Bowed Psaltery

20th century re-imagining of the psaltery

The bowed psaltery is a 20th century re-imagining of the psaltery, a plucked zither dating as far back as ancient times. The instrument produces a high, almost glassy tone similar to other fretless zithers, and does an excellent job of standing out in any mix. With a sound reminiscent of its medieval roots, it's a sure match for any fantasy or historical track.

Versilian Studios has chromatically sampled the entire range of a two-octave example with 14 total articulations ranging from the original bowed to plucked, picked, and even struck with a hammered dulcimer mallet, all with up to 8 round robins.

Features Overview

• 2 NKI for FULL Kontakt 5.6.8+
• 912 unique samples in full 48kHz/24-bit quality.
• Full chromatic sampling of two octave range; 'extended' range patch available as well
• 14 articulations, including three lengths of bowings, tremolo, picked, plucked, and hammered.
• Two mixable mic positions.
• 4-8 RR on shorts, 2-4 RR on longs.
• 25 aleatoric effects

Articulation List

• Bowed - Spiccato/Short Bow/Long Combo | Long | Crescendo | Short | Spiccato | Tremolo | Bounce/Ricochet

• Picked - Sustained | Stopped

• Plucked - Open | Muted

• Mallet (Hammered Dulcimer) - Hit | Flam

• Effects

REQUIRES FULL Kontakt 5.6.8+