REVIEW: METROPOLIS ARK Ø by ORCHESTRAL TOOLS

 Metropolis Ark Ø is a prologue to the Ark series. A prototype orchestra which sparked the idea to the legendary Metropolis Ark franchise. 

 

 

OVERVIEW 

Works with Orchestral Tools’ SINE Player
31 GB of samples (11 GB SINEarc compressed)
24 bit / 48 KHz patches

 
System requirements SINE:
Mac: macOS 10.13 or higher | Intel Core i5 or similar | Apple M1 chipset supported | At least 8 GB RAM (16 GB+ recommended)
Windows: Windows 10 | Intel Core i5 or similar | At least 8 GB RAM (16 GB+ recommended)
Formats supported: Standalone, VST, VST3, AU, AAX

 

SINE PLAYER
(Load all Instruments and Articulations) 

 

 

PERFORMANCE PAGE

(The Performance View holds the core of combining and controlling articulations across SINEplayer collections.)

 

MIXER SECTION

  
(Switch microphones on/off, adjust volume, panorama, mute/solo mic positions and perform Mic Merges.
There are two tabs within the Mixer View: the actual Mixer and the Mic Remote.)

 

OPTIONS VIEW

 

(The Options View lets you set global defaults for SINEplayer, including audio driver settings, MIDI device settings, the Controller Map for default MIDI CCs and Key Switches.)

 

 

 

 

REVIEW

After finding out Metropolis Ark 5 was the final installment, I was surprised to see a new Ark was released a year later by Orchestral Tools. What is Ark Ø ? A new beginning, a prequel, or both. After learning about it, the answer was clear. It's an orchestra carefully designed for simplicity and allows one to compose an orchestration quickly.

Metropolis ARK Ø contains 31 GB of samples, but stores at 11 GB SINEarc compressed. It was recorded at the illustrious Teldex Scoring Stage in Berlin by high level session musicians in Situ. 

 

The library comes with a Tutti Orchestra, High Orchestra, and Low Orchestra. The Articulations for the Tutti Orchestra : Sustains, Marcato long, Marcato short, Upbeats, Staccato, Legatos, and 8 Mic Positions. The High Orchestra Articulations: Chords sustains maj, Chords Sustains Min, Chords Staccato Maj, Chords staccato min, Chords swells long Maj, Chords Swells Long Min, Chords swells short maj, Chords swells short min, Single arps maj, Single Arps Min, Trills Maj, Trills Min, Octave Runs Maj, Octave Runs Min, legatos, and 8 Mic Positions. The Low Orchestra Articulations: Chords Sustains Maj, Chords Sustains Min, Chords Staccato Maj, Chords Staccato Min, Chords swells long maj, Chords Swells Long Min, Chords Swells Short Maj, Chords Swells Short Min, Single arps Maj, Single Arps Min, Octave Runs Maj, Octave Runs min, Swells Long, Swells Short, Legatos, and eight mic positions. Orchestral Tools  recorded every chord with all three inversions and it sounds stunning.

Of course, you also have the option of purchasing each orchestra at 70,00 € or separately if you don't want to buy the whole package for only 150,00 €

Metropolis ARK Ø does sound outstanding and is incredibly fun to play. It's a blast just getting in there and writing something when inspiration strikes. The Orchestra works right out of the box, and I was blown away by its power and simplicity. Orchestral Tools had a surprise toward the end of 2022.

I think composers will appreciate the strength of this library. You have a beautiful all-around orchestra for action, drama, trailer scoring, video games, and more all at your fingertips without worrying about orchestral mixing as it blends perfectly. 

 

For quick sketches to an inspiring blockbuster, Metropolis ARK Ø delivers an engaging experience and is a welcoming addition to the already perfect Ark series!

5 OUT OF 5 STARS!

AVAILABLE HERE: ORCHESTRAL TOOLS