Pattern Strings: Tempo-Synced String Ostinato Instrument for Kontakt

The instrument includes 19 rhythms recorded in two dynamic layers on violin, viola, cello and bass, with four round robins for variation. You drag rhythms from the centre of the interface onto one of the two pattern strips, and you can reorder them by dragging them around.

With Legato turned on, new notes start in sync with previously held notes. Ben Osterhouse describes this as a way to create convincing lines by changing notes along the rhythms.

The Random button generates a rhythm sequence, which can be a quick way to find a starting point.

Automatic bow direction plays downbow samples on downbeats and upbow samples on upbeats, creating an ebb and flow between beats. Doubling adds stereo-doubled samples to thicken an instrument, and the developer states this does not increase voice count or memory use.

The tempo-sync switch sets sample playback to half or double speed. Some samples were recorded at 90 bpm and others at 80 bpm, so this option helps keep them close to their intended speed at your project tempo.

Custom Keyswitches let you save pattern variations to keys at the bottom of the keyboard. Click Map, select a key, and the current pattern is recalled from that key.