Following a short delay, the January issue of The Free Orchestra 2 by ProjectSAM is now out and available for download. The latest in the Kontakt Player series of instruments is an orchestral percussion soundset – titled the Lineage Percussion Kit.
The newest library, the sixth in the expanding free VST lineup, provides a rather modest collection of percussive sounds and presets – that vary all the way from symphonic drums to auxiliary percussion.
What is special about this particular library is not a certain sound or sample. We’ve seen and heared more or less the same selection of sounds in other libraries as well.
What makes it truly unique and innovative and stand out from other libraries alike (freebies in particular) is the unlimited functionality – that is showcased in some very impressive dynamic possibilities.
The various percussive hits and the different instrument articulations provided offer anything from big orchestral bass drums like the Gran Cassa to snares, toms, cymbals and more. They are not unique on their own, but what’s unique is what you are able to do with those sounds artistically, and from production perspective.
Unlimited Dynamics & Multi-Mic Support
The Free Orchestra 2 Lineage Percussion Kit offers multiple sound modes (or mic setups) that you can choose as your main output. The three spectral modes are all based on the three microphone signals which are available: Close, Stage and Far.
“Premixed” – the first mode – is basically a more simplified sound setup that involves an already balanced mix of the varying signals. Function wise, it offers standard stereo panning with no control over the different decibel levels of each mic source.
The second spectral mode in hand is the XY Stage – a much more advanced and sophisticated sound module which I will be talking about extensively in the next section.
The third is your Custom Mix option. This is where you gain ultimate, full control over each individual microphone signal with the ability to change the dB levels and pan the sound however you like.
As far as the dynamics and the overall experience with this library, the TFO2 Lineage Percussion Kit seems to have no limitations whatsoever. The functionality is the same as the functionality in the original library that it is based on (a recently released library, more simplistically titled as Lineage Percussion). The only “limitation” appears to be in the variety of the individual sounds that are available in comparison to said commercial library – which in this case is much more modest of course, due to obvious reasons.
Aside from the variety aspect, I still think that the Lineage Percussion Kit really is one of a kind in its own right. And without a doubt, I also do believe that this is one of the most impressive free percussion VST plugins we’ve seen in many years.
Instruments and patches provided:
- Bass Drum (Gran Cassa)
- Snare Ensemble
- Tom Drum (Tom-Tom)
- Rototom
- Piatti Cymbal
- Suspended Cymbal
- Kashishi (aka Caxixi Basket Shaker)
- Conga Set
Virtual Stage Positioning
The XY Stage is one of those features that you’d normally expect to see in a full-on commercial library. Just like the Adaptive Sync feature ProjectSAM implemented in Tutti Crescendo, XYS is (yet) another high-end, extremely usable parameter that one can do nothing but appreciate.
The XY Stage not only allows you to place the sound in the 3D stereo field, but it also acts as a creative audio shaping parameter that changes the sound according to the relative position of it in the stereo spectrum and the perceived distance.
For example, if you place the sound, say, farther away from the listener, it will start to transform – from dry to relatively wet, or even very wet if you push it back far enough.
Now, although it may seem like it, the wetness and the dryness of the sound are not actually affected by artificial audio manipulations like reverb or filters – well, at least not to a great extent. XY Stage is a much more sophisticated “smart mix” option, that utilizes the different mic signals dynamically in real-time, corresponding to the sound’s relative position and placement. The closer the sound to the foreground – the more Close (dry) signal it will gain, and vice versa.
This special feature allows for a great deal of pliability and some true high-level customization. It is a very versatile tool that could help you achieve some highly desirable psychoacoustic effects.
The Lineage Percussion Kit seems like a tool of the highest, finest quality possible – and it’s definitely not the first time we are being gifted such a well-made sampled instrument (props to ProjectSAM for that).
Download
If you’ve already downloaded ProjectSAM’s The Free Orchestra in the past, all you need to do to get the Lineage Percussion Orchestral Kit is to install the newest update using Native Access. The plugin is available for the latest version of Native Instruments Kontakt 7 as well as the free Kontakt Player. Supported formats: Windows (Stand-alone, VST3, AAX) & macOS (Standalone, VST3, AU, AAX) and NKS.
