Fracture Sounds has released Blueprint: Alt Woodwind Ensemble, a free woodwind library for the free Kontakt Player (version 8 or later). It is the latest addition to the company’s Blueprint range of free instruments.
The library is built around four instruments you rarely find in large orchestral collections: alto flute, bass flute, bass clarinet and tenor recorder. They were chosen for their breathy, airy character, and they are combined into a single Ensemble patch. Fracture Sounds describes the result as versatile enough for traditional writing, from Baroque-flavoured lines to modern Romantic textures, and for more experimental sound design.
Blueprint: Alt Woodwind Ensemble also acts as a free preview of the ensemble patch from Fracture Sounds’ paid Alternative Woodwind Soloists library. You can hear how the instruments sound before deciding whether to buy the full collection.
YouTube.com/watch?v=ybfmbHY07l4
Key features
- Ensemble patch combining alto flute, bass flute, bass clarinet and tenor recorder.
- Close, Mid and Far microphone positions.
- Two articulations, Staccato and Sustain.
- Performance Short-Sustain mode, which switches between the two articulations using velocity.
- Simple interface with controls for Dynamics (mod wheel/CC1), Colour (EQ), Stereo Width, Reverb, Mic Mix, Sample Start and Dynamic Response.
- Full NKS support for Komplete Kontrol keyboards, with hands-on control through the display and knobs. Fracture Sounds notes this also makes the instrument accessible to blind and visually impaired musicians.
- Direct download through Native Access 2.
Interface and workflow
The Dynamics control is mapped to the mod wheel, and the Mic Mix section lets you blend between close and far perspectives, with mute, solo and purge options. Sample Start can be raised to reduce latency or lowered for more realistic note onsets. The reverb section has further settings behind a cog icon.
Requirements and download size
The library runs in the free Kontakt Player 8 or later, activated through Native Access, so no paid version of Kontakt is needed. The download is about 2.5 GB, compressed with NCW from a 5 GB sample pool.
Claim Your Copy
Blueprint: Alt Woodwind Ensemble is free. You need a Fracture Sounds account to download it. More information, audio demos and walkthrough videos are on the Fracture Sounds product page.
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