Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 4.5/5 Stars
Continuing their reputation for unique and inspiring Kontakt instruments, Void & Vista’s latest release is framed as “an exploration of experimental sounds, prepared instruments and extended techniques”. That’s quite a statement, but by design, V&V’s sonic offering is simplistic and engaging, thanks to the uncluttered interface which un‑hides parameters as you go.
At the heart of each Snapshot (patch) is a two‑partial construct. Partial/sample selection is revealed by clicking at the bottom of the window, at which point you are presented with five categories, each containing eight samples. At the simplistic end, the Waves category offers a collection of subtractive‑style waveforms, along with noise. The inclusion of these is useful, as some of the sounds from the four other categories have less of a sustaining character, featuring moments of random accentuation.
Case in point: the String Piano sample has been recorded by way of a piano note being struck, before being excited by a guitar string. There is a natural decay, exaggerated by the chaotic, random attacks of the guitar string. This unique sound may, in some settings, benefit from tonal bolstering, and those subtractive waves are ideal for the task.
Moving to the other less obvious sample categories, the Instrument category offers samples of string strikes, erratic bowings, drums and the sound of a clarinet overblowing; this latter sample is very stylised and effective, but the audio equivalent of a clarinetist having a nervous breakdown! Other categories include Objects, Effected and Textures, which all contain a diverse collection of raw samples, coupled with annotated descriptions. There are some gems here, from heavy magnets being dragged across a wooden table, to a food tub being repurposed as a speaker enclosure, while filled with paper!
Expressive Patches
You have to applaud the depth of imagination, but this is only the beginning of the adventure, as the two partials combine to form an expressive patch, which lends itself to numerous forms of modulation. These mods and wider sonic controls are accessed via the seven dials located at the top of the instrument. Clicking on each reveals a substantial number of settings, providing everything from basic filtering and application of delay and reverb, through to full‑on and sometimes wild modulation excesses.
Void & Vista provide 300 curated Snapshots, residing alongside the 16GB of sample data, and implore you to use the modulation wheel when auditioning. This underscores one of the unique details of Frames, which is that it thrives upon varying degrees of movement, often generated by the mod wheel. Even the most basic process of morphing from one partial to the other can create unique interest and space, and when placed under automation (either from within the instrument or from DAW control) provides an instantly unique backdrop.
Some of the more percussive elements could be used melodically, which would sound exceptionally expensive in a layered scenario.
As a playable instrument, it lends itself to the more static and elongated side of things, but it’s certainly plausible that some of the more percussive elements could be used melodically, which would sound exceptionally expensive in a layered scenario. It’s another unique and very classy instrument, plucked from the Void... & Vista!