Experimental virtual guitar instrument crafted by Slate + Ash in collaboration with Sunn O)))'s Stephen O'Malley, explores themes of deterioration, substance, and spatial awareness in music.
Slate + Ash, a Bristol-based sound studio, has released an innovative new product - the experimental guitar-based Kontakt instrument named Ruins. This unique tool offers a rich and versatile collection of sounds for creating experimental guitar textures and soundscapes.
Dual-Layer Architecture and Advanced Playback Engine
At the heart of Ruins lies a dual-layer architecture, allowing multiple samples to be combined and played simultaneously. The instrument also boasts a sophisticated multi-loop playback engine, capable of asynchronous repetition, granular manipulation, and deep modulation of sounds.
Rich Mic Treatment Options
The sounds of Ruins were recorded using multiple microphone positions and treatments, including pristinely captured direct input (DI), various tube-powered amplifiers, an eroded stereo spring reverb, a cavernous re-amped signal recorded in Berlin's Funkhaus sound chamber, and more. These mic perspectives can be blended dynamically using an XY grid, providing deep tonal versatility.
Extensive Processing Options and Modulation Capabilities
Ruins comes with a broad palette of processing options such as delay, reverb, filter, modulation effects, and tape emulation. Almost every sound parameter can be modulated via an LFO, step sequencer, or MIDI CC, enabling complex real-time transformations and sound-shaping.
Curated Presets and Macro Controls
The instrument includes a selection of 250 curated presets, covering a wide range of sounds like basses, leads, and pads. These can be further adjusted using a bank of eight macro controls for expressive performance and customization.
Compatibility and Availability
Ruins is compatible with macOS and Windows and requires Kontakt 7.10.7 or higher (including the free Kontakt Player). It is currently available at an introductory price of £179.
For more information about Ruins, including a preset demo, visit the Slate + Ash website.
The Making of Ruins
Ruins was curated and produced by Randall Dunn at his Williamsburg studio Circular Ruin. The library was created by six avant-garde players, including Sunn O)))'s Stephen O'Malley, Oren Ambarchi, David Torn, Bill Horist, Ben Greenberg, and Arjan Miranda. The performances were recorded using multiple mic positions and treatments, resulting in a library comprising 4,636 sounds, divided into single and multi-samples.
In summary, Ruins stands out for its layered sample blending, rich mic treatment options, advanced looping and modulation engine, extensive preset library, and flexible sound design controls, making it a unique tool for experimental guitar textures and soundscapes.
Using the advanced playback engine of Ruins, you can create complex soundscapes by combining multiple samples and employing features such as asynchronous repetition, granular manipulation, and deep modulation. The sounds were meticulously recorded using various microphone positions and treatments, encompassing direct input, tube-powered amplifiers, spring reverb, re-amped signals from Berlin's Funkhaus sound chamber, and more, providing a vast range of tonal possibilities.
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