SONICA INSTRUMENTS / SHO (Japanese musical instrument software sound source)

The fourth installment in the Virtuoso Japanese Series is the sho, a wind instrument used in gagaku music, now available as a software sound source.

■Software Instrument

The sho, one of the three instruments used in gagaku music, is also known as the phoenix sho (hosho) due to its 17 bamboo tubes, and its sound is like a light pouring down from the heavens. This is the world's first authentic sho sampling, finally joining the Virtuoso Japanese Series.

■Key Features

- A performance by sho performer Takashi Ishikawa was meticulously captured.
- Single notes from all 15 bamboo tubes* of the sho and 11 chords were recorded individually, with all playing techniques. It can be used in a wide range of musical scenes, from gagaku to contemporary music.
- An instrument model was developed based on an analysis of sho playing techniques. You can freely combine the sho's unique chord playing (aichitake) and single-note playing (ichitake).
- Two key modes are available, allowing you to play chords and single notes using the same fingering arrangement as a real sho.
・Understand the complex arrangement and sound production of the sho's reeds.
・In addition to Pythagorean intonation, which is unique to gagaku, scale tuning allows you to set equal temperament or any other temperament, seamlessly supporting a wide range of music from classical to contemporary.
・Key trigger connection function allows you to change to a variety of articulations without interrupting the sound.
・Expression control adds stepless, natural timbre changes.
・Equipped with an Ensemble selector that allows you to increase the number of performers up to three, supporting gagaku ensembles.
・Vivid and detailed sound recorded at 24-bit, 96kHz (the product is recorded at 24-bit, 44.1kHz).
・Recorded with multiple microphones, direct, overhead, room, and stereo mixes can be individually mixed using the dedicated mixer to create your own sound.

*The sho has a total of 17 bamboo reeds, but only 15 actually produce sound.

■System Requirements

Format:
Native Instruments Kontakt 5.4 Full or later (Kontakt Player not supported)

Data Size:
NCW 1.58GB (equivalent to 3.15GB WAV)

Supported OS:
Mac OSX 10.10 or later recommended
Windows 7, 8, 10
Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon 64 X2
4GB RAM (6GB recommended) for both Mac and Windows

*To use this library, Native Instruments Kontakt 5.4 or later (Full version) is required. (Kontakt Player not supported)
*At least 3GB of free disk space is required for product installation.
*PC environment and system requirements conform to the recommended system requirements for Native Instruments Kontakt.
*For smooth operation of the library, we recommend installing the product on a computer with a faster CPU and ample RAM.
*User registration via the Internet is required when using the product.

*For the latest operating environment information, please refer to the agency website.