Chris Hein Solo Cello EXtended is a Kontakt Player library with over 30,000 samples, 38 articulations, and four virtual cellos, offering realistic performance and extensive sound design tools.
Purpose and Contents
Chris Hein Solo Cello EXtended is a sample library for Kontakt Player designed to provide a highly expressive and realistic solo cello. It bundles four distinct instruments: a Romantic Cello with a clear, hi-fi tone, a Modern Cello with a warmer, richer character, and British and German cellos as optimized EX versions. Each was recorded with a professional studio musician in a dry environment with close miking.
The library targets composers and sound designers across genres like classical, film scoring, gypsy-jazz, folk, and pop ballads. The included special effect sounds, such as flautando, flageolets, and ponticello, are suited for experimental music and soundtrack work, allowing users to create complex sound clusters and atmospheric textures from a single instrument.
Key Capabilities
With over 30,000 samples, the library features up to 38 articulations and eight velocity layers, all phase-aligned to ensure smooth crossfades. It includes four true legato transition types in up to four dynamic layers for both short and long notes. The Note Head Designer offers 102 attack shapes to create realistic short-note variations that match the attack and release of sustained notes.
The instrument also provides an Ensemble Maker that can transform the two solo instruments into an ensemble with stereo voice division and detuning. A tenfold DSP effects rack supports further sound shaping. Four dynamic modes and pre-programmed key-switch presets enhance playability, while the clean start configuration allows loading only the sustain articulation initially to save memory and speed up load times.
Workflow and Flexibility
The custom user interface is designed for both immediate play and deep configuration. Users can start with a basic sustain articulation and add more as needed, supporting efficient work on mobile systems. Pre-programmed key-switch presets at the lower keyboard allow for quick articulation changes without editing, while the Note Head Designer and dynamic modes offer fine control for nuanced performances.
The library’s dry recorded sound, combined with two convolution-based reverb sections for the instrument body and room, enables users to place the cello in any acoustic space, from intimate to concert hall. This flexibility makes it easy to blend with other libraries, as the sound is not fixed to a specific recorded ambience. The phase-aligned samples ensure that dynamic changes remain clean and consistent.
Practical Applications
This cello library is well-suited for solo performances in classical, film, and pop contexts, where expressive phrasing and realistic articulation are required. The extensive articulations, including legato, shorts, effects, and dynamic layers, allow for detailed melodic lines and cinematic textures. The ensemble maker can augment small string arrangements without adding extra instruments.
For sound design, the effect articulations and DSP rack enable creation of unusual timbres and atmospheres. The flexible loading options and key-switch presets make it practical for live performance or fast-paced studio sessions. The ability to customize attack shapes and legato transitions supports highly personalized playing styles, while the phase alignment ensures that even subtle dynamic shifts remain smooth and natural.
Key features
- Over 30,000 samples, up to 38 articulations, eight velocity layers
- Four true legato transitions in up to four dynamic layers
- Note Head Designer with 102 attack shapes for realistic shorts
- Ensemble Maker for turning solo instruments into ensembles
- Tenfold DSP effects rack for sound design
- Pre-programmed key-switch presets and four dynamic modes
- Dry recorded sound with two convolution reverb sections
Best for
Best for composers needing a deeply expressive solo cello for film scores, classical works, or pop ballads, and for sound designers requiring flexible articulation control and effect sounds to create unique textures and atmospheres.