KOTO 17, the seventh version in the Japanese Virtuoso series, introduces all music creators to the sounds of the 17-string bass koto, an integral part of modern Japanese music.
Three years after the development of KOTO 13, KOTO 17 has advanced features that bring new tonal qualities to the library.
Naturally, the KOTO 17 can be used as a solo instrument. But it complements the 13-string koto and shakuhachi (bamboo flute) unusually well, making it an essential component in both classical and modern Japanese musical environments. And when combined with other Virtuoso Japanese Series releases such as KOTO 13, KOTO 20 or Shakuhachi, KOTO 17 can form an incredibly powerful ensemble.
The string editor provides independent tuning of all 17 strings.
The koto is played by adjusting the tuning of 17 strings for each piece of music you play. The KOTO 17 features a Scale Performance mode for matching the tones of each string with 17 white keys. This allows the performer to approach the instrument as realistically as possible. Plus 20 articulations that recreate all aspects of the 17-string koto playing style.
KOTO 17 contains 20 different articulations to recreate the diverse range of musical expressions of koto. These include the various nuances created by playing with your thumb, forefinger, or middle finger, as well as glissando, tremolo sound, and even pick scratches. All articulations can be controlled independently using rocker switches.
The three banks of KOTO 17 phrases contain special techniques that are difficult to reproduce, from classic koto techniques such as glissando and surizume to sound effects created by striking the bridge. Phrase banks are selectable by key switches and can be triggered from a MIDI keyboard. You can also control the pitch and tempo of each phrase bank.
The library includes 30 reverb convolutions, including two impulse responses from Noh Theater, renowned among musicians for its acoustics. Convolutional reverbs let you create high quality sound in your instrument.
The tonal characteristics of a koto sound differ greatly depending on the finger and the thickness of the string. To faithfully reproduce these variations, we have developed a new feature called Instrument Modeler. With Instrument Modeler, you can tweak individual parameters, including finger thickness and string thickness (thick, normal, and thin), pitch and transient attack, and noise components. This feature allows you to control the character of the sound in anything from natural playing to very aggressive performance.
The library comes with three alternative pickup articulations to recreate the natural sound variation that occurs when playing a pick sequence. Alternative pickup can be switched with rocker switches or sustain pedal. This function makes it easy to play a realistic tremolo.
The library contains 10 commonly used scales (chromatic, ionic, natural minor, harmonic minor, melodic minor, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, whole tone), including the chromatic scale. You can play a variety of music with the presets and key transpose function. An additional User Gamma mode allows you to create your own for specific compositions. When creating your own scale, you can set the volume and pan for each string, as well as fine tune each string.
By tuning all 17 strings, you can tune the scales for specific melodies or for your original compositions, allowing you to incorporate koto elements into any piece of music. Custom scales are saved and can be recalled at any time.
Recordings have been made with the utmost care, using over eight different types of microphones along with mic preamps. All samples from the library were recorded in high resolution 24-bit / 96 kHz to accurately convey all the nuances.
The samples were recorded with three stereo microphone positions – Direct, Overhead and Room – plus a stereo mix. Full mixing control is available with individual volume, pan, reverb and EQ settings for each channel. The parallel output bus sends microphone channels to separate DAW tracks for more precise mixing.
Main Features
• Peerless reproduction of every performance nuance from the 17-string koto thanks to meticulous recording techniques and innovative programming
• Exclusive Performance mode maps the 17 strings to adjacent white keys for easy performance of real koto glissandos and phrases
• 20 key-switch- selectable articulations fundamental to the 17-string koto
• Sustain pedal control for natural continuous-picking phrasing
• Newly developed Instrument Modeler reproduces sound variations due to different fingerpicks and strings
• Character selector lets you choose from three fingerpick thicknesses
• String tone selector offers three string tones: Thick, Normal, and Thin
• Includes three banks of quintessential koto phrases, all key-switch controllable
• Plucking control function for full mastery over subtle, natural sounding picked notes
• String editor enables independent tuning adjustments for all 17 strings
• In addition to the 10 preset scales, the User Scale mode lets you create original scales
• All samples recorded in 24-bit / 96 kHz high resolution to capture every tonal detail
• Create your own mixes with the multi-microphone samples and a dedicated mixer with individual controls for Direct, Overhead, Room, and Stereo Mix channels
• Compatible with Kontakt Player / Kontakt Full Ver. 5.7.3 or newer
• NKS ready