MAGIC CALABASH DRUMS
Instantly create earthy and lively percussion parts with this classy Kontakt library dedicated to Calabash Drums!
With 3 Calabash Drums sampled using 2 microphone perspectives, an extended range of articulations, ‘magic’ automatic functions, and bonus texture and melodic instruments, MAGIC CALABASH DRUMS is the ultimate calabash library!
Choose between three hand-made Calabash Drums, each with its own sound and character.
Easily create your signature sound with 2 microphone perspectives and intuitive effects
Improvise and create stunning beats within seconds and improvise variations, fills, and rolls with your keyboard and modulation wheel!
Play ‘magic’ keys for world-class realism with constant variations that always stay natural and highly realistic
Find inspiration with a wide range of splendid melodic instruments
Explore a universe of cinematic sounds with acoustic textures, designed soundscape, and granular synthesis
SPLENDID! An essential collection of textured, organic, and earthy sounds and rhythms!
MAGIC CALABASH DRUMS
Highly realistic, gorgeous-sounding, and with tons of extra features!
5352 samples (mono and stereo WAV, 24bit, 48kHz)
42 Kontakt presets
3 natural Calabash instruments with 4/4 and 6/8 rhythm metrics
One ‘Prepared Calabash’ with unique earthy sounds
built-in tempo-synced grooves with a lively and realistic feel
Groove variations and fills with mod wheel control
Textures and Soundscapes instruments with acoustic, designed, and granular textures
19 melodic presets playable over 5 octaves
Intuitive GUI with 2 microphone perspectives and useful effects
30 custom Impulse Responses
Up to 60 velocity layers
Left and right-hand sampling for many articulations
‘Magic keys’ with up to 200 round-robin samples per key for maximum realism and automatic subtle variations
full Kontakt 5.8+ required!!!
total size uncompressed: 1.67 GB
list price: €64,- (+VAT for EU customers)
Three gorgeous Calabash Drums hand-made in Africa
The library features three very different Calabash Drums, each with its own sound and character. Each Calabash instrument was sampled with its own set of accessories (sticks, rings, and shakers). The instruments feature the same keyboard mapping with an extended set of articulations, ‘magic’ keys, and 12 tempo-synced grooves with mod wheel variations.
SMALL CALABASH
A smaller pyrographed instrument, with a dry and tight bass and a very powerful finger tap sound. Hand-made in Burkina Faso.
Diameter: 37 cm
GITA CALABASH
The gita features cowrie shell pairs attached around the open rim. It can be played like a drum, or it can be girated in two hands causing the shells to hit against the gourd in rhythm. A wonderful and very expressive instrument! Hand-made in Mali.
Diameter: 41cm
LARGE CALABASH
A very large instrument with a deep and earthy bass sound. The impressive size of this instrument allows a wide range of finger hits variations. Hand-made in Niger.
Diameter: 54cm
EXTRA ACCESSORIES
An ensemble of shakers, sticks, and rings were used to create a full range of traditional and modern sounds from all Calabash Drums.
Four microphone perspectives
The built-in mixer lets you choose the volume and panning of four very different microphone perspectives: you will find it quick and intuitive to perfectly fit the hi-hats with any of your own drum library!
The four microphone perspectives are:
DYN: a Beyerdynamic M201 very close to the hi-hats. Powerful, chunky, and cutting sound
RIBBON: A Sontronics SIGMA microphone close and above the hi-hats. Silky, sweet, and instant retro sound!
C451: A vintage AKG C45EB from AKG’s golden era, in a typical overhead position. Detailed, bright, and focused.
AB: a classy pair of DPA 4006A omni microphones in an AB set-up, higher above the hi-hats. Wide, airy, and balanced, with a beautiful and realistic 3D sound.
Intuitive keyboard mapping
Each hi-hat offers the same keyboard mapping, with 3 regular articulations, 3 bonus articulations, and 3 unique ‘magic’ keys:
Magic keys
The three keys F#0, G#0, and Bb0 are ‘magic’ keys. A different sample is played each time the key is pressed. Up to 200 round-robin samples are programmed on these keys.
F#0 (orange key): magic regular closed
G#0 (yellow key): magic soft and tight
Bb0 (red key): magic full variation
Regular articulations
These keys are the main playing area. They follow a regular GM drum mapping:
F#1: regular closed
G#1: foot
Bb1: open
Extra articulations
Alternative articulations can be found on those keys:
F#2: closed to half open (goes from tight and soft at low velocities to accented half-opened at high velocities)
G#2: half-open
Bb2: foot splash (an original hi-hat articulation where the two cymbals are quickly pressed against each other and released to create a splash/crash sound.)
BUILT-IN GROOVES
All instruments feature 12 tempo-synced built-in grooves to create highly realistic and lively hi-hat parts. Each hi-hat comes in a 4/4 metric and an alternative 6/8 metric.
Use your modulation wheel to perform live groove variations, fills, and repetitions on the spot!
SEQUENCER
The included easy-to-use sequencer is a powerful tool to quickly create and perform authentic hi-hats rhythms: Program a 16-steps pattern with various velocities, press and hold one or several keys, et voilà: instant realistic hi-hat action!
The sequencer is based on a simple arpeggiator engine. When activated, pressing and holding any key will start the programmed sequence. If several keys are pressed, the sequencer will randomly alternate between these keys: this works very well with the magic keys to create subtle variations typical of expressive hi-hat parts.
EFFECTS
The GUI offers a small selection of powerful controls ready to completely change the sound of the hi-hats!
Use the ‘SOFT ATTACK’ knob to create a softer sound with a very subtle fade-in at the start of the samples. (goes from 0ms to 2.7ms)
The master effect chain is organised to help you create a wide range of classic and innovative hi-hat sounds:
INSERT REVERB >> STEREO WIDTH >> 4-band EQ >> FILTERS >> OUTPUT LIMITER
