Glissando Harps by Chocolate Audio – If you’re looking for an exceptional harp experience, look no further than Glissando Harps by Chocolate Audio. This groundbreaking virtual instrument delivers a wide range of expressive harp timbres and performance functionality, perfect for any music production or scoring need.

Glissando Harps by Chocolate Audio

With two complete Classical Harps and an exclusive Glissando Engine, you can play any glissando in real-time, with no pre-recorded glissandos. Whether you’re writing movie scores, TV themes, or simply want to add some classical elegance to your tracks, Glissando Harps has you covered!

Two Complete and Flexible Classical Harps

Chocolate Audio’s Glissando Harps contains two complete and flexible Classical Harps with different microphone sets and exclusive Glissando Engine allowing you to play any glissando in real-time, with no pre-recorded glissandos.

This makes it the perfect tool for composers, producers, and performers who want to add a touch of elegance to their music. The Glissando Engine allows you to play any glissando in real-time, with no pre-recorded glissandos, making it the perfect tool for live performance.

The two microphone sets allow you to mix and match between different sound characterizations, giving you the flexibility to create your own unique sound.

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Infinite Glissandos

Chocolate Audio’s Infinite Glissandos for sampler harps is a revolutionary new product that allows users to achieve a flexibility and expressiveness previously unknown in sampled harps.

By using samples of real concert harps, Chocolate Audio has been able to capture the true sound of the instrument, including the distinctive Glissando technique.

Chocolate Audio Glissando Engine

The Chocolate Audio Glissando engine is a tool that lets musicians play glissandos, or sliding notes, at any speed. This can be done in any tonal center and setting, making it a versatile tool for composers and performers alike.

The engine is designed to work with a real harp, so players can get the most realistic sound possible. This makes the Chocolate Audio Glissando engine an essential tool for anyone interested in creating or performing music on the harp.

For the first time ever, users can now create realistic and expressive Glissando passages in their music, without having to rely on artificial or synthetic sounds. This product is sure to be a hit with anyone who loves the sound of the harp, and wants to be able to reproduce it in their own music.

Glissando Harps User Interface

The user interface is thought out to be easy and quick to learn and use while featuring the power-user tools some of us love to tweak when working with deeply sampled instruments.

The main window is uncluttered, with the bulk of the controls relegated to well ordered context menus. Navigation is extremely fast, even with larger libraries, thanks to a three tier tag system that lets you quickly zero in on the instrument you want. The instruments themselves have highly configurable voice modes, so you can get exactly the sound you need.

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With so much power at your fingertips it’s easy to get lost in tweaking, but the interface is always there to help you find your way back to the music. Whether you’re looking for a traditional harp sound or something a bit more modern, Chocolate Audio’s Glissando Harps has you covered.

Any Tuning, any Scale, any Chord

The Glissando Mode is a unique feature of the Chocolate Audio harp that allows you to create any tuning, any scale, and any chord. By switching the positions of the pedals via MIDI or GUI, you can change the tuning of each string, giving you a wide range of options for creating your own unique sound.

Chocolate Audio has created a selection of the most popular tunings in the section on the right, so you can quickly find the Glissando you want. With this versatile tool, you can explore a world of new possibilities for your music.

Glissando Harps Speed and Intensity

Glissando harps are a type of musical instrument that allow the player to create a sliding sound by playing two notes in quick succession.

Unlike traditional harps, which require the player to pluck each string individually, glissando harps utilize a special mechanism that allows the strings to be played in a continuous flow.

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This makes it possible to create smooth, sweeping melodies that can add a touch of elegance to any piece of music. In addition to their aesthetic appeal, glissando harps are also relatively easy to play, making them a popular choice for beginner and advanced musicians alike.

Whether you’re looking to add a bit of flair to your next performance or simply want an instrument that is easy to learn, a glissando harp may be the perfect choice for you.

Sound Design

The mixer page on the Sound Design website features a section dedicated to envelopes and filters. This section provides users with the ability to control the amplitude envelope with precision using an AHDSR envelope, with the addition of the Attack Curve parameter.

In addition, users can choose among 4 filter types – low pass 2 and 4 poles, band pass and high pass 4 poles – with MIDI CC# assignable Cutoff, Resonance, and Envelope Modulation.

The Env Mod feature allows users to intuitively use an AHD envelope to influence the filter cutoff. This section of the Sound Design website provides users with a wealth of information and resources for sound design.

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Complete and Flexible Classical Harps

The Camac and Salvi 47-string concert harps are two of the most complete and flexible classical harps available. They are both sampled in full detail, and each one was sampled in a different venue and with different setups in order to augment flexibility and usage scenarios.

