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Samples » Kontakt
Rhythmic Robot Jennings KONTAKT-VON.G Full screenshot
TEAM VON.G 2012-10-28 | 1.37 GB
Welcome to a sound from 1946. A sound that once echoed around The Cavern in Liverpool, coaxed into life by the fingers (and knees…) of the Beatles. A sound that in 1962 defined a number 1 chart topper with no words – the world's first synth-pop hit. A sound designed by a music technology legend, but which has been sleeping, forgotten, lost in the mists of time... until now…

Jennings is a meticulously faithful recreation of one of the very first synthesisers, the valve-based Jennings Univox. The Univox was designed in 1946 by Derek Underdown and Tom Jennings, who went on to create Vox amplifiers and define the guitar sound of a generation. It was manufactured in the 50s and 60s along the same lines as its contemporary, the Clavioline, as a gigging keyboard for bands to use to supplement the basic acoustic piano that most pubs and clubs offered. To this end it was designed with portability in mind: it had its own onboard amplification, and packed into its own suitcase for transport, while the keyboard portion of the synth was detachable and designed to fit just under and in front of a piano keyboard.

It generated a rich, warm, analogue wave (more or less a sawtooth) which could be processed, adjusted and filtered using 12 "tabs" along the front of the keyboard. These were not simply organ stops; they altered the base waveform rather than adding to it (with the exception of Tab N, "Sub Osc", which does add a sub-oscillator). Some tabs engaged filters or tilt-EQs; some clipped the waveform or otherwise distorted it; some added or enhanced a percussive transient peak for greater definition. Using different combinations of these tabs, over 2000 different voicings could be created (before factoring in vibrato settings!), while a knee-lever controlled the output volume on the fly for a surprisingly expressive playing experience.

Vibrato (three speeds, two depths) added movement to the sound, while a transpose knob allowed the three-octave keyboard to access five octaves of range. The Univox's own speaker cabinet contributed greatly to its tone, and the sound could be varied between sweet and singing and raw and raucous with the flick of a couple of tabs and the twist of a dial.

The Univox found its way into some of the Beatles' early sessions when they were playing in the Cavern in Liverpool, and it is almost certainly the sound of the 1962 synth-pop number 1 "Telstar" by the Tornadoes (there's some dispute as to whether the Univox or the Clavioline can take this accolade, but we're 90% certain it's the Jennings. The most significant difference between the Clavioline and the Univox was that the Clavioline's base wave was a kind-of square wave, while the Univox's was a kind-of sawtooth; which gives the Univox its unique – and, we think, warmer – tone.)

What's beyond doubt is that the Jennings Univox was one of the very first pioneers of synthesis, combining the valve tone-creation circuitry that had marked out earlier classics like the Hammond Novachord with a far more portable, band-friendly form factor and the instant satisfaction of its tab switch tone controls.

We found our Univox at an auction, and were instantly entranced by it. Everything from the crocodile-skin case to the thick, heavy rubber cables carrying lethal voltages back and forth between the keyboard and the cabinet just made us fall in love. The enormous Bakelite chicken-head knobs; the little glowing power lamp; the toggle switches; and that rack of inscrutable tabs (A? D? F? H? What did they mean? What had happened to B, C, E and G? If you really want to know the answers to these key questions, visit Creating Jennings.) Anyway, it was all just too wonderful to pass up. So we bought it like a shot, and have spent the past several months meticulously and exhaustively recreating it in software.

SAMPLING THE UNIVOX

First of all we had the entire unit professionally overhauled and checked by Ben Rossborough of Cyberwave EMS. Ben made sure that all the valves and capacitors were happy, that the electronics were making sense, and that the keybed was levelled. Meanwhile, here in the lab, we set about doing some Scooby-style detective work to find out what exactly all those cryptic letters meant, and how the thing was supposed to work. By the time it was back in our hands, we were good to go.

"It's dirtier than some of the other sounds on the market, and really feels like you're playing an old instrument. The bass patches have a powerful raw feel about them, and could really give your tracks a dirtier edge in the low frequencies!" – Film & Game Composers review

We spent many happy hours sampling tab combinations and analysing spectral plots of the Univox's output before embarking on a mammoth sampling process. Each note sample used in Jennings is around 20 seconds long, in order to preserve the rich and varying valve tonality of the original; and we sampled the keyboard chromatically across its entire 5 octave range. Because sampling every single tab combination in this way would have resulted in well over 240,000 samples running to many terabytes, we adopted a dual technique of sampling and convolution processing to recreate the Univox. Basically, the simpler tabs – like the "treble cut" filter – engage Impulse Response convolved models of the Univox's valve processing, while tabs like the P (which clips the waveform) or K (a much warmer tone, with a percussive attack) were sampled both individually and in combination. (So there are sample sets for tab K, tab P, tabs K and P together, and so on.) This way, we've ensured that Jennings sounds and responds extremely faithfully, recreating the Univox's character to an exacting degree.

