CineHarpsichord: Harpsichord Kontakt Instrument by Cinesamples

The main patch, 01 CineHarpsichord, includes FULL, CLOSE, ROOM and SURROUND mixes, along with mix presets for different perspectives, including a dry and close mix, left and right orchestral perspectives, and a custom mix you can save.

Because harpsichord is a percussive instrument, the close microphones are delayed to time-align with the room and surround microphones. This prevents the flamming effect that can occur when the mics are not aligned. The delay is applied in both the FULL and CLOSE mixes.

The Baroque patch uses a more ambient mix with a touch of the close microphones and no time-aligned delay, for a softer, more distant sound. The Vintage patch favors a closer perspective with tape emulation and analog treatment, including a Chandler EQ and tube harmonic distortion. The Perspective Mode feature adds a slider that crossfades between microphone positions, and it is mapped to the Mod Wheel by default.

The instrument offers Single (1x8'), Double (2x8'), Triple (2x8' plus 1x4') and Buff (1x8') settings. The Buff stop, based on the lute stop, produces a muted, pizzicato tone. On the Triple stop, lower velocities reveal a slight time difference between the string choirs, which the developer attributes to the lower choir being plucked before the upper one.

The RR Borrow control adds surrounding notes as extra round robins. At a value of 6 it borrows up to a tritone in either direction, adding up to 24 round robins per note, while a value of zero plays two round robins per dynamic level. The Release Volume control adjusts the release samples and therefore the instrument's ambience. A dynamics control adds a range of velocity variation, which is useful because harpsichords normally show little dynamic change.