Northern Trumpets

Northern Trumpets is a jazz trumpet sound library for the Kontakt sampler platform (full version).

I created this instrument drawing inspiration from the mesmerizing trumpet sounds of renowned Norwegian musicians Nils Petter Molvaer and Arve Henriksen.

I didn't replicate their sound; instead, I aimed to capture the ambiance by blending warmth and coolness, mastery and spontaneity, and the tension of the notes with a relaxed perception.

The attack, the initial sound of each note, plays a vital role in this instrument. It may seem unpredictable, much like a trumpet player-musician just starting their career. Yet, it also serves as a powerful expressive technique in the hands of a seasoned musician, who can convey a wealth of emotions with just a few notes.

One of the secrets to effectively using Northern Trumpets is that the precision of the attack depends on the velocity with which you strike the key on your MIDI keyboard. The attack becomes more unpredictable when playing soft notes at a slow tempo.

A little backstory: I was born in Russia, where winter stretches for half a year. I've been beyond the Arctic Circle, where temperatures of -40 degrees Celsius are the norm, and I vividly remember how the trumpet mouthpiece would freeze to my lips. And while I began working on this project in sunny Bulgaria and completed it in the scorching heat of Barcelona, I felt a profound connection to the North and its perpetual frost.

I invite you to play a few sustained notes and experience the mood of the Northern Trumpets. I hope you find it as inspiring as I do.

These are its main characteristics:

• The library includes two sets of samples:
  1. Open sound without a mute.
  2. Sound with the use of a Harmon mute:
• Set up to work with breath controllers (TEControl, MRT Audio, Yamaha BC3), wind controllers (Robkoo R1, AKAI EWI, Yamaha WX5 / WX7, Aerophone AE-10, AE-20, Pro AE-30) and MIDI keyboard controllers.
• More than 600 unique samples.
• Northern Trumpets library requires the full retail version of Kontakt 5.6.8 or later (Kontakt Player is not supported).
• Recorded sample quality: 24-bit / 48 kHz.
• Custom designed, unique GUI.
• Aftertouch, Mod Wheel, and Keyswitches are the key features to morph and perform sounds while playing.
• Expressive Effects: Vibrato, Growl, Expression, Attack, Noise.
• Articulations: Falls, Squeezes, Soft attack, Accented attack, Half valve.
• Reverb, delay and stereo control to fit the trumpet in every mix.
• Library Size: 1.10 GB.
• Up to 7 velocity layers per key.

Special thanks to Frank Achtergarde for the idea behind this instrument, Alexandra Galaktionova for the outstanding visual design, and Julia Godzikovskaya for her assistance and support.

{See video at top of page}

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Northern Trumpets can be downloaded from my website as well as via KVR. Please feel free to contact me for any questions and feedback.