Strands is the first instrument released by Void & Vista, and features a combination bowed instrument samples and experimental sounds that the company say will be ideal for media composers, sound designers and musicians alike.
A total of 32 sound sources are included with the instrument, ranging from electric and acoustic guitars, basses, violas and vibraphones, to objects such as cymbals and wine glasses, all played with a bow. In addition to the acoustic sources, there are also a number of deconstructed and processed sounds that have been developed using Eurorack modular systems and hardware effects units.
All of the sound sources can be layered, sculpted and processed directly within the instrument, with users able to assign sounds to a pair of independent layers and morph seamlessly between the two using a crossfade feature. Each layer is equipped with its own individual amp, pitch and filter envelopes, as well as switchable low-, band- and high-pass filters that can be operated independently or have their cutoff parameters linked.
A pair of tempo-syncable LFOs with a choice of eight wave shapes provide a range of modulation options, and the instrument also includes a selection of built-in lo-fi effects along with a delay and reverb.
Compatibility
Strands runs within Native Instruments’ free Kontakt Player version 6.7.0 or above, which is supported on PCs running Windows 10 or 11, and Macs running macOS 10.14 and higher. VST, VST3, AU, and AAX versions are available. 2.5GB of disk space is required.
Pricing & Availability
Strands is available now, and is being offered for an introductory price of £99 including VAT until 25 March 2023, after which it will cost £129 including VAT.
