Colourform by Frozenplain Review
In this quick review, we’ll talk about yet another useful experimental/ambient library from Frozenplain – Colourform.
Frozenplain offers a good selection of experimental and cinematic libraries such as Arctic Strings and Slow, and they’re all affordable and expertly scripted for Kontakt with creative GUIs and handy customizable settings. Colourform offers a curated selection of experimental tuned percussion, bowing sounds and some background foley in the form of a color based instrument.
Installation
Colourform is easily downloaded via browser and unpacked into your folder of choice with no registration process, as it runs in the full version of Kontakt.
Sound
Colourform sounds curious, to put it simply. There are lilting tonal percussion sounds, soft and glassy bowing tones, gentle blips and the sound of water and fire. It’s a compact selection of sounds that when combined can be used to create charming melodies or sombre backdrops which are great for game and fantasy scoring or softer hybrid composing.
There’s some nice ear candy to be found here – softly flickering flames, gently rolling water and meditative metallic rings great for background soundscapes, meditation music or soft fantasy cues. The library’s focus is on color – so changing the colors contained in the three circles that appear in the GUI essentially changes the tone and shape of the sounds provided in any given patch, which in turn effects changes in EQ, filters and other effects. It’s better heard than explained, as you can see in the video below:
It’s an interesting and unique approach to ambient sound design – different sound layers are active at any given time, and playing with the colors or assigning the mod wheel to different parameters crossfades between the available sounds and effects active. This, of course, does result in some high CPU usage, so if you’re running a bit tight, you can always disable some of the active effects in a patch.
User interface & Usability
The clever design and emphasis on color (similar to the idea of synaesthesia) is fun to experiment with and can provide moments of melodic or imaginative inspiration while playing, which is always a good thing, especially for composers looking for that little extra push.
If you want a surprise, there’s a randomizer button as well – and who doesn’t like a randomizer button?
Rating: Four out of five stars
While it’s not the most ground-breaking discovery in sampling, Colourform is nonetheless a welcome discovery capable of some truly wonderful sounds and inspirational fuel. It’s also affordable, so anyone interested in experimental composing will find a happy home with this colorful library.
