Orchestral Tools Updates Drones Collection

US Arkanum offers 33 new patches from Alexander Hacke 23/02/24

Orchestral Tools has announced Arkanum, which they describe as an exciting update to the Drones collection that adds 33 completely new patches designed by celebrated experimental musician and Drones architect Alexander Hacke [Einstürzende Neubauten, hackedepicciotto, Crime and the City Solution]. They say that, building off of the core sonic language of Drones, these patches provide an evocative palette of dark rumblings, eerie ambiences, and ghostly murmurs--ideal for adding an otherworldly dimension to any composition or sound design project.

Alexander Hacke said, "I believe that music and sound is the ultimate way to transmit deeper philosophical ideas. I hope that with everything I do it will give fellow musicians the feeling that they are not alone, that we are in this together, and that there is a unity within sound."

Here's more details direct from Orchestral Tools...

Recorded at the Teldex Scoring Stage in Berlin as well as at Silent Green, a former mausoleum chosen for its dark and mysterious acoustic qualities, the Drones collection is notable for offering some of the longest notes available in a sample library and the ability to stack these notes in multiple, controllable layers. The evolving sounds traverse the entire frequency range, from rumbling sub-aural lows to shimmering highs, providing the perfect foundation for atmospheric scoring and under-scoring, meditative composition, or spooky textural experimentation.

Arkanum continues the sonic journey of Drones with a dark and evocative assemblage of layered sounds built from the instruments Alexander Hacke played personally during the recording sessions--electric 6-string and bass guitars, electric bass, and acoustic guitar. Combining ebow, feedback, and a pentagram amp setup, these are the sounds that best demonstrate Alexander Hacke's personal sonic aesthetic. Using these recordings as a starting point, Alex applied additional drone layers and some heavy processing to create the new patches that form Arkanum. As with the original Drones patches, many of the patches in Arkanum reward expressive experimentation with the mod wheel as they morph seamlessly between different textures. This specific attention to playability is a hallmark of the Drones collection as it allows players to channel these complex, shifting sounds in extremely musical ways.

Pricing and Availability:
To celebrate the update, which is free to existing Drones users, Orchestral Tools has made the entire collection available for a special offer price of €119 + VAT (€189 regular price). The offer runs until Wednesday, March 6, 2024. The new Arkanum instrument group is also available individually, for just €33.

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