Ink Audio has released Alt Tines for Kontakt, introducing a different take on classic electric pianos.
Ink Audio offers a diverse range of Kontakt libraries, from slide guitars to synth pads and vocal rhythms. If you’re in the market for new Kontakt sounds, Ink Audio is having a sale with 50% off all individual libraries and bigger savings on bundles.
If you want to get straight to the free stuff, check out Alt Tines (requires a full version of Kontakt 6.8 or higher).
Alt Tines is a library that takes an interesting approach to classic electric piano sounds, like the Rhodes, Wurli, or Pianet.
The Pianet gets put down as a poor replacement for a Rhodes Suitcase often, and don’t get me wrong, I’d take any year/model Rhodes over a Pianet, but some of them sound great and don’t cost a small fortune.
It’s rare to see the Pianet mentioned in relation to virtual instruments. That’s why I went off on a tangent briefly.
Alt Tines reimagines the classic EP sound in poly synth form. The developer sampled five velocity layers and packaged them in a simple interface with a few useful controls.
The first thing to point out is that if you’re looking for authenticity and realism, Alt Tines isn’t it. Something like Sonokinetic’s EMP Mark II electric piano for Kontakt Player will get you closer to the real thing.
However, Alt Tines gives you something different. It’s not unrecognizable as an electric piano, far from it! It’s almost like a caricature where the most prominent features are exaggerated.
It’s especially true of how punchy and percussive it can be on the low end. Almost like a Fender Rhodes Bass sometimes with a slight rumble.
Further up the keyboard, it’s great for playing punchy melodies over bass lines with a staccato feel.
You can shape the sound with Attack, Decay, Release, Filter, Tape, and Room controls. You can create something more lush and warm than the percussive tones I mentioned with some reverb and a little of the Tape effect.
For some reason, it makes me think of the Napoleon Dynamite soundtrack, which I think is awesome.
There’s a place for instruments that aren’t trying to be a perfect recreation of the real thing; Alt Tines is a bit quirky, a bit out there, but you can make cool sounds with it, and that’s what matters.
Download: Alt Tines (FREE – requires full version of Kontakt 6.8 or higher)
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