British Drama Toolkit

Your score in an instant.

The critically acclaimed British Drama Toolkit provides an instinctive yet intense connection to the heart of your composition. Created in collaboration with composer Samuel Sim, it features an ensemble dedicated to the emotionally potent sound he is lauded for — but also presents a unique way of interacting with the players, which sets this instrument apart from anything we have created to date.

For anyone looking to embrace an alternative approach to scoring, this NKS library toolkit gives you full creative freedom without the barrier of technology — allowing you to simply respond to the scene in front of you. We can't write your music for you, but we can help you find your voice.

$139.30 $199.00 Save $59.70.

British Drama Toolkit.

British Drama Toolkit comes to life on your first play. We can tell you that it consists of a small string and woodwind section, recorded in our purpose-built dry stage at Spitfire HQ, but only once the library is under your fingers does the telepathy begin. Ensembles are mapped across the full length of the keyboard, and the playing styles are tied to velocity – from whispered textures through to bold solos. British Drama Toolkit understands that the difference between playing softly and loudly isn't just volume – it is also about character and emotion. The British Drama Toolkit allows you to compose, arrange and complete a cue in one pass. With your eye on the drama rather than the computer, and with one patch capable of a such a huge range of expression, you can respond instinctively to the story rather than get sucked in to what Samuel Sim calls "the vortex of the computer".

British Drama Toolkit is one of my favorite go-to's as it brings a very effective combination of winds and strings which, to me, shine in presenting an organic tone to scenes.

Carlos Rafael Rivera - Queen's Gambit

A new approach to scoring

Pursuing originality in your music is one thing. Having to be original, episode after episode, under pressure, is another. By achieving both, composer Samuel Sim has won multiple awards as a writer of quality, gritty, deep TV and film drama scores. Teaming up with Spitfire, Sam wanted to create an instrument that put up as few roadblocks as possible between musical ideas and their realisation as a ready to go cue. Playing styles that have not been sampled before, with bespoke bowing techniques and breathing patterns, enables you to create textures full of dramatic movement. Those same notes, played at a different intensity, switch to characterful lead lines, passing from instrument to instrument in an ensemble that shifts dynamically as you explore.

The honesty and rawness of British dramatic scoring is burnt into this library and is immediately at your fingertips - all it needs is your music.

You can use this colourful library on its own, or successfully layer it over bigger orchestral ensembles; its intimate chamber sound is instantly attractive, and the mobile textures lend a live feel.

The overview panel

This is the main interface for melodic instruments. Its default view displays all available playing techniques, has a simple microphone mixer and includes the main feature controllers.

General controls panel

This view allows further in-depth control of the instrument, showing all available signals and feature controllers, as well as the ability to purge techniques from memory to reduce system usage.

Velocity layer view

This view shows the velocity layers of each note played in a patch. Some patches include Texture, Soft and Loud layers, while others create a rich sound from one or two layers. Unlock the potential of each patch by adjusting your playing dynamics.

What's included

Main:

• Main - Strings & Woodwinds Soft Alt.
• Main - Texture Strings Loud Woodwinds.
• Main - Texture Strings Soft Woodwinds.
• Main - Texture Woodwinds Loud Strings.
• Main - Texture Woodwinds Soft Strings.
• Main - Tutti Long Loud Strings.
• Main - Tutti Long Loud Woodwinds.
• Main - Tutti Long Soft.

Ensembles:

• Ensembles - Bass Clari & Clari Long Chatter Loud.
• Ensembles - Bass Clari & Clari Long Chatter Texture.
• Ensembles - Bass Clari & Clari Long Chatter.
• Ensembles - Bass Clarinet & Clarinet Long Soft.
• Ensembles - Bass Clarinet & Clarinet Long.
• Ensembles - Flute & Piccolo Long Alt.
• Ensembles - Flute & Piccolo Long Chiffs.
• Ensembles - Flute & Piccolo Long Soft Alt.
• Ensembles - Flute & Piccolo Long Soft.
• Ensembles - Flute & Piccolo Long.
• Ensembles - String Ensemble Long Soft.
• Ensembles - String Ensemble Long.
• Ensembles - Woodwind Ensemble Long Soft.
• Ensembles - Woodwind Ensemble Long.

Violin:

• Violin - Long Harmonics.
• Violin - Long Loud.
• Violin - Long Soft.
• Violin - Long.

Viola:

• Viola - Long Harmonics.
• Viola - Long Loud.
• Viola - Long Soft.
• Viola - Long.

Cello:

• Cello - Long Harmonics.
• Cello - Long Loud.
• Cello - Long Soft.
• Cello - Long.

Double bass:

• Double Bass - Long Alt.
• Double Bass - Long Harmonics.
• Double Bass - Long Loud.
• Double Bass - Long Soft Alt.
• Double Bass - Long Soft.
• Double Bass - Long.

Bass clarinet:

• Bass Clarinet - Long Chatter.
• Bass Clarinet - Long Loud.
• Bass Clarinet - Long Soft.
• Bass Clarinet - Long.

Clarinet:

• Clarinet - Long Chatter.
• Bass Clarinet - Long Loud.
• Clarinet - Long Soft.
• Clarinet - Long.

Flute:

• Flute - Long Alt.
• Flute - Long Chiffs.
• Flute - Long Loud.
• Flute - Long Soft Alt.
• Flute - Long Soft.
• Flute - Long.

Piccolo:

• Piccolo - Long Alt.
• Piccolo - Long Chiffs.
• Piccolo - Long Loud.
• Piccolo - Long Soft Alt.
• Piccolo - Long Soft.
• Piccolo - Long.

Accented:

• Main - Texture Woodwinds Loud Strings Accented.
• Main - Texture Woodwinds Soft Strings Accented.
• Main - Tutti Long Loud Strings Accented.
• Ensembles - String Ensemble Long Accented.
• Violin - Long Accented.
• Viola - Long Accented.
• Cello - Long Accented.
• Double Bass - Long Accented Alt.
• Double Bass - Long Accented.

{See video at top of page}