The unique beauty of this library can be found in its imperfections. It is between the notes that you will feel those human moments that stop you in your tracks. The natural sounds of the players and their instruments captured during a performance.
Capturing new and alternative expressive techniques creates a great foundation for this sound library, but Spitfire Audio have also expertly captured a selection of small, exquisitely performed moments that can be found in the studio section, including swells and “chimes” (chime-like tones). These focused elements will make compositions sound even more real, and even more human.
Heirloom features 8 string players (3 violins, 2 viola, 2 cello, 1 bass), woodwind including a Contrabass Clarinet, and Tubax, an achingly beautiful Piano (the beating heart of the library), and Guitar. All intimately recorded by the highly talented Fiona Cruickshank at London’s atmospheric Church Studios.
Past presence and future
All musicians know that recording studios are sacred spaces. The Church is quite literally so, a beautiful, old place of worship in north London, whose stone walls and stained glass have for 170 years reverberated with the sound of prayers and some of the greatest music ever made. To record at Church Studios today is to play a part in music history that has included Adele, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Florence + the Machine and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
Now Keaton Henson (Supernova, Six Lethargies, as well as 7 acclaimed solo albums) continues that lineage by acting as a medium between the decades of musicality shared there and Spitfire Audio — shaped through his own artistic lens and reverence for the beauty in imperfections.
Instruments
Piano
This piano has the perfect amount of character, like an old but loved and well looked after piano that sits at a relatives house that you can’t help but play every time you walk past. It is inspiring to play and unbelievably real.
- Piano Pedal Up
- Piano Pedal Down
Strings (3.0.2.2.1)
Kept small and recorded close and never playing too loud, so that you can achieve an emotionally epic sound, but never lose the intimacy of the playing.
- Legato
- Long
- Long Flautando
- Long Viol
- Brushed
- Short Rounded
- Chimes
Guitar
The sounds range from a really authentic sounding picked guitar, to some more complex techniques which have created some rich and haunting pads and swells, all performed by Keaton on his trademark telecaster and re-amped inside the beautiful Church Studios.
- Swells
- Shimmers
- Harmonics
- Plucked Bends
- Plucks
Contrabass clarinet
An achingly soft and beautiful contrabass, with the perfect amount of breath without losing the tone. a perfect deep bed to build from, or soft section to play rumbling chords.
Tubax
An incredibly warm, smokey and characterful Tubax, contrabass in register, but with the tones and warmth of a saxophone) the subtle breaths captured, the soft shifts in tone, and at the louder dynamic- guttural growls and snarling drones.
Mics & mixes
Signals
- Mix 1
- Tape
- Close
- Mid
- Far
- Ribbon
- Listener
- Player
- Pedal
