Description
At a glance
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Runs in the FREE
Kontakt Player
NKS
Compatible
Download Size
(NCW compressed from 17GB sample pool)
13.9GB
- 23 String Articulations and Textures.
- 7 Chordal Textures (Smart Intervals).
- 28 Atmosphere Layers.
- 28 Curated Snapshots.
- Mic Signals (Close, Mid, Far).
- Articulation switching and individual articulation settings.
- Layer blends engine.
- Recommended 16GB RAM, 8 Core Processor. Store on SSD.
- Full NKS support – works with Komplete Kontrol hardware.
- Direct download via Native Access 2.
- Runs in the free Kontakt Player (v6.7 or later).
Expressive Textures
Where technology meets performance.
String Formations offers a unique collection of long textures and gestural effects performed by a chamber string ensemble. Designed to complement traditional string libraries, it adds nuance, depth, and a human touch to your compositions.
Audio demos
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About the Library
A small chamber ensemble of three violins, violas, and celli comes together to form String Formations, perfect for intimate scoring or layering with larger ensembles to add movement and nuance.
Recorded in the expansive Nave Studio 1, the library offers three mic perspectives: close for a dry, focused sound, mid (conductor) for balanced warmth, and far to capture the hall’s natural spaciousness.
Expanding on the Smart Trills from Petrichor, the Chordal Textures patch automatically triggers interval relationships when you play chords, creating interweaving and expressive string textures.
Sixteen Atmosphere Layers, crafted from the original recordings, can be combined with the main articulations or in the Layer Blends engine, unlocking a wide palette of textures and sonic possibilities.
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In Action
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Creative Articulations
The foundation of String Formations lies in 16 Unison articulations that complement the Chordal Textures. From evolving longs and expressive pitch bends (Drifts) to repeated pizzicato (Droplets) and dynamic swells, each articulation adds depth and movement. Use them individually in your compositions or layer them creatively to expand the library’s sonic possibilities.
Bonus Feature
Building on the Layer Blends engine introduced in Zen: Meditations and Trails, String Formations lets you blend specific raw articulations with processed Atmosphere Layers from the Layer menu. With 27 sounds available and countless possible combinations, you can create rich, evolving textures that are further enhanced with global effects such as envelopes, filtering, Lo-Fi, Delay, and Reverb.
Explore instantly with 28 curated snapshots, or experiment freely to discover your own unique blends.
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Chordal Textures Articulations
- Flutter – Erratic trills between notes or short tremolos on single notes.
- Airy Flutters –Erratic trills between notes played over a bed of soft flautando-like sustains.
- Flowing Flutters –Erratic trills between notes played over a bed of soft sustains with random movement between ‘sul tasto’ and ‘sul pont’.
- Alternations –Slowly slurred legatos between each note at randomised timings.
- Intense Alternations –Slowly slurred legatos between each note at randomised timings more frequently than the previous Alternations articulation.
- Glides –Slowly alternating between notes randomly using a ‘portamento’ slide.
- Intense Glides –Slowly alternating between notes randomly using a ‘portamento’ slide more frequently than the previous Glides articulation.
- Sporadic Harmonics –Players occasionally play short harmonics randomly.
Unison Articulations
- Airy Sustains –Soft flautando-like sustains with a bit of motion.
- Flowing Sustains –Each player transitions smoothly and independently between sul tasto and sul pont.
- Currents –Soft ‘sul tasto’ with individual players ‘coming up for air’ (occasionally increasing their dynamics and vibrato in short bursts).
- Blooms –All players swell together in dynamics and vibrato at random times.
- Interspersed Tremolo –Soft bowing with players independently transitioning between ‘tremolo’ and flautando-like sustains.
- Streams –‘Col legno tratto’ technique involving soft sustains played with the back of the bow.
- Flurries –Players occasionally play a quick tremolo randomly.
- Sporadic Harmonics –Players occasionally play short harmonics randomly.
Additional Unison Articulations
- Turbulent Tremolo –‘Col legno tratto’ sustains with players independently playing tremolos randomly.
- Ripples –Soft flautando-like sustains alternating the tremolo speeds and position of the bow on the strings to create a wiry, modulating texture.
- Drifts –Regular sustains with players drifting in and out of tune.
- Droplets –Erratically repeated ‘pizzicato’.
- Circulations –Spontaneous ‘harmonics’ played over a bed of soft flautando-like sustains.
- Shivers –Erratic tremolos played over a bed of soft sustains with random movement between ‘sul tasto’ and ‘sul pont’.
- Short & Long Swells –Bowed unison swells.
- Mixes –In this library, we have provided a close mix, mid-room mix, and far mix.
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“Stunning work on this library”
Murray Gold, Composer (Dr. Who, A Very English Scandel, Gentleman Jack)
NKS support and Kontakt player compatibility
String Formations offers full NKS support, giving you seamless integration with Native Instruments’ Komplete Kontrol keyboards. Enjoy intuitive, hands-on control via the built-in display and parameter knobs, making the instrument both highly playable and fully accessible for blind and visually impaired musicians.
The library also runs in the free Kontakt Player, activated through Native Access — no extra purchases required. Simply download Kontakt Player from the Native Instruments website to get started.
