Review: Gravity from Heavyocity

When it first came out I predicted that we were going to start hearing Gravity in a lot of scores and I was correct. This powerful instrument gives composer the ability to sculpt and shape unique sonic textures, pads and hits and I am sure we will continue to hear gravity for years to come!

Support Sample Library Review at Patreon

Jump to the Demos of Gravity

Jump to the Videos of Gravity

Originally published June 9, 2015
Updated with new intro, additional review videos and demos November 29, 2016

Review: Gravity from Heavyocity

Gravity: Modern Scoring Tools is a hybrid instrument for use with both the full version of Kontakt AND the free Kontakt 5 Player. Gravity is the natural evolution of the Heavyocity line building from and incorporating the best of what their previously released virtual instruments had to offer (EVOLVE, DAMAGE, AEON, and DM-307).

GRAVITY includes Pads, Risers, Sting FX, and Hits. With Gravity Hevyocity introduces two new “Designer” features, enabling the creation of thousands of original hits and risers.

GRAVITY contains over 2,200 sound sources and 1,200 Kontakt presets. There are more than 800 additional Kontakt instrument snapshots organized by style and timbre, creating the largest range of sounds ever presented in a Heavyocity instrument.

Gravity by Heavyocity sells for $449.00

Gravity is currently on sale at Plugin Boutique for 50% Off till Dec 1st 2016

Thoughts

To be honest, the first pad I loaded from Gravity just sounded like a good synth patch. It wasn’t until I started manipulating the pads with the step effects and the new Motion tool that I got very excited. Then I listened through the hits and swells. They are EPIC. After just a few minutes of working with Gravity I was pulled in.

The term “scoring tool” gets tossed around a lot but with Gravity, Heavyocity has created a breathing, flowing instrument with unlimited scoring applications.

Motion

Motion is a new tool created by Heavyocity for Gravity. With the Motion tool you are able to add step manipulation to Volume, Pan and Pitch. From tempo-synced swells to complex stutters and glitches Motion is completely customizable with it’s easy to use step controls. Additionally, you can create intricate sequences by using the Motion pattern chain.

Motion comes with 2 folders of presets: Rhythmic & Tonal. It also comes with a User folder so you can save your own presets and reload them later.

This is where the instrument shines. It breaths and flows in shapes of sound that make it a truly unique scoring tool. You are able to manipulate the sounds in ways I had never thought of. Adding tonal steps in Motion to a dramatic hit creates a unworldly new instrument. Adding volume effects to a Rise creates sonic anticipation.

Effects

Gravity has great sounding effects and so many options for controlling them. The main page gives you access to Reverb, Chorus, Delay and Distortion as well as the Punish and Twist effects that Heavyocity introduced in it’s previous instruments. The effects don’t just stop there as there is another entire page dedicated to effects with step sequencing controllers for each of these effects.  On top of that each of thes effects can be controlled by a key switch giving you quick access to morphing and manipulating your sound.

Interface

I can’t finish up a review of Gravity without mentioning the GUI. It was designed by Perception NYC who’s motion picture credits include “Iron Man”, “Thor”, “Captain America”, and the “Avengers”.

The interface is beautiful and well thought out. It is fresh yet extremely intuitive. I didn’t even look to see if there was a manual and I was able to use nearly every feature in the instrument in part because of the intuitive design of the interface.

Wrap Up

In my opinion, Gravity is a glimpse into what the future holds for hybrid instruments .

I think we are going to start hearing Gravity in a lot of scores. However, I don’t think we will always notice, because each composer has the ability to sculpt and shape the sounds to create sonic textures, pads and hits uniquely their own.

Facts

• 12 GB uncompressed (9.2GB on Disk with NI lossless compression)
• Available as direct download only
• 2200+ Sound Sources
• 815+ Snapshots
• 325+ Motion Presets (NKA’s)
• 1200+ NKIs
  • 780+ Pads
  • 390+ Stings
  • 19 Riser Menus
  • 9 Hit Menus
• Two new “Designers” for Hits and Risers
• Motion page for advanced volume, pitch, and pan pattern creation
• Playable Trigger FX™ for real-time control
• Stand-alone, VST, AU, DXi, AAX, RTAS

Gravity by Heavyocity sells for $449.00

Demos using Gravity

The first thing I do when checking out a library is listen to see how expressive and musical the virtual instrument can be in action. Here are a few demos using Gravity.