Sonokinetic Carillon KONTAKT

This instrument is typical for the Low Lands. The Netherlands and Belgium have a ritch history and colleciton of golden age carillons.

The Carillon is a musical instrument that is usually housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 12 cast bronze cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord. A carillon is played by striking a keyboard called a "baton" with the fists and by pressing the keys of a pedal keyboard with the feet. The keys mechanically activate levers and wires that connect to metal clappers that strike the bells, allowing the performer, the carillonneur, to vary the intensity of the note according to the force applied to the key.

The carillon is the heaviest of all musical instruments; the total weight of bells alone can be 100 tons in the largest instruments. The greatest concentration of carillons is still found in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Northern France, where they were symbols of civic pride and status.

Sonokinetic sampled two original 17th century carillons. Two , one octave bell systems in two velocity layers. Since you can only play hard and soft on these instruments we're bound to only these two dynamic spectrums.

But we feel this instrument has a very original and authentic sound. Since all these instruments are tuned in an old tuning system we had to tweak the sample a little to make 'm fit better in our modern contemperd tuning system. The big Carillon was originally build in Antwerp in 1635. The small Carillon was build in 1724 in Amsterdam. Both bell systems have been placed in the main church towers of these cities. After WWII these carillons have been moved to a museum. Which gave us the best acoustic environment to record these unique sounds for you.

NOTE: A full version of Kontkat is required. This Library is not compatible with the FREE Kontakt Player.