Little Pump Reeds
Little Pump Reeds is a collection of instruments we've stumbled across over the years that happen to fall on the smaller side of the wonderful and under appreciated world of hand-held air-driven reed-based instruments. This library ranges from fine quality hand-crafted traditional Indian Shruti Boxes, to a mini accordion and what we refer to as the Plastisax (something vaguely like a child's plastic soprano saxophone, but sounding more like a harmonica). This library also includes a lovely 14-note concertina of which we sampled 3 dynamic layers and multiple articulations. We also implemented a powerful user interface that allows quick access to all of the instruments in a single preset. As always, we've sampled each instrument lovingly and thoroughly, with attention to playability and musicality. Obviously, we took these instruments much farther than they were ever designed to go. These sample sets are surprisingly rich, full and playable in a way that one would normally only be able to expect from top notch, full-range instruments. In the end, we just decided it was high time somebody give these little misfit toys the respect and attention to detail that they truly deserve.
Contents
The Kontakt interface includes a suite of automation-ready sound-shaping controls to give you total creative flexibility. You have control over swell, attack, release, offset, vibrato, filter, pitch (coarse & fine), articulation switching, cross-fading and layering, and so much more. We've also included 20 unique sound-designed custom FX presets to give you lots of creative options.
This library comes with an adaptable LFO system, with selectable LFO shape, modulation target parameter, speed, intensity, tempo-syncing and fade-in time. You can also apply your choice of 12 lowpass, high-pass and FX filters, with assignable modulation targets such as velocity, modwheel, expression, after-touch, key position and step-sequencer table control. Our customizable arpeggiator offers a velocity table and control over arp direction, timing, swing, randomization and duration. We’ve included a key and scale lock system to constrain your notes to common scales and keys for easy melodic composition and live performance.
The interface is rounded-out by our modular FX rack panel, with 18 different DSP effect modules that you can assign in any of 10 available slots, in any order that you wish. You’ll find classic phaser, flanger, delay, distortion, amp and cab simulators, compressors, EQ, rotator and so much more. The Reverb effect includes our favorite convolution reverb impulse responses, including 99 different rooms, halls, chambers and outdoor environments, plus another 40 custom FX impulses to radically transform the sound and open up whole new worlds of musical possibility. We’ve added a great bank of FX rack chain factory presets to get you started!
- Concertina
- Shruti Box (related to the harmonium)
- Mini Accordion
- "Plastisax" (related to the melodica)
- 2-Tone Paper Squeeze Box
The Concertina includes 14 notes, sampled at multiple dynamic levels and a variety of articulations. It is gentle on the ears and evokes the calm of a night in the Italian countryside.
The Shruti Box is a traditional Indian instrument that is similar in nature and tone to the harmonium. It's most commonly used as a drone instrument to accompany voice and other solo instruments in Indian classical music, as well as a growing variety of new age and Celtic folk music.
Our mini accordion is actually quite the little giant. It has 14 keys and 4 bass drones, naturally spanning three octaves. With a warm, fat tone that belies it's humble size, this little instrument is a real diamond in the rough. The deep sub-bass octaves have to be heard to be believed.
The Plastisax is vaguely like a child's plastic soprano saxophone, but sounds more like a crisp, clear harmonica crossed with a reed organ. It has 13 keys, spanning roughly 2 octaves. With it's rich, warm, playful sound and expressive playability, it's ideal for children's music and programming, or even layered with woodwinds or organs.
We also have a small palm-sized cardboard and paper ‘concertina’ found in a local toy store. It really only has two tones; a single note and a chord. The notes sustain for about a second at most. We decided to use this little guy as a hand percussion instrument as well and have included it as a “Paper Squeezebox.”
Kontakt Format
This library is designed for the full retail version of Native Instruments Kontakt 5.5 or later. Kontakt is an industry-standard advanced virtual instrument software platform. You can view screenshots of this library's custom graphical user interface in the image gallery above. This library is packed with features to provide you a wide range of sound shaping parameter controls, each one totally automation-ready in your host environment or Kontakt's stand-alone mode. Learn more about Kontakt by Clicking Here.
This is a standard Kontakt open-format library, so the free Kontakt Player does not fully support it and can only run it in a limited "demo mode". However, the sample directories are unlocked so you can use them in other wav-compatible software, sampler and synth formats. The special Libraries tab doesn't support this open-format Kontakt library, but you can use the standard File browser tab and import this library into the Kontakt Quickload window for easy loading and navigation.
Product Specs
- 1 master NKI instrument bank in open Kontakt format
- 20 Custom Sound-Designed FX and Ambient presets
- Multi-sampled acoustic articulations
- 1,222 stereo samples
- 1.68 GB Installed
- 24-bit, 48 kHz Stereo PCM Wav Format
- Flexible and intuitive multi-layer user interface controls, with LFO, filter, glide, and arpeggiator.
- Full FX rack with convolution reverb with custom rooms, halls, chambers & FX environments.
Documentation
System Requirements
Please Note: The full unlocked retail version of Kontakt 5.5.2 or later is required for all instrument presets in this library. The free Kontakt Player, Libraries rack, Native Access, Komplete Kontrol and the “Add Library” import feature do not support this library. Windows 7 (or later) or OSX 10.9 (or later) is required.
Note: This software is delivered as a digital download. A broadband internet connection is required. Please see our Help Page for licensing information, download and installation instructions, tutorials and to read our End User Licensing Agreement before ordering. All sales are final.
Videos
Little Pump Reeds 2.0 by Soundiron Walkthrough
Composing Using Little Pump Reeds With Nathan Boler
Little Pump Reeds | Fernando Nicknich - Twilight At Pirate's Bay
Little Pump Reeds | Andreas Resch - La Valse De La Nuit