Checking Out: Stradivari Cello by Native Instruments

The Stradivari Cello is a meticulous recreation of a unique and treasured instrument that is nearly 300 years old. The ultra-deep sampling and variety of articulations make it a great tool to create realistic performances, geared particularly for a classical sound.

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Checking Out: Stradivari Cello by Native Instruments

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Previously only available as part of the Cremona Quartet, if you are only wanting the solo cello from that ensemble the Stradivari Cello is now for sale as a standalone library. The famous luthier built the instrument in 1727 and it is smaller than most traditional cellos, but lacks nothing in terms of the grandiosity of its rich timbres. Known as the Stradivari “Stauffer” cello it normally resides in a museum, prized as a national treasure, but for this library it was recorded by a virtuoso in the renowned Auditorium Giovanni Arvedi in Cremona, Italy (the birthplace of Antonio Stradivari).

Articulations

The sampling of it by e-instruments for Native Instruments is so comprehensive it is akin to an exercise in preserving a historical artefact in digital format! At the core of this is per-note sampling for ultimate authenticity – nothing is time-stretched. There is a wide range of articulations, multiple legato types, phase-aligned dynamic crossfades and three mic positions. Alongside that we get modern features, such as fingerboard positioning options for variations of tone and a number of performance-captured vibrato styles. There’s also a CPU friendly patch which uses a single stereo mix to cut down on the otherwise fairly intensive RAM requirements.

Stradivari Cello normally sells for $199 from Native Instruments

Thoughts

There is no doubting the quality and attention to detail in this instrument. It has all the features required to make very believable cello performances, even if that will entail a lot of key-switching and programming to make it really sing. The adaptive Virtuoso patch goes someway to helping in that regard, but it’s not as instinctively playable as I had hoped. The microphones work well to create both intimate and expansive ambiences and the recordings themselves are wonderfully detailed.

Mixer

This overall sound is geared towards the traditional side of things and either as a solo instrument, or combined with the rest of the Cremona Quartet it works excellently for Baroque, Classical and Romantic era styles. With the close mic dialled up and the other mics panned for orchestral seating it’s also a really good first chair in larger orchestral cues.

Performance Settings

However, it seems to lack that bit of modern edge that prevents it from becoming a go-to for more filmic composition (barring period dramas perhaps). The pristine and perfect sampling that is to be applauded in one aspect, is also the weakness when it comes to a solo cello that is really characterful in a VI form. For my own tastes and generally for more contemporary scoring I just feel it lacks that elusive ‘je ne sais quoi’. It might be the virtual vibrato, or just the tone of the recording space, but I find it a touch too sterile, too proper and it does not give me as much back as some other solo cellos, which seem to better inspire my writing.

That said, the very same qualities may well be just what is favoured by other composers, or indeed required for the job in hand. It’s a classy library for sure and perhaps best described as sensibly beautiful. Just as the original cello itself is so individual, so I think people’s opinions will be of the resulting library. I would encourage you to check out the superb demos and walkthroughs on the Native Instruments site as they will definitely help you form a clear opinion on it.

Facts

27.3 GB download size as lossless audio from 45 GB of original samples

20 articulations – 3 longs, 5 shorts, 4 expressive, 3 dynamic, 4 special and 1 adaptive virtuoso

Up to 3 legato transitions for the longs

3 microphones – close, mid and far (mixed down from 32 mics at source)

Performance captured vibrato

Room noise control

Smart fingerboard positioning

NKS compatible

Kontakt Player 6.2.2 or Kontakt 6.2.2 is required with at least 6GB of RAM

Stradivari Cello normally sells for $199 from Native Instruments

Demos of Stradivari Cello by Native Instruments

Videos of Stradivari Cello by Native Instruments

Contributor Sam Burt reviews Stradivari Cello by Native Instruments
“The Stradivari Cello is a meticulous recreation of a unique and treasured instrument that is nearly 300 years old. The ultra-deep sampling and variety of articulations make it a great tool to create realistic performances, geared particularly for a classical sound.”