The story
After being unable to find solo Timpani within my first purchased sample library in 2017, Albion One, I decided to sample and create my own basic Timpani Library. This was my first EXS24 sample library and so it ain’t pretty, but it does the job! There are two patches: Hits (split into 3 velocity sensitive dynamic layers) and Rolls (crossfading between 2 dynamic layers). At this point I hadn’t quite worked out the looping feature of EXS however the roll samples are reasonably lengthy. This served as a mainstay in my sample library arsenal for 2 years before finally purchasing a professional percussion library.
Reviews for Timpani
- Sound
- Character
- Playability
- Inspiration
- GUI
Leave a review to let others know what you thought of the instrument!
Simple perfect solo timpani
I use timpani a lot in my compositions! This may not be designed for big epic ensemble timpani, but for solo or for layering, it is perfect! I think for a more authentic intimate orchestra timpani section, this instrument will work really well. The GUI controls are very simple as expected with percussion. One of the most fantastic features is the Roll preset. Every timpani instrument I have used has a set length for the rolls, meaning you have to time the roll sample to end on a beat you need. Since this instrument uses crossfades, you don't have a crescendo, but you can roll as long or short as you like. A cool addition in the future could be some sort of multiplier rather than just a reverb, that way you could build an ensemble with a time/velocity variation.
Just right for background rolls and hits
I tried the timpani in BBCSO Discover and found them too thin and baked in reverb for my purpose, so my next stop was this pack. The rolls are consistent, and by adjusting the dynamics knob, you can create dynamic crescendos and decrescendos, as opposed to simply using the volume knob. There is enough dynamic layers for basic parts, especially deep in a mix. The reverb is a little small for my liking. Overall, very useful!
Awesome wet timpani
This bundle will give you two patches, hits and rolls. They both sound very nice and they play well too. They are on the wet side even with the reverb all the way down, but I think that's closer to what you will hear in an orchestra as an audience member.
The tail cut is ever so slightly sudden, but with some additional reverb does the trick. The rolls sound super nice and realistic, and with the attack knob you can make them like swells too, nice! It could have been slightly more convenient to have just one patch with all the samples there, maybe shifted one octave above so you don't have to load up different instruments - but in this way every patch can has its own settings.
You win some, you lose some I guess. Very cool though!Awesome edition of rolls
While this isn't the most amazing instrument in the world its a pretty great first attempt at sampling. You get single hits and rolls here. I always love the edition of rolls in libraries like this. The drums are very wet by default, it would have been nice to have more control over this but this is still a nice instrument, espicially for a first attempt. It doesent seem like round robins are present. If not this would add alot of the realism of the instrument
Timpani for the masses
This is a great and functional timpani library. With roll and hit articulations, it gives you most of what you want from timpani. The sounds aren't epic, but that's not a bad thing. They sit nicely under a mix without being too obvious. A worthy first attempt at sampling to be sure.
