KVR Audio

Shy · Post by **Shy** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 9:34 am

Sitar is obviously one of the most complex instruments to sample (not to mention play properly), and I don't know any extensive sampled sitar, only some useless stuff. I'm wondering if anyone has ever taken the task of extensively and properly sampling a sitar. (no loops, only single notes)

The very nature of samples prevents having a truly flexible sampled sitar. For example fast, extreme pitch bending which is commonly done with sitar would never sound right. I'm not expecting something that would allow me to be the next Ravi Shankar, just something that provides generally convincing sound.

griels · Post by **griels** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 9:55 am

Dunno, but for the bendy stuff I rather like the String Studio sitar. Sitar playing is idiomatically very fluid as you say, so rather difficult to do with samples.

Manytone had a free sitar library for registered customers, think it's pretty good for the more static stuff..

Shy · Post by **Shy** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:43 am

Yeah for realistic sounding playing, I often much prefer using synths as well. Too bad that no physical modelling in the world gets anywhere close to the sound of a real sitar. It's the old dilemma. Hopefully someone will come up with a sample + synth hybrid that will cover things like sitar and various other complex instruments.

Pantsdown666 · Post by **Pantsdown666** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:59 am

I'm pretty keen on a Reaktor ensemble called Sehktar, if you got Reaktor. Here's a short manual for it.

Shy · Post by **Shy** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 11:24 am

Thanks, but I much prefer Harm Visser's Sitar II for Tassman. But the only reason I even posted here in the Samples section is like I said, all these ensembles may be nice and cool, and even allow more realistic sounding playing, but the reason I want something which involves samples is that while synth-only sitar emulations may resamble a sitar, none have a truly convincing sound.

Krakatau · Post by **Krakatau** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 11:33 am

what about additive resynthesis as a possible process to emulate a sitar ?

Shy · Post by **Shy** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 11:50 am

Additive resynthesis could maybe help to further the realism if used in certain ways, in specific kinds of performances. But it could never create the extremely complex and varied yet very firm harmonies that exist in the sound of a sitar (resynthesis would loosen things even further) and which make you instantly say "bingo, that's a sitar". Nor would the basic sound truly resamble that of a sitar. Not with any tool I know. There isn't even one way to create a truly convincing emulation of an acoustic guitar's sound, so we're very far from emulating a sitar

.

Vonbrucken · Post by **Vonbrucken** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 12:53 pm

http://www.dashsignature.com/products/knagalis.htm

Shy · Post by **Shy** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 1:00 pm

It's a very nice and playable synth, like other NUSofting/Dash Signature instruments. But again, does not produce an authentic sitar sound, and liqih doesn't claim it does either.

Vonbrucken · Post by **Vonbrucken** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 1:23 pm

true

waveriderarts · Post by **waveriderarts** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 3:28 pm

you are right, I still haven't matched the sitar sounds I had in my prophet 2002 back in the 80ies.... and neither I could get beautiful ethnic flutes like I had in my Roland S50 sampling lib.

I got Boris sitar for wusik, witch is halfway there but has a few problems. But it is a good starter until I find better.

zircon · Post by **zircon** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:00 pm

Well, what would you like to see in a sitar library? What sort of articulations, mic positions, hall type? How big? How much would you pay for your ideal library? I think if there were a nice, ~2GB, well-programmed one in 24bit/44.1 that loads in K2 (rather than K2 instrument) it would be really useful. RA's sitar is nice, but not the best.

Shy · Post by **Shy** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:55 pm

Many velocity layers for each of the following: very subtle, subtle, medium, harsh, and very harsh plucking. And various "drone" notes.
No need for pitch bending whatsoever. I do my own manual pitch bending.
Mic positions - I don't even care if there are no selectable positions as long as the recording is good.
Definitely no hall ambience. Just the right kind of place to allow the instrument to resonate properly, and without unnecessary reverbration.

I doubt anyone fulfils these requirements. My requirements for a usable sampled sitar are most probably actually "minimal". I'm sure someone who really knows his way with a sitar could think of additional necessary things in such a library.

glokraw · Post by **glokraw** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 7:08 am

Shy wrote:Many velocity layers for each of the following: very subtle, subtle, medium, harsh, and very harsh plucking. And various "drone" notes.
No need for pitch bending whatsoever. I do my own manual pitch bending.
Mic positions - I don't even care if there are no selectable positions as long as the recording is good.
Definitely no hall ambience. Just the right kind of place to allow the instrument to resonate properly, and without unnecessary reverbration.

I doubt anyone fulfils these requirements. My requirements for a usable sampled sitar are most probably actually "minimal". I'm sure someone who really knows his way with a sitar could think of additional necessary things in such a library.

Have you spent an hour with Syntar, the vst sitar? I just re-checked it out, and by turning a few knobs, I'll bet you get something you like, and with a high quality pitchbend/modwheel combo, even more. Ask in the instruments forum, and someone will email or rapidshare it, requests every couple of months for this one!

MaliceX · Post by **MaliceX** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 2:52 pm

http://www.sneapforum.celtiaproductions ... Syntar.zip (thanks to a forum link)

Damn, I remember Syntar, Daisy, Pokegy and BarsandStripes being some of my first VST instruments to ever install. :O

Any extensive Sitar library, that doesn't completely stink?