Soundiron Releases Concert Vibraphone

The new library was created in collaboration with Pearl Drums and features a deeply sampled 4-octave Adams Alpha vibraphone. This specific model is a high-performance instrument known for its precision-tuned gold anodized aluminum bars, which provide a warm, resonant tone. A new 4-octave Adams Alpha vibraphone can cost over $11,000. To capture the instrument's detail, Soundiron recorded its gold-anodized aluminum bars using a selection of soft, medium, and hard mallets, along with a muted set. The library includes 8 to 10 velocity layers for each note and 8 round-robin variations per sample, resulting in a 33 GB virtual instrument designed for realism. This release is part of a larger trend of increasingly detailed virtual instruments that began with early sampling technology in the 1940s and evolved with digital samplers like the Fairlight CMI in the late 1970s. Modern virtual instruments aim to provide producers with access to high-quality instrument sounds without the need for expensive recording equipment. Founded in 2011, Soundiron has developed over 200 virtual instruments, establishing a reputation for detailed choirs, epic percussion, and unique acoustic instruments. The company often collaborates with other major music technology brands and states its goal is to make music creation more accessible. The virtual instrument market includes several other detailed vibraphone libraries from competitors. Offerings from companies like Soniccouture boast 23 velocity layers, while others from 8Dio and Fluffy Audio provide various mallet choices and microphone positions, each aiming to capture a realistic and playable sound. The Concert Vibraphone library integrates into Native Instruments' Kontakt sampler and the free Decent Sampler, offering a suite of sound-shaping controls. Users can manipulate parameters like swell, attack, release, and vibrato, and utilize a modular effects rack with 27 different DSP modules.