Kontakt 2-3-4
For this sample library a beautiful 3 octave set of handbells were recorded in 9 different articulations totalling 1.2 gigabytes. The samples are 24 bit stereo and most articulations are presented with 2 round-robins per bell. Download the pdf manual located at the bottom of this page for more detailed information regarding Kontakt scripting and programming.
Handbell sampled articulations
Handbell Clapper - samples are created with the traditional technique of holding it against the shoulder, bell-upwards, and then swinging the bell through an elliptical shape to cause the clapper to strike the casting of the bell.
Suspended Handbell with a soft rubber mallet - samples were recorded with the bells suspended from the ceiling of the room while being struck with a soft rubber mallet.
Suspended Handbell with a hard rubber mallet - samples were recorded with the bells suspended from the ceiling of the room while being struck with a hard rubber mallet.
Suspended Handbell with a plastic chopstick - samples were recorded with the bells suspended from the ceiling of the room while being struck with a plastic chopstick. This creates a great deal of high frequency content.
Singing Handbells - The Singing Handbells sound is created by running a wood dowel along the rim of the handbell, similar to the way you can run a wet finger along the edge of a crystal glass and make it sing.
Plucked Handbells - is accomplished by using the thumb and forefinger to force the clapper head into the casting while the bell is on the table, producing a staccato note.
Malleted Handbells on a padded table - samples are created by striking the bell with a rubber mallet while the bell is resting on the foam of a padded table. This produces a tone brighter and more percussive than the plucked samples.
Handbell Shakes - is accomplished by quickly ringing the bell back and forth so that the clapper strikes both the front and back of the bell casting in rapid succession. This creates a continuous tone, as opposed to normal ringing in which the tone decays rapidly after being rung.
Handbell table hit endings - samples are typically used for the end of a piece of music or at a cadence. Before this sound is heard the bell is already ringing, so you hear just a small portion of the pitch of the bell followed by the percussive hit on the foam table.
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