Sonixinema – Contemporary Soloists Cello

Sonixinema – Contemporary Soloists Cello

Recording the Contemporary Soloists series is something we have had at the back of our minds since starting Sonixinema. We see it as the culmination of everything we’ve learned throughout our sampling adventure, and it truly represents Sonixinema’s ideals and taste. After being introduced to Danny and hearing him play, we knew we had to get together in the studio and start with one of our favourite instruments, the Cello.

To capture the rich and delicate tone of Danny’s 19th Century Cello, we decided to choose a relatively dry room, to get that real up close and personal sound that we were looking for. Inspired by modern film composers such as Jed Kurzel, Hildur Guðnadóttir and Jóhann Jóhannsson, we wanted to capture not only a very particular tonal quality, but also some very specific articulations which we feel represent the musical landscape that is featured throughout many of our favourite film scores.

We captured a range of basic articulations such as Legato, Sustains, Spiccato, Pizzicato, Tremolo and Col Legno, however it is what we captured next which truly brings the library to life. In collaboration with Danny, we curated a range of unique and inspiring articulations, some of which aren’t featured in any other sample libraries. These include Arpeggio Crossings, Warped Sustains, Circular Bowing, Harmonic Falls, Harmonic Wavers, Harmonic Glissando and Seagull Screeches. Not only do these sounds work wonderfully as aleatoric effects but also can be used very musically and can be used to create fascinating and dark, soulful atmospheres which enrich scores and bring an amazingly raw and lifelike sound which is usually unachievable with samples.

Official Trailer
Introducing Contemporary Soloists: Cello, a unique sample library featuring a collection of raw and soulful contemporary cello textures and articulations performed by virtuoso cellist, Danny Keane. Made for the free Kontakt Player.

The Story
Hear Danny talk about his cello, his career, and why we decided to make Contemporary Soloists: Cello together.

Library Walkthrough
Take a look at our walkthrough video, where we will take a deep dive into the library and all of the fantastic sounds that we captured. We will also cover the interface controls, and how you can create your own patches!

Technical Overview

Want a crash course on how to use our interface? Watch this video to learn all the tips and tricks needed to get the most out of your new sample library.

Native Access Installation
This video gives you a quick and easy guide to installing Contemporary Soloists: Cello within Native Access and the free Kontakt Player.