Native Instruments gives away their brand new YANGQIN for free

Spitfire Audio teaming up again with British composer, producer, and songwriter Samuel Sim, whose scores for film and television have won numerous awards and accolades including BAFTA and Ivor Novello Award nominations, this time to bring more electronic dynamism and texture that is perfectly suited to today’s modern drama score stylings as a carefully curated set of tools to create a score in an instant using only one of 44 different combination patches that bring together classic and broadcast-ready sounds, simplicity and ease of use being at its KONTAKT-hosted core — as of January 21…
Spitfire Audio previously worked with BAFTA- and Ivor Novello Award-nominated film and television composer Samuel Sim on its hugely-successful BRITISH DRAMA TOOLKIT to provide the most instinctive, immediate, and intense connection to the heart of composition as a KONTAKT-hosted sample library comprising a small string and woodwind section, recorded on the sound-specialising British music technology company’s purpose-built dry stage at its London headquarters. Although a more traditional package, presenting a unique way of interacting with the players — ensembles are mapped across the full length of the keyboard with the playing styles tied to velocity, instantly allowing anything from emotive whispered textures through to bold, characterful solos — set the fully NKS (NATIVE KONTROL STANDARD®) supporting plug-in instrument in question apart from anything Spitfire Audio had created to date... until now.
Watch Spitfire Audio co-founder and composer Paul Thomson’s ‘traditional’ walkthrough of CONTEMPORARY DRAMA TOOLKIT here:
Needless to say, CONTEMPORARY DRAMA TOOLKIT takes a different approach by including 44 different combination patches and 72 individual instrument patches that bring together classic and contemporary broadcast-ready sounds originating from a masterfully mellow combination of the classic, chorus- enhanced tones of an Eighties-vintage, distinctive-sounding Roland Juno-6 analogue polysynth and textures from the iconic Seventies-vintage Korg MS-20 analogue semi-modular monosynth, alongside lead lines performed on guitar, electric cello, and electric violin, all processed via an enviable collection of analogue effects and Eurorack modules. All are carefully curated by Samuel Sim and Spitfire Audio’s production team of engineers and composers with expression baked into each sound. Simply speaking, velocity enables everything — from whispered textures to bold melodies blossoming from the simplest variance in playing, unlocking a world of sound in every patch. Consequently, CONTEMPORARY DRAMA TOOLKIT users can forget about the computer and quickly write music with little effort by responding instinctively to the drama at hand — just like the BRITISH DRAMA TOOLKIT trailblazer.
Putting it this way, Spitfire Audio co-founder and composer Paul Thomson’s heartfelt introduction is right on cue: “From his many years’ experience, Samuel has curated a set of sounds which allow you to articulate emotion incredibly easily, and are hugely inspirational, allowing you to react to picture in real-time as you play. When we say contemporary, we don’t mean contemporary in the sense of the subject matter, such as sci-fi, but we mean contemporary approach to scoring — the kind of scoring approach that many directors are asking for today.”
Think of it like this: trying to recreate a cue created in CONTEMPORARY DRAMA TOOLKIT or BRITISH DRAMA TOOLKIT using any alternative sample library would necessitate laying down each section at a time, starting with the bed, then the melodies, as well as taking time to find the sounds themselves — all of which would effectively steer the composer into writing in a certain way by building from the bed upwards, rather than reacting to the onscreen sounds or action.
