Karoryfer Collection

The man known as DSmolken and his group Karoryfer Samples have sampled and released an amazing amount of original instruments for the SFZ format. These are completely free instruments released under the Creative Commons banner. Fortunately for me, Mr. Smolken doesn't seem to object to me creating Kontakt instruments from his efforts. So here is a collection of those instruments thus far. Note that Karoryfer has many more instruments including interesting synthy and glitchy types that fall outside the range of this blog and others that I just haven't gotten around to Konverting.

Pasta Bass - Baritone Guitar

Pasta Bass for Kontakt

SFZ Version from Karoryfer

To start off here is are four different versions of a Squier Bass VI recorded by Space Coyote. The spaghetti has round wound strings, the rest are flat wound. The tagliatelle is muted, the linguine is picked and the fetuccine is fingered and I also included a mild version without the highest velocity layers. They are sampled every three notes, in three velocity layers (four for the fetuccine) and have three or four round robins.

Creative Commons 3.0 Unported : Credit Karoryfer Samples

Cute Emily Guitar - Solid Guitar

Cute Emily Guitar for Kontakt 5
SFZ Version from Karoryfer

Soundcloud Demo

I redid the Kontakt conversion of the brilliant D Smolkin's cutest creation. It now has 4 velocity layers and release samples and a great script new shell from Mickaël Ménager that lets you kick up an amp right in the instrument along with other cool effects.
Thanks to FLWrd for spotting a couple bad notes. They should now be fixed.

Creative Commons 3: Credit Karoryfer Samples

WereSax - Alto Saxophone

Karoryfer Alto Sax Electric for Konakt
Karoryfer Alto Sax WIPs 
SFZ Version from Karoryfer
Soundcloud Demo

 

A nice Sax from our sample man. Mickaël Ménager's script and GUI provide the Electrification of the Sax. For those who want a more traditional Sax, there is also a WIPs Kontakt version without an amp simulation on board. The version on the Karoryfer site is very adventurous and well worth picking up.

Creative Commons Unported 3.0: Credit Karoryfer Sounds

272 Merry Orks - Lady Death (Metal Vocalist)

One of Karoryfer's more interesting projects was this vocal sampling. Being me, I had to try Kontakting some of the samples of the nice lady. This is very experimental.

272 Merry Orks - Kontakt 5
SFZ Version from Karoryfer (very different mapping)

Here are the keyswitches. Each sound is mapped across 4 octaves.

B - C1, C - C#1, Ch - D1, D - D#1, F - E1, G - F1, H - F#1, J - G1, L - G#1, M - A1, N - A#1, Ng - B1, P - C2, R - C#2, S - D2, Sh - D#2, T - E2, Th - F2, V - F#2, W - G2, Y - G#2, Z - A2

A - C3, a - C#3, ah - D3, ea - D#3, E - E3, ee - F3, e - F#3, i - G3, O - G#3, o - A3, oo - A#3, ou - B3, ow - C4, oy - C#4, OO - D4, u - D#4, y - E4

Creative Commons Unported 3.0: Credit Karoryfer Sounds

 Karoryfer Cello

DSmolken and the lovely and skilled cellist Kamila Borowiak have teamed up to give us a great instrument. Actually they have given us two instruments. Mr. Smolken has reworked the cello to include things like vibrato and legato and all the sustain samples are looped for endless play. This download includes both the SFZ and Kontakt versions.

Cello Version 2 with WIPs

or from the Karoryfer site
Soundcloud Demo

Here is the previous version if you want to use the 'Electric' Shell or the older SFZ version.

Karoryfer Cello for Kontakt 5

Soundcloud Demo

The Kontakt version uses the script and shell by Mickaël Ménager.It has all kinds of effects that usually would be used for an electric piano or guitar so you can 'electrify' the cello if you like or just let it be a nice acoustic cello for an orchestra.


Creative Commons 3.0 Unported: Credit Karoryfer Lecolds 
Copyright 2016 Karoryfer Lecolds. Royalty-free for use in all non-commercial and commercial productions. If you want to distribute these in a different sampler format or as part of a larger sample library, please be kind enough to inform Karoryfer Lecolds.

Meat Bass - Double Bass

Karoryfer sample machine D. Smolken sampled and then re-sampled his Double Bass. You can find both versions here. The latest is the Karoryfer Meat Bass with over 400 samples of Arco and Pizzicato. The Arco has every third note sampled in five velocity layers with both up and down bowing which alternate as round robins. The Pizzicato is again every third note sampled with four velocity layers and four round robins. There are also some cool percussive noises from C3 to C4 if you use the G#4 key-switch. This version is definitely more polished than the original and sounds quite good in an orchestral setting.

