Orchestral Tools (Berlin) and Berklee College of Music (Boston) joined forces to create a YouTube series called Virtual Orchestration. Their latest YouTube video also includes Reverie, a high-quality free cello library for Native Instruments Kontakt (full version).
Virtual Orchestration is a series of videos discussing virtual instruments’ role in orchestral music. The series features expert professors from Berklee’s Screen Scoring Department and many outstanding musicians.
Virtual Orchestration is a great watch for any aspiring composer.
To celebrate the finale of season one, the team behind Virtual Orchestration decided to create and release a free Cello library for Kontakt.
The library is called Reverie and features the fantastic cellist Clara Baesecke. Reverie is free to download but requires the full version of Kontakt 6.6.1 or higher (not compatible with Kontakt Player).
I’m always excited when a Cello or Bass library pops up for free because we don’t see them as often as ensemble collections.
A good cello library is an exceptionally versatile thing to have in your composer’s toolbox. The cello has a wide range capable of haunting bass tones a couple of octaves below middle C and crystal clear melodic lines as high as A5.
So, with that in mind, you can use the cello in many different ways.
Reverie offers various articulations, including gorgeous soft staccato and short crescendos.
But the articulation that I like most has to be the evolving swells. Swells were recorded note by note so that each pitch had a unique bowing pattern. The cello creates some beautiful textures that get especially interesting when you push the low and high ends slightly out of the most comfortable range.
By playing chords using the evolving swells articulation, you combine the different textures from each recorded note, creating something quite special. Sometimes, the combined bowing techniques create a harmonious texture; other times, the contrast will be more prominent, producing an uneasy grittiness.
Reverie has a simple but functional interface with sliders for mic levels and knobs for Reverb and Stereo.
Libraries that originate from YouTube projects can often lack the sophistication of a good orchestral instrument. But It should be no surprise that a collaboration between Orchestral Tools and Berklee has produced something with no such concerns.
Another awesome cello freebie is Cello Moods from the Spitfire LABS collection. It features one of my favorite cellists, Alice Allen, and it’s fantastic.
And if you like using Kontakt, read our full list of free libraries for Kontakt.
Download: REVERIE Cello (the download link is in the description)
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Last Updated on September 13, 2023 by Tomislav Zlatic.
