Sonica Koto 13

Virtuoso Japanese Series

KOTO 13, an exquisitely crafted virtual 13-string koto — the first release in our new Virtuoso Japanese Series of Kontakt instruments
The 13-string koto is one of Japan’s most dignified traditional instruments. Capable of everything from elegant, single plucked notes to aggressive glissandos, the koto boasts a wide range of musical expressions and can add a dash of refinement and grace to traditional Japanese music, modern film scores, and many other genres.

Main Features

• Stunningly realistic 13-string koto reproduction thanks to precise recording and scripting
• Up to eight velocity layers and four round-robin samples for natural sounding dynamics
• 26 koto articulations, all key switch selectable
• Five banks of quintessential koto phrases, all key switch selectable
• Plucking control function for full mastery over subtle, natural sounding plucked notes
• Performance mode maps each of the 13 strings to a white key for easy performance of real koto glissandos and phrases
• 28 classic koto scales transposable into any key
• User scale mode for creating custom scales for specific pieces
• Stellar tone colors captured in full 24-bit, 96 kHz fidelity (library contains 24-bit, 44.1 kHz samples)
• Samples recorded with multiple microphones, and the Direct, Overhead, Room, and Stereo Mix sources can be mixed independently to create unique sounds
• 48 built-in convolution reverb settings with individual channel reverb mixing

Painstaking recording and scripting

The koto was performed by Miki Maruta for the recording sessions. The recordings took place over several days at a Pastoral Sound Studio  in Tokyo, and we took extra care to capture the natural reverberation and full timbre of the instrument in the room. As a result, KOTO 13 reproduces Maruta’s perfect tone coloration and plucking expressiveness with all of her superlative musical technique.

Umlaut Audio was responsible for the Kontakt scripting. With meticulous scripting, the Umlaut Audio team faithfully translated our Japanese instrument expertise into the software instrument.

Natural plucking control, as if your fingers are directly in touch with the strings

For KOTO 13, we spent considerable time looking at how to reproduce the finely detailed plucking techniques of the koto. First, we captured every aspect of plucking behavior, from the moment the pick contacts the string to the final decay. Then, we fashioned a plucking control function to give the performer complete and flexible command over the plucking action. As a result, the performer can play the super-realistic sounds of the instrument with a natural plucking feel, as if your fingers are directly in touch with the strings. Since the samples themselves contain the plucking nuances, fast phrases and glissandos are possible without any latency or delay.

Rich array of articulations

The koto is capable of a huge range of musical expressions. Although famous for showy glissandos, tremolo picking, pitch bends, and vibrato, the koto has many more delicate tone variations, such as the tonal differences created by playing with the thumb, index, or middle finger or even chirashizume pick scrapes.

KOTO 13 contains 26 articulations and six phrase banks, all of which are key switch and MIDI CC selectable.

Articulation list

• Picking (thumb, index, and middle)
• Pizzicato (left & right hands)
• Double Picking
• Keshizume
• Short Bends Up & Down (Whole & Half)
• Sustained Bends Up & Down (Whole & Half)
• Tsuki-Iro (Whole & Half)
• Hiki-Iro
• Vibrato (Slow & Fast)
• Tremolo (Slow & Fast)
• Tremolo Sukuizume (Slow & Fast)
• Picking Sukuizume
• Chirashizume (Slow & Fast)

Phrase bank list, Hira scale in D

Sahrarin, Glissando Up, Glissando Down, Glissando Performance, Various Performance, Effects

• Each phrase bank contains multiple phrases, banks are key switch selectable
• Adjustable key and tempo