8Dio Century Harps contains two separate concert harps, each which are carefully selected to represent the different facets in the realm of harp tones. Harp 1 is the bright, bold and shimmering Venus concert harp. This instrument can sound delicate, but also has bright high tones that can cut through and soar into the air in your orchestral compositions.
Harp 2 is a Lyon & Healy concert harp. It has a softer and rounder tone. The instrument can relax in the mix and add warm depth to your orchestrations. Although it has a wonderful bold sound at higher dynamics, it is ideal for delicate and quiet passages. We think of it as a softer, more productive harp.
The dynamic range of the concert harp is very wide. The harps are capable of playing from the softest, featheriest pianissimo to thunderous fortissimo. This presents a particularly difficult challenge when it comes to sampling. For us, the real magic of the harp lies in the softer dynamics. It’s impossible to capture this softer dynamic range without encountering some noise (especially on a large soundstage). For this reason, softer dynamics are often underrepresented in sampled instruments.
Century Harps’ specific intention is to keep it as natural as possible and subject it to minimal processing. We worked really hard to maintain the natural feathers, airiness, shimmer and even the fizz (ugh!!!!!) of the softer tones. If you are looking for a collection of harps without the natural noise, this may not be for you. Removing these elements destroys the character of the softer dynamics. We just couldn’t do that to our beloved harps!
We believe that natural noise reflection is absolutely essential to the Century Harps sound.
CONTROL YOUR SOUND AND ROOM
Both harps included in the Century Harps kit have 4 dedicated microphones. The Mixed option provides the perfect balance between presence and space. The intimate, close mic placement is great for a more presentable harp. The Decca Wood option is great for true orchestral purists. We also recorded a lush, wide mic position that conveys more of the richness of the room.
REAL GLISSANDO WITH DEEP SAMPLING
Century Harps contains over 3000 glissandos. We deeply sampled glissandos in minor, major, diminished, augmented and pentatonic chords, each with two speeds and two speed variations. Plus, you can choose between four different swirl styles, including two octaves, four octaves, swirl, and bi-directional pattern.
ONE CLICK FOR EVERYTHING
Every joint can be accessed with a few simple clicks. All patches in Century have 10 empty slots. Double-click any of the slots and you can select any articulation in the library. Each slot is automatically assigned to a key switch (or CC if you prefer), so you can create an advanced custom articulation matrix in just a few seconds.
