Timeless sounds for a contemporary workstation.
The Best Service English Spinet sample library is part of the Edition Beurmann series featuring historical
European instruments. The English Spinet virtual instrument library features more than 700 single samples of the spinet built
by Londoner Thomas Hitchcock in 1718.
There is barely another musical instrument to combine both zeitgeist and timelessness
in the way a spinet does. Despite being around for centuries the sound of the spinet is still relevant in many musical territories,
while at the same time being inextricably connected to the musical works of its time. Its brilliant timbre comprises lots
of majestic warmth and elegance as well—something often underestimated due to the cold and sterile sounding spinet simulations
of current keyboards and samplers.
Hitchcock's instruments are widely known as the best-sounding spinets ever built
and they pointed the way ahead for all spinets to come. Only about 36 of his masterpieces are preserved to this day. This
unique spinet in the collection of Andreas Beurmann still remains in excellent condition and is fully playable despite its
age. With the English Spinet library, it is now available for the first time for your sampler, presented in its original Valotti
tuning at 403Hz (presets at 440Hz tuning included, too).
Like harpsichords, spinets are not touch-sensitive like a
pianos. However, even if the differences are minuscule, not any given note will sound exactly the same due to different resonances
of body and strings. Until now, many keyboards and samplers represented spinets by always triggering off the exact same digital
sample, leaving a sterile sounding impression. In order to improve upon previous recreations and to pay tribute to the liveliness
and depth of this historical Hitchcock spinet, the producers captured 8 variations of each note.
The release sounds
of the keys are also of major importance. What was originally side noise is now often overlooked and even simply left out
in artificial simulations, resulting in a very abstract overall picture. Therefore, the producers recorded 4 release samples
of each note.
For the critical task of recording this spinet, active tube-driven Royer R-122V ribbon microphones in
conjunction with Crane Song Flamingo preamps and Universal Audio 2192 digital converters were used to do the spinet justice.
In addition to the samples, the library contains an essay in German from Professor Andreas E. Beurmann, explaining
both the historical and musical background of the Hitchcock English Spinet.
Best Service English Spinet Sample Library Software Features:
- 8 different samples of each note
- 4 different release sounds of each note
- Ready-to-play KONTAKT 2 /EXS24 /GigaStudio /HAlion—presets or .WAV format
- No mastering applied
- Recorded in 192KHz/24-bits resolution and downsampled
- DVD or CD set
- License-free applicable in your music
Build your virtual keyboard museum with one of only 36 Hitchcock spinets left in the world.
Order this library today.
