Arturia Augmented STRINGS launches with free INTRO instrument
Augmented STRINGS is a new series of immersive acoustic instrument sounds combined with morphing abstract synthesis. INTRO is a streamlined version you can have for free.
Augmented Strings
With this new series, Arturia aims to combine acoustic instruments with fabulously weird synthesis methods and expression. In other words, it’s like an orchestra mangled through a hybrid modular synthesizer but with all the ease of curated morphing controls and one-click transformations.
Undoubtedly it’s going to be interesting to see how this goes. We’re not short on orchestra libraries, and there have been many spins of how to fold strings and other instruments into synthesizer interfaces and processed motion. Arturia plans to pull in all sorts of acoustic instruments for this series, but will they resonate in the way they hope?
Augmented Strings Intro
So, to kick off the series and hopefully engage our enthusiasm Arturia is giving us a streamlined version for free until the 30th of April. Apparently, it contains a bunch of transformed traditional sounds that become things we wouldn’t even believe. It sounds like fun; let’s fire it up.
Well, I love the look. The movement in the weird and enticing graphics around the sides of the GUI is altogether delightful. Facing us is one big Morph knob surrounded by seven identically curious controls. It doesn’t seem to be about massive transformations; it’s more subtle, for example, a movement between tones, a filling out of modulation, a drop in depth and distance. It comes across really nicely. I’m not finding it stunningly innovative, but that’s to take nothing away from the richness and fabulousness of the generated sounds.
The most considerable contrasts are found in the shorter and solo instruments, where you can find a nice morph from picked bass to bowed strings, or from Stacatto to tremolo, smooth synth to rhymic pulses. The bigger, more epic soundscapes evolve really w,ell aI enjoying the motion. There’s some good stuff in here. I think this is an interesting series if Intro is anything to go by.
Coming soon
More instruments and libraries will be forthcoming, which Arturia hopes will propel us into a whole new world of hybrid sound design and cinematic awesomeness. We can always do with more of that.
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