Checking Out: Glissando Concert Harp by Chocolate Audio
Chocolate Audio’s Glissando Concert Harp exceeds expectations with it’s multiple playing modes and real-time glissando engine. Coupled with it’s warm and clear playback this Harp just might be in a league of it’s own.
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At the time of posting Glissando Concert Harp was offered at a 30% off intro price for just $69.
Review: Glissando Concert Harp by Chocolate Audio
When I think of the Harp, I often think of using it to add flourishes to a score or adding a bit of an “Angelic” feel. But if we are being honest, most composers I know associate the Harp with confusion. It isn’t easy to write for and has a pedal and tuning system unlike any instrument in the modern orchestra.
Luckily, Chocolates Audio has developed their latest sample library, Glissando Concert Harp, as intuitive and easy to play in an engine that allows multiple playing techniques that just might educate composers as to how a Harp works and encourage realistic Harp compositions. The library also has a very warm and inviting tone with a great selection of articulations.
Glissando Concert Harp sells for $99 from Chocolate Audio
Thoughts
Glissando Concert Harp Presets
The library comes with a couple dozen different presets with a wide variety of sounds for playback as well as 2 playing modes. Not only do the presets load up different articulation configurations, they also load different settings for effects and envelopes for different varied sounds ranging from classic harp effects to more pad like timbres.
There is a handy help menu on the front of the instruments which will bring up an overlay of guidance if it any point you get lost.
Glissando Concert Harp Articualtionss
The library comes with 20 different articulations which includes several variations of harmonics, pizzicato, sustains as well as special effects like hitting the strings or body of the harp or performing with paper between the strings for a buzzing sound.
The most clever bit of the instrument is that Glissando Concert Harp has been designed with 2 Playing Modes. The first, Piano Mode, allows users to play the instrument chromatically as you would a piano. The second, Harp Mode, utilizes only the white keys to playback the 7 corresponding strings of the harp.
A clever bit of the instrument is Glissando Concert Harp has been designed with 2 Playing Modes.
In the Harp Mode you can use the PEDALS functionality to custom tune each string ( as you would with a real Harp’s pedal system) or use the engines very handy Tonal Center controls. The Tonal Center controls allow you to set the root note and key with settings for Maj, Natural Minor, Major 6/9, MIN 7th, DIM and everything in between.
This is very ingenious as it not only allows for composers to write with the natural limitation of a harp, but also encourages realistic performances. This function alone may quickly solidify how a real Harp functions and act as an educational tool as well.
Glissando Concert Harp Gliss Presets
The instrument really shines with it’s Glissando controls which allow the user to designate the bottom and top notes of a glissando performance while controlling dynamics (modwheel) and speed (with pitch wheel) in real time.
Overall this instrument succeeds in usability as much as in its great sound quality.
The selection of presets really show off the harps range and how combining different articulations you can get some very nice effects. The presets are also a great places to jump in to explore the range of the instrument and even inspire ideas.
Glissando Concert Harp Mixer Panel
The only other thing that I wanted to comment about is the Mixer Panel of the instrument. The Mixer page allows access to the 3 included microphone positions. It has controls for Wide, Mid and Side microphones that really sound fantastic. The Mixer also includes Reverb sends and controls for the effects. The Effects parameters give control over Reverb, Delay, Compression as well as a Distortion Amp/Cabinet modeling. There are quite a few presets for the Reverb as well as the Amp/Cab effect. The Library comes from a very user-centric concept and is very intuitive. I didn’t see a manual and with the “Help” Mode I was able to use all the functionality of the library
Glissando Concert Harp has a very warm and present timbre with a lot of low-end. I didn’t expect that. Many of the harp libraries I’ve demoed in the past tend to focus on more of a tinny/brittle sound. Playing around with the instrument for the review I was pretty inspired and can see how it might open the door to composers wanting to write even more music for harp.
The ability to jump between piano-playing mode and harp-playing mode as well as the Glissando engine really place this library in a league of it’s own.
Facts
Library downloads as just under 4 GB and does require the full version of Native Instruments Kontakt.
For the Review I had version 1.5 of the instrument.
Glissando Concert Harp sells for $99 from Chocolate Audio