Karoryfer Meatbass for Kontakt
SFZ Version from Karoryfer Samples

Angel Eyes - Demo

The earlier version is the D. Smolken Double Bass, which was created before the Karoryfer name as best I can tell. It is rougher, but has its own earthy charm. The previous Kontakt version had some problems, so I fixed it up a bit. It has some great bass 'noises'.

D. Smolken Double Bass for Kontakt

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0: Karoryfer Samples

More Freesound

I haven't done much lately and am messing with some projects that aren't very fun, so I decided to take a break and browse Freesound.org. I bumped into a few cool things so I stuffed them into Kontakt.

Sandyrb Snaradise

Sandyrb generally recorded with 11 different microphones and between 8 and 11 velocity layers. Each snare is in its own octave with the different mics next to each other. There are over 600 samples and it weighs in at about 150 megs. Some of the snares are variations.

Creative Commons Attribution: Sandyrb

iternetcone Hammered Dulcimer

This on the other hand is quite small, with nine samples and one velocity layer. But is a fun instrument. It was sampled by iternetcone from his hammered dulcimer.

Creative Commons Attribution: iternetcone

FaireDesVague Fretless Bass

 FaireDesVagues sampled his Fretless Bass for Freesound. While we have plenty of heavily sampled basses (thanks Project 16), this lightly sampled one has a nice tone and a bit different sound. It has one velocity layer and about every other note sampled.

BLamerichs 8 Bit Game Sounds

BLamerichs 16 Bit Game Sounds

And now for something completely different. Sometimes in the middle of your Carnegie Hall performances you just want to break out some classic video game sounds. Now you can thanks to B_Lamerichs.

Creative Commons Attribution: B_Lamerichs

 Selector Chimes

I really like these seven chimes that Selector sampled or created or something. They have a touch of magic too them.

Creative Commons Attribution: Selector

Christopher Derp En Guarde

You never know when a sword fight is gonna break out at your concert. Be prepared with the foley work of Mr. Derp. 

Creative Commons Attribution: Christopher Derp

This is part two of Freesound instruments,  find Part One Here.

Necromare VSTs

An incredibly talented artist who goes by the name Necromare created an amazing amount of VST instruments a few years back. I was privileged to have an electronic chat with him and not only did he give permission to mirror the VSTs I was already aware that he had created, but also many I never knew existed. These instruments range from traditional pianos, music boxes and brass instruments to wild soundscapes and horror instruments that are perfect for Halloween. These VSTis are Windows 32 bit.

I made a mistake with the Recorder zip, if you got it earlier than 4/2/16 please download it again, sorry I put the receiver  mse in the zip instead of the recorder one.

These instruments are Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Please credit Necromare.

