Spitfire Audio x Abbey Road Studios are pleased to announce the third instalment of our most detailed sample library to date, Abbey Road Orchestra: Metal Percussion.
Following on from Low Percussion and High Percussion, this versatile and diverse collection of percussive instruments features everything from cymbals and crashes to more eclectic cinematic sounds such as oil drum, waterphone and giant crasher, all played by renowned percussionist Joby Burgess and expertly captured by senior engineer Simon Rhodes in Studio One.
Abbey Road Orchestra: Metal Percussion combines both an expertly curated library of orchestral staples and a crafted collection of distinctive sounds and textures.
With 58 hand-picked instruments selected by world renowned percussionist Joby Burgess, the majority of these instruments come from his personal collection — which has been used extensively on major Hollywood productions — and offers true diversity.
Whether you're looking for the delicacy of bells and chimes, the roaring sounds of the thundersheet or something more abstract like the variety of textural elements played on the oil drum, this library layers and combines beautifully to spark your imagination and inspire your own patches and creations.
Experience the unparalleled quality and diversity of Metal Percussion.
Key Features include:
● 58 Percussive Instruments
■ Anvils (3) – Metal bars struck with hammers creating ringing sounds with excellent projection - A modern equivalent to the traditional metalworker's anvil used in orchestral settings ■ Brake Drums (3) – Literally the brake drums from an automobile, these produce a surprisingly clear and resonant tone when struck - presented here as a set of three ■ Suspended Cymbals (3) – A set of three suspended cymbals (20” Dark, 21” Mellow and 16” Bright) performed with a variety of beaters providing a huge range of crashes and shimmering textures ■ China Cymbal – A traditional 24" China cymbal hand-hammered in Wuhan, producing a distinctive attack with a dark, washy sustain ■ Spiral Cymbal – A spiral cymbal with a very bright attack, moderate sustain and a distinctly 'trashy' character ■ Splash Cymbals (2) – A pair of splash cymbals (8” and 10”) with a fast attack and short sustain - ideal for accented hits ■ Crashers (2) & Stack – A set of two crashers and a cymbal stack creating a palette of short, sharp and dirty metallic sounds - great for fast passages or layering ■ Giant Crasher – Two thunder sheets (rectangular metal cymbals) stacked together and struck from above to create powerful, shattering hits with little sustain ■ Piatti (3) – An orchestral staple, piatti are hand-held clash cymbals struck together creating a dense and brilliant shimmer - presented here as a set of three – 21” Dark/Germanic, 19” Mellow/Viennese and 17” Bright/French ■ Scaffolds (3) – A trio of scaffold poles struck with beaters or hammers producing bright ringing sounds with discernible pitch ■ Tam Tams (2) – A pair of orchestral Tam Tams - large ‘gong-like’ instruments of indefinite pitch with a very long, deep resonance and dark overtones ■ Temple Bowls (4) – A set of four temple bowls to create meditative sounds with a rich blooming sustain ■ Thundersheet – An extremely large (64” x 42”) but very thin suspended metal sheet which produces a characteristic thunder effect when struck or shaken ■ Trash Cans (2) – A spread pair of trash cans creating a 'street' sound - great for both layering and creating complex polyrhythms ■ Oil Drum – A 40 gallon oil drum struck with a variety of beaters producing very unorthodox but highly complex sounds ■ Wind Gong – A 26" wind gong with quick and bright attack which produces a sound resembling the rushing of wind when struck ■ Waterphone – A remarkable instrument of metal tines surrounding a water-filled chamber. Played with a bow, the tines create a otherworldly sounds with mesmerising harmonics
○ Small Metals – A comprehensive collection of smaller metals to add additional colours and textures
■ Agogos (2 pairs) – Pairs of cone-shaped bells with a short decay, each occupying a different pitch and struck with thin sticks to create charactful rhythms ■ Cabassa – A hand instrument with beads wrapped around a ridged metal cylinder and turned with a handle, often used in place of a shaker ■ Cowbells (3) – Clapperless bells with a short, hollow decay and struck with drum sticks - presented here with three pitches ■ Bell Tree – An instrument comprising of cup-shaped bells played by stroking with poly mallets ■ Spring Coil – A large coiled spring played with a triangle beater - either suspended from a stand (open) or resting on a soft surface (muted) ■ Sleigh Bells & Indian Bells – Pellet bells attached to a handle (Sleigh Bells) or rope (Indian Bells) and shaken to produce a crisp 'jingle' sound ■ Tambourines (3) – Metal 'jingles' attached to a hoop and either shaken or struck, equally adept at fast, repeating rhythms or single note accents - presented as a set of three ■ Triangles (3) – An orchestral staple, the triangle produces a bright, high pitched bell sound with a long decay - presented here as a set of three ■ Finger Cymbals (2) – Pairs of small cymbals struck together to produce a long and high pitched ring ■ Guira – A Caribbean instrument with a heavily textured metal surface, either tapped or scraped to create characterful repeating rhythms ■ Mark Tree – Suspended metal tines played by stroking with the fingers to produce the instrument’s signature glissandi ■ Reco Reco – Popularised in Brazilian music, the Reco-Reco consists of springs extended across a hollow metal frame which are struck or scraped ■ Windchimes – Small suspended metal tines which add light splashes of colour when flicked ■ Chains – Heavy gauge chains dropped into a trash can to create aggressive metallic accents and textures
