Brief introduction to the sounds of this library. Please note that this library contains no "loops" or prerecorded passages. Some additional "small room" reverb was added.
Same as above, with no additional reverb.
This clip demonstrates the "Clang Ensemble" patches, which simulate a group of players and allow for adjustable positioning and humanization of each player. (Dry mix)
This clip shows some of the special FX patches, including drones, ambient hits, and textures.
A cinematic action cue, showing several patches including the Clang Ensemble and some FX textures and hits.
A large action cue demonstrating Clang Ensemble and Giant Hits in conjunction with other popular percussion libraries.
Impact: Steel is a highly expressive percussion library containing metal hits and "found" percussive sounds, sampled and programmed with a level of detail normally reserved for acoustic drum kits.
Introduction
Impact: Steel was intended to fill a gap found in popular commercial sound libraries. While several other products have metal hits and “found” percussion, none are extensively sampled and usable as individual, expressive instruments. The goal of this project was therefore to create a unique, detailed, and playable library with the same amount of multisampled detail one would expect from a high end percussion bank.
(This is a downloadable product – after ordering, you will receive your download instructions within 24 hours. Note: The Kontakt format of this library requires the full version of Kontakt to use – the “Kontakt Player” plugin will not work!)
There are six main patches, eight special/alternately-mapped patches, and sixteen FX patches in all, totaling 73 articulations of extensively multisampled hits, scrapes, rolls, and designed textures. The instruments were recorded in a medium-sized recording booth, insulated yet retaining some ambience and "air" in the samples; this facilitates mixing for small ensembles and rooms as well as large orchestral forces.
Impact: Steel was designed to be as playable as possible, on both drum controllers as well as MIDI keyboards. As such, all main patches are keymapped without overlap, and can be loaded on a single channel for instant playability of all instruments. On a MIDI keyboard, hits are mapped to black keys, while scrapes, rolls, and tremolos are mapped to white keys. This increases ease of playing for composers without dedicated drum controllers.
An additional set of "L/R" patches is included as well, with left/right hand hits separated onto adjacent notes to facilitate playing fast passages.
All samples are 24-bit, stereo, 44.1 kHz.
Large Steel Frame
Deep hits, thunderous clangs, scrapes, tremolos, and rolls from a three-sided 15"x15"x7" frame. 20 articulations, up to 7 velocity layers and 2 round robin variations per articulation. Includes a secondary "Bass-FX" patch for an even deeper bass tone.
Large Cylinder
Fingered hits and rolls from a hollow metal cylinder, 8.5" in diameter and 7" tall. 3 articulations, up to 9 velocity layers and 3 round robin variations per articulation. Includes a secondary "Bass-FX" patch for an even deeper bass tone.
Small Cylinder
Fingered hits from another hollow metal cylinder, 6.5" in diameter and 3.5" tall. 2 articulations, up to 7 velocity layers and 3 round robin variations per articulation.
Metal Spring
Plucks and scrapes from a 5.5" metal spring. 3 articulations, 7 velocity layers. Includes a secondary "Tuned" patch for playing in pitch.
Metal Cone
Various hits on a bell shape, 6.5" in diameter by 4" tall. 3 articulations, 7 velocity layers and 2 round robin variations per articulation.
FX Giant Hits
Several pitched and unpitched ambient hits, sculpted from other Impact: Steel samples.
FX Sweeps and Textures
Evocative ambient textures, drones, and sweeps, also sculpted from other Impact: Steel samples. These patches also feature dynamic filtering via modwheel, allowing for realtime timbral control.
FX "Clang Ensemble"
A group of percussionists playing Large Steel Frames. The Kontakt 2 version also features automatic humanization (variation in timing and loudness of individual hits) among the players, adjustable via scripting.
All demos were composed by Wilbert Roget, II.
"This library is killer. Interesting, unusual and dramatic textures – all well-recorded and excellently programmed – make this a new favorite for my scoring work. I’ve been having my students sample their kitchens and bathrooms for years to get new and interesting percussion textures – this library takes that idea and elevates it to a higher level. Thanks to Will for this great addition to our composing tool-box!"
Sheldon Mirowitz, Film Composer & Associate Professor of Film Scoring, Berklee College of Music
[...] right now, we’re hosting a sale of our two popular sample libraries, Impact: Steel and Sitar Nation: Classical Instruments of [...]
[...] first sample library, Impact: Steel: Cinematic Metallic Percussion, has been critically praised and used by professional composers and producers from all over the [...]
[...] the success of last month’s Impact: Steel permanent price drop to $59, we’ve also lowered the price of our critically-acclaimed Sitar [...]