A glissy steel lamellophone by instrument inventor Bart Hopkin with a liquid, metallic timbre, recorded in wide stereo and binaurally.

The U is a steel lamellophone by Bart Hopkin that has 14 closely spaced tines per note instead of one, each group tuned in octaves and fifths, with twelve groups forming a chromatic scale. It is played by stroking across a group of tines with a thin, stick-like plectrum, and melodies can be shaped by accenting specific tines, resulting in a fascinatingly liquid and metallic timbre. The instrument was recorded up close in wide stereo and with a tetrahedral binaural microphone that captures the player’s own perspective. Alongside plucked, bowed and glissando articulations, percussion and effects, the library includes sound-designed textures, pads and tones plus 20 effect presets.

Features

• Hand-crafted steel lamellophone with 14 tines per note tuned in octaves and fifths
• Plucks, bowed shorts, bowed sustains, glisses, percussion and effects
• Close wide-stereo recording and tetrahedral binaural microphone
• 2 master presets and 20 effect and ambient presets
• Sound-designed textures, pads and tones from the source recordings
• 7,694 stereo samples

Technical details

• Type: Virtual instrument (Kontakt Player library, NKS-compatible)
• Operating systems: Windows, macOS
• Plug-in formats: VST2, VST3, Audio Unit (macOS only), AAX, Standalone (via Kontakt Player)
• Requirement: Native Instruments Kontakt Player version 6.1 or higher (full version of Kontakt not required)
• Content: 2 master presets, 20 effect presets, 7,694 stereo samples, 24-bit / 48 kHz (NCW), 5.04 GB

System requirements

• macOS 10.12 or higher
• Windows 7 or higher
• RAM: 3 GB
• Disk space: 5 GB
• Kontakt Player version 6.1 or higher (VST, AU, AAX) with the “Libraries” rack
• Made for Kontakt Player and NKS; works with Native Access

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