Abbey Road Orchestra: Metal Percussion

Instruments

Anvils (x3)

Metal bars struck with hammers creating ringing sounds with excellent projection - A modern equivalent to the traditional metalworker's anvil used in orchestral settings.

Lump Hammer

Hits performed with a heavy lump hammer with a dark but metallic attack

Pin Hammer

Hits performed with a light pin hammer creating a bright, metallic attack

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard

Brake Drums (x3)

Literally the brake drums from an automobile, these produce a surprisingly clear and resonant tone when struck - presented here as a set of three.

Poly Beater

Single hits performed with poly beaters creating a bright attack

Rubber Mallets

Techniques performed with rubber mallets producing a balanced attack

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard

China Cymbal

A traditional 24" China cymbal hand-hammered in Wuhan, producing a distinctive attack with a dark, washy sustain.

Felt Mallets

Techniques performed with felt mallets for a rounded attack

Sticks

Techniques performed with drumsticks producing a hard and pronounced attack

Scrapes

Scrape techniques across the surface of the cymbal

Bows

Techniques performed with a bow across the edge of the cymbal to produce unearthly overtones

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard

Crashers and Stack

A set of two crashers and a cymbal stack creating a palette of short, sharp and dirty metallic sounds - great for fast passages or layering.

Sticks

Techniques performed with drumsticks producing a hard and pronounced attack

Rods & Dreads

Techniques performed with a mix of rods and dreads for a variety of crisp transients

Pin Hammer

Hits performed with a light pin hammer creating a bright, metallic attack

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard

Giant Crasher

Two thundersheets (rectangular metal cymbals) stacked together and struck from above to create powerful, shattering hits with little sustain

Pin Hammer

Hits performed with a light pin hammer creating a bright, metallic attack

Puili

Hits performed with bamboo puili sticks creating crisp attack

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard

Oil Drum

A 40 gallon oil drum struck with a variety of beaters producing very unorthodox but highly complex sounds

Rubber Mallets

Techniques performed with poly beaters creating a bright attack

Felt Mallets

Techniques performed with soft felt mallets producing a mellow attack

Brushes

Techniques performed with wire brushes for a delicate timbre

Hands

Techniques performed with the hands producing very natural 'tapping' sounds

Superball

Drags across the instrument with a superball creating other-worldly textures

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard

Piatti (x3)

An orchestral staple, piatti are hand-held clash cymbals struck together creating a dense and brilliant shimmer - presented here as a set of three (21” Dark/Germanic, 19” Mellow/Viennese and 17” Bright/French) performing a range of techniques.

Scaffolds (x3)

A trio of scaffold poles struck with beaters or hammers producing bright ringing sounds with discernible pitch

Yarn Beaters

Hits performed with yarn beaters for a rounded attack

Pin Hammer

Hits performed with a light pin hammer creating a bright, metallic attack

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard

Spiral Cymbal

A spiral cymbal with a very bright attack, moderate sustain and a distinctly 'trashy' character

Sticks

Techniques performed with drumsticks producing a hard and pronounced attack

Splash Cymbals

A pair of splash cymbals (8” and 10”) with a fast attack and short sustain - ideal for accented hits

Sticks

Techniques performed with drumsticks producing a hard and pronounced attack

Suspended Cymbals (x3)

A set of three suspended cymbals (20” Dark, 21” Mellow and 16” Bright) performed with a variety of beaters providing a huge range of crashes and shimmering textures

Felt Mallets

Techniques performed with soft felt mallets producing a mellow attack

Brushes

Techniques performed with wire brushes for a delicate timbre

Sticks

Techniques performed with drumsticks producing a hard and pronounced attack

Scrapes

Scrape techniques across the surface of the cymbal

Bows

Techniques performed with a bow across the edge of the cymbal to produce unearthly overtones

Dark - All in One

All beaters and techniques for the dark 20" cymbal presented across the keyboard

Mellow - All in One

All beaters and techniques for the mellow 21" cymbal presented across the keyboard

Bright - All in One

All beaters and techniques for the bright 16" cymbal presented across the keyboard

Tam Tams (x2)

A pair of orchestral Tam Tams - large ‘gong-like’ instruments of indefinite pitch with a very long, deep resonance and dark overtones

Tam Tam Mallets

Techniques performed with tam tam mallets producing a soft attack and blooming sustain

Scrapes

Scrape techniques across the surface of the cymbal

Superball

Drags across the surface of the instrument with a rubber 'superball' producing other-wordly textures

All in One (Tam Tam A)

All available beaters and techniques for Tam Tam A (30" Swiss) presented across the keyboard

All in One (Tam Tam B)

All available beaters and techniques for Tam Tam B (36" Wuhan) presented across the keyboard

Temple Bowls (x4)

A set of four temple bowls to create meditative sounds with a rich blooming sustain

Rubber Mallets

Techniques performed with rubber mallets producing a balanced attack

Brushes

Techniques performed with nylon brushes producing a delicate attack with reduced fundamentals

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard

Thundersheet

An extremely large (64” x 42”) but very thin suspended metal sheet which produces a characteristic thunder effect when struck or shaken

Felt Mallets

Techniques performed with soft felt mallets producing a mellow attack

Dreads

Techniques performed with heavy gauge coiled metal brushes producing a very metallic sound

Bows

Techniques performed with a bow across the edge of the instrument to produce unearthly overtones

Superball

Drags across the surface of the instrument with a rubber 'superball' producing other-wordly textures

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard

Small Metals

A comprehensive collection of smaller metals to add additional colours and textures

