Japanese Classical Instruments Sampled

US Impact Soundworks releases Koto Nation: Classical Instruments of Japan 22/09/10

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Impact Soundworks has released a new collection of traditional Japanese instrument samples, Koto Nation: Classical Instruments of Japan. The library marks the fifth entry into the Impact Soundworks catalog, following the Shreddage and Sitar Nation libraries. Here's the press release with all the details...

Impact Soundworks, a joint venture between composers Andrew Aversa and Wilbert Roget, II, is dedicated to designing innovative and unique sample libraries for composers looking for fresh, highly expressive sounds outside the norm.
"Koto Nation" is an elaborate collection of koto, bass koto and shamisen recordings performed by the world-renowned instrumentalist Masayo Ishigure (Memoirs of a Geisha). Featuring a wide range of both traditional and extended articulations and playing techniques, the library allows composers to use these classical Eastern instruments with groundbreaking realism and playability.
"After the success of our Sitar Nation library, we wanted to give the same treatment to Japanese classical instruments which had never truly been sampled before. In fact, the bass koto has never, to our knowledge, been sampled at all!" said Andrew Aversa, lead designer of the product. "But we didn't just record these instruments – with Ms. Ishigure's help, we've truly captured their spirit and rich cultural heritage."
The library was designed, produced, and edited by Aversa, an award-winning composer and producer who co-developed the highly-lauded "Sitar Nation" collection and the smash hit "Shreddage", among others. Composers Will Roget, II (Star Wars: The Old Republic), Jimmy Hinson (Mass Effect 2) and Steve Davit assisted with its testing, editing, and design.
"Koto Nation" contains over 4,000 samples recorded at 24/44.1 with two mic positions, allowing the user to select either a close or room tone. The core patches, programmed for the Kontakt 2+ format, are readily-playable with elegant, intuitive mapping. Careful editing and deep sampling (4x round robins and 4x velocities) gives the library a living, breathing feel that is highly responsive to dynamic playing.
In capturing the instruments, all crucial articulations were recorded, from standard sustained picks to tremolo, pizzicato, octaves, multiple pitch bends, vibrato and glissandos, as well as contemporary and extended articulations such as scrapes, atonal plucks, percussive hits, slides and processed sounds utilizing Kontakt's effects and offline processing.
Pricing and Availability:
Koto Nation is available for immediate download via the Impact Soundworks website for $99, worldwide More information: