Ancient Kingdom wind instrument library by EastWest Sounds virtual instrument interface

Ancient Kingdom: Virtual Wind Instrument Collection by EastWest Sounds

Rated 4.9/5 on Plugin Boutique (7 ratings)

Ancient Kingdom is a virtual instrument collection from EastWest Sounds featuring rare wind instruments from around the world, including duduk, shakuhachi, ney, bansuri and Viking lur, played by Saulius Petreikis.

VST2AUAAXWindowsmacOS

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01Overview

Ancient Kingdom focuses on wind instruments drawn from many cultures, from Armenian and Persian flutes to Lithuanian pipes, Nordic horns and Native American cedar flutes. The instruments were recorded by Saulius Petreikis and are presented with multi-mic recordings and a set of alternate signal paths. The library is built for composers who want folk and ethnic timbres alongside traditional and experimental arrangements, with articulations covering long, short, legato, effects and keyswitch playing.

Best for

Folk and world scoring
Ethnic wind melodies
Film and game soundtracks
Experimental soundscapes
Viking-themed arrangements
Ambient textures

Developer: EastWest Sounds
Category: Virtual Instruments
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

26 instrument categories with detailed articulations
Multi-mic recordings with surround sound support
Four alternate effects signal paths
Mood presets and performance scripts in the left panel
FX mixes, convolution reverbs and channel routing on the right
Articulations include long, short, legato, effects and keyswitch
Armenian duduk, shakuhachi, ney and bansuri included
Viking lur, Viking war horn and Viking Voices included

03In depth

Instrument Range and Character

The library covers a wide spread of wind instruments. Breathy, intimate voices include the Persian ney, the Japanese shakuhachi and the bansuri, a bamboo flute known for its warm, airy timbre. Brighter, more lyrical options include the flugelhorn and the Irish whistle, which is available in regular and high versions. Deeper, resonant sounds come from the Slovakian fujara, the Viking war horn and the Viking lur.

Several instruments come in multiple variants. The Armenian duduk is available in A, C and G, the birbyne in A and D flat, and the hulushi in high and low. Native American cedar flute is offered as flute and piccolo.

Workflow, Signal Paths and Controls

The interface is split into a central display with instrument models and location images, a left panel for Mood presets, performance scripts and MIDI controls, and a right panel for FX mixes, convolution reverbs and channel routing.

Four alternate signal paths use amplifiers, vibration enhancers, metallic surfaces, distortion amplifiers, megaphones, tubes and rotating speakers. The developer says these paths emphasize attack characteristics and add presence to the sound.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	EastWest Sounds
Type	Plugin
Category	Virtual Instruments
Formats	VST2, AU, AAX
Operating systems	Windows, macOS

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats does Ancient Kingdom support?

Ancient Kingdom is available in VST2, AU and AAX formats. The listed system requirements also mention VST-3 support.

Which operating systems does Ancient Kingdom run on?

The library lists support for Windows and macOS. Windows 10 with ASIO sound drivers is listed as the Windows setup, and Mac OS X 10.13 or later is listed for macOS.

What are the system requirements?

The listed requirements call for 16 GB of memory and a quad-core CPU running at 2.7 GHz or above. Disk space of 160 GB is listed for the Windows setup.

Which instruments come in multiple versions?

The Armenian duduk is offered in A, C and G, the birbyne in A and D flat, the fujara in high and large, the hulushi in high and low, the Irish whistle in regular and high, and the Native American cedar flute as flute and piccolo.