Watch Spitfire Audio’s appropriately-shot, stunning-sounding trailer video for CONTEMPORARY DRAMA TOOLKIT here:
As it happens, Paul Thomson himself is no slouch when it comes to finding his way around a keyboard, so is perfectly positioned to explain how he puts — and anyone can put — CONTEMPORARY DRAMA TOOLKIT’s musical modus operandi into practice: “Playing with a different kind of velocity triggers the different levels of sound — the different dynamics, and this is represented on the UI [User Interface] with three sections: the bottom [TEXTURE] section is for beds or textures; the top [LOUD] section is that very expressive lead type of sound; the middle [SOFT] section bridges the gap between the two and allows you to smoothly move between them. Either you play it in live, and you get a kind of manual dexterity of being able to play certain notes louder, or it’s very straightforward to play a part and them go in afterwards in your DAW [Digital Audio Workstation] and adjust the velocities to trigger the specific layer that you want each note to sound.”
Sounds simple? That’s the beauty of CONTEMPORARY DRAMA TOOLKIT. It is simple, yet works well. Which is, of course, what it is all about. After all, the curation of the sound itself is where Samuel Sim and Spitfire Audio have collaboratively spent so much time, treating the recordings and instruments to offer a wide array of useful sounds with modern music-making in mind. Minimal (MIC, MIX, LP filter, Expression, Reverb, and ADSR ENVELOPE) controls and (ROUND ROBIN & LEGATO) settings are equally endearing in their ease of use.
Ultimately, Paul Thomson clearly concurs when ending on a high note: “It’s incredibly simple, it’s very expressive — easy to articulate emotion in these patches, with lots of inspiration from a huge palette of sounds to give you this contemporary scoring style; you can either use it to create whole cues, just with individual patches, or you can use it to layer in with other sounds to give that kind of contemporary feel to your scoring.”
Time, then, for any composer to consider adding BRITISH DRAMA TOOLKIT to their scoring toolkit? Time, too, to score in an altogether different way since Spitfire Audio is making available an exclusive DRAMA TOOLKIT COLLECTION, comprising CONTEMPORARY DRAMA TOOLKIT and BRITISH DRAMA TOOLKIT, which is only available during CONTEMPORARY DRAMA TOOLKIT’s time-limited introductory promo period. 
CONTEMPORARY DRAMA TOOLKIT can be purchased and digitally downloaded for a time-limited introductory promo price of £129.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/ $149.00 USD/€149.00 EUR (inc. VAT) until February 11, 2021 — rising thereafter to an MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) of £169.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/ $199.00 USD/€199.00 EUR (inc. VAT) — from here. (Note that a time-limited cross- grade price of £109.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/$129.00 USD/€129.00 EUR (inc. VAT) is available to owners of BRITISH DRAMA TOOLKIT until February 11, 2021.)
An exclusive DRAMA TOOLKIT COLLECTION — comprising CONTEMPORARY DRAMA TOOLKIT and BRITISH DRAMA TOOLKIT — is also available for anyone to purchase and digitally download for a time-limited promo price of £258.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/$298.00 USD/€298.00 EUR (inc. VAT) until February 11, 2021 from here.
CONTEMPORARY DRAMA TOOLKIT needs Native Instruments’ KONTAKT PLAYER (5.6.8 or higher) — a free version of the KONTAKT sample playback engine (included in its purchase) — to run as a fully NKS (NATIVE KONTROL STANDARD®) supporting plug-in instrument for Mac (OS X 10.10 or later) or Windows (7, 8, or 10 — latest Service Pack, 32/64-bit), while Spitfire Audio’s free Download Manager application allows anyone to buy now and download anytime.
For more in-depth information, including some superb-sounding audio demos, please visit the dedicated CONTEMPORARY DRAMA TOOLKIT webpage here.

