Cinematique Instruments has announced the release of the Double Bass Harmonica sample library for Kontakt (3+). The price is €18.

The double bass harmonica was more popular several decades ago, when harmonica ensembles were more common. The bass harmonica is a double-deck instrument with two hinged bodies, the lower having all the natural notes, and the upper having all the sharps/flats – so it is fully chromatic covering a range of two octaves, starting with EE (like the lowest note on a bass guitar). Each of the holes of the harmonica has two reeds tuned an octave apart – thus this harmonica has 58 reeds total. The double bass harmonica is an "all blow" instrument.

Cinematique Instruments says "it was a tough cookie to catch the real timbre and authenticity of this giant harmonica. Thus we tested several recording settings in which we recorded at least every second note in a long sustained and a short variation. We ran with velocity layer and Round Robin variation and came out with three separate sample sets recorded with different microphone set-ups. Beside this we recorded a typical flutter fx and added some scripting to provide more opportunities."

Summary of all 5 patches:

• Dbl Bass Harmonica Close MW Flutter KEY (very close and intimate sound, key switched, long, short and release notes, flutter FX, additional script).
• Dbl Bass Harmonica Double (bright sound, real doubling because of two different sample sets, long looped notes, additional scripts).
• Dbl Bass Harmonica KEY (authentic sound, key switched, long, short and release notes, additional script).
• Dbl Bass Harmonica Mud (rich and muddy sound because of three different sample sets playing simultaneously, long looped and release notes, additional script).
• Dbl Bass Harmonica Triple Texture (pad alike FX sound assembled out of four different sample sets, additional script).