Koto – Japanese plucked musical instrument, long zither with moving filly. Koto, along with Hayashi and Shakuhachi flutes, Tsudzumi drum and Shamisen lute, belongs to traditional Japanese musical instruments. Until the 20th century, koto was mainly a solo instrument.
Over the centuries of history, koto has not undergone fundamental changes in design. In modern Japan, koto continues to be used in traditional and modern music, there are two schools of performance in koto – Ikuta-ryu and Yamada-ryu, in the past there were two other major schools that have now lost popularity.
The 13-string koto is one of Japan’s most dignified traditional instruments. Capable of everything from elegant, single plucked notes to aggressive glissandos, the koto boasts a wide range of musical expressions and can add a dash of refinement and grace to traditional Japanese music, modern film scores, and many other genres.
Stunningly realistic 13-string koto reproduction thanks to precise recording and scripting
Up to eight velocity layers and four round-robin samples for natural sounding dynamics
26 koto articulations, all key switch selectable
Five banks of quintessential koto phrases, all key switch selectable
Plucking control function for full mastery over subtle, natural sounding plucked notes
Performance mode maps each of the 13 strings to a white key for easy performance of real koto glissandos and phrases
28 classic koto scales transposable into any key
User scale mode for creating custom scales for specific pieces
Stellar tone colors captured in full 24-bit, 96 kHz fidelity ( library contains 24-bit, 44.1 kHz samples)
Samples recorded with multiple microphones, and the Direct, Overhead, Room, and Stereo Mix sources can be mixed independently to create unique sounds
48 built-in convolution reverb settings with individual channel reverb mixing