The Synchron Shakuhachi from Vienna Symphonic Library is a comprehensive virtual instrument based on the shakuhachi, an end-blown bamboo flute instrument originally from ancient China and widely associated with traditional Japanese music. Noted for its characteristic emotive, breathy sound, the shakuhachi is an exceptionally versatile instrument, capable of everything from percussive attacks to pitch shifting bends, and is now available for the first time as part of VSL's advanced Synchron line of virtual instrument libraries.
The Shakuhachi library includes 25 distinct articulations, all fully playable from the free included Venna Synchron Player program, and is available in Audio-Unit, VST, AAX Native, and standalone formats for macOS and Windows computers.
Note:
This license is for the Standard library version, which includes 7710 samples in a 2.6GB library.
A Versatile East Asian Woodwind
The shakuhachi’s unique sound is unmistakable, characterized by its emotive breathiness. Two types of vibrato add variety and expression to the long notes. Typical elements are grace notes, bends, and a very distinctive attack when playing a note, as well as expressive playing techniques such as dynamic trills and distinctive grace notes.
Its five finger holes are tuned to a minor pentatonic scale with no half-tones, but using techniques called meri and kari in which the blowing angle is adjusted, the pitch can be bent downward and upward, respectively.
Played by a Professional
The shakuhachi was played by multi-instrumentalist, folk instruments expert, and member of the Synchron Stage Orchestra, Veronika Vitazkova. She played in many orchestras, among them the Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, and Tonkünstler Orchestra, toured Europe as a solo flutist with the late Ennio Morricone, and played at esteemed festivals from Salzburger Festspiele to Hollywood in Vienna.
Having performed on countless film scores at Synchron Stage Vienna, Veronika feels very much at home on the large Stage A and marvels at the exceptional acoustics of this scoring stage that contribute substantially to the overall sound of each instrument.
Every Nuance Captured
To capture the spectacular ambience of Stage A of Synchron Stage, VSL's engineers employed seven phase-coherent microphone configurations to provide a broad range of room options. All signals are available as separate channels in the mixer section of the Vienna Synchron Player. A wide variety of presets offer perfect mixer settings and serve as great starting points for your own sound creations.
Minor Pentatonic Scale
Under the Content tab you'll find a listing of the shakuhachi's natural sampled notes, which comprise its minor pentatonic tonality. Nonetheless, this software instrument provides a chromatic keyboard mapping of notes. In addition, legatos were sampled chromatically. If you want your composition to be played by a shakuhachi player, please bear in mind that not everything you write and play on the keyboard may be possible to perform for a musician, due to the nonchromatic nature of the instrument.
Articulations
Instrument
Shakuhachi
- Range: C4 to D6
- Scale: Pentatonic Scale (C, D, F, G, A)
- C4 = Middle C
Short Notes
- Staccato bold and agile
- Portato bold and agile
- Portato marcato, slow, and fast
- Short grace notes without vibrato, with vibrato, and with head vibrato
- Dynamic trills
Long Notes, Legato
- Sustained with vibrato, without vibrato, and with head vibrato
- Marcato with and without vibrato
- Flutter tonguing
- Trills
- Grace notes with and without vibrato
- Espressive with and without vibrato (long notes only)
- All with regular, fall, and accentuated release (except dynamic trills)
Dynamics
- Crescendo with and without vibrato
- Diminuendo with and without vibrato
Fast Repetitions
Repetitions from 120 to 160 BPM with ringing and cut release