A virtual instrument of dark, ancient string textures captured at the RCA Victor studio in Montreal and creatively processed into expressive, otherworldly sounds, from dystopian clusters to ethereal textures.

Arca explores the dark side of string textures: inspired by science fiction, Mntra recorded ancient bowed instruments from around the world such as the kemenche, morin khuur and nyckelharpa, along with a string trio and cello harmonics, and deeply processed them to extend their timbres far beyond the familiar. 18 acoustic and 17 creatively processed sample maps form the basis of 85 presets, each a performable instrument in its own right. At its core is a three-axis control system with an animated Perform view, whose global controls you assign once to any MIDI sliders, knobs or controllers without re-mapping them for each new MNDALA 2 instance. Beyond the presets, the non-linear sound design environment of MNDALA 2 lets you sculpt your own sonic landscapes.

Features

• 85 presets by award-winning sound designers
• 35 instruments: 18 acoustic and 17 creatively processed sample maps
• Up to 29 round robins
• Sources: string trio, cello, kemenche, morin khuur and nyckelharpa
• Ultrasonic recordings at 384 kHz, CPU-efficient playback at 96 kHz
• Three-axis global controls, mapped to MIDI controllers just once

Technical details

• Type: virtual instrument
• Operating systems: Windows, macOS
• Plug-in formats: VST3, Audio Unit (macOS only), AAX
• Architecture: 64-bit
• Licensing: computer-bound: the instrument is encrypted for your system during installation, no dongle; internet connection required for activation
• Requirement: Mntra’s MNDALA V2.1.0 engine; the instrument is downloaded and installed within it via a registered Mntra account
• Content: 85 presets, 35 instruments (18 acoustic and 17 processed sample maps)

System requirements

• macOS 10.14 or later, with full Apple M1 support
• Windows
• Processor: i5 or better
• RAM: 8 GB, 16 GB recommended
• Disk space: 10.33 GB installed, 15 GB recommended for setup
• Host: 64-bit DAW supporting VST3, Audio Unit or AAX

The licence is registered with the manufacturer at https://www.mntra.io/mndala/. You will receive your serial number and the download link by e-mail immediately after purchase.