The Camac concert harp is perfect for any concert or performance, while the Salvi harp is ideal for use in an orchestra. Both harps are extremely versatile and will provide the musician with a wealth of options when it comes to choosing the right sound for their music.

Conclusion

Chocolate Audio’s Glissando Harps contains two complete and flexible Classical Harps with different microphone sets and exclusive Glissando Engine allowing you to play any glissando in real-time, with no pre-recorded glissandos.

This makes it possible to create smooth, sweeping melodies that can add a touch of elegance to any piece of music. In addition to their aesthetic appeal, glissando harps are also relatively easy to play, making them a popular choice for beginner and advanced musicians alike.

Whether you’re looking to add a bit of flair to your next performance or simply want an instrument that is easy to learn, a glissando harp may be the perfect choice for you.

Sound Design is an important aspect of any music composition. The right sound can make all the difference in a piece of music, and the wrong sound can ruin it. Chocolate Audio’s Glissando Harps gives users the ability to control the amplitude envelope with precision using an AHDSR envelope, with the addition of the Attack Curve parameter. In addition, users can choose among four filter types – low pass two and four poles, band pass and high pass four poles – with MIDI CC assignable Cutoff, Resonance, and Envelope Modulation.

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Chocolate Audio is the leading provider of high-quality sampled instruments. Their team of professionals knows how to turn a recording session into a set of coherent, greatly playable sampled instruments.

Not just a collection of sounds, but a labor of love for the instruments, preparation, setup, tuning, time, ear, knowledge, dedication and experience. Chocolate Audio’s team has a passion for their work and it shows in the quality of their products.

In addition to providing high-quality sampled instruments, Chocolate Audio also offers a wide range of services including recording, mixing, and mastering. Whether you’re looking for a single instrument or a complete set of sampled instruments, Chocolate Audio is the company you can trust.

The Glissando Harps for Kontakt by Chocolate Audio offer two fully sampled harps – the Glissando Concert Harp (CGH) and the Glissando Orchestral Harp (GOH). With 19.3 GB of compressed samples content, these instruments provide a huge amount of flexibility and detail.

The Glissando Harps for Kontakt features 2 microphone sets – a stereo AB set with Schoeps CMC6 mics, and a MidSide stereo set with Neumann and Royer mics.

The Glissando Harps for Kontakt features 8 microphone sets, including ribbons, tube, and Decca tree mics. Both instruments have been sampled in full detail, with up to 6016 samples per articulation and up to 4 round

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Glissando Harps by Chocolate Audio Review

Glissando Harps by Chocolate Audio stars Camac and Salvi 47-string concert harps. The harps have been sampled with excellent detail. 

Chocolate Audio is well known to produce exceedingly playable instruments. You can see their love for the instruments, preparation, setup, tuning, time, ear, knowledge, dedication and experience. Chocolate Audio did send a review copy with no strings attached.

Installation

It is a library requiring the full Version of KONTAKT 5.5.2 or higher. The Instrument download size is ca. 20 Gigabytes (54 GB uncompressed). Glissando Concert includes 8244 samples and Glissando Orchestra delivers with 19312 samples overall summing up to  27556 samples.

Sound

Each Harp was sampled in a different location and with different setups in order to augment flexibility and usage scenarios. Glissando Concert Harp For Kontakt was replaced by this library and is now part of thus harp bundle. The instrument shines at subtlety and affection and can be performed to cut through in your score if needed.

Microphones:

Glissando Concert includes 2 microphone sets: Stereo AB with Schoeps CMC6 mics and MidSide Stereo with Neumann and Royer mics.

Glissando Orchestra increased the available 8 microphone recordings by eight.  Available Mics include ribbons, tube and Decca tree sampled in full detail: up to 6016 samples per articulation and up to 4 round robin.

Adjust the tone with the mics to shape the performance to the mood and vibe you need in your composition.

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 You can play the harps in soft way, use the included mics to mix up the tone you need. Beside performing soft you can also play the harp in an agressive mood to build some tension.

The sound of these special harps is made possible by using the Glissando technique. When performing Glissando the harpist runs her/his fingers across the strings creating a dreamy and catchy sound unique to the instrument.

You can select seven Glissando Modes to adjust the Glissando as required and fitting the score.

• Soften will raise the attack time to emulate a Glissando played with lightly on the tips of the fingers
• Accell accelerates or decelerates the glissando along its duration
• Accent tells the engine how much accent to give to the Start/End notes when one of the Accent modes is selected
• Randomize Time and Velo introduce a randomization in the timing and velocity between notes giving the Glissando a more human-like response

User interface & Usability

The user interface is kind of easy and quick to learn and use and allows you to dive deeper and adjust more powerful settings if needed. I am not happy with the colors used, that is a personal comment. The reddish colors make it hard to read the UI quickly. A different color would be less warm and makes the Instrument easier to use.

