NEW RELEASE: Novella Blackwater by Westwood Instruments

 NEW RELEASE

Novella Blackwater is a complete toolkit of virtual instruments for scoring and songwriting. This is a mountainous range of sounds, taking inspiration from the homestead of Americana and contemporary Western cinema, with a modern approach and very
versatile palette of sounds to suit multiple styles.
An outstanding string ensemble lead the band, surrounded by a remarkable selection of spirited solo instruments. Backing everything up is a rusty oil barrel and a medley of unconventional percussion.

A resilient force of ideas for film scores. An expansive plain of sounds for songwriting. We invite you to explore new horizons and prepare yourself for the wild. This is your new scoring partner.

A love letter to Americana and the modern Western.

 

Spirited and courageous

A chamber string ensemble with an essential collection of inspiring and unique articulations for sketching ideas immediately. Introducing “Motion” a tempo-synced automated dynamics control to help you create realistic swells and movements without your hands leaving the keyboard.

The strings are broken out into two detailed string sections. The High Strings feature Violins and Violas and the Lows feature the Cellos and Basses performing a wide range of matched articulations including ‘Fire & Flint’ aimed at creating instant drama and tension using dynamic and timbre sliders. 3 tempo synced tremolos, Hairpins, Shorts and a range of other unique sounds.

These strings are small enough to feel detailed and alive when you need them to be, but with a quick change of mic positions and a splash of reverb, you can easily create cinema-filling sounds for the biggest scores.

 

Human legato

A beautiful natural legato recorded independently on Violins, Violas, with Cello and Basses playing together. With a key switch to play a standard or marcato attack. 

An 1800s violin made by John Betts with gut strings. Recorded with legato and 3 attack options; standard, marcato and a bluegrass-style bend. There’s also two drone articulations played using open strings.

For both love songs and laments, this is a very honest and unrefined sound with a vulnerable performance. 

A harmonium recorded in its natural range but then stretched for a huge full-sized experience. As well as traditional sounding recordings we’ve experimented with a range of treatments for unconventional playing styles and textures. 

Who needs some twang?

A Danelectro electric guitar played with a classic twang and in a dozens styles through a Fender Reverb tube amp. Included is a mixture of versatile articulations and never before captured sounds, perfect for modern day scoring.

 

Delicate moody tones

A Fender Telecaster recorded in Studio 2 at Nave Studio for a drier, more intimate sound. We’ve recorded western inspired slides, muted notes, chords, harmonics and gently wandering playing techniques for an amazing atmospheric feeling.

 

Vintage steel vibes

A beautifully warm example of the best vintage Gibson acoustic guitar we’ve ever heard. As well as sustains,  muted styles, tremolos and drones, we’ve captured a handful of loose, human performed rhythms and chords, aimed at adding realism to your scores.

A guitar that's seen the best and worst of times

A gloriously aged nylon guitar. Rough around the edges with plenty of vibe. We’ve included a selection of unique rhythms, chords and sustains to create beautiful melodies. Also includes six ‘Wends’; lost and meandering finger-style playing to bring some mood and depth to your music.

A classic country sound


Folk-inspired sounds that help cut through a busy mix, but can stand on their own too. This is a beautiful Sobel octave mandolin, tuned up to a Mandola. Recorded with a pick for a bright attack sound. We’ve captured a selection of articulations including shorts, tremolos and a set of ‘ready to go’ rhythms for scoring and songwriting.


Instruments & Articulations

PLAINVIEW ENSEMBLE

 
All Strings

• Frontiers
• Fires
• Flint
• Dust Devils
• Short Hairpins
• Shorts


LEGATO STRINGS
Includes 2 key-switchable styles of attack; Regular and Marcato.

• Violins Legato
• Violas Legato
• Low Strings Legato
• Violins Longs
• Violas Longs
• Low Strings Longs


HIGH STRINGS
Violins & Violas

• Fire & Flint
• Stutters
• Dust Devils
• Drifting Tremolo 85bpm
• Tremolo 110bpm
• Tremolo 150 bpm
• Longs
• Short Hairpins
• Long Hairpins
• Long Hairpins Sync
• Shorts
• Back Bow


LOW STRINGS
Cellos & Basses

• Fire & Flint
• Stutters
• Dust Devils
• Drifting Tremolo 85bpm
• Tremolo 110bpm
• Tremolo 150 bpm
• Longs
• Short Hairpins
• Long Hairpins
• Long Hairpins Sync
• Shorts
• Back Bow


DEADWOOD- Gut Violin

The Legato and long articulations include 3 styles of attack; Regular, Marcato and a bluegrass style bend.

• Legato
• Longs
• Drones
• Sul Pont Drones


MORGAN
Harmonium


• Longs
• Yonder
• Yonder Reverse
• Windpipes
• Exhale
• Exile


OUTLAW
Electric Guitar


• Longs
• Longs Pitch Shifted
• Palm Mutes
• Palm Mutes Pitch Shifted
• Chords
• Tremolo
• Coil Tremolo
• Coin Tremolo Thirds
• Coin Tremolo 4ths/5ths
• Railheads Knuckle
• Railheads Ring
• Smokebox


RAILS
Electric Guitar


• Fingerstyle Longs
• Pitched Fingerstyle Longs
• Woolen Mutes
• Pitched Woolen Mutes
• Splangs
• Slide
• Fret Hover
• Harmonics
• Promontory
• Promontory Reverse
• Hangfire
• Hangfire Reverse


FLAT TOP
Steel Acoustic

• Longs
• Shifted Longs
• Mutes
• Pitched Mutes
• Tremolo
• Unison Drones
• Unison Drones Reversed
• Rhythm – Homestead
• Rhythm – Stourbridge
• Rhythm – Creekside
• Rhythm – Byways


NOMAD
Nylon Acoustic

• Longs
• Chords (Maj/Min)
• Rhythms – Highplains
• Rhythms – Chitlins
• Rhythms – Outrider
• Rhythms – Cavallard
• Wends – Chords
• Wends – Chuparosa
• Wends – Brittlebrush
• Wends – Desert Sage
• Wends – Saguaro
• Wends – Feverfew


JUNIPER
Mandola

• Pick
• Tremolo
• Tremolo Storm
• Chords
• Rhythm – Cottonwood
• Rhythm – Barnum
• Rhythm – Gadabout
• Rhythm – Sagebrush


HERALD
Trumpet


• The Gambler
• The Drinkers
• The Rustler
• Short Sustains
• Short Swells
• Long Swells
• Motif – Maverick
• Motif – Bittersweet
• Motif – Forward
• Motif – Forward Minor
• Motif – Forward Major
• Motif – Charge


BRONSON
Harmonica

• Wild & Moody Longs
• Moody Longs
• Wild Longs
• Slow Bends
• Fast Bends
• Swells
• Chords
• Longs


HICKORY
Upright Piano

• Hickory Piano
• Octave Hickory Piano
• Reverse Piano
• Tapping
• Reverse Tapping
• Stacked Tapping


OIL FIELDS
Drums & Percussion

• Oil Drum – 10 unique sounds
• Military Snare including Flams, Drags, Roll, Rimshot and Splash Stack
• Brass Snare
• Broken Crash
• Cymbal Stack
• Stick Ride
• Cymbal Scrapes
• Old Bass Drum
• Dead Old Bass Drum
• Hand Drum
• Jawharp
• High Cowbell
• Low Cowbell
• Claves
• Thunder Shaker
• Seed Shakers
Mixes & Microphones

 

 

AVAILABLE HERE: WESTWOOD INSTRUMENTS