Orchestral Tools have announced the launch of Arkanum, a new update which adds a collection of new patches to their Drones sample library and virtual instrument. Created by Alexander Hacke, the experimental musician behind the original instrument, the new patches deliver a selection of dark rumblings, eerie ambiences and ghostly murmurs that the company say are ideal for adding an otherworldly dimension to any composition or sound design project.
The samples used in Drones were captured at the Teldex Scoring Stage in Berlin and Silent Green, a former mausoleum chosen for its dark and mysterious acoustic qualities. The instrument is built around lengthy samples, and allows users to combine them into controllable layers to create evolving sounds that provide a perfect foundation for atmospheric scoring projects. Arkanum continues along the same path, using sounds built from instruments that Hacke played personally during the original recording sessions, including acoustic and electric guitars and basses.
The patches combine EBow playing with feedback and a pentagram amp setup, and have been layered together with heavy processing applied, resulting in a range of tones that are said to demonstrate Hacke’s personal sonic aesthetic. As with the original Drones content, experimentation with the mod wheel will cause sounds in Arkanum seamlessly morph between different textures, offering a vast array of complex, playable and expressive sounds.
Compatibility
Drones runs in the latest version of Orchestral Tools’ SINE Player, which is supported on PCs running Windows 10 or 11, and Macs running macOS 10.13 and higher. VST, VST3, AU and AAX plug-in versions are available, along with a standalone application.
Pricing & Availability
Arkanum is available now, and is free to existing Drones users. To celebrate the update, Orchestral Tools are offering the entire collection for €119 until 6 March, when it will return to its full cost of €189.
