Spitfire’s Appassionata Strings give composers access to lively strings with detailed legatos
It’s inspired by the works of composers such as John Williams and Thomas Newman.
Image: Spitfire Audio
Spitfire Audio has announced a melodic string instrument that promises to deliver to composers lively sounding strings with highly-detailed string legatos.
The instrument leverages a new technique from the brand known as Impulse Legato, a recording method said to be in development since 2007, which helps with the delivery of flowing and emotive lines with minimal tweaking required.
Aside from a wide range of legatos to choose from – with patches covering slurred, bowed and intense performances – users also get to shift between dynamics (pp, mp, mf, f and ff) with different velocity-sensitive ‘dynamic smoothing’ profiles. All these, put together, should offer natural sounding strings that span muted performances to full-on soaring lines.
Inspiration for Appassionata comes from the styles of classic film composers such as John Williams and Thomas Newman. Sounds were recorded with 30 of London’s top players making up a medium-sized configuration (8,6,6,6,4) at Lyndhurst Hall in AIR Studios.
Appassionata offers 11 different signals to choose from, including seven microphone positions and four pre-engineered mixes. These were recorded with “priceless” valve and ribbon microphones through Neve Montserrat preamps into a Neve 88R desk.
Appasionata is available at an introductory price of £149 / $179 / €179 (usually £199 / $249 / €249) until 10 February. Additionally, owners of Spitfire’s Symphonic Strings, Chamber Strings, Symphonic Strings Evolutions & Symphonic Motions can enjoy 35 per cent off.
Learn more at spitfireaudio.com