The end result of this is a thrillingly rich and organic set of samples which entirely preserve the Univox's subtle variations of timbre. The next question was how to take the whole synth to a new level of flexibility...

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Once the samples were on our hard drive, the first thing we did was to make the monophonic Univox fully polyphonic. That was a no-brainer. You can switch to mono, of course, for basses and leads; but when played polyphonically Jennings really comes into its own, since every note brings its own inherent instabilities and variations to the sound – instabilities and variations which you can enhance using the "Osc Drift" control if you wish.

We also doubled up the number of oscillators. Switching the OSC panel's big chicken-head knob from 1 to 2 kicks in a second sample set in unison with the first, thickening and warming the sound hugely. (These aren't simply the same samples duplicated, but different samples, so there's no sterile chorusing or phase cancellation; instead you get the real deal of feisty analogue goodness!) Twisting the knob further detunes the two oscillators progressively, while the "Osc Spread" control further down pans them for subtle or extreme stereo widening. Full envelope control, a glide amount knob for portamento, inbuilt saturation to introduce extra valve distortion, and the option of Tremolo instead of Vibrato round out the OSC section.

The FILTER offers high- or low-pass, 12dB/octave or 24dB/octave resonant filters with envelope control and a dedicated LFO routed to cutoff. This section massively expands the palette of tones you can source from Jennings: just dial up a good raw tone using the front tabs and then filter it and shape it just like in any conventional subtractive synth. Add some effects from the Effects pane, and a whole world of glorious valve-infused sound is within easy reach. Used in this way Jennings works and feels like a familiar subtractive synth, with the vital difference that instead of selecting a sawtooth or square wave to start with, you select a tab combination. Most analogue synthesisers offer only a handful of starting oscillator waveforms – maybe 3, 4 or 5 if you're lucky. Jennings offers you over 2000 – and every single one of those waves has as its root DNA genuine valve tones from over seventy years ago.

Rounding out the sound-sculpting possibilities we have five effects processing blocks, accessible on the Effects pane. Chorus, Phaser, Delay, a Rotary Speaker control, and an amp cabinet simulator, can all shape Jennings's sound either subtly or radically.

Finally, on the Rear pane, there are some extra tweakable settings: Stereo widening pans low notes left and high notes right, and works particularly well in combination with the Front Panel's "Osc Spread" control. The Vibrato and Tremolo controls can have their ramp time varied here; the Oscillator envelope attack can also be adjust (for "snappy" or "sucky" attack portions), and there are level trim pots for tabs D (percussive attack) and N (Sub Osc) to allow you to blend these to your taste. (For example, in the real Univox, Sub Osc comes on VERY LOUD and there's not much you can do about it! In Jennings, you can either go this route, which is great for bass patches; or you can back the Sub Osc trim off and use it to gently fill out a pad or texture patch, or even add some subtle body to a lead.)

Very importantly, this is also where you find the "Mod Wheel Controls Volume" toggle switch. With this active, you can use the modulation wheel on your controller keyboard to simulate the Univox's knee lever and create expressive fades, swells, wobbles and jumps as you play. It's a central component of the authentic Jennings tone, and works particularly well for pads and leads.

WELCOME TO THE PAST

Of course, part of the fun of owning a synth like Jennings is not using all the wonderful effects and filters we've added, but going back to grass roots and treating the software as if it's the real hardware: creating the same tones that George Harrison or John Lennon might have dialled up back in the Cavern. To make this process as transparent as possible, we've included a kind of "authenticity compliance mode" in Jennings. Simply click on the Rhythmic Robot "RR" logo just above the keyboard, and a host of little red dots and markers will spring up. These indicate which controls should be switched off (e.g., the FILTER section, the Effects, and so on), and, for controls that are in use, where to set them (e.g. the Vibrato Speed can be set to any of the three positions shown; its Depth to either of the two positions shown). By following this trail of breadcrumbs you can set Jennings up to be entirely 1946-authentic, and then use the tab switches to create synth tones that would sound identical to those coming from a real Jennings Univox.

"One thing that I instantly LOVED about the synth is the RR button… this disables any controls that are not original features of the machine. If you're looking for that original Jennings sound then it's available at the press of a button." – Film & Game Composers review

So, whether you want authentic tones from the early days of synth history, or brand-new creations that still have that warmth and glow to them, Jennings delivers. Cutting edge sampling and convolution techniques bring valves from seventy years ago back to life and put them right there in your DAW, ready to bathe everything in an amber glow (and a faint smell of warm crocodile skin). This is what synthesisers sounded like back at the dawn of an era. And you know what? They sounded good.


(If you'd like to know more about the in-depth process of sampling a 66-year-old synth, take a look at Creating Jennings.)

