Olafur Arnalds Stratus

THE PIANO, REIMAGINED

Fusing the power of technology with the organic beauty and emotion of the piano, Stratus is a vast, dynamic new instrument that will add depth, movement and colour to your music. Made in collaboration with BAFTA-winning Icelandic composer and producer Ólafur Arnalds, this versatile, multidimensional tool bends space and time through an intricate network of polyrhythmic piano performances. Awe-inspiring patterns and atmospheric clouds of harmonic refractions swell and die away at your fingertips, unfolding based on what you play and instantly sparking new ideas.

Instantly playable and easy-to-use, Stratus is presented in a bespoke interface made up of eight multi-layered piano and synthesizer matrixes, each offering a unique sonic experience — plus detailed customisation options and mind-blowing warped sounds, offering a full spectrum of emotion.

A Spectrum of Emotion

In our fourth collaboration with renowned composer Ólafur Arnalds, we bring you a brand new, multidimensional instrument, based on his acclaimed software: sophisticated midi algorithms programmed to trigger a mix of straight and syncopated rhythmic patterns of notes, on two identical self-playing pianos. Spitfire has used this model to create a highly intuitive and interactive tool enhanced with unique features, while recording full performances to capture the profoundly emotional, organic nature of the pianos themselves — instantly adding echoes of movement to anything you play, and pushing you to explore new possibilities.

Instant Musicality

Stratus makes it easy to create nuanced piano-based music from the most simplistic of arrangements. Designed to help you write music or finish that track or score, hold down a note or a chord and lose yourself in unique, inspiring clouds of harmonic refractions and rhythmic performances as they swell, evolve and die away at your fingertips. Whatever the mood you are trying to create, it offers a whole spectrum of emotion, derived from user input — from intimate loops, swells and textures to intricate rhythms falling like rain, and dreamy, expansive soundscapes.

Bespoke interface featuring eight 8x8 matrixes complete with five z-axis layers:

• Rhythmic Waves: tempo-synced rhythms with a gradual attack/swell
• Rhythmic Attacks: tempo-synced rhythms with a strong attack
• Looped Rhythms: tempo-synced loops
• Swarms: non tempo-synced swarm-like textures
• Synth Matrix: Looped Rhythms
• Synth Matrix: Swarms
• Synth Matrix: Swarms
• Synth Matrix - Looped Rhythms Shorts 1
• Synth Matrix - Looped Rhythms Shorts 2