Andrew Aversa
Lead Developer
Impact Soundworks is thrilled to present our first flagship orchestral string library, Tokyo Scoring Strings - available now!
THE STORY
Our goal with Tokyo Scoring Strings is to give you the orchestral string sound that has been heard across innumerable world-famous Japanese productions. It features five independently recorded sections (Violins 1, Violins 2, Viola, Cello, Bass) in a typical Japanese ensemble size (8/6/4/4/3) suitable for small and large productions alike.
We began this project in 2019, setting out to work with the finest musicians, engineer, and scoring studio in Japan. Due to both the language barrier & COVID, we had to find the right partners to help manage the project overseas. We connected with some incredible collaborators who have been with us through every step of the journey: our Japanese distributors Crypton Future Media and Sonicwire, plus the renowned composer Masaru Yokoyama.
Mr. Yokoyama, in addition to running a music production company (MiracleBus) and orchestral recording contractor (PlugNote), has composed for over 100 Japanese films, dramas, and anime series, bringing invaluable experience to the project.
THE MUSICIANS
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Attack on Titan, Super Mario Odyssey, My Hero Academia, Final Fantasy XV, The Seven Deadly Sins, Fate/Grand Order, Octopath Traveler, Persona 5, Haikyuu, Xenoblade Chronicles, Tokyo Ghoul.
All of these incredible scores, and over 600 more, have one thing in common: Koichiro Muroya Strings, led by its eponymous founder, violinist Koichiro Muroya. Their exquisite playing can be heard soaring across genres ranging from quiet, emotional anime moments to epic hybrid tracks by composers like Hiroyuki Sawano. Not surprisingly, Muroya Strings is the most in-demand session ensemble in all of Japan - and we were truly honored to record them for this project.
THE ENGINEER
The sound of these blockbuster Japanese soundtracks is not just superb musicianship and technique. The approach to recording and mixing orchestral scores is fundamentally unique as well. That's why we were equally privileged to work with Japan's top engineer, Mitsunori Aizawa, who is responsible for recording & mixing hundreds of world-famous anime, film, TV and video game productions.
Mr. Aizawa is a frequent collaborator of composer Hiroyuki Sawano, and his work can be heard on soundtracks like Final Fantasy VII Remake, The Promised Neverland, Fruits Basket, Mobile Suit Gundam, Kill la Kill, Monster Hunter, Street Fighter V, and many of the same soundtracks listed above!
THE STUDIO
Of course, the final element in an unforgettable score is an incredible recording space. For that reason, Tokyo Scoring Strings was recorded at SOUND CITY. With a truly legendary 60-year history, SOUND CITY has been home to countless beloved recordings for albums and soundtracks alike.
Here are just a small handful of the artists & composers who have returned time and time again to record at SOUND CITY:
Joe Hisaishi, Yoko Kanno, Nobuo Uematsu, Hiroyuki Sawano, Yuki Kajiura, Masashi Hamauzu, Kenji Kawai, Kohei Tanaka, Tatsuro Yamashita, JAM Project, Yasunori Nishiki, Hiroki Kikuta, Miki Higashino, and Jackie Chan (yes, that Jackie Chan!).
Unlike the larger halls and studios of the U.S. and Europe, studios in Japan tend to be built smaller, with rooms that offer a full-bodied sound without excessive reverb tails. SOUND CITY is no exception, giving Tokyo Scoring Strings a tighter, more focused sound that lends itself extremely well to more agile playing.
THE LIBRARY
Tokyo Studio Strings will include a well-rounded set of core articulations captured at 24/96 with superb detail. You'll be able to write and mock-up a wide variety of parts from slow & intimate to aggressive & agile, with a particular focus on excellent legato and short notes.
To help record even more authentic performances over the 90+ hours of sessions, we developed some new sampling techniques specifically for this library based on our 11 years of experience. The results should speak for themselves!
FULL WALKTHROUGH
ARTICULATION CONTROL
BEHIND THE SCENES - THE STORY
THE RECORDINGS
To give you maximum mix flexibility, the ensemble was captured with over a dozen mics, which have been mixed down to five stereo positions: Close, Decca, Side, Back, and Surround. We’ve also included a Board Mix which features Mr. Aizawa’s own console mix, and is an excellent, efficient way to get that authentic sound instantly.
