Wavelet Audio – Runa Elder Scoring Strings (KONTAKT)

Kobyz is a popular string instrument in Central Asian countries. In Kazakhstan, it is called kyl-kobyz. This instrument is carved from a single piece of wood and has two strings: one for melody and one for resonance. The strings and bow are traditionally made of horsehair. Together, they create that very rich, multifaceted sound, permeated with mesmerizing overtones. Today, the kobyz is the pride of national orchestras and the cultural heritage of Kazakhstan. The mystical aura, skillful performance and majestic sound preserve the centuries-old heritage of nomads.

Runa: Elder Scoring Strings is like a bridge between the past and the present: we have carefully transferred the magic of the kobyz into the digital age. This instrument will fill your project with depth and character, be it a trailer, soundtrack, horror or folk.

Runa: Elder Scoring Strings uses features designed to be intuitive to use and to easily add character, richness and detail, allowing you to sound in new ways. Improved sampling methods with repeated phrases provide authentic and natural attacks and bow changes for a smoother and more expressive performance. Runa is fully playable. We fully sampled every string, every note and every possible transition.

Harmonics are one of the most important features of Runa: Elder Scoring Strings. After hearing the Cyberpunk soundtrack and this version of “Rebel Path”, we knew we had to create an instrument based on these harmonics. The instrument has two key switches that control hard and normal harmonics. To keep things simple, we added an autoharmonic function that automatically activates normal harmonics after a set time.

Having a wide range of internal effects was critical for our library. This instrument is designed to perform not only classical orchestral music, but also modern genres. We didn’t want to add effects just because it was possible. For example, you’ll see how adding saturation and cabinet works well to make Runa cut through the mix even better. Or you can completely destroy the sound by adding huge distortion. There are many great options. Check out the screenshots to get an idea.

A highly detailed sequencer with the ability to drag and drop MIDI files into a DAW or computer. The sequencer has 5 patterns. Users can load and edit sequence presets, as well as create their own from scratch and save them. By default, we set one very long step, so the instrument does not actually play a rhythm. Most sample libraries work this way. However, you can set up a more active sequence. In this case, the following settings are very important. Restart Seq resets the sequence on a new note, starting it from the beginning. If Instant Legato and Restart Seq are disabled, the engine allows the current step to finish before activating legato. And the next step will then play the new note. This is very convenient for fast rhythms.

We have prepared several categories of snapshots to speed up the workflow, simplify the selection of sounds and demonstrate the capabilities of the engine.

Although we sampled solo strings with a fairly limited range (2 strings), we managed to perfectly capture the timbres of other instruments such as double bass, cello, viola, organ, pipa and drums in Kontakt and achieved impressive results!

The microphone settings are pretty standard, but there are a few features worth noting. Firstly, the Tune option can widen the range, making the instrument sound more like a cello or even a double bass. When panning the microphones, a slider appears that allows you to add delay, creating a much wider stereo image.

Legato. The library offers several types of deeply sampled legato: Rebow Legato, Portamento, Fast and Trill. The offset for the trill can be adjusted in the settings menu.

Presets window with factory and user presets for sequences and the effects rack.

Color themes. Why limit yourself to one style? We have prepared a selection of color themes so you can match the interface to your project or just choose what suits your mood. Available in four colors: Regular, Future Violet, Mystic White and Brutal Red.

• The unbelievably deeply sampled flagoulets (harmonics) that make all the difference
• Flexible sequencer with presets and midi drag & drop function
• The FX Rack transforms this horsehair string instrument into a tool that sounds like a whole new breed
• 8 articulations: Sustain (Legato + Poly), Staccato, Spiccato, Harm Short, Pizzicato, Richochet, Tremolo, Crescendo
• 4 legato types
• Multiple circular repeats
• Many dynamic layers
• Flexible microphone settings (with delay function)
• Lossless NCW format
• Sequencer and FX Rack Presets
• Snapshots
• 4 color schemes