sitar

Syntheway Virtual Sitar, demo’d above, is a VST instrument designed to emulate the Indian Sitar.

Features:

• Mastered sitar samples recorded with special equipment in a low noise environment. Full length sustain, no loops (natural decay).
• Includes 18 predefined sounds.
• Optimized CPU and memory usage.
• ADSR envelope generator with Attack, Sustain, Decay and Release parameters and several modulation targets.
• Multiple-Mode Filter: The values are automatically computed when you select any of the filter types. Filter switch includes: LP (Low pass), BP (Band pass), HP (High pass), notch, peak, low pass and high pass shelving filter with adjustable cutoff and bandwidth.
• Variable room simulation. Reverb effect can control the “room ambience”.
• MIDI Automation: Added complete MIDI CC#.

The Sitar is a Hindustani classical stringed instrument which utilizes sympathetic strings along with regular strings and a gourd resonating chamber to produce a very distinctive sound. It was popularized by “legendary sitar virtuoso” and composer Ravi Shankar in the 1960s.

More details at the Syntheway site. Read more…

Sunday Synth Jam: This classic Pat Metheny Group track, Last Train Home, features gorgeous electric sitar work by jazz fusion guitarist Pat Metheny, with tasteful synth & keyboard support from Lyle Mays.

This video demonstrates instrument articulations in the North India Kore Soundpack, a new Hindustani instrument library for the Kore platform. Examples include the Sitar, Tabla and Bansuri.

More on NI’s North India Soundpack at the Native Instruments site.

If you’ve used the North India Kore Soundpack, leave a comment with your thoughts!

Impact Soundworks has released a new ethnic instrument sample library in Kontakt format: Sitar Nation: Classical Instruments of India.

“Sitar Nation” was designed to address the lack of sample collections focusing exclusively on Indian instruments with a level of depth normally reserved for violins and pianos. Priced at $119 as a digital download, the library enables any composer or producer with Kontakt to create realistic, expressive performances of the sitar, tambura, tabla and baya.

You can preview Sitar Nation below:

 

 Traditional Demo [0:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Read more…

DSK has released a new free virtual instrument for Windows, DSK Indian DreamZ.

Features:

• 6 Indian Instruments: Sitar, Sarod, veena, Tar, tampura & Tabla
• Velocity response
• Amp. envelope and micro-detuner
• HP/LP Filter
• Midi automation