The library will ship with our latest Console FX rack & mixer too, with built-in snapshots to give you a wide range of pre-mixed tones!
THE ENGINE
Tokyo Scoring Strings will feature a new Kontakt Player-based engine built from our “Agility” script (see our Ventus libraries to get an idea of what to expect).
There’s lots in store here to help you get great results fast. For example, you’ll be able to use two modes of playing: “real-time” with low-latency, and “lookahead,” which adds a slight latency in exchange for more realistic and idiomatic playback.
You'll also be able to suit TSS to your workflow via our latest iteration of TACT (Total Articulation Control Technology) supporting totally custom articulation mapping using any combination of velocity, keyswitch, MIDI CC, note range, pedal, or even multiple rules at once.
AUDIO DEMOS
FULL ARTICULATION LIST
All sections have identical articulations, dynamic layers, and round robins!
Note too that the Legato & Portamento articulations have 3 actual dynamics, not simulated (as in many libraries). This goes for ALL dynamics below.
Arco (Sustain) - 5 dynamics, 3 vibrato levels (senza, con, molto)
Bowed Legato - 3 dynamics, 2x rr
Slurred Legato - 3 dynamics, 2x rr
Bowed Portamento - 3 dynamics
Slurred Portamento - 3 dynamics
Rebow - 3 dynamics, 5x rr
Staccato - 5 dynamics, 6x rr
Staccatissimo - 5 dynamics, 6x rr
Spiccato - 4 dynamics, 6x rr
Crisp Spiccato - 2 dynamics, 6x rr
Sforzando - Dotted eighth & dotted quarter lengths, 3x rr
Decrescendo - Dotted eighth & dotted quarter lengths, 3x rr
Pizzicato - 3 dynamics, 4x rr
Tremolo - 4 dynamics
Trills - 2 dynamics, whole tone & half tone
Releases - natural, excited, and staccato
Harmonics
PRICING & AVAILABILITY
Tokyo Scoring Strings is available now for Kontakt 6 Player w/ full NKS compatibility, MSRP: $449!
THE STORY
Our goal with Tokyo Scoring Strings is to give you the orchestral string sound that has been heard across innumerable world-famous Japanese productions. It features five independently recorded sections (Violins 1, Violins 2, Viola, Cello, Bass) in a typical Japanese ensemble size (8/6/4/4/3) suitable for small and large productions alike.
We began this project in 2019, setting out to work with the finest musicians, engineer, and scoring studio in Japan. Due to both the language barrier & COVID, we had to find the right partners to help manage the project overseas. We connected with some incredible collaborators who have been with us through every step of the journey: our Japanese distributors Crypton Future Media and Sonicwire, plus the renowned composer Masaru Yokoyama.
Mr. Yokoyama, in addition to running a music production company (MiracleBus) and orchestral recording contractor (PlugNote), has composed for over 100 Japanese films, dramas, and anime series, bringing invaluable experience to the project.
THE MUSICIANS
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Attack on Titan, Super Mario Odyssey, My Hero Academia, Final Fantasy XV, The Seven Deadly Sins, Fate/Grand Order, Octopath Traveler, Persona 5, Haikyuu, Xenoblade Chronicles, Tokyo Ghoul.
All of these incredible scores, and over 600 more, have one thing in common: Koichiro Muroya Strings, led by its eponymous founder, violinist Koichiro Muroya. Their exquisite playing can be heard soaring across genres ranging from quiet, emotional anime moments to epic hybrid tracks by composers like Hiroyuki Sawano. Not surprisingly, Muroya Strings is the most in-demand session ensemble in all of Japan - and we were truly honored to record them for this project.
THE ENGINEER
The sound of these blockbuster Japanese soundtracks is not just superb musicianship and technique. The approach to recording and mixing orchestral scores is fundamentally unique as well. That's why we were equally privileged to work with Japan's top engineer, Mitsunori Aizawa, who is responsible for recording & mixing hundreds of world-famous anime, film, TV and video game productions.
