Following on from the release of Strands in 2023, Void & Vista have announced the launch of their second Kontakt-based instrument. Folds has been built around a bespoke collection of vocal samples, and comes loaded with processing options that allow users to create a huge range of evolving soundscapes and textures.
The company have captured a range of articulations performed by male and female vocalists, with soft and hard arhythmic expressions joined by “weaving and wavering” vowels, broken reversed hums, evocative vocalisations designed for creating bass sounds and more. A collection of more extreme, processed sounds are also present, including some that have been routed through Eurorack modular rigs, effects pedals and tape machines, and the vocal sounds are also joined by some synth waveforms sampled from a range of analogue hardware.
Folds features a dual-layer interface that allows pairs of the included sound sources to be combined and sculpted using a collection of multi-mode filters, a pair of LFOs and six envelopes. A Morph control makes it possible to blend seamlessly between the layered samples, with a collection of settings making it possible to adjust parameters such as pitch, level and stereo placement. Further processing can be applied thanks to a collection of built-in effects, with dedicated Lo-Fi and Character modules joined by a Space section dedicated to delays and reverbs, and controls such as Ensemble, Cascade, Harmonise and Detune offer everything from additional voice generation to rhythmic effects.
A total of 32 sound sources are present, comprising 4.5GB of sample content, and the instrument comes loaded with over 300 snapshots that offer a huge range of built-in sounds. All of the included patches boast pre-assigned mod wheel and/or aftertouch modulation, allowing users to experiment with an array of expressive and diverse sounds right out of the box.
The company say that while Folds is an ideal soultion for media composers, it also has plenty to offer sound designers and writers of production music, as well as offering a great way for electronic music producers to expand their toolkits.
Compatibility
Folds runs in Native Instruments’ Kontakt or free Kontakt Player software (versions 7.7 or above) which is supported on PCs running Windows 10 and above, and Macs running macOS 12 or higher. VST3, AU and AAX plug-in versions are available, along with a standalone application.
Pricing & Availability
Folds is available now, priced at £129 including VAT. Void & Vista are currently (27 March 2024) offering an introductory discount of 20%, which can be obtained by applying the code FOLDSLAUNCH20 at checkout.
