METROPOLIS ARK 3 Review – The Beating Orchestra by Orchestral Tools
When Orchestra Tools started the product Metropolis Ark line with Ark 1 (great full sound), followed by Ark 2 (dark, sonorous sounding low magnetic epicness) it was a big blow to the composer community, and I assume started on of a most successful product line for Orchestra Tools. If you are looking for epic cinematic sounds for film scores and trailer music the whole Metropolis Ark range is for you.
Metropolis Ark 3 is out now for almost one month, released just before Chrismas 2017 Metropolis Ark 3 is the third part of a series that expectedly gets extended in December 2018 with the fourth version. Metropolis Ark 3 is, in a nutshell, an epic and supermassivity over the top orchestral library. many commented on Ark 1 that the sound is huge, Ark 3 is supermassivity huge!
Installation
After purchase, you receive the needed code to download the library through Continuata, after some hours (depends on your Internet connection) you can install and register the Kontakt Library.
Sound
When I first saw the early information of a new Metropolis Ark 3 I got the impressions that METROPOLIS ARK 3 will be another percussion library. Later when more information has been released it has become obvious that this library is a huge library with great Brass, Strings, Woods and multis and of course also Percussions.
Metropolis Ark 3 includes
- Eight orchestral sections (High Strings, Low Strings, String Quintet, Trumpet Ens, Horn Ens, Low Brass Ens, Low Woodwinds Ens, High Woodwinds Ens)
- Taiko Ensembles and Taikos of all kinds and sizes
- Epic percussion ensembles and single instruments
- Very low drums, toms, snares, found percussion gongs, cymbals and, wooden percussion, and clicks & clacks
- Timpanis ensemble and more
Most of the instruments (single and multi) are playable patches plus very usable patterns not heard before at this level of completeness. The multis are carefully designed and sound great out of the box
All Metropolis Ark libraries (Ark 1, Ark 2, and Ark 3) have been recording at the Teldex Scoring Stage in Berlin, Germany. The same mics and mic position have been used so you can blend Ark 3 with the other two Arks easily in your mix. Metropolis Ark 3 are completely new recordings made for this library.
Orchestra Tools worked with more than 100 musicians resulting in these 4 areas in Kontakt plus the Multies
- District I: The Beating Orchestra
String Orchestra
String Quintett
Woodwind Orchestra
Brass Orchestra
Percussion Orchestra
Taiko Ensembles Menu
Percussion Ensembles - District II: Percussion Ensembles
Taiko Ensembles
Percussion Ensembles
Timpani Ensemble
Ensemble Menus - District III: Solo Percussion
Solo Taikos
Solo Percussion
Percussion Menus
Grand Piano
Solo Menus
Aux Percussion - District IV: Orchestral Sections
High Strings
Low Strings
High Woodwinds
Low Woodwinds
Trumpet Ensemble
Horn Ensemble
Low Brass
User interface & Usability
All patches use the Orchestra Tools CAPSULE (Control And Performance Symphonic Utility Engine) UI in Kontakt. The UI produced by Orchestra Tools is very powerful and offers you all options needed to shape the tone and character. The usability is more at a medium level and could be gently enhanced, after some time with it you understand what Orchestra Tools is offering in their engine.
Rating: Five out of five stars
If you want to go epic, big and loud METROPOLIS ARK 3 – The Beating Orchestra is the current prime Kontakt library to do so. Ark 3 has organic sounding drums, tempo-synched repetitions, great sounding, and curated multis, the brass overall you get a loud sounding big orchestra that plays your score. If you are in the trailer or score to picture business you have made already the investment into Metropolis Ark 3. If you want to step into epic orchestra scoring Metropolis Ark 3 is the best choice on the market currently.