As you probably guessed from the naming, it’s a (really warm & wide-sounding) chorus plug-in based on the chorus section of the Jun-6V. It can naturally be used as a one-knob plug-in for that instant “wow-retro” flavour. However, there are a few neat features packed in that make it more than a mere “freebie”.
Easy-to-use classic chorus from one of the most sought-after synths. Featured BBD technology: one of the most coveted analog choruses and a key components of the JUN-6V synth. It offers a richer and thicker sound. Simple 2-button lay out (modes I & II). Each button provides a different level of effect intensity. Both can be combined together (I + II) for an even thicker sound. Additional manual mode, allowing for many more sonic variations. The license will be free to download until December 29th ! It's a gift that is open to everyone, so if you'd like to help spread the news in any way you can, feel free to do so!
The software itself (MacOS + Windows) will be downloadable from the link below.
https://owncloud.arturia.net/s/YwTOCIBIX6oFiHd

This ongoing ORIGINALS series of instant library tools with the same outstanding recording quality as the ‘full-blown’ blue-chip libraries with which it has built its reputation, simplified and presented in its free, easy-to-use plug-in, this time collaborating with the Bleeding Fingers Music composer collective (created as a joint venture between composer Hans Zimmer, his business partner Steve Kofsky, and Extreme Music, the production arm of Sony/ATV Music Publishing as the television and film industry’s leading custom scoring company) to work with world champion drum corps The Blue Devils, recorded by Bleeding Fingers Music CEO Russell Emanuel in the controlled acoustics of FOX’s famed Newman Scoring Stage in Los Angeles, CA, USA, for a tight, focused sound served up alongside variable effects as nine presets featuring ~1.5GB of sampled snares, tenor drums, bass drums, and cymbals with five straightforward NKS (Native Kontrol Standard) compatible controls, creating the spirit of the stadium — as of December 21…
Spitfire Audio initiated its (ongoing) ORIGINALS series when releasing EPIC STRINGS — an aptly-named symphonic-sized, 60-strong string section of London’s best players professionally recorded in the hallowed (Lyndhurst) Hall at London’s legendary AIR Studios, serving up 11 appetising articulations as a wallet-friendly yet eminently essential cinematic ingredient for any professional or budding professional composer and music-maker — to widespread critical acclaim in November last year, successfully followed throughout this year by EPIC BRASS & WOODS, FELT PIANO, CINEMATIC PERCUSSION, CINEMATIC SOFT PIANO, INTIMATE STRINGS, FIREWOOD PIANO, and, now, the also-aptly-named DRUMLINE.
Duly delivering the precision and excellence of The Blue Devils drumline to the fingertips of music producers, film composers, and percussion arrangers as the latest in a lengthening line of instant library tools with the same outstanding recording quality as the ‘full-blown’ blue-chip libraries with which Spitfire Audio has built its reputation, simplified and presented in its free, easy-to-use plug-in, DRUMLINE allows its users to harness the spirit of the stadium with a collection of sounds that are guaranteed to add depth and impact to musical projects, freed from the sporting stadiums that its namesake drumline have so successfully performed within to so many for so long.
Let us step back, briefly, in time, then, to — technologically and musically — make our way forward. Founded in 1957, The Blue Devils drumline and Bugle Corps is a world-renowned marching music ensemble based in Concord, CA, USA. Ultimately spending summers travelling throughout the USA as a talented group of brass, percussion, and colour guard members, competing and performing for millions of fans in massive stadiums, it is the most decorated ensemble in DCI (Drum Corps International) history, having won the World Championship title an unprecedented 19 times — a record that stands as an envied accomplishment in the drum corps community.

Furthermore, finishing first or second in national competitions during the past 13 seasons and placing no lower than fifth since earning third place in 1975, The Blue Devils’ performance pedigree extends beyond the USA with well-known international performances and outreach in Europe, Japan, South Africa, and beyond. But working with world-renowned sound-specialising British music technology company Spitfire Audio to create DRUMLINE is audibly a whole new ballgame!
BD Performing Arts CEO Shaun Gallant says, “This has been a very exciting project for us to work on with Spitfire Audio. They are truly the best in the business, and we’re so thankful for this opportunity to partner with them in providing top-of-the-line tools for arrangers and producers everywhere. We want to extend a special thanks to producer Russell Emanuel and the team at FOX’s Newman Scoring Stage for hosting our session with Extreme Music in preparation for this project. What’s even more exciting is this is only the beginning of what is sure to be an incredible partnership. We can’t wait to see what opportunities the future presents.”
Putting it this way, Spitfire Audio co-founder and composer Paul Thomson responds in kind: “At Spitfire Audio we take pride in working with the most talented musicians and artists in the world. We’re enormously excited to be releasing DRUMLINE with the exceptional players from The Blue Devils. Our mission is to inspire a generation of composers and, working with The Blue Devils and producer Russell Emanuel, we’ve created something that is going to inspire composers of all ages to learn more about this exciting musical genre!” 

DRUMLINE is available as an AAX-, AU-, VST2-, and VST3-compatible plug-in supporting Native Instruments’ NKS (Native Kontrol Standard) for Mac (OS X 10.10 or later) and Windows (7, 8, and 10 — latest Service Pack) that loads directly into any compatible DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) for an RRP (Recommended Retail Price) of only £29.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/$29.00 USD/€29.00 EUR (inc. VAT) — from here: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/originals
Spitfire Audio’s namesake Spitfire Audio application allows anyone to buy now and download anytime, and is available for free from here: http://www.spitfireaudio.com/info/library-manager/
For more in-depth information, please visit Spitfire Audio’s ORIGINALS Frequently Asked Questions webpage here: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/info/faq/spitfire-originals/

V Collection 8
Legendary Keyboards Reinvented
From the irresistible retro flutters of Mellotron V to the nostalgic digital grit of Emulator II V, these virtual instruments combine unrivalled sonic authenticity with advanced modern features that go far beyond their ancestors.
What’s new in V Collection 8?
4 brand new instruments
Jun-6 V
Instant analog love
Legendary easy-to-use polysynth with an irresistible creamy sound that stirs the soul.

Emulator II V
Textural Sampling Ensemble
An ‘80s sampling icon retrofitted for dusty lo-fi charm and modern playability.

Vocoder V
Ultimate Voice Electrifier
The original 16-channel vocoder, supercharged with its own sampler and synth engine.

OB-Xa V
Legendary growl machine
The renowned polysynth hitmaker known for cinematic pads and growling bass alike.


2 upgraded titles
Jup-8 V4
Instant analog love
The legendary polyphonic flagship reborn with a colossal new sound and modulation engine.

