Native Instruments today announced a partnership with Abbey Road to “create advanced software instruments of exceptional sonic quality and musical value, with the first product scheduled for release in early 2010.”
NI doesn’t really say what they’re planning to do with Abbey Road, but it sounds like they are planning to record samples at Abbey Road and release Abbey Road branded virtual instruments:
As one of the most sophisticated recording and post production complexes in the world, Abbey Road’s equipment includes one of the largest microphones collections as well as a selection of famed analog outboard gear custom-built by EMI. Combined with the studio’s famous acoustics, and the expertise of Abbey Road’s engineers, the studios form an ideal environment for the production of sample-based software instruments of the highest quality.
With the award-winning KONTAKT sampler and its free KONTAKT PLAYER version, Native Instruments has established the most versatile and most widely adopted platform for sample-based instruments in the industry. Advanced features such as flexible scripting, sample morphing, and custom interface panels, which make KONTAKT the premier platform for the authentic emulation of acoustic instruments, will be used extensively in the products developed together with Abbey Road in the future.
Let’s hope they aren’t working on another Beatles-style virtual instrument collection.
What would you like to see Native Instruments and Abbey Road do together?
My guess is different – offerings in the mixing and mastering space: AR and NI may very well leverage each others’ strengths in the mixing and mastering area, bringing the AR skills, assets and gems to the market in higher volumes, at lower prices and with the effective packaging from and synergy with NI’s Kore2 and Komplete products. There is more in my blog: http://bit.ly/76nvGz
My guess is different – offerings in the mixing and mastering space: AR and NI may very well leverage each others’ strengths in the mixing and mastering area, bringing the AR skills, assets and gems to the market in higher volumes, at lower prices and with the effective packaging from and synergy with NI’s Kore2 and Komplete products. There is more in my blog: http://bit.ly/76nvGz
My guess is different – offerings in the mixing and mastering space: AR and NI may very well leverage each others’ strengths in the mixing and mastering area, bringing the AR skills, assets and gems to the market in higher volumes, at lower prices and with the effective packaging from and synergy with NI’s Kore2 and Komplete products. There is more in my blog: http://bit.ly/76nvGz
I'm guessing it will be emulations of hardware developed by EMI, like the REDD mixing desk.
I'm guessing it will be emulations of hardware developed by EMI, like the REDD mixing desk.
Check out recordingthebeatles.com for pictures. I highly recommend the book – it is simply awesome. This isn't just gear porn — it's gear erotica! (maybe it's the black and white). Stunning and fascinating. Here's hoping for a paperback some day so that more folks can get their hands on it.
P.S. Nothing wrong with another FabFour type VI. Bring it on! But I agree with the top poster — it's probably hardware and mixing related. It would be great if it's something related to current production tools at Abbey Road, rather than just relentless mining of the back catalogue. I reckon that the 'retro' playhead has just about caught up to the point where we start emulating Atari STs for that vintage workflow.
Check out recordingthebeatles.com for pictures. I highly recommend the book – it is simply awesome. This isn't just gear porn — it's gear erotica! (maybe it's the black and white). Stunning and fascinating. Here's hoping for a paperback some day so that more folks can get their hands on it.
P.S. Nothing wrong with another FabFour type VI. Bring it on! But I agree with the top poster — it's probably hardware and mixing related. It would be great if it's something related to current production tools at Abbey Road, rather than just relentless mining of the back catalogue. I reckon that the 'retro' playhead has just about caught up to the point where we start emulating Atari STs for that vintage workflow.
Well it says right up front that the plan is to create "advanced software instruments" and there's mention of Kontakt – so I don't get why anyone thinks it's going to be hardware emulations. Watch the video and you can guess it's going to cover similar ground as the Abbey Road Keyboards Refill for Reason, but also going beyond that set's "keyboard" boundary (and limited to Reason users) to include things like drums – notice the Ludwig Oyster Pearl finish kit?
Even if it's just a Kontakt Player package of the same keyboards that are in the Reason Refill I'd be happy with that – since I dig those sounds but don't have Reason.
Well it says right up front that the plan is to create "advanced software instruments" and there's mention of Kontakt – so I don't get why anyone thinks it's going to be hardware emulations. Watch the video and you can guess it's going to cover similar ground as the Abbey Road Keyboards Refill for Reason, but also going beyond that set's "keyboard" boundary (and limited to Reason users) to include things like drums – notice the Ludwig Oyster Pearl finish kit?
Even if it's just a Kontakt Player package of the same keyboards that are in the Reason Refill I'd be happy with that – since I dig those sounds but don't have Reason.
Well it says right up front that the plan is to create "advanced software instruments" and there's mention of Kontakt – so I don't get why anyone thinks it's going to be hardware emulations. Watch the video and you can guess it's going to cover similar ground as the Abbey Road Keyboards Refill for Reason, but also going beyond that set's "keyboard" boundary (and limited to Reason users) to include things like drums – notice the Ludwig Oyster Pearl finish kit?
Even if it's just a Kontakt Player package of the same keyboards that are in the Reason Refill I'd be happy with that – since I dig those sounds but don't have Reason.
I don't know of many Beatles-style virtual instruments — aside from East West Quantum Leap's Fab Four and what DSills mentioned, what else is there which is worth checking out?
I'd like to see Jeremiah Savage be involved in this, I haven't checked out Sonic Fiction yet but Acoustic Refractions has proved tremendously inspiring. If there were to be a unique twist on bringing the Abbey Road sound into the future, there's a unique, ripe junction with his delightfully anachronistic concepts. Extrapolate your mind and think what might an alternate history for Abbey Road play out like?
I don't know of many Beatles-style virtual instruments — aside from East West Quantum Leap's Fab Four and what DSills mentioned, what else is there which is worth checking out?
I'd like to see Jeremiah Savage be involved in this, I haven't checked out Sonic Fiction yet but Acoustic Refractions has proved tremendously inspiring. If there were to be a unique twist on bringing the Abbey Road sound into the future, there's a unique, ripe junction with his delightfully anachronistic concepts. Extrapolate your mind and think what might an alternate history for Abbey Road play out like?