Glissando Harps offers two main performance styles: Harp and Piano. As the name suggests in the Piano mode you to play the instrument across all 88 keys like a piano. In the more complex and natural Harp style you can play harp as a harpist. To include an easy play mode (Piano) into this package was an excellent idea for a nonexperienced harp player.

In either Piano or Harp mode, use the Sustain pedal to sustain notes indefinitely. Alternative releases the pedal and the library plays every note in a Staccato.

There are really a lot of Articulations included:

• Pizzicato: this is the most common playing technique. Range is C1 to G7 on both Harps
• Sons Harmonique: harmonics. Range is A2 to C6 on both Harps
• Sons Sifflés: sound produced by rubbing the fingers along the length of the strings. Mostly on bass strings. Here they are mapped on C1-D1. Not a tuned sound
• Sons De TamTam – Rubber: sound produced by hitting the strings with a rubber stick. Range is C1 to C7 – Glissando Concert Harp GCH ONLY
• Sons De TamTam – Wood: sound produced by hitting the strings with a light wooden stick. Range is C1 to C7 – Glissando Concert Harp GCH ONLY
• Sons Guitariques: also called Prés De La Table – is the sound produced by playing the string right next to the lower part of the body. Sound is guitar-like and more brilliant. Range is GCH: A2 to F5, GOH: A2 to C6
• Mechanics Efx: sound produced by playing the strings between their mechanics. Range is C1 to E6. A randomly tuned sound
• Pizzicato Nails: sound produced by playing the strings with the nails rather than with the fingertips. Range is GCH: A2 to G7, GOH: C1 to G7
• Sons Xylharmonique: sound produced by playing the harmonics muffled right after the attack. Range is A2 to C5 on both Harps
• Sons Xylophonique: sound produced by muting the string at its end and plucking it with the other hand. The sound is muffled and warmer. Range is A2 to G7 on both Harps
• Hits On Strings: sound produced by hitting and releasing the strings immediately with both hands. Range is A1 to G2. Not a tuned sound
• Sons Ésoteriques: a special technique involving the use of pedals as an effect. Range is A1 to G2. Not a tuned sound
• Paper Sordino: sound produced by interweaving the strings with paper ribbons. Range is C1 to C5 on both Harps
• Velvet Sordino: sound produce by interweaving the strings with velvet ribbons. Range is GCH: C1 to C4, GOH: C1 to C7
• Tinfoil Sordino: sound produced by interweaving the strings with tinfoil ribbons: Range is GCH: C1 to E5, GOH: C1 to C5
• Sons Alcoholique: sound produced by rubbing the strings with a piece of cotton imbued with alcohol. Range is C1 to G6. A randomly tuned sound – Glissando Concert Harp GCH ONLY
• Hits On Body: sound produced by hitting the body of the Harp in different positions with fingers, open and closed hand. The other arm stops all strings from resonating. Range is GCH: C1 to B2, GOH: C1 to D3
• Hits On Body – Reso: sound produced by hitting the body of the Harp in different positions with fingers, open and closed hand. The strings are left free to resonate. Range is GCH: C1 to B2, GOH: C1 to D3
• Rattling: sound produced by playing pizzicato with the harpist wearing a noisy jewel at her wrists. Range is C1 to G7 – Glissando Concert Harp GCH ONLY
• Appoggiato: sound produced by playing pizzicato and resting the finger on the next string rather than floating it. Range is C1 to G7
• Bartok: sound produced by playing pizzicato near the lower part of the body and letting the finger hit the body itself, producing a very percussion-like and aggressive sound. Range is A2 to C7 – Glissando Orchestral Harp GOH ONLY
• Sons Guitariques Nails: also called Prés De La Table Nails – is the sound produced by playing the string right next to the lower part of the body with the nails rather than the finger tips. Sound is guitar-like and more brilliant. Range is A2 to C6 – Glissando Orchestral Harp GOH ONLY
• Sons Xylophonique Open: sound produced by muting the string at its end and plucking it with the other hand, then releasing the muting finger right after the note has been plucked. Sound is slightly muffled and warm. Range is A2 to G7 – Glissando Orchestral Harp GOH ONLY

Rating:  Four out of five stars

Glissando Harps by Chocolate Audio is an excellent and leading harp library in this small market of virtual instruments. Glissando Harps grants a vast range of playability and flexibility.

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A  piano improvisation from Ronald Ng Yuan Chang recorded especially for you to allow you to compare different pianos.  There is also a Soft, Felt, Emotional Piano Library Comparison.

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