 
Stage-73 V2
Electric soul machine
EP classic with redesigned physical modeling for new levels of soulful authenticity and variety.


Analog Lab V
Your gateway to iconic sound. A single powerful plugin containing thousands of presets from V Collection 8’s virtual instrument sound engines - your go-to personalized keyboard arsenal for studio and stage.


PatchWorks
700 new & expertly-curated patches that elevate V Collection’s synthesizers beyond their hardware predecessors. From vintage disco basslines to breathtaking filmscore ambience, PatchWorks combines past, present, and future in spectacular sonic fashion.


Your dream workflow
Ultimate control - Get hands-on with V Collection 8 thanks to smart MIDI controller integration, with intuitive mapping and 4 control macros for every instrument. 
DAW-compatible - Use V Collection’s instruments standalone or in your DAW of choice for an easy workflow that suits you style. 
Integrated tutorials - Get to grips quickly with easy-to-follow tutorials for each instrument, covering essential controls, sound design tips, and more. 
Smart browsing - Find your sound instantly. Browse intuitively by type, instrument, sound designer, and more - you can even save your favorite presets for later.
Special Launch Offer
To celebrate the launch of V Collection 8, we’re offering an exclusive intro deal - users can login to their account to access their personal offer price until January 10th, 2021. 
Due to the inclusion of more instruments, sounds, and workflow improvements, the collection will now be priced at 599€ as standard.
Read more here
Svensk kontakt: EM Nordic
Mer information på EM Nordics svenska sajt

All new features are housed in the new revolutionary OPUS software engine. It will be released at the same time as its companion product Hollywood Orchestrator, a time-saving tool for composers of every skill level who want to achieve that Hollywood blockbuster sound within seconds.
Brand New Recordings and Reimagined Original Content
Produced by Doug Rogers and Nick Phoenix, the new recordings include a new 18 violin string section for Hollywood Strings, new ensembles for Hollywood Brass and Hollywood Orchestral Woodwinds, plus new string, brass, and wind multi ensembles. “These new recordings are unmatched in the virtual instruments world,” says Phoenix. “The Opus Edition also includes new string, brass and wind multi ensembles that have a unique fat sound that captures the tuning of a large orchestra playing together in a live setting."
OPUS, the Successor to the PLAY Engine 
The new OPUS software engine has been developed by industry titans Wolfgang Kundrus, the mastermind behind Cubase, Nuendo, and Studio One, and Wolfgang Schneider, the creator of Kontakt. "Opus is faster, more powerful, more flexible,” says Doug Rogers. “And it comes with some incredible new features such as individual instrument downloads, the ability to start playing instruments while they're loading, customized key-switches, new effects for the mixer page, scaleable retina GUI upgrades for legacy products, a powerful new script language, and many more features that allow you to completely customize the sound of each instrument. It's one of the most exciting developments in the history of our company and will be the launching pad for many new products of the future."

MOODS & Powerful New Controls
OPUS offers new controls, like master key-switches where all articulations can be fully customized in the new OPUS articulation palette. You can also customize the sound of each instrument using the new MOODS feature, choosing from Classic, Soft or Epic Mood. Each mood changes the settings and the look of the interface, which has been completely redesigned and stylized for Hollywood Strings, Hollywood Brass, Hollywood Orchestral Woodwinds, Hollywood Orchestral Percussion, Hollywood Solo Violin, Hollywood Solo Cello, and Hollywood Harp. MOODS works best in the Diamond editions that include all mic positions mixed by Shawn Murphy.

Hollywood Orchestrator
EastWest is also going to release the new expansion product Hollywood Orchestrator, the perfect tool both for new composers who want to get that Hollywood blockbuster sound within seconds and for professional composers who need to produce large amounts of compositions on a deadline:
Create realtime arrangements based on MIDI input with the innovative Scoring Engine.  Build rhythms and scores with the StepEditor.  Create patterns with a length up to 4 bars. More than 400 Presets in different categories and moods.  Playable full orchestral articulations and MIDI record and export Hollywood Orchestrator is an optional add-on that requires Hollywood Orchestra Opus Edition. All ComposerCloud members will get instant access to Hollywood Orchestrator as well as the OPUS software engine.

Read more here
Upgrade during Cyber Monday Week - 50% off!
EastWest is offering a 50% discount off prepaid annual ComposerCloud Plus memberships, their top of the line subscription tier that gives users access to all Diamond level products with all available mic positions. ComposerCloud and ComposerCloud X subscribers can upgrade to ComposerCloud Plus, and ComposerCloud X subscribers will also receive a credit for the remainder of their current year towards the upgrade price.
Read more here