On this week’s blog takeover, Eventide’s Artist In Residence, Martha Mooke (Scorchio Quartet, David Bowie, Philip Glass) discusses sample library design using two Eventide H9s and a Rose pedal.
After years of holding out, I decided it was time. I had been reluctant to do one of those sample libraries. I have spent many years creating my own sonic language, and I had been concerned about how somebody else would use my sounds in their music.
Last Straw
I got a request from a producer to “collaborate” because, he wrote, “Your sound is honestly so unique, every 4-8 measures of your music can be made into a beat.” He went on: “I can do so much with your music … it would allow me to create a sound nobody is creating these days.” Oh, and he would give me credit and compensation if any is earned. That’s not a collaboration… that’s appropriation.
I decided if other music creators are going to “use” my sounds in their work, it will be on my terms. So, I created this sample pack of 148 unique Loops and One Shots for Splice’s Sonic Collective label. I recorded into Logic Pro using both my acoustic (4 string) and customized Yamaha YEV (5 string) violas, two H9’s, a Rose pedal, and my legacy Yamaha Magicstomp.
This sample pack is, literally, a sampling of some of the countless sounds I’ve created over the years by combining traditional and expanded techniques on my violas with multi-effects processing.
Each stroke of the bow, pluck of the string, tap on the fingerboard produces a unique, multi-dimensional sonic universe to explore.
Listen to the sample in the example below:
For this sample, I used a combination of Eventide H9 effects, Crystals, SpaceTime, and the Rose pedal.
Keeping detailed notes is excruciating, but essential! This is the process for the 4th sample on the Demo:
And finally, the published sample (after renaming file to match Splice format):
Now, do that 147 more times…
Download Martha’s Sample Pack on Splice here!
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