Spitfire Audio Hg20

An eerie percussion classic

HG2O is Spitfire's experimental take on the waterphone, a classic percussion instrument, played by renowned percussionist Paul Clarvis in The Hall at AIR Studios. The Spitfire team takes this unconventional metallic instrument beyond its vintage horror stereotype to reveal its inspirational beauty. We have also included a collection of morphed pads and ambiences, created from the raw organic samples and presented in our Mercury Synth engine.

The Waterphone

Performed by renowned percussionist Paul Clarvis, this unconventional metallic, atonal instrument, the waterphone, consists of a stainless steel resonator bowl, with a cylindrical neck and bronze rods of different lengths around the rim. The resonator is filled with water to give the instrument a vibrant, ethereal sound, that has appeared in countless movie soundtracks, records, and live performances.

Paul Clarvis is first call percussionist for the majority of A-list composers, having played on blockbuster scores such as Star Wars, Harry Potter and The Dark Knight. We captured every sample in the glorious surrounds of the Hall at AIR Studios, one of the finest scoring stages in the world where we record the majority of our symphonic and percussive sample libraries, all of which are designed to lock together sonically. It has been recorded by AIR Studios' expert resident engineer Jake Jackson, with an array of priceless vintage microphones via Neve “Montserrat” pre-amps, to a beautifully serviced Studer 2” tape machine, and then into digital at 96k via the best Prism AD converters.

Eerie metallic soundscapes

We sampled both bowed and drummed performances in detail, with and without movement. The resonant characteristics of the bowl and rods in combination with the movement of the water immediately evokes mystery and suspense. The water level is controllable via the front panel, from empty to half full and full. With eight microphone positions and three stereo mixes, designed to fit whichever application you’re working on, and to create dramatic shifts in focus and depth, all fully output assignable for surround and 5.1 use. The mophed and warped pads presented in our Mercury Synth engine will add extra dimensions to your scores.

What's included

Instruments

• Traditional - Main mics
• Traditional - Mix mics
• Tine bows - Main mics
• Tine bows - Mix mics
• Tine plucks - Main mics
• Tine plucks - Mix mics
• Gamalan style - Main mics
• Gamalan style - Mix mics

Mercury synth instruments

• Mercury Synth - Back to the Beginning
• Mercury Synth - Beauty Transforms
• Mercury Synth - Big Benjy
• Mercury Synth - Catch your breath
• Mercury Synth - During the night
• Mercury Synth - Golden House
• Mercury Synth - In Space
• Mercury Synth - Incandescence
• Mercury Synth - Low Jangler
• Mercury Synth - Low Metal
• Mercury Synth - Microwave Chipset
• Mercury Synth - Nightmare Waltz
• Mercury Synth - Oompa
• Mercury Synth - Powering up
• Mercury Synth - Scary Hiss
• Mercury Synth - Simple Drier Pad
• Mercury Synth - Simple Ocean Pad
• Mercury Synth - Sinus Problem
• Mercury Synth - Solace
• Mercury Synth - Speaking the Tongue
• Mercury Synth - Sub Drone
• Mercury Synth - Threatening Transforms
• Mercury Synth - Unsettling Vapour Clouds
• Mercury Synth - Wratchet Crickets

Microphones

• Close
• Tree
• Ambient
• Outrigger
• Close Ribbon
• Stage
• Mid
• Gallery

Mixes

• Fine
• Medium
• Broad