Best Winds Library
Sample Library Review Awards 2022
• 5 solo woodwinds
• Over 2300 improvised notes
• 4 mic positions
• ‘Storms’ articulation
Full version of Kontakt required
Not compatible with Kontakt Player
See system requirements
A woodwind sample library for Kontakt including Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Baritone Saxophone and Bassoon which perfectly compliments our successful Solo Strings and Solo Brass Untamed.
Pushing the boundaries of what you believe woodwinds can sound like, you’ll begin to want these instruments as the highlight of your music and not just a layer buried in the rest of the orchestra. Both elegant and beautiful or furious and turbulent.
The Improvisations are the life and soul behind each instrument. Not phrases, but performed notes with real human energy and movement.
“These are going straight into a feature film I’m about to work on.”
The Unfinished
YouTube
“Thanks ever so much for releasing this. I had to do a sort of scoring marathon the last few days, and I used it for every piece I wrote. What an absolute jewel this is.”
FR. Hugo
VI Control
“This is the last woodwind library I’ll ever really need.”
Daniel Willett
YouTube
“So inspiring! Wonderful instrument just like the whole Untamed series.”
FR. Hugo
VI Control
“The Improvisations give so much life to these instruments.”
Simeon Amburgey (Praise Tracks)
YouTube
The Improvisations aren’t melodic phrases or pre-written music. They are individual notes performed with intention, human energy and natural movement inside them. Never static, always alive.
Every single semitone across the recorded range of the instruments have 3 distinct dynamic layers triggered via keyboard velocity.
There’s 4 different variations of each layer too, giving 12 completely unique performances for every note. In total across the 5 instruments there are over 2300 unique improvisations, the most of all the Untamed series.
Breathy, shallow playing, subtle shifts in tone and timbre.
Fuller and more lyrical playing with swells in volume and changes in timbre.
Loud and full of energy. This will push the limits of what you thought woodwinds were capable of. Use sparingly for moments of fiery passion and intense emotion.
With the Baritone Sax, we knew we could push this instrument even further than everything else. There is two separate rounds of Extreme Improvisations. Be prepared for choas.
In addition to the Improvisations and Storms, there are dozens of other articulations. Some more unconventional than others.
Our favourites are the Thirds, Fifths and Octaves. These weave and flow between different intervals, creating a aleatoric musical journey of interesting directions that you would never have taken without them.
The Swells will start appearing in everything you do. They are beautiful short notes which gently rise and fall. The Stutters and Splutters on the Bassoon showcase just how animated it can be.
An inspiring and expressive array of techniques that each on their own sound wonderful, or combined together will provide you with some extraordinary characters and moods.
Recorded at The Nave, one England’s finest recording studios; a converted church with the most beautiful sounding live room. Engineer Tom Orrell used a set of classic microphones and vintage outboard to tailor the perfect sound for the winds.
For the spot position, a single Brauner VMA Valve mic and RE20 mic does a great job of providing a very detailed, dry and hyped sound. Neumann KM184s capture a close stereo perspective; lively but still intimate. For the room position, we used a pair of AKG C414s, creating a more typical tree-style position and will give you a well balanced and open sound. Lastly, high up in the gallery were a pair of omnidirectional Oktava MK-12s. The secret weapon among engineers for their excellent detail, these will give you the full natural studio sound and allow you to hear the beautiful decay of The Nave.
We collected this really wide range of perspectives for you to mix exactly the sound you need. Everything was recorded through through Neve and API preamps, an AMEK Rembrandt desk and captured using world-class Apogee AD16X analogue to digital convertors.
Flute
Improvisations A
Improvisations B
Improvisations C
Improvisations D
Storms
Long
Soft Air
Surges – Soft
Surges – Loud
Vibrato – Slow
Vibrato – Fast
Flutter Tonguing
Thirds
Fifths
Octaves
Timbral Trills
Bends
Short
Swells – Long
Pops
Oboe
Improvisations A
Improvisations B
Improvisations C
Improvisations D
Storms
Long
Soft Air
Surges – Soft
Surges – Loud
Flutter Tonguing
Thirds
Fifths
Octaves
Short
Short – Stopped
Swells – Long
Clarinet
Improvisations A
Improvisations B
Improvisations C
Improvisations D
Storms
Long
Soft Air
Surges – Soft
Surges – Loud
Vibrato – Slow
Vibrato – Fast
Semitone Flicks – Soft
Semitone Flicks – Loud
Thirds
Fifths
Octaves
Short
Short – Stopped
Swells – Short
Swells – Long
Baritone Sax
Improvisations A
Improvisations B
Improvisations C
Improvisations D
Storms
Improv Extreme A
Improv Extreme B
Long
Soft Air
Surges – Soft
Surges – Loud
Thirds
Fifths
Octaves
Growling – Slow
Growling – Fast
Harmonics
Short
Swells – Short
Swells – Long
Slap Tongue
Bassoon
Improvisations A
Improvisations B
Improvisations C
Improvisations D
Storms
Long
Soft Air
Surges – Soft
Surges – Loud
Vibrato – Slow
Flutter Tonguing
Thirds
Fifths
Octaves
Alt Fingering
Stutters
Splutters
Short
Swells – Short
Swells – Long
There are several Multis created from multiple instruments loaded into one Kontakt instance. They’ve been created for immediate gratification and perfect for quickly getting your ideas down. There’ll also show you some combinations and sounds you won’t have thought of and spark off an idea.
Spot
A mono position that’s super dry, super hyped and super detailed.
Close
This stereo pair is intimate but lively, allowing the sound to breathe just enough.
Room
A typical tree-style position, plenty of real room ambience and nicely balanced.
Gallery
A diffuse and airy position recorded in the ceiling of The Nave. Add this to the mix for natural depth and space.
Full version of Kontakt 5.6.8 or above required
This library is NOT compatible with Kontakt Player
Mac OS 10.13 High Sierra or higher
Windows 10 or higher
8GB RAM minimum
~38GB download size
Downloads using the free Pulse app
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