Nordic Spheres
Unpolished, cinematic ambient sound
$ 199
From the frozen reaches of the North, icy spirits reach out across the eternal expanse to seize the listener in their song. NORDIC SPHERES captures the cinematic frosty tone of the ancients, a transportive granular instrument that creates rough, pulsating atmospheres echoing through time and desolation.
MUSICAL SOUNDSCAPES OF ICE AND SNOW
NORDIC SPHERES is a Kontakt instrument that creates vast, frozen soundscapes and musical spheres using a combination of rich, sound effects content, granular synthesis, and percussive sounds. We worked with Mats Lundgren and Amina Hocine from Sweden-based Pole Position to create a treasure trove of rich tonal and non-tonal audio from a wealth of creative sources. Mats’ recordings combined with our layering and arpeggiator possibilities have created a truly inspirational instrument.
The sonic sibling of TIME TEXTURES and CHROMA, it is perfect for composers and producers who want to experiment with both sound design and music.
THE BLISS OF NUMBNESS
NORDIC SPHERES was created from a variety of mangled atypical tonal and non-tonal sounds and effects, mixed together like crashing glaciers. There are four layers from which to build an intricate texture, each with its own ADSR, arpeggiator, and FX options that include EQ, saturation, chorus, and tremolo.
SLIDING WITH THE GRAIN
NORDIC SPHERES was designed with great glacial movements in mind. Our Grain Engine was the natural choice to achieve this, so that, like snowflakes, no two sounds are ever the same. Meanwhile, our advanced arpeggiator engine allows for complex weaves to float through the sonic spectrum, while the modulation knob controls any number of motion FX.
Made For Kontakt Player
This library is licensed for use in the free Kontakt Player. It can be used in Kontakt Player or the full retail version of Kontakt. It requires online registration through the Native Instruments Native Access system. This library is also fully compatible with Komplete Kontrol and all NKS Standard hardware and software by Native Instruments.
ECHOES OF AN ETERNAL EXPANSE
The secret behind the crystalline and haunting tones of NORDIC SPHERES lies in the expressive capabilities of the four layers and how the effects are tied to the modwheel.
GRAIN ENGINES
The two upper layers feature the Grain Engines – the real icing on the instrument. Adjust the density for thickness, the starting position for something harder to grasp, and change the timing to smear or shatter the sound like falling icycles. Further advanced controls include an ADSR and arpeggiator, with the FX able to be tied to the modwheel.
LAYERS
Nordic Spheres is like the tundra, with layers of frost and ice. Unlike the permafrost, however, it’s easy to build upon them. For the two Grain Engines, choose from Tonal, Tonal Effects, Non-Tonal Effects, and Looping sounds and from the two traditional sample engines: Hits, Particles, and Sustains. Each layer has access to an arpeggiator and FX.
ARPEGGIATORS
Just as in other instruments, you can always expect powerful arpeggiators backing the sound of other products. Each layer has access to its own arpeggiator or LFO, allowing you to create intricate patterns that freeze the senses and immediately inspire new musical ideas.
SOUNDS CRAFTED BY MATS LUNDGREN AND AMINA HOCINE OF POLE POSITION
As a composer and sound designer for Pole Position, Mats Lundgren has over 20 years of experience in audio creation. His love for experimental percussion shines through in his scores for Just Cause 2, Mad Max, Generation Zero, The Hunger: Call of the Wild, and more, as well as in his work for NORDIC SPHERES.
Amina Hocine is a trained classical pianist who early on began experimenting with the interplay of music and technology, so it was only natural that she became a master at synthesizers. At Pole Position, she works as a sound designer working on recording instruments and sounds and making them more interesting while also studying at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.
