The Crow Hill Company has released Forest Harps, a virtual instrument in its Origins series. The instrument combines a sampled harp-like construction made from elk horn, conch shell, animal ribs and fishing wire with medieval psaltries and recordings through a slowly rotating Leslie cabinet.
The Edinburgh-based company describes the library as a collection of plucks, textures and atmospheres for sound design. Co-founder and media composer Christian Henson encountered the central instrument in a folk instrument shop near the company's studio. The instrument is held upright and played with fingers and thumbs, with machine heads allowing it to be tuned to concert pitch.
The recording sessions captured the instrument acoustically with quiet microphones and a microphone preamp. The instrument also has a guitar pickup and was supplied with a small amplifier, giving the team a separate amplified sound to record.
While the team was recording a Hammond organ and Leslie cabinet, it also tried the instrument through the Leslie at a low horn speed. The resulting recordings bring together the acoustic instrument, its amplified signal and the rotating cabinet.
Henson describes a sound between a classical harp and flamenco or classical guitar, with a midrange and upper-midrange character. Forest Harps extends the Origins series with an instrument assembled from those recorded sources for composers and producers. The company announced the release on October 20.
For more information, visit thecrowhillcompany.com.