Kontakt .nki sampler instrument for Native Instruments Kontakt
Sampled at full 24-bit
Requires NI Kontakt version 4.2.3 or later (including Kontakt 5 and above)
Not compatible with Kontakt Player

"The sound quality is excellent. A real raw and warm sound, with many of the patches having a 'thick' feel that will give your compositions an edge. Each preset was crafted with care and attention. This synth could work wonders in all forms of music"

Reuploaded. PiRAT

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http://http://peeplink.in/3d044cffbc83 Peeplink password: wMzu~Rb

comments

  guest -- 0
0
Really? Just uploaded and extabit?
  Resident 29.01.2012 2060
+215
Needs premium account to download this
  guest -- 0
0
Ha ha ... the extabit links don't work unless you have a premium account. Sunny, I'm hoping you're doing your usual routine and just waiting to see how many suckers actually buy a premium extabit account before you upload to some decent hosts.
  Releaser 21.07.2012 15229 5770
+586734
clonedboned,
Uploaded/Rapidgator free, have consciences
  Resident 29.01.2012 2060
+215
Sunny

Yes Uploaded free if you have not download anything else today like I have and you have to wait one hour before download next part.
Rapidshare is the best
  Releaser 21.07.2012 15229 5770
+586734
psyko67:
Rapidshare is the best


Rapidshare do not buy anything for us, is not it?
  guest -- 0
0
Rapidshare is terrible. mediafire is the best free host.
  Resident 11.05.2012 150
+5
Rapidshare do not buy anything for us, is not it?


because you cant make money from warez uploads !

hopefully the other hoster follow this way soon and dont pay people for warez uploads !

the main thing which groups everytime say are "dont make money with any warez"

but sunny makes it just for profit and not for the community !
  guest -- 0
0
Sunny
Rapidshare do not buy anything for us, is not it?


Neither do you buy anything either! This is stolen from elsewhere, and a fake 'team' name added to it to pretend it's from a 'team'. Also, all the stuff you post you get from suppliers, you buy nothing, you just make money and do not care about sharing for any other reason.
  Releaser 21.07.2012 15229 5770
+586734
waxman,
Show me a place where I'll take all my stuff, except shit on you is not seen nothing useful
  Resident 26.05.2011 3 53
+45
waxman,
tell me more about fake 'team'.
  guest -- 0
0
Netload, croko, filefactory, filepost, uploading, loadto, turbobit? Mirrors, anyone?
  Resident 24.01.2012 4 451
+165
i understand yall anger, but then again, i also understand that buying all these software would be WAY more expensive than a 10euro premium.. what's the big deal? i can't understand how you can download huge files with a friggin free account on ANY filehoster, do you like to waste your time?

€10!!

and with that 10 euro you download shit worth maybe €10.000, i'm not defending sunny, from the communities perspective and it's original 'culture' i DO understand yall, but damn son.. 10 euro...

talk with me...

and isn't there money involved from the beginning of the chain? i mean look at where all these guys get their stuff, they gotta pay for their bandwith in those places right?

also i know for a fact that 90% of the people downloading this shits NEVER BUY S-H-I-T!
'true heads' are left alone in my statement, but the rest should look in the mirror.. this sunny guy IS making money with warez and most of us here NEVER buy the shit we download.. it's BOTH wrong, so the ones who are guilty of this shouldn't point no goddamn fingers..

and please if you don't feel 'touched' (for a lack of better english term), don't reply, i'm not attacking individuals, i'm talking in general ;)

peace!
The Matrix is a documentary...
  Resident 29.01.2012 2060
+215
paraplu020

You just not got it, its not that 10 euro premium but you should never pay any money warez stuff to these hosts.
Other thing I can't understand Sunny with his comment Rapidshare do not buy anything for us, is not it? what the hell rapidshare should buy from you? Sunny tell me
  guest -- 0
0
If you read down the main page the other one is just a free taster pack and
"- The samples are 16-bit only. All our full instruments are 24-bit.
- Fewer samples. The main instrument is sampled chromatically, every key for 5 octaves... many, many times :-)
- The samples are not looped. But, they are long: 16 to 20 seconds each. We do all our looping by hand so it's seamless, and that takes time; again, on the main instrument, each of the hundreds of samples is hand-looped."
  Resident 15.06.2009 145
+34
paraplu020,

exactly right. all these clowns bitching about spending a few bucks to download thousands of dollars of free software. don't act like there's some kind of principle involved, you're essentially stealing and yet you get on a moral high horse when it comes to shelling out a few euros/dollars for a premium account. get over it.
  guest -- 0
0
Well, I just went and bought a legit copy of this. It wasn't expensive, and I feel much better about that than giving Sunny money for uploading warez to terrible, terrible fileservers.

I would much rather that the developers have my money than people like Sunny who make money off of stolen software.
  Resident 8.06.2008 1 136
+27
thanks for clearing this mess up, folks wink
  Resident 11.12.2011 4 955
+316
Sunny
Show me a place where I'll take all my stuff


From a well known torrent audio site whose name starts also by "Audio..."?!
The future of mankind depends on love and not on new technologies
  Member 18.06.2013 22
+1
Thank you!

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