Mr. Aizawa is a frequent collaborator of composer Hiroyuki Sawano, and his work can be heard on soundtracks like Final Fantasy VII Remake, The Promised Neverland, Fruits Basket, Mobile Suit Gundam, Kill la Kill, Monster Hunter, Street Fighter V, and many of the same soundtracks listed above!
THE STUDIO
Of course, the final element in an unforgettable score is an incredible recording space. For that reason, Tokyo Scoring Strings was recorded at SOUND CITY. With a truly legendary 60-year history, SOUND CITY has been home to countless beloved recordings for albums and soundtracks alike.
Here are just a small handful of the artists & composers who have returned time and time again to record at SOUND CITY:
Joe Hisaishi, Yoko Kanno, Nobuo Uematsu, Hiroyuki Sawano, Yuki Kajiura, Masashi Hamauzu, Kenji Kawai, Kohei Tanaka, Tatsuro Yamashita, JAM Project, Yasunori Nishiki, Hiroki Kikuta, Miki Higashino, and Jackie Chan (yes, that Jackie Chan!).
Unlike the larger halls and studios of the U.S. and Europe, studios in Japan tend to be built smaller, with rooms that offer a full-bodied sound without excessive reverb tails. SOUND CITY is no exception, giving Tokyo Scoring Strings a tighter, more focused sound that lends itself extremely well to more agile playing.
THE LIBRARY
Tokyo Studio Strings will include a well-rounded set of core articulations captured at 24/96 with superb detail. You'll be able to write and mock-up a wide variety of parts from slow & intimate to aggressive & agile, with a particular focus on excellent legato and short notes.
To help record even more authentic performances over the 90+ hours of sessions, we developed some new sampling techniques specifically for this library based on our 11 years of experience. The results should speak for themselves!
FULL WALKTHROUGH
ARTICULATION CONTROL
BEHIND THE SCENES - THE STORY
THE RECORDINGS
To give you maximum mix flexibility, the ensemble was captured with over a dozen mics, which have been mixed down to five stereo positions: Close, Decca, Side, Back, and Surround. We’ve also included a Board Mix which features Mr. Aizawa’s own console mix, and is an excellent, efficient way to get that authentic sound instantly.
The library will ship with our latest Console FX rack & mixer too, with built-in snapshots to give you a wide range of pre-mixed tones!
THE ENGINE
Tokyo Scoring Strings will feature a new Kontakt Player-based engine built from our “Agility” script (see our Ventus libraries to get an idea of what to expect).
There’s lots in store here to help you get great results fast. For example, you’ll be able to use two modes of playing: “real-time” with low-latency, and “lookahead,” which adds a slight latency in exchange for more realistic and idiomatic playback.
You'll also be able to suit TSS to your workflow via our latest iteration of TACT (Total Articulation Control Technology) supporting totally custom articulation mapping using any combination of velocity, keyswitch, MIDI CC, note range, pedal, or even multiple rules at once.
AUDIO DEMOS
FULL ARTICULATION LIST
All sections have identical articulations, dynamic layers, and round robins!
Note too that the Legato & Portamento articulations have 3 actual dynamics, not simulated (as in many libraries). This goes for ALL dynamics below.
Arco (Sustain) - 5 dynamics, 3 vibrato levels (senza, con, molto)
Bowed Legato - 3 dynamics, 2x rr
Slurred Legato - 3 dynamics, 2x rr
Bowed Portamento - 3 dynamics
Slurred Portamento - 3 dynamics
Rebow - 3 dynamics, 5x rr
Staccato - 5 dynamics, 6x rr
Staccatissimo - 5 dynamics, 6x rr
Spiccato - 4 dynamics, 6x rr
Crisp Spiccato - 2 dynamics, 6x rr
Sforzando - Dotted eighth & dotted quarter lengths, 3x rr
Decrescendo - Dotted eighth & dotted quarter lengths, 3x rr
Pizzicato - 3 dynamics, 4x rr
Tremolo - 4 dynamics
Trills - 2 dynamics, whole tone & half tone
Releases - natural, excited, and staccato
Harmonics
PRICING & AVAILABILITY
Tokyo Scoring Strings is available now for Kontakt 6 Player w/ full NKS compatibility, MSRP: $449!
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