Dimensions in Dreams and Deep Space

Dimensions

includes 11 instruments

Deep Space Explorer

includes 4 instruments

Dreamscapes

includes 5 instruments

Keyboard Instruments

Basement Piano

Panning Piano

Rock Harpsichord

Celesta

Lucivier

Music Box

Jessie Music Box

Old Music Box

 Harps

Piano Harp

Celtic Harp

Angelic Harp

Guitars & Bass

Acoustic Guitar Version 2

Nylon Guitar Version 2

Simple Acoustic Guitar

Open Electric Guitar

Electric Bass

Tremolo Guitar

Bowed Guitar Version 2

 Dante's Power Chords

Country Strings

Mandolin

Southern Banjo

Hammered Dulcimer  

Percussion / Idiophone

Bang 1

Bongoes

Clanger

Soft Mallet Xylophone

Waterphones

World Instruments

World Percussion

World Percussion 2

Gamelan

Didgeridoo

Kalimba

Koto
Cool Song from Yeska with the Koto

Oud

Pan Lute

Sarod

Shamisen

Singing Bowl
included 3 instruments

 Tibetan Monastery

Wood Flute

Brass / Woodwinds / Orchestral

Small Maestro
includes Clarinet, Angelic Choir, Orchestra Section & Hit

Jazz Trumpet

Classic Tuba

Tenor Sax

Recorder

Vocal

Mixed Choir

Phoneme

Toys

Kazoo

Toy Piano

Bent Furbie

Broken Toy

Vintage Electronic Sounds / Synth 

Wave-Stone
an amazingly fun draw your own sound instrument

Poly-Slop
32 presets and lots of synth functions

Bit Chip
includes 10 instruments

Bit Chip 2
includes 9 instruments

Tech Bin

Pong

Sinsonic Drums

VL Drums

Sound Effects / Found Items / Body Instruments

Receiver
includes 5 instruments

Old Candle Jar

Singing Glass

The Audience

The Office
contains 6 instruments

Turntable

War Machine

Whale Song

Fartburpatron3000

Fingerpop

Twisted and Horror Instruments

Chronosfear

Horror Movie Soundtrack
contains 5 instruments

Limbo

Satan's Fiddle
recorded one day when he went down to Georgia

Vampire Violin

Voices of Darkness

Zeebo Drum Kit

Zombie Electric Version 2

Pablo Project

Here is the Pablo Trumpet with samples by rcasamajo.

WIPS Pablo Trumpet - Kontakt

Soundcloud Demo

It comes in a standard and a mild version. The mild version cuts out the loudest sample group which can get a bit funky at times. There are two or three velocity layers and almost every note sampled, about 80 total. I edited them by hand so they should be nice and tight.
I used the Big Bob WIPS scripts, which adds fake round robins, legato and vibrato and if you have a wind controller, you can play the trumpet using it!

Creative Commons Attribution: rcasamajo

Creative Commons Picture by Derek Gleeson.

Recut Pianos

After a few complains about latency and other issues, I have reworked a couple pianos. First up is the Skerratt London piano by Kung Krille. I just hand edited the samples this morning and they should now be nice and crisp when you tap your keyboard.

Skerratt London Piano - Kontakt

Maize VSTi

Windows

Skerratt London Piano - 64

Skerratt London Piano - 32

Mac

Skerratt London Piano - VST

Skerratt London Piano - AU

The Iowa is one of the most popular pianos, but has a few problems. I tried to do a better version by dropping out some samples that in the upper mid register at medium velocity that somehow came out almost mono. I also stretched the lowest C to go down to A as some of the lowest notes were pretty wonky. I wouldn't normally stretch notes this far, but bass samples are less noticeable.

Iowa Piano - Kontakt
Great Soundcloud Song by Reasy

Maize VSTi
Windows
Iowa Piano - 64
Iowa Piano -32
Mac
Iowa Piano - VST
Iowa Piano - AU

This is cool. Glyn Barnes from the Cakewalk forums has made these pianos compatible with the new Komplete Kontrol format. 

Komplete Kontrol

 

I don't understand all the details, but fortunately Glyn gave me the details on what you need to do to get everything up and running.

"The NKI should be copied to the same folder as the original NKI

The folder with the NKSN file should be copied to C:/Users/[user name]/Documents/Native Instruments/User Content/Kontakt

The NKSN should appear in the user tab of the Komplete Kontrol Browser.

When you click on this you will see the Kontakt Missing File dialog. Use the “resolve manually” option to locate an load the missing files, you will need to do this twice, once to find the NKI and once for the samples. Resave the NKI. Next go to the Komplete Kontrol file menu and re-save the pre-set.

On no account rename the new NKI or the pre-set file will not be able to find it.
If Komplete Kontrol cannot see the NKSN file check the folder is in the scan path."

Karoryfer Alto Sax

Karoryfer Alto Sax Electric for Konakt
Karoryfer Alto Sax WIPs 

Soundcloud Demo

 

From the same mind that brought you this nice Cello, comes the Karoryfer Alto Sax. You can find it for SFZ at the Karoryfer site. Mickaël Ménager's script and GUI provide the Electrification of the Sax. For those who want a more traditional Sax, there is also a WIPs Kontakt version without an amp simulation on board.

Creative Commons: Karoryfer Sounds

Jasper Blunk

Jasper Blunk Orchestral Instruments for Kontakt

Jasper Blunk has returned to sampling with some excellent instruments.
He has released a free Solo Legato Violin instrument and a collection of legacy freebies.
His paid instruments are an inexpensive River Piano and a more expensive but impressive Oceana Choir. Mr. Blunk has been kind to our community across the years and I encourage everyone to take a look at his excellent instruments.

Maestoso 18 Violin Ensemble

Fortissimo Trumpet Ensemble
Alt Samples for Trumpet - Fortissimo Gently Tuned Sample Pool
Vibrato Trumpets

Fortissimo Horn Ensemble
FFF Horn Samples Tuned by a  Noah Horowitz.
8 Horns FFF Bells Up Sustains   

Fortissimo Trombone Ensemble

Jasper Blunk created these instruments. I did not, but he kindly allowed for redistribution as long as there was no charge.
The readme says "Can be used for commercial and noncommercial purposes."
See the included readme for more information.