Orchestral Tools announces Sångara by Richard Harvey

Explore authentic sounds of Southeast Asia including never-before-sampled instruments with the latest collection from Orchestral Tools

October 26, 2023

Berlin, Germany, October 26, 2023 – Sample library designers Orchestral Tools have announced Sångara by Richard Harvey—a curated collection of over 70 playable Southeast Asian instruments drawn from the region’s rich musical landscape. Many of the included instruments are appearing in a sample library for the very first time. Sångara is OT’s latest collaboration with the celebrated composer and multi-instrumentalist Richard Harvey, and provides a dazzling array of new sonic colors and timbres ideal for cinematic scoring. Sångara is available now at an introductory price of €249 (regular price €399) until November 8th. For more information and to purchase, please click here.

Rich cinematic sounds from a unique melting pot of musical culture
Sångara brings together a rich array of percussion, wind, and stringed instruments hand-picked by Harvey. The instrument selection represents musical traditions from across the geographic region of Southeast Asia. Most of the recordings took place at Karma Studios in Thailand, overseen by Harvey personally and performed by an expert group of local musicians renowned for their skill and experience with the instruments. Players included Elaine So (drums and tuned percussion), Pongsakorn Lertsakworakul (drums and tuned percussion), Matas Masungsong (drums), Tossaporn Tassana (ranats), Somnuek Saengarun (reed instruments), Lertkiat Mahavinijchaimontri (strings), Pornnapa Netaumporn (Thai khim), Tinnakorn Attapiaboon (Thai wote and percussion), and Sombat Simla (Thai khaen). Each instrument was captured chromatically within their natural ranges for an authentic representation of each, with up to 6 mixable mic positions per instrument for maximum sonic versatility.

The instrument selection represents musical traditions from across the geographic region of Southeast Asia.

The result is a truly unique collection of evocative sounds and textures that honor the traditional rhythms, articulations, and phrasings of these instruments—and exemplify the peerless sound quality and intuitive playability that Orchestral Tools is known for. Sångara gives composers the ability to summon up inspiring rhythmic foundations, moody tuned percussion, soaring melodies, or evocative plucked sounds. The array of sounds on offer is wide and diverse, and well-suited to a similarly wide range of applications—far beyond simply invoking traditional Southeast Asian styles.

“Every collection we create in collaboration with Richard is a result of his genuine passion and enthusiasm for the instruments and their history and cultural context,” said Orchestral Tools CEO Hendrik Schwarzer. “Sångara is our shared homage to the musical traditions of Southeast Asia and an opportunity for composers around the world to explore the incredible instruments and musical styles that have originated there.”

About Richard Harvey
Through conducting, composing, orchestrating, and playing on numerous film and television soundtracks, Richard Harvey has made an indelible mark on the industry. Not only has he worked on celebrated soundtracks such as The Little Prince, The Da Vinci Code, The Lion King, Interstellar, Luther, Disney’s live action Mulan, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, he has worked with some of the biggest names in the business: Hans Zimmer, guitarist John Williams, and Paul McCartney, to name but a few.

In addition to his compositional and performing work, Richard is an avid collector of musical instruments, with over 700 from all around the world. He’s made it his mission to share them with the composing community. This is his fourth collaboration with Orchestral Tools, picking up where Phoenix Orchestra, Andea, and Abacus left off.

For more information and to purchase Sångara, please visit: https://www.orchestraltools.com/store/collections/sangara

About Orchestral Tools
Orchestral Tools makes premium-quality sampled instruments for professional composers. Notable libraries include the Berlin Series, Metropolis Ark, Tallinn, Tom Holkenborg’s Brass and Percussion, created in collaboration with composer Tom Holkenborg, and Phoenix Orchestra, created in collaboration with composers Harry Gregson-Williams and Richard Harvey. Originally founded in 2005 by Hendrik Schwarzer, Orchestral Tools operates internationally from its base in Germany, with offices in Freiburg and Berlin.