Bell Tree

An instrument comprising of cup-shaped bells played by stroking with poly mallets

Mark Tree

Suspended metal tines played by stroking with the fingers to produce the instrument’s signature glissandi

Agogos (x2 pairs)

Pairs of cone-shaped bells with a short decay, each occupying a different pitch and struck with thin sticks to create characterful rhythms

Spring Coil

A large coiled spring played with a triangle beater - either suspended from a stand (open) or resting on a soft surface (muted) 

Cowbells (x3)

Clapperless bells with a short, hollow decay and struck with drum sticks - presented here with three pitches

Cabassa

A hand instrument with beads wrapped around a ridged metal cylinder and turned with a handle, often used in place of a shaker

Chains

Heavy gauge chains dropped into a trash can to create aggressive metallic accents and textures

Finger Cymbals (x2)

Pairs of small cymbals struck together to produce a long and high pitched ring

Guira

A Caribbean instrument with a heavily textured metal surface, either tapped or scraped to create characterful repeating rhythms

Reco Reco

Popularised in Brazilian music, the Reco-Reco consists of springs extended across a hollow metal frame which are struck or scraped

Sleigh Bells & Indian Bells

Pellet bells attached to a handle (Sleigh Bells) or rope (Indian Bells) and shaken to produce a crisp 'jingle' sound

Tambourines (x3)

Metal 'jingles' attached to a hoop and either shaken or struck, equally adept at fast, repeating rhythms or single note accents - presented as a set of three 

Wind Chimes

Small suspended metal tines which add light splashes of colour when flicked

Triangles (x3)

An orchestral staple, the triangle produces a bright, high pitched bell sound with a long decay - presented here as a set of three

Trash Cans (x2)

A spread pair of trash cans creating a 'street' sound - great for both layering and creating complex polyrhythms

Sticks

Techniques performed with drumsticks producing a hard and pronounced attack

Dreads

Techniques performed with heavy gauge coiled metal brushes producing a very metallic sound

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard

Waterphone

A remarkable instrument of metal tines surrounding a water-filled chamber. Played with a bow, the tines create a otherworldly sounds with mesmerising harmonics

Bow (Arco)

Bow strokes performed across the instrument's tines to produce the signature waterphone sound

Bow (Col Legno)

Taps performed on the instrument's tines with the back of the bow

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard

Wind Gong

A 26" Wind Gong with quick and bright attack which produces a sound resembling the rushing of wind when struck

Felt Mallets

Techniques performed with soft felt mallets producing a mellow attack

Bows

Techniques performed with a bow across the edge of the cymbal to produce unearthly overtones

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard

Mics and Mixes

Mix 1

A full-sounding room mix by Simon Rhodes, formed from Tree 1, Overheads, Outriggers 1, and a curated blend of spots.

Mix 2

A tighter mix by Simon Rhodes, formed from Tree 2, Mids and Outriggers 2 with a curated blend of spots.

Section Overhead

A set of large diaphragm condenser microphones above the orchestral section capturing a clear representation of the instruments in the space.

Close 1

A blend of spot mics close to the source. Used in conjunction with the other close mics and section overhead to achieve the desired close sound.

Close 2

An alternative blend of spot mics which add body and air to the source.

Close Ribbons

A pair of close ribbon mics capturing a rounded and detailed image.

Tree 1

A decca tree formed of Abbey Road’s finest trio of classic valve omnidirectional microphones creating a lush and full sound.

Tree 2

A tighter, closer decca tree formed from mics with a more directional pattern, suited to faster, more detailed material.

Outriggers 1

Used in conjunction with either tree to obtain a wider image. This pair utilises omnidirectional mics to reproduce the full width of Studio One.

Outriggers 2

Used together with either tree to obtain a wider image. This pair uses mics with a more directional pattern, pulling the edges of the room inwards.

Mids

A pair of valve REDD mics placed between the conductor and the source which adds extra focus to the sound when combined with the Tree and Outriggers.

Ambients

A pristine pair of small diaphragm omnidirectional microphones to the rear of the room for a natural ambience.

Vintage 1

A pair of original 1940s RM1B ribbon microphones placed in front of the conductor to create a vintage scoring stage sound

Vintage 2

A pair of classic 44BX ribbon microphones placed by the conductor for an alternative vintage scoring stage sound

Pop Close

A Simon Rhodes mix of close mics panned centrally to give a flexible image not restricted to the orchestral layout.

Spill

A summation of spot mics placed around the other sections. These capture the natural 'spill' from the source across the orchestra for added realism.

Key Features

A notable list of features to extend the playability and natural realism of this sample library

Right/Left Mapping

Recalls discrete right and left hand performances on adjacent keys, tapping into the distinct timbral difference between each sticking hand. This allows the programming or playing of true-to-life rudiments when needed.

Two Handed Layout

Duplicates the main original mapping blocks to a higher octave, spacing the keys out further for a faster, more ergonomic performance - akin to playing a real instrument.

Voice Choking

Playing a hit when a roll key is held will interrupt (choke) the roll. This allows for very tight roll ends to be played in using a single hit. In Metal Percussion this extends to single note cymbal hits, allowing choked ('secco') cymbal hits to interrupt the ringing of preceding hits.

Soft Takeover

Roll dynamics become velocity sensitive whilst still maintaining modwheel functionality, allowing rolls to be triggered sympathetically and intuitively when playing without having to set the position of the modwheel. The modwheel remains active, however, with the option of being able to crescendo/diminuendo if desired.