VSL Horizon Series - Glass and Stones

A must-have for every composer and sound designer! This unique collection contains 4.5 GB of previously undiscovered sounds from rare, fragile instruments like a glass harmonica, verrophone, and musical glasses, as well as the world’s deepest lithophone, a priceless instrument spanning 5 octaves! All of these little known instruments are now available in a truly exceptional sample library for the first time ever!

Glass

The glass harmonica was well known and frequently utilized in Mozart’s time. Today, there are roughly 10 professional players in the world who are able to make this invaluable instrument yield its characteristic ethereal, crystalline and delicate sound! Another exquisite rarity is the verrophone, which was invented just 20 years ago. Its lingering, atmospheric sound is highly esteemed by modern composers because of its extraordinary intensity – an “Eldorado” for sound designers!

Everyone knows the mystical sound that unfolds when musical glasses are being rubbed. However, up to now it was scarcely available as a well-tuned instrument – and scarcer even in a chromatic range from G3 to G6!

Articulations:

Staccatos, portatos, sustains, tremolos and trills for all glass instruments. Staccatos, trills and glissandos played with mallets for glass harmonica and verrophone.

Stones

For the first time ever, the round sound characteristic of stone is available in sampled form: with its singular tonal range of nearly 5 octaves, this one-of-a-kind lithophone provides the deepest tones “made of stone”!

This instrument is the only available lithophone built like a marimba and equipped with resonators, offering enormous musical possibilities from extremely supple, full, and dark deep tones up to the hard and bright high notes.

Articulations:

Left and right hand strokes, muted strokes, tremolos and chord tremolos played with five different mallets! Special effects include strokes with fingers and fingernails, bowed notes, and notes played with stones and needles on the sound bars for shatter effects.