Hyperflute is a complete sample library of 12+ GB of flute sounds, including all extended techniques, ranging from Contrabass flute up to the piccolo flute. What started as a mere quarantine activity, recording a bunch of samples every day, ended up to be a complete library with 9 distinct instruments, each with a 5 octaves range, for a total of 5000+ samples.  

I recorded all modern traverse Böhm flutes, that  means: C-flute, bass flute, alto flute, piccolo and double-bass flute, including all the extended techniques known to them. Many of this techniques are unknown to the most and were not yet covered in ANY SAMPLE LIBRARY so far!

Especially the percussive sounds (such as tongue ram, slaps, jet whistle, etc.) are very particular, and makes this library a unique tool. My goal is to open up the concert flute to the various music genres and styles. 

INSTRUMENTS

 To record this samples I used my private instruments, which during this quarantine were such a blast! Since I am specialized in contemporary and experimental music, playing on unconventional instruments, such as double bass flute, is very common in my everyday life. This instrument have unique acoustic properties, which I tried to enhance, using special amplification methods (read below).

• C-Flute: Sankyo 14K handmade with Lafin rose-gold riser and lip plate, B-foot joint, silver open-hole mechanics
•  Piccolo: August Richard Hammig with Werner Fisher rosewood head joint
•  Alto Flute: Eva Kingma full silver body and open hole mechanics, F#-foot joint 
•  Bass Flute: Kotato&Fukushima full silver body with B-foot joint.
•  Contrabass Flute in G and C: Christian Jäger, München

GEAR

Many years of experience as both a concert flautist and composer in the field of contemporary, experimental music, as well as my education as recording engineer, were combined in this project. I wanted to create a one for all complete library that can help both composers as well as producers or sound artists to learn more about the flute and its beautiful extended techniques. Some of the percussive techniques are so particular, they can surely be used instead of drums in a track. I therefore put a focus on this techniques, which sound really massive on low instruments!

Here the equipment I used to record this samples:

• Microphones

To record all the instrumental sound, as well as all the standard techniques, I used my cardioid microphones Neumann KM 184. I prefer to place them typically near the key mechanics, to get a more balanced and rich sound. 

To record all percussive sounds (especially on low instruments), I used a special  technique,which I developed for use in my live sets. I use miniature high-pressure cardioid microphones with an extremely high sound pressure level (130db SPL) placed inside the tube of the instrument. In this way, I get a rich sound, especially for percussive samples, such as tongue ram, slaps, air sounds, key clicks on lower instruments. The exact position of the microphone has a huge effect on the quality of sound, so during the recording procedure, the mic position was constantly changed to always assure a great sound.

• Interface

I recorded the samples using RME Quadmic Pre-amps and a MOTU UltraLite mk4 interface. All samples are recorded at 44.1kHz, 24bit. 

FEATURES

Here the main aspects of the library at a glance: 

• Large range (up to 6 octaves!)

Instead of making different sample instrument for every flute, I decided to put them all together, so every technique covers the whole spectrum from the Contrabass flute up to the  piccolo! I made the transitions between the different instruments smooth using samples of different instruments in the same notes round robins. In this way you feel a natural cross-fade.

• Lots of Round Robins (up to 4, with random no-repeat!)

A key point to a natural sounding sample library. I used a random-no-repeat structure to make the library sound really alive!

• Seamless loop points 

The samples of long sounds have seemless loop points build in. Note that the loop points were not set in Kontakt directly, but as metadata in the samples themselves. In this way, the library can be also exported and used in other samplers.

• Note = Pitch 

As some of you may know, some of the extended techniques on the flute create different sounding pitches from the fingered note. Sometimes even the intervals follow a random non-tempered scale. I tried nevertheless to match the right sounding pitch, so that each instrument can be played also in combination and sounds always right!

•  Custom GUI + Effects (and PRESETS!)

The library (when used in Kontakt) will feature a custom GUI to have a quick access to the most important parameters (crossfade, velocity layering, LFO, ADSR, etc.) to map in your DAW. The Library also features tailored sound effects, with lots of PRESETS to choose from.