Hollow Sun has released the Novachord FreePack, a free Kontact sample pack that captures the sound of what many consider to be the world's oldest synthesizer, the Hammond Novachord.

Here's what Hollow Sun has to say about the Novachord FreePack:

On offer here is a beautiful string/pad patch from our incredible Hammond Novachord in Kontakt 3.5 format.

Especially recorded and prepared for this Freepack and not available in the commercial library, it is not compromised in any way and is extensively multi-sampled across the 72-note keyboard range with long, luxurious samples that breathe and wheeze and grunt their way through the 169 valves, thousands of capacitors and miles of carefully hand-loomed wiring.

The Novachord surely has to go down as one of the finest string synths of all time - certainly the most organic. The six channel electro-mechanical vibrato effect is just heaven. How many string synths do you know of where you can just lean against a key and it sounds interesting - or lean against five adjacent keys and it sounds so tense and creepy?!  These sound are so alive thanks in part to the vibrato reeds being so random (and sometimes 'crunky') in nature.

There is something quite special about this sound - it has a depth that is not immediately apparent and each octave is special in it's own way.  If you really listen to it, you hear that the low octave is rich and deep and (almost literaly) 'growls' in places.  Octave 2 sounds almost like a male choir at times due to the Novachord's resonators being set quite high. Octave 3 is quite pretty but Octave 4 has a curious but lovely sheen about it. The top octave is lovely because just when you think you are running out of HF up come these gorgeous smooth but piercing strings.

The essential character of the Novachord shines through in this Freepack and depending on how you play the sound, it can be lush and luxuriant and reminiscent of Mantovani's or Percy Faith's 'serenading' orchestral string arrangements ... or can be nasty and menacing down the bottom end depending on context. But play tight cluster chords in any octave and you're right there in the middle of some creepy 30s or 40s sci-fi/horror movie!

The Freepack offers six sounds in total, with five program variations on the basic sample set.

Link:

• Hollow Sun

James Lewin
Twitter @podcasting_news

• Another Alien Device For Kontakt 12-Aug-13
• Hollow Sun Intros Techtron 07-Aug-11
• New Virtual Instrument Makes Squealing Noises Of Machinery In Pain 22-Apr-11
• Hollow Sun Intros Oscillosine 02-Mar-11
• Hollow Sun Polivoks New Year's Special 01-Jan-11