Review: Jasno & Lekko by Felt Instruments

With Jasno and Lekko, Felt Instruments have put a lo-fi spin on both a familiar (soft piano – Lekko) and a virtually unknown instrument (Hohner Guitaret – Jasno). These libraries are small with only a few patches each, but the sound design and uniqueness found in each is undeniable. Like rare gems, these libraries might only be appreciated by a few. However, those few who “get” them will probably fall in love.

Jump to the Videos of Jasno & Lekko by Felt Instruments

Jump to the Demos of Jasno & Lekko by Felt Instruments

Review: Jasno & Lekko by Felt Instruments

Felt Instruments have carved out an interesting niche that combines the ethos of lo-fi tape looping with unique sound design and easy-to-use interfaces. In Jasno and Lekko, Felt Instruments present two highly specialized libraries that are unique within the sample library market. While these libraries are not going to become go-to instruments for the masses, however fans of a lo-fi tape loop sound should take notice.

Jasno & Lekko sells for £49.00 each or £85.00 as bundle from Felt Instruments

Thoughts

Felt Instruments blew me away with the three boutique string libraries in the Blisko series (Blisko Violin, Viola, and Cello). There is a humanity in those libraries that simply drips with raw emotion and character. In a world full of numerous libraries that fall into the same sonic territory, Felt Instruments have found a home off the beaten path, and far from the masses. To use a metaphor, most libraries are like the city – they are a really nice place to live day in and day out. They give you the convenience of having everything you need close by. However, Felt Instruments are somewhat like taking a hike off the beaten path and far away from the rest of the sample library world – it might not be something that is accessible every day, but when you need something outside of the day-to-day norm, it just feels right.

Jasno and Lekko have a similar sound and approach, but their origins couldn’t be farther apart. While Lekko has been taken from soft piano samples, Jasno’s content was derived from a unique, almost unheard of, instrument: the Hohner Guitaret. Both libraries bring you a small number of acoustic samples from each instrument that are intended to bring that instrument to life in your DAW, and both libraries come with a small selection of sound design patches that have been carved from the acoustic samples. The fact that Felt Instruments have chosen to use their own proprietary interface means there’s no fuss over whether the libraries will be compatible with your workflow, as each library comes in VST/AU/AAX format. As with the Blisko string series, the interfaces of both instruments are clean, simple, and intuitive. The controls within each interface are easy to use and understand. I especially like how Felt Instruments have chosen to incorporate three boutique reverb and delay types within each instrument. Also, both libraries are compatible with both standard MIDI controllers and MPE devices like the ROLI Seaboard. MPE devices allow you to put even more emotion into the performance, as you can use the 5D movements to control multiple pre-mapped parameters. However, the interfaces also allow you to replicate this controllability via MIDI mapping to your favorite controller.

Jasno

Of the two instruments, my personal favorite is Jasno. Jasno has been created from a unique instrument called the Hohner Guitaret that was only produced for around two years. This automatically drives up the cool factor, as you’re just not going to find this particular sound anywhere else. As described by Felt Instruments, the sound of this instrument could be described as somewhere between a celeste, a music box, a hang drum and who knows what else. I think that’s an accurate description. This instrument has a very mallet-like quality that is just ethereal and magical. As I began playing some of the patches, I quickly imagined a melancholic scene from a documentary that this would instantly not only fit into, but take the lead in. The sampling here is impeccable. There are two standard articulation patches (Plucks and Mallets) followed by two more unusual articulations patches (Unsynced Tremolo and Random Cloud) followed by four more sound design patches. The emphasis here is definitely not on quantity, but quality. While the two basic patches are an example of beautiful sampling and scripting, the sound design patches are simply out of this world. There is a tape loop control that allows you to pitch above and below the played note to create something that’s just beautiful. This instrument will definitely not be something you pull out for every track, so it will not necessarily become a part of your track template. However, there’s just not much out there that sounds like this. I can just about guarantee that this is going to show up on the next documentary I score.

Lekko

Unlike Jasno, Lekko is based on a much more common instrument – a softly played upright piano. Unlike Jasno, I wasn’t immediately in love with the sound of Lekko. The sound didn’t blow me away the second I played it and it didn’t make me think of other libraries I would be replacing with it. However, the more I played it the more I liked it. Like Jasno, there are a few straight forward acoustic patches followed by several sound design patches. For me, the sound design patches are the star of the show in this one. However, the soft piano is unique and unlike other soft or felt pianos on the market. Rather than just sampling the piano with a layer of felt between the hammers and strings, this piano has been played softly; in fact, it’s been played as softly as possible. If you’re looking for dynamic range, you should look elsewhere. However, if you’re looking for something that just sits on the edge of silence, Lekko is probably going to make you smile. My favorite acoustic patches are the standard Sustains and the Half-Speed Sustains. These are especially suited for outlining chords within a track, or for slow movements. In fact, they are really, really great at it. In addition to super-soft playing, the samples were captured with a collection of boutique tube and ribbon mics processed through hand-made valve preamps. The quality and warmth of the signal path is a highlight. The sound design patches are beautiful. They are even more so when you engage the modwheel, use an MPE or Touché controller, or take the time to map some controls to your MIDI controller.

Both Jasno and Lekko are beautiful libraries that could find their way into very emotional scores. I know I plan on incorporating their beauty into my own scoring work. Again, the small size of these libraries is going to leave you wanting more, as the sounds are just so good, but better to have a few really high character and high quality sounds than dozens or hundreds of vanilla presets, right?

Facts

Jasno and Lekko come housed in Felt Instruments’ own proprietary VST/AU/AAX plugin. Jasno installs as 1.39 GB while Lekko installs as 7.12 GB. Jasno comes with eight total patches while Lekko comes with nine. Jasno and Lekko are available from Felt Instruments for £49 each, or you can purchase the Lekko + Jasno bundle for £85.

Jasno & Lekko sells for £49.00 each or £85.00 as bundle from Felt Instruments

Demos of Jasno & Lekko by Felt Instruments

Videos of Jasno & Lekko by Felt Instruments

Contributor Raborn Johnson reviews Jasno & Lekko by Felt Instruments
“With Jasno and Lekko, Felt Instruments have put a lo-fi spin on both a familiar (soft piano – Lekko) and a virtually unknown instrument (Hohner Guitaret – Jasno). These libraries are small with only a few patches each, but the sound design and uniqueness found in each is undeniable. Like rare gems, these libraries might only be appreciated by a few. However, those few who “get” them will probably fall in love.”