Michaela's Harp

We recorded a modern Celtic harp with a warm tone and a built in pick-up. This allowed us to create a direct input recording in addition to two stereo microphone positions. We recorded in a studio so the samples are fairly dry which will help you blend and layer them with your other instruments.

The instrument includes normal plucked samples recorded at four dynamic levels. This is the default articulation and has that quintessential warm resonant sound that is unique to the Celtic harp.

For occasions when it's desirable to have a little less resonance We also recorded a separate set of damped string samples. To create these Michaela used her hands to damp the strings around the one being plucked. This provides a rounder sound that tails off a bit more quickly. The decay time can be customised using the attack and release sliders on the interface.

Some pieces call for the player to stop one or more sounding strings with their hands. This creates a distinct sound as the vibrating string is brought to an almost instant stop. Michaela's harp allows you to perform this technique live using your sustain pedal. Releasing keys while the pedal is engaged will trigger individual stopped samples.

Playing quick groups of three notes is a common occurrence in Celtic harp music and is not easy to simulate with individual plucked samples. The triplet sample set is activated using a key switch, MIDI CC, or program change and each set of triplet samples are triggered in a round robin fashion allowing you total control of the performance speed without the need for artificial time-stretching.

The library includes a dedicated preset browser from which you can select different factory configurations or create your own personal presets. The browser contains a search bar and a favourites feature that allows you to quickly access your preferred presets.

{See video at top of page}