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支持系统：Windows.MAC

音源厂商：https://soundiron.com/products/tablas

使用采样器：Kontakt 7 或Kontakt 8 版本加载

文件大小：1GB

Sonokinetic 的古典虚拟乐器系列涵盖了从交响乐团到电子机械钢琴等独立乐器的各种音色。Mallets 专注于旋律打击乐，提供管钟、钟琴、马林巴琴和木琴的多重采样，并经过格式化，可在自定义的 Kontakt 界面中演奏。

4.5

Sonokinetic | Mallets
界面时尚美观，使用起来却非常简单。页面顶部是前面提到的乐器部分，所有部分都会在打开乐器时加载。用户可以通过点击相应部分的图标来选择其中任意一个，然后点击 Mallets 的标志即可返回到界面初始状态。就是这么简单。

提供的控件也很简单，但始终可以选择使用 Kontakt 的"编辑模式"进行更深入的修改。例如，左侧是一个简单的均衡器部分，提供低、中、高三个控制，但控制面板无法调整频率或带宽，因此如果预设不令人满意，则必须使用编辑模式。

均衡器旁边是卷积混响的电平旋钮，然后是启动控制，以上所有控制对于四个乐器部分都是相同的。它们之间的主要区别在于马林巴琴和木琴有一个额外的滑块，可以改变演奏时使用的琴槌类型。木琴的琴槌类型是从木质到橡胶，而马林巴琴的琴槌类型是从羊毛到橡胶。有趣的是，滑块也可以位于两者之间的任何位置，以产生混合音色。

管钟也使用两种类型的琴槌演奏，分别是皮革和塑料，但不是使用滑块，而是将两组采样音色分开放置在键盘上的各自区域。在某些情况下，这种配置是更可取的，因为它允许音乐家根据需要同时演奏两种音色。通过延音踏板控制阻尼，钟琴在按住琴键时可以无限期地持续演奏，或在松开琴键后约 10 秒淡出。这也适用于钟琴。

与 Sonokinetic 的其他管弦乐产品一样，其采样质量也是一流的。显然，他们在一个天花板较高的中型录音棚中设置了一个半封闭式立体声 Schoeps 麦克风配置，卷积混响的响应曲线取自 Sonokinetic 的 Tutti、Vivace 和 Da Capo 管弦乐库录制的同一场地。该音色库包含超过 4000 个样本，这充分展示了如何创建具有循环变化和每个音符多个力度层的逼真虚拟乐器。

显然，Mallets 对于任何制作各种管弦乐谱的人来说都是一款实用的工具，但它也可能适用于爵士乐和前卫摇滚等音乐流派。例如，弗兰克·扎帕 (Frank Zappa) 经常在他的音乐中使用马林巴琴和木琴，而动画配乐作曲家很早就意识到，旋律优美的打击乐非常适合为快速移动的动作伴奏。最终，这款产品以令人印象深刻的方式实现了其宣传的功能。汤姆·弗林特

Sonokinetic's classical range of virtual instruments includes everything from symphonic orchestras to individual instruments like the electro mechanical piano. Mallets focuses on melodic percussion, providing multisamples of tubular bells, glockenspiel, marimba and xylophone, formatted so that they can be played from within a custom Kontakt interface.

4.5

Sonokinetic | Mallets
The interface is stylish but very simple to use. Across the top of the page are the aforementioned instrument sections, all of which are loaded when the instrument is opened. From there, the user can select any of the four by clicking on its section icon, and afterwards return the interface to its starting state by clicking on the Mallets logo. It's as simple as that.

The controls provided are simple too, although there is always the option of using Kontakt's 'Edit Mode' to make deeper alterations. For example, on the left is a simple EQ section providing Low, Mid and High controls, but there is no means of tuning the frequencies or bandwidths from the control panel, so Edit Mode has to be used if the presets are not satisfactory.

Next to the EQ is the convolution reverb's level knob, and then an attack control, and all of the above controls are the same for the four instrument sections. The key difference between them is that the marimba and xylophone have an additional slider, which changes the mallet type with which they are played. In the case of xylophone it is from wood to rubber and for marimba it is from wool to rubber. Interestingly, the slider can also be positioned anywhere in between the two for a hybrid sound.

The tubular bells were also played with two types of mallets, namely leather and plastic, but instead of there being a slider, the two sample sets are kept apart in their own sections on the keyboard. In some situations this configuration is preferable, as it enables a musician to play both at once if they choose. Dampening is assigned for control via a sustain pedal, allowing the bells to go on indefinitely while a key is held down, or fade out after about 10 seconds after release. This also works for glockenspiel.

The quality of the sampling, as with Sonokinetic's other orchestral products, is first rate. Apparently, a semi-close stereo Schoeps microphone configuration was set up in a medium-sized studio with high ceiling, and the convolution reverb's response curve is taken from the same venue that Sonokinetic's Tutti, Vivace and Da Capo orchestral libraries were recorded. The library comprises over 4000 samples, which goes to show what it takes to create realistic-sounding virtual instruments with round-robin variations and multiple velocity layers for every note.

Obviously, Mallets is a useful tool to have for anyone producing a variety of orchestral scores, but it also might be relevant to musical genres like jazz and progressive rock. Frank Zappa, for example, used marimba and xylophone frequently in his music, and cartoon score composers realised very early on that melodic percussion was great for accompanying fast-moving action. Ultimately, this product does exactly what it claims to do in impressive fashion. Tom Flint