Sticks and Stones is the first release in Bunker Samples new Selects series; smaller, unique instruments at really affordable prices.
A month ago I had some studio time booked in a great studio in Hanoi, but the project we had planned had to be cancelled, so I didn't know what to do with the time I had already paid for. Luckily, two days earlier I had seen my friend Thuy play an instrument literally made from stone (a lithophone), and asked her if we could sample it. And boy, did she come through - she managed to convince Ngoc Tran, a virtuoso lithophone player to come to the studio and let us sample her gorgeous instrument and playing.
And the result...
Introducing Sticks & Stones - Vietnamese Lithophone
Sticks and Stones is a one-of-a-kind Vietnamese lithophone, a pitched percussion instrument made from stone, meticulously sampled in a top Hanoi studio by a professional lithophone player.
It’s an instrument that’s directly connected to nature, cultures and musical traditions that spans the globe and pre-dates modern civilization. It’s raw, earthy, beautiful and in-your-face all at once, and if you are brave enough you can use it to replace your standard orchstral glockenspiel, when you need one that actually goes to 11. It’s nimble and agile with a huge dynamic range, and it’s great for anytime you need a sound that instantly conjures up nature and ancient cultures – or just for layering with your synths for some extra delicious bell tones.
You get two different kinds of mallets, standard hits and rolls with buttery smooth crossfades. You also get resonant rubs with 3 different speeds and a bunch of real, pentatonic glissandos. It comes with a clever articulation switching, so you can jump between hits and rolls on the fly like a real player would.
And here's a teaser:
And the walkthrough:
Intro price just $19 until June 14, after that it goes to $29..
I hope you like it!
Nicolaj, Bunker Samples
P.S. And here's a DAW cast of a demo I wrote. It goes a bit bonkers, but it does show how versatile this think can be, and just how fast and nimble it is: