REQ: Orchestral Tools Sangara
Cinematic Southeast Asian instruments:
Discover the musical pulse of an expansive geographical region distilled into a curated collection of instruments. Sångara—a library of over 70 percussion, wind, and stringed instruments from various parts of Southeast Asia—was made in collaboration with the inimitable composer and multi-instrumentalist Richard Harvey. It brings new colors to your composing palette, perfect for scoring, eliciting vivid mental images, or fabricating rich and cinematic worlds of sound.
Highlights:
Includes instruments never sampled before
Up to 6 mixable mic positions, including vintage spot mics
Instruments recorded chromatically for maximum versatility
Plucked strings, bowed strings, winds, and percussion
Features a one of a kind, custom-made kong wong yai
Authentic representation of the instruments in their natural ranges
Distinctive instruments with distinguished sounds:
Sångara contains a massive selection of instruments, some of which have never been sampled before. The instruments are all sonically unique. In this video, we explore the history behind some of these instruments.
Burmese saung-gauk
A 16-string arched, horizontal harp with a long neck decorated with a bodhi tree leaf.
Thai phin
The strings of this fretted, two-stringed instrument with a pear-shaped body are plucked with a pick.
Kong wong yai
A circular rattan frame houses 16 tuned gongs that are played with hard or soft mallets. For melodies or harmonic texture.
Indonesian and Thai angklungs
Bamboo tubes attached to a bamboo frame. The base is held in one hand while the other hand shakes the frame.
Kong wong lek
A circle of tuned gongs struck with soft or hard mallets. Higher in pitch than the kong wong yai for more ornate melodies.
Kentongans and grongs
Usually made of bamboo, these hollow percussion instruments are varieties of slit drum with a snappy natural sound.
Java kacapi anak
A zither originating from Indonesia, somewhat similar to a Chinese guzheng or Japanese koto.
Saw-u
A two-stringed, bowed instrument from Thailand. The lowest of the saw family with a dark and mellow tone. The body is made from a coconut shell and cowskin.
Khaen
This free-reed Lao mouth organ consists of bamboo pipes connected by a hollowed out wood reservoir into which the player blows.
A curated selection of instruments:
With over 70 instruments, Sångara presents a hand-picked selection of sounds from a vast and culturally diverse region. This sample library contains a battery of tuned and untuned percussion, a wealth of winds, and a plethora of plucked and bowed stringed instruments.
Percussion:
From the driving beat of the Sumatran frame drum to cymbal rolls on the turtle-shaped Balinese ceng ceng, Sångara has a wide variety of percussion instruments and articulations from which to build rhythmic foundations or add accents. With articulations including hits, damped hits, dynamics, rolls, effects, and a few phrases, there are worlds of inspiration to be found here.
Tuned percussion:
For creating harmonic textures, rhythmic melodies, or tonal accents, Sångara provides a wealth of metallophone and xylophone options. We’ve sampled everything from the crystal-clear tones of a custom-made, chromatic kong wong yai to the bright and natural-sounding Thai and Indonesian angklungs. These sounds bring images and emotions to the fore.
Wind instruments:
The wind instrument assortment features eight various pi instruments. This family of quadruple reed instruments has a distinctive sound that can easily cut through a mix. Their articulations include all the ornaments, slides, staccatos, and phrases to spark your imagination. From bamboo sulings to rotated wote panpipes, there are also eight flute instruments for melodies of all varieties.
Stringed instruments:
Not only do instruments like the Thai phin and Burmese saung-gauk boast ornate looks, these plucked string instruments have distinct tones and techniques. Sångara also features several zithers, a hammered dulcimer-like Thai khim, and two bowed instruments with distinguished, mellow tones. This collection brings traditional harmonics, grace notes, tremolos, and bends into a contemporary composing toolkit.
A wide range of articulations from experienced local players:
Sångara was recorded at Karma Studios in Thailand, drawing on the knowledge and skill of experienced local musicians. In addition to common sustains and staccatos, many of the instruments feature articulations with a long tradition.