60% off “Liikkuva” by Pulse Audio

Up Close, Raw and Silky Strings

Pulse Audio’s aim with “Liikkuva” (the Finnish word for “moving”) was to create a selection of string textures that are commonly heard in modern “Nordic” or “Scandi” TV series and films. But what exactly is Nordic or Scandi?

When used to describe a musical genre/sound, the term “Nordic” or “Scandi” generally means a particular mood rather than a specific set of techniques. Scandi strings are a reflection of the landscape in Scandinavian countries like Finland, Norway etc. and thus mirror the dark, icey, dreary and empty landscapes of those countries.

Scandi strings usually sound more raw and organic than a “standard” string orchestra with more movement and evolution in the sound. Scandi or Nordic string ensembles are also usually comprised of smaller ensembles recorded up close.

Some examples of soundtracks that could be described as “Nordic” or “Scandi” would be “The Bridge”, “The Killing”, “Bordertown”, and “Trapped”.

A Small String Orchestra With No Violas For An Airy, Silky Sound

To create the “Scandi” sound, Pulse Audio recorded a small string orchestra with no violas to scoop out the mid-range and give them their silky sound with a boomy bottom and airy top.

The players were recorded in a beautiful church in Zagreb, Croatia with an assortment of Rode ribbon and AKG/Neumann condensers and three mic positions were used – Close, Mid & Far – to give plenty of sonic options, allowing you to create your own mix.

The strings are soft and delicate with a silky airiness and distinctly raw, icy tone to them. They have a definite up close sound allowing many intricate details to shine through.

From nose diving “Sirens” to more minimalist, melancholic textures like “Sul Tasto“, they’ve recorded a range of textured string techniques in both high and low strings to give you a nuanced, moving sound full of detail and ambience.

This library lends itself perfectly to modern drama that requires an intimate and organic sound full of movement and life. It can bring you to both warm, shimmering lakes as well as dark, cold, sharp glaciers.

A Beautiful Minimalist GUI With 3 Mic Positions

“Liikkuva” features a simple, easy to use interface with a minimalist set of controls. On the interface you’ll find:

• 3 Mic Positions: Close, Mid & Far
• Release Volume Knob
• Reverb: Length & Mix
• Dynamic Slider: allowing you to crossfade between dynamic layers
• Sus Attack & Decay
• Rel Attack & Decay

The Sus Attack & Sus Decay knobs allow you to control the initial attack and decay times of the patch and the Rel Attack and Rel Decay knobs control the attack/decay times of the release samples. This allows you to create a more organic and natural sounding fade in or fade out for each patch.

Additionally, they’ve included a “Random Start” button which will randomise the start position of looped samples, creating a more human feel overall and helping to avoid phasing issues.

The Patch List

“Liikkuva” was recorded with no violas, so the patches are split simply into two folders: High Strings and Low Strings.

High Strings

• Harmonics
• Molto Flautando
• Molto Flautando Bowed Vibrato
• Molto Sul Pont Bowed Vibrato
• Molto Sul Pont Tremolo
• Octave Sweeps
• Plucks Alternating
• Ricochet Soundscape
• Sirens
• Spiccato Soundscape
• Sul Pont
• Sul Tasto
• Tremolo Soundscape
• Varied Tremolo

Low Strings

• Harmonics
• Molto Flautando
• Molto Flautando Bowed Vibrato
• Molto Sul Pont Bowed Vibrato
• Molto Sul Pont Tremolo
• Molto Sul Tasto Tremolo
• Plucks Alternating
• Ricochet Soundscape
• Sirens
• Spiccato Soundscape
• Sul Pont
• Sul Tasto
• Tremolo Soundscape
• Varied Tremolo