Abacus

Vintage children's instruments

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Channel the magic and mystery of childhood with this unique collection of playful sounds. Produced in collaboration with composer and multi-instrumentalist Richard Harvey, Abacus offers a diverse array of lovingly sampled vintage children's instruments from the early 19th century to the 1980s. With almost one hundred instruments selected from Richard's personal collection, Abacus provides composers with an authentically nostalgic toolkit, perfect for fantasy, adventure, mystery, horror, storytelling, gothic, animation, historic, educational, or family-centric television advertising.

Created with Richard Harvey
Richard Harvey is a prolific composer and multi-instrumentalist who has collaborated with artists such as Hans Zimmer, guitarist John Williams, and Paul McCartney. He's conducted, composed, orchestrated, and played on numerous film and television soundtracks, including The Little Prince, The Da Vinci Code, The Lion King, Interstellar, Luther, Disney's live action Mulan, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Richard is an expert player and collector of unique musical instruments, with an unparalleled collection of more than 700 instruments—old and new—from around the world. His previous collaborations with Orchestral Tools, Andea and Phoenix Orchestra, drew on his deep expertise in traditional instruments. Now through Abacus, Richard is sharing his incredible instrument collection with the composer community.

Highlights:

• 42 unique and evocative instruments plus wide-ranging percussion ensemble.
• Consistent sonic aesthetic for all instruments.
• Includes exclusive rare and vintage instruments.
• 5 mixable mic positions, including vintage spot mics.
• Unique chromatic musical boxes.
• Ideal for nostalgic and historic moods, but also for horror, fantasy, and more.
• Designed and created with Richard Harvey.

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