By departing from standard woodwind orchestration in favour of capturing pairings of two oboes and two clarinets as well as two clarinets and two bassoons in octaves to deliver that intriguing alternative for a dark, more mysterious sound utilised by the crème de la crème of Abbey Road-recording film composers, the ABBEY ROAD ONE: MYSTERIOUS REEDS selection effortlessly inspires intricate voicings to augment arrangements with enduring, enigmatic emotion — as alluded to by name. Indeed, it is intriguing and mystical to its core — clearly suited to creating textural elements, as well as regal tones. Try putting an arrangement in unison for a more piercing tone, or in octaves for a wider and richer sound.

As ABBEY ROAD ONE: MYSTERIOUS REEDS’ carefully captured content was performed in the unmistakable acoustics of Studio One — one of the finest acoustical spaces in the world, with a history that is indelibly connected with the many film scores that have been recorded there — it further enriches Spitfire Audio’s already available offerings in its ABBEY ROAD ONE… orchestral range by providing a darker, more esoteric tone to contrast with more conventional woodwind timbres. The rich tonality and famed reverb of Studio One makes for a sound that is widescreen and epic, providing emotion, mood, and magic for many of the most renowned and successful films ever made, as apparent in such classics as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Avengers: Endgame. It is truly the iconic sound of cinema, after all.

As is the case with all of Spitfire Audio’s ABBEY ROAD ONE: FILM SCORING SELECTIONS series — smaller and more focused libraries inspired by classic films offering pre-orchestrated instrument pairings and themes, ABBEY ROAD ONE: MYSTERIOUS REEDS puts the same first-call musicians that play on globally successful movies at anyone’s fingertips. All are recorded by multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer Simon Rhodes (Avatar, Harry Potter, Hugo) and feature Abbey Road Studios’ coveted collection of outboard gear and microphones.

Microphone positioning plays an important part in making ABBEY ROAD ONE: MYSTERIOUS REEDS sound like it does, of course, which is why there are several options on offer to the end user. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that Paul Thomson has high regard for some in particular: “We have the vintage signal [Vint. 1], which has that beautifully rounded off top end; we’ve got the pop close mix [Pop Clo], where it just feels like they’re literally sitting right in front of you — fabulously useful, that one; and then we have our usual Close, trees [Tree 1 and Tree 2], outriggers [Out], and ambient [Amb] mics, with the Spill as well. You can just set up your own kind of blend here. This is really useful, because it’s not just about matching the sound to the orchestral mix, or the blend that you are working with, but actually the balance of the different microphones has a very significant effect on the kind of emotional result that you feel when you hear the sound. So the use of microphones, in this case, can really help you to either dial into a kind of claustrophobic sound or it can give you that kind of distance that gives you the dark forests, almost regal kind of sound. It’s very flexible — just by changing the different mics that you’re using.”

Easily evoking a warm and mysterious air to compositions comes naturally when working with ABBEY ROAD ONE: MYSTERIOUS REEDS, an alluring accompaniment to Abbey Road Studios’ iconic studio to which it owes its name and sound. Saying that, then, those looking for something to provide a darker, esoteric tone to contrast with more conventional woodwind timbres need not look any further; whether soft and unsettling, challenging and dynamic, or somewhere in between, its carefully captured reeds are as well suited to anyone seeking to incorporate magical and bewildering textures to any genre as they apparently are when it comes to adding a regal tone to orchestral compositions… just ask Paul Thomson!

ABBEY ROAD ONE: MYSTERIOUS REEDS is available as an AAX-, AU-, VST2-, and VST3-compatible, NKS (Native Kontrol Standard)-ready plug-in that loads directly into a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) at an attractive RRP (Recommended Retail Price) of only £49.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/ $49.00 USD/€49.00 EUR (inc. VAT) from here: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/abbey-road-one-mysterious-reeds/

ABBEY ROAD ONE: THE COLLECTION, comprising all seven ABBEY ROAD ONE: FILM SCORING SELECTIONS series sample libraries to date — namely, the inaugural ABBEY ROAD ONE: ORCHESTRAL FOUNDATIONS, plus the ABBEY ROAD ONE: SPARKLING WOODWINDS, ABBEY ROAD ONE: LEGENDARY LOW STRINGS, ABBEY ROAD ONE: WONDROUS FLUTES, ABBEY ROAD ONE: GRAND BRASS, ABBEY ROAD ONE: VIBRANT REEDS, and ABBEY ROAD ONE: MYSTERIOUS REEDS followup releases, is available as a series of AAX-, AU-, VST2-, and VST3-compatible, NKS-ready plug-ins that load directly into a DAW at an attractive RRP of only £449.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/$485.00 USD/€485.00 EUR (inc. VAT) — representing a substantial saving when priced against purchasing all seven sample libraries individually, and available as such until the next ABBEY ROAD ONE: FILM SCORING SELECTIONS series sample library is launched — from here: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/abbey-road-one-the-collection/

Spitfire Audio’s namesake Spitfire Audio application allows anyone to buy now and download anytime, and is available for free from here: http://www.spitfireaudio.com/info/library-manager/

For more in-depth info, including some superb-sounding audio demos, please visit the dedicated ABBEY ROAD ONE: MYSTERIOUS REEDS webpage here: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/abbey-road-one-mysterious-reeds/

Watch Spitfire Audio’s launch premiere of ABBEY ROAD ONE: MYSTERIOUS REEDS — including its tantalising trailer video and Paul Thomson’s ‘traditional’ walkthrough — here: https://youtu.be/_4mdJOfa6CY

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