Fracture Sounds released Blueprint: Clavinet, a FREE funky clav for Kontakt Player.
As I say in every single Fracture Sounds post, the Blueprint series has provided some of my absolute favorite free sounds. Their latest addition is the Blueprint: Clavinet, a free funky clav for Kontakt Player.
The instruments are so good that any developer could present them as paid products, although I’m glad they don’t!
This particular addition is very interesting because it’s a rare, slight departure from the typically orchestral cinematic sounds.
Although Fracture Sounds has released instruments like Feedback Guitar and Electric Keys, the bulk of the Blueprint series consists of classic orchestral instruments, such as Textural Cello and Brass Ensemble.
A funky clav doesn’t immediately come to mind when imagining the next addition to the lineup, but it’s a welcome one!
Like previous Blueprint instruments, Clavinet runs in the free Native Instruments Kontakt Player.
Fracture Sounds recorded an original clavinet to create this instrument, and given the illustration and sound, I imagine it’s an Hohner Clavinet D6. The D6 is legendary for its funky sound, which you can hear all over classic funk music from the early 70s onward.
The cinematic appeal isn’t completely lost; Tom Scott’s Gotcha (Starsky & Hutch theme) and The Streetbeater by Quincy Jones (Sanford & Son theme) are great examples of the clavinet in TV soundtracks.
Without going too far off track, it’s interesting to note that the iconic Starsky & Hutch theme isn’t the original; season one of the hit show had a darker theme composed by Lalo Schifrin, who sadly passed away earlier this year.
If you’re a soundtrack fan, it’s worth diving into Schifrin’s work; Mission Impossible, Bullitt, Dirty Harry, and Cool Hand Luke, to name a few.
Getting back to the clav; Blueprint Clavinet has a straightforward GUI, starting with four main controls: Tone, Chorus, Releases, and Reverb.
The Hohner D6 has various pickup modes and combinations, along with Brilliant, Treble, Medium, and Soft settings. Fracture Sounds has recorded five selectable Tone presets crafted through tweaking the original controls.
The Releases control adjusts the mechanical key release noise, and it’s nice to have the option to add authenticity or turn it off.
The built-in Chorus is another nice touch; a little bit of chorus is perfect for classic 70s percussive chops.
There are five types of reverb: Room, Hall, Shimmer, Lush (new), and Convolution. Since the clav is often played rhythmically/percussively, you don’t always need too much reverb, but it adds depth, and it’s excellent for melodic lines and solos.
The D6 is famous for a dirty sound, and you can get more of that by switching from DI to Amp.
The settings page has just two controls: Sample Start (a compromise between realism and latency), and Velocity Response.
The Velocity Response is important; it determines how much of the volume is controlled by your playing velocity, and that allows you to lay back or dig in more naturally.
I love a clavinet and the Blueprint series, so there are no complaints from me. If you want some funky clav inspiration, check out Bobby Sparks and his Castlebar clav – it is truly incredible.
Download: Blueprint: Clavinet (FREE – Kontakt Player required)
More:
- Slower Fragment is a FREE tape-based Kontakt instrument by e-instruments
- Dezert Audio releases Freq-2, a premium Kontakt instrument built from a rare analog synth collection
Last Updated on November 6, 2025 by Tomislav Zlatic.
