Brass is a new kind of virtual instrument that faithfully reproduces the trumpet, saxophone and trombone in real time. It contains an extensive performance-based riff library which is entirely configurable and expandable. Choose, create, import and modify riffs to match your needs. You can also play the modeled instruments directly with a keyboard and other realtime controls. It's so dynamic and easy-to-use that you will never go back to flat sampled riff libraries ever again.

How does it work ? Brass is based on a new kind of physical modeling technology. All of the caracteristics of the real instruments have been analyzed and modeled through extensive research at IRCAM, a world-renowned institute based in Paris. Arturia has partnered with IRCAM to bring this groundbreaking technology to your studio.

How do you play the instruments ? You can use the riff library and keyboard controls to trigger patterns and variations, or you can use a MIDI controller to play each instrument directly. Real time controls such as a breath controller can be used to great advantage with Brass. The choice is under your control.

The Live mode

Play your instrument with maximum expressivity, Like a soloist would do! all parameters can be modulated in real time : you can assign any Midi controller to any parameter, you can switch automatization on some other parameters, and obtain a very lively and realistic sound.

Choose a preset in the library, play through keyboard, use the controllers to add modulation.
And if you have a breath controller, use it foreven more realistic playing! Play your Brass instrument: by setting the attack range, you will decide how the attack reacts to your playing.

You want to go further? Configure your instrument: make a trumpet in wood, add a mute, humanize: physical modelling is flexible.

The Riff mode

The riff mode is as easy as it looks:

• Select one of the hundreds musical phrases provided in Brass and use it in your creation instantly.
• No need to browse huge libraries of loops to find what you need and then tweak the sound for hours! With Brass, you will just select the riff you want and choose the target tonality you like.
• As for the tempo, you can change it as well, or it will automatically synchronise with your host sequencer if you want to work that way.
• Exporting riffs as MIDI files or launching riffs from your sequencer is child's game.
• Launching riffs on the fly can be done easily from your keyboard, so you can also use Brass as a great performance tool in the Riff mode.
• And of course you can edit every aspect of your riff in real time.

Specifications

• Virtual instrument playable through a MIDI keyboard
• Three instruments available: Trumpet, Saxophone, Trombone 8 parameters to control the instruments in real time
  • Attack
  • Pressure
  • Pitch (for legatos, falls or expressivity)
  • Timbre of the instruments
  • Noise amount in the instrument sound
  • Vibrato
  • Position of the instrument toward the microphone
  • Mute (for trumpet and trombone)
• Total midi control of each parameter through powerful settings, control sense and hardness
• Independent automatization of each parameter via a dedicated control window
• Configuration of the instruments : 4 attack and 4 vibrato types, material, humanization
• More than 1000 riff presets in all music styles
• Easy and fast searching of riffs with the preset explorer
• Up to 4 simultaneous instruments in a riff
• Editable length, tempo and tune of each riff
• Riff editing with the zoomable pianoroll and independent parameter editing
• Powerful editing options : solo, mute, 8 drawing tools
• Import and export riff presets from and to midifiles
• Live playing of several riffs with the keyboard
• Chorus mode for all instruments, up to 4 instruments unison section
• Spatialization of the instruments in a configurable room

System Requirements

PC

• Windows
• 256 MB Ram
• 1.5 GHz processor

Mac

• OS X
• 256 MB Ram
• 1.5 GHz processor