AURAS DETAILS




SOUND DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

The sound world of AURAS focuses primarily on abstract and impressionistic textures and rhythms. It is influenced by the styles of composers and artists who blur the boundaries between sound design, orchestration and music. John Luther Adams, Ben Frost, Ingram Marshall, Tim Hecker, Ian William Craig, Machinedrum and William Basinski were all reference points for a library that explores the manipulation of sound as if it were an energetic field or aura of sonic textures that constantly shift in shape and colour.

The ROLI Seaboard enables you to play with this concept due to its intuitive and expressive performance capabilities. Unlike the way a regular sample library gives a strictly defined and static snapshot of a sound, AURAS allows you to play with the shapes and forms of each sound in a dynamic and unique way.

A wide variety of sounds were recorded as material for the sound design, with an emphasis on capturing performance and movement rather than a vast array of multi-sampled notes. Strings, synths, winds, field recordings, percussion and more were used as source material that was processed using a number of techniques and effects to create a sonic landscape that ranges from soft and fragile to complete chaos.

AURAS

The AURAS section of the library contains over 60 curated multi-layered instruments, creatively programmed to inspire new ideas. Layers and effects are interacted with using the multi-dimensional gestural controls of the Seaboard, or can be mapped to the knobs and sliders of any MIDI CC controller. A minimal GUI allows multiple parameters of each layer to be tweaked in order to to adjust the sound to taste.

COLOURS

With over 100 patches, the COLOURS environment gives you the opportunity to take the source material from the AURAS instruments and shape your own sounds in a fast and simple way. The speed with which you can start manipulating sounds makes it easy for you to focus on creating unique playable textures in an intuitive manner. A modulation matrix allows various effects and parameters to be assigned to the Seaboard multi-touch controls, knobs and sliders on a MIDI controller, or any of two adjustable internal LFOs.

POLYPHONIC TEXTURE CONTROL

  • AURAS is the first Kontakt library specifically designed to work with ROLI/MPE multi-touch technology (for more info on MPE click here).
  • The multiple dimensions of touch allow for polyphonic control of a variety of sound shaping parameters.
  • AURAS patches contain layers and effects that can be individually controlled per note using Slide (up/down), Press (key pressure), Glide (left/right) and Strike (velocity), allowing for uniquely responsive expression in sound design performance.
  • Polyphonic multi-dimensional control (multi-touch affects individual voices) of patches with ROLI Seaboard and other MPE devices (sold separately)
  • Monophonic multi-dimensional control (multi-touch affects all voices) of patches with ROLI Lightpad and other MIDI controllers (sold separately).
  • Library includes additional COLOURS interface, with assignable modulation matrix for custom mapping of parameters to multi-touch controls or MIDI controllers.

OTHER CONTROLLERS

AURAS patches can still be used without a ROLI Seaboard or MPE controller.

Each patch can be performed with a normal MIDI keyboard and the layers and effects of the patch can be assigned to be controlled by knobs and sliders on any MIDI CC controller.

Both AURAS and COLOURS interfaces have a MIDI learn function in which the user can easily twist a knob or push a slider on a MIDI controller to assign it's CC number to the relevant parameter.

AURAS EP

AURAS comes with the option of a free limited edition 12" AURAS EP (subject to postage fees). The album contains a compilation of tracks created by a variety of contemporary artists and producers including Jamie Teasdale/Kuedo (Planet Mu, KNIVES), Michael Price (Erased Tapes), Yair Elazar Glotman/Ketev (Subtext Recordings), Sam Slater (Bedroom Community), and VEILS, using the AURAS library as an inspiration point and combining it with electronic and live instrumentation.

There is an estimated delay of three months for shipment of the vinyl due to the lead time on vinyl production from the pressing plant and due to artists requiring the full library before creating tracks.

Digital version and vinyl also available on Bandcamp.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

  • Approx 9GB of samples (compressed)
  • Requires Kontakt 5.6.5 or higher
  • Compatible with ROLI Seaboard, ROLI Blocks, MIDI Keyboards & other MIDI controllers (sold separately)
  • Due to the demands of MPE requirements and a wide range of modulation and processing tools being easily accessible in the COLOURS environment, it is recommended that users have an up-to-date and powerful computer/cpu to get the best out of the AURAS library.
  • Download the AURAS Quick Start Manual
  • Check out the AURAS FAQs

SLATE + ASH

Slate + Ash are Will Slater and Simon Ashdown, composers and musical sound designers based in Bristol, UK.

Their focus on creating experimental sounds and textures from acoustic and electronic sources has lead to them working with some of the most interesting voices in modern film scoring, including Jóhann Jóhannsson (Arrival), Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury (Annihilation, Black Mirror, Ex_Machina), and Daniel Pemberton (One Strange Rock, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse).