigabytes of sounds and more than 1,300 patches from four decades of electronic instruments.
Programming wizard and all-round synth enthusiast STEVE HOWELL has used his 30+ years of experience and knowledge of these various instruments to create arguably the best and most accurate representations of some of the world's greatest synths, keyboards and beat boxes that he has either owned or used in a professional capacity as either a sound designer, sound engineer, player or composer in one way or another. Steve has also used his 16+ years of developing professional sample sound libraries to provide highly optimised and memory-efficient, seamlessly looped samples of a heritage of instruments that have paved the way for where we are today - over 40 years of innovation and (often naive) pioneering spirit encapsulated in one definitive collection of abject 'NOSTALGIA'!
Whatever your chosen musical genre there's a place for any of these sounds in your music. Whether it's old-skool lo-fi beatboxes, huge Gothic Tron sounds, smooth Prophet pads and strings, beefy Moog basses or leads, classic electric pianos, swirly string synths, cheezy toys, classic samplers, brittle digital synths, evolving S+S textures ... you name it - with over 5,000 samples and more than 1,300 patches, it's probably there in this huge Kompakt collection that has effectively been 40 years in the making.
The whole library is presented within NI's stunning state-of-the-art KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT sampler interface, which makes no compromises in the playing and performing of sample-based instruments. Powerful multi-mode filters, envelopes, and LFOs give this library enormous flexibility and a wealth of creative possibilities. The integrated high-quality reverb, chorus, and delay effects can give each sample life and depth.
You will find that the clean and intuitive KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT interface doesn't let technology get in the way of your creativity! All important instrument parameters can be immediately adjusted without the need to page, scroll, or fumble through a manual!
PROGRAMMING NOTES:
Sound Quality All the sounds were recorded and processed at 16 Bit resolution and 44.1KHz sample rate.
Organisation The Instruments list (which can be viewed by clicking on "Instruments List PDF" at above left) groups the sounds into categories. The categories are as follows:
01 US Classics 02 Euro Classics 03 Japanese Classics 04 Playback Keyboards 05 Organs 06 Electro-Mechanicals 07 Digital ROMpler synths 08 Vintage Samplers 09 Cheap n Cheezy 10 Obscure Synths 11 Drum Synths 12 Classic Beatboxes 13 Obscure Beatboxes 14 Sci-Fi 15 Atmosferics 16 String Synths 17 Basses
Memory Size
All programming has been carried out to minimise the size of the patches thus reducing CPU and Memory Usage. However, the software interface will allow you to activate a Direct from Disk (DFD) functionality if you prefer, thereby enabling the streaming of the samples direct from your hard disk drive.
Modulation Wheel Assignments
Every single instrument has the Modulation Wheel assigned to a function. This gives a lot of dynamic control over the character of the sound. Please try out the modulation wheel when playing each patch. The Mod Wheel may be assigned to one of several different controllers including Tune LFO, Filter Cutoff, Pan and Volume depending on the patch in question.
Polyphony
All instruments are programmed at the default polyphony of 32 notes except for a selection of patches from synths that were originally monophonic and some bass sounds which have thus been programmed as monophonic. If you wish to increase the polyphony please do so.
Multis
Up to 8 instruments can be combined in a Multi giving a vast array of possible combinations of the supplied single instruments. For example try combining a couple of bass instruments for some really fat and thunderous sounds. Or how about combining a Sawtooth and Square wave pad and then using the modwheel to crossfade between them. This latter effect is easy to set up by over-riding the pre-programmed Mod Wheel assignments. Simply set the Mod Wheel to control one instrument with positive volume control and the other with negative volume control.
CPU Load
The exact CPU load of any given instrument depends on a myriad of factors - the power of your computer, notes played, complexity of the instrument etc. However if you find the CPU load is too high for any particular instrument the quickest way of reducing this is to see if the instrument uses any of Kompakt's own built in FX. If so these can be turned off to maximise CPU efficiency.
LIST OF EQUIPMENT USED:
INSTRUMENTS & SYNTHS:
ARP 2600, ARP String Ensemble, ARP Pro-Soloist, ARP Odyssey, Casio VL-Tone, Casio CZ101, Casio PT-30, Crumar Performer, Chamberlin, Chapman Stick, Clavinet D6, Delicia Medlodica , Dubreq Stylophone, Ensoniq SQ80, Ensoniq SQ-R, Elektronika EM-25, Elka Synthex, Eminent 310, Emulator 2, Fairlight CMI IIx, Farfisa organ, Farfisa Soundmaker, Fender Rhodes, Gem DEX20, Gem S2, Hammond B/C3, Hammond M102, Hohner Pianet, Jen bass Pedals, Kawai K5000, Korg Prophecy, Korg Trident, Korg Wavestation, Korg M1, Korg MS20, Korg Polysix, Korg X5DR, Mellotron, MemoryMoog, MiniMoog, Moog Taurus Mk1, Moog Opus, Moog Voyager, MultiVox MX202, NanoBass, Novation SuperNova II, Modulus Monowave, Novation K-Station, Oberheim Matrix 12, Oberheim Matrix 1000, PolyMoog, Prophet 5, PPG Wave 2.2, RMIElectrapiano, S+S synths, System 100, TB303, VP300 Vocoder Plus, Alpha Juno 2, D50, Jupiter 6, MKS50, RS202, SH101, Sci-Fi, Suzuki SX-500, TI Speak & Spell, Wurlitzer EP200, Wurlitzer EP203, Vako Orchestron, Vox Continental, Yamaha CP70, Yamaha DX7, Yamaha CS1x, Yamaha CS5, Yamaha CS80, Yamaha CVS10, Yamaha SY2, Yamaha SY85, Yamaha TX81Z.
BEATBOXES/DRUM SYNTHS:
Ace Tone 'Rhythm Ace', Akai XE8, Akai XR10, Alesis HR16, Alesis HR16b, Alesis SR16, Boss DR55, Boss DR220, Fricke MFB512, Kawai R5/R50E, Korg DDD1, Korg DDM110/DDM220, Linn LM-1, Linn 9000, Mattel Synsonics, MXR 185, Sequential Drum Traks, Sequential Tom, CR78, TR606, TR707, TR727, TR808, TR909, Simmons SDSV, Yamaha RX11, Casio RZ1, Emu Drumulator, Keytek MDP40, Korg 'Mini Pops', Linn Drum Mk2, Oberheim DX, TD7 V-drums, TR505, Sakata DPM48, Sound master SR88, Sound Master Stix, Soundtech Rhythm 12, Pearl DRX-1, Pearl Syncussion, Yamaha DD10