REDEFINED
Four classic guitars, two iconic amps, real spring reverb, and extensive FX presets. All recorded and designed by guitarists.
Desolate Guitars embodies a timeless sound that's shaped music for decades, seamlessly blending analog warmth with digital versatility. Perfect for producers, artists, and media composers seeking a distinctive sonic palette, even without guitar expertise. Featuring four classic guitars, two iconic amps, real spring reverb, and extensive FX presets designed by guitarists, the creative possibilities are endless.
The Sound
Desolate Guitars is all about the sound. Picture evocative guitar tones that transport you into the moody landscapes of David Lynch's cinematic worlds or the pulsating indie vibes reminiscent of Arctic Monkeys. It's a love letter to that classic sound: your favorite guitars plugged straight into iconic vintage amps, drenched in spring reverb, and decorated with tremolo.
Desolate Guitars is a journey through time and genres. The rich palette of lonely, cinematic tones is not only distinct but also versatile, ready to infuse your music with the kind of character that makes hit soundtracks and records. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a newcomer to the world of electric guitars, this collection welcomes you to explore an expanse of sonic landscapes that resonate deeply.
The Approach
Desolate Guitars focusses on what truly matters – the sounds and articulations that are not just authentic but also instantly playable and an absolute joy to work with.
We've deliberately retained the character of our recordings. The natural nuances, the character of the amps, and the recording chain are all integral to our approach. It's about embracing those imperfections, which ultimately contribute to the authentic and character-rich sound of Desolate Guitars.
Desolate Guitars utilizes the classic combination of Shure SM57 and Royer Ribbon R-121 microphones, tracked through Shelford Channels by Rupert Neve Designs, and high-end AD conversion.
The Guitars
We don't like to name names, but Desolate Guitars boasts four distinct personalities of guitar that have shaped the music world for decades.
Desolate is the classic solid body icon, delivering twangy perfection.
Chime, a '60s guitar, complete with that unmistakable chime and a floating tremolo system.
Baritone offers a rare twist – it's a '60s classic, covering the full range of a bass guitar, yet maintaining a unique twangy character that's far from the typical bassy sound.
Mellow is the classic semi-hollow beauty, tailored for mellower tones. A less twangy, warmer embrace.
Amps & Reverb
Behind Desolate Guitars lie sought-after, classic vintage amps, often referred to as the American clean and British chime. These amps, with their carefully selected tubes, are vital to the sound, transforming each note with the authentic charm that defines an era.
As for the spring reverb, it's not your average reverb. We've captured the magic of the classic amp spring – the kind well known for its unique character and depth. Unlike typical modelled or impulse response reverbs that offer static, predictable sound, our approach captures the liveliness of a real spring reverb. We recorded every sample four times, through two amps, each with dry and wet options. The result? An ever-evolving, dynamic reverb that adds depth and character to your music.
Tremolo
Every facet of Desolate Guitars focuses on the authenticity of the sound, right down to the tremolo including two genuine tremolos modelled from the vintage amps used. We painstakingly recreated these tremolos to offer an exact sound faithful to the originals, ensuring that your music carries the spirit of the classics.
We've taken it a step further by adding three extra tremolo styles inspired by popular pedals. It's about giving you a diverse palette of tremolo effects to infuse character into your compositions. In the spirit of modern convenience, we've also included sync-to-host functionality, so you get the best of both worlds: analog heritage and digital convenience for seamless integration into your music production workflow.
Authenticity
Desolate Guitars places a premium on authenticity, playability, and versatility. We've streamlined the user experience - no cumbersome key switches or controllers. The sounds you crave are effortlessly accessible, delivering expressive plucks, lush chords, dynamic swells, harmonics, and mesmerizing feedback.
Articulation options include sustains, mutes, vibrato bar performances, and chord/looped texture patches with major and minor variations. Every preset effortlessly spans both vintage amps, presenting as dry and wet signals giving you full control over amp sound and spring reverb levels, enhancing your creative command. With Desolate Guitars, effortlessly explore a new realm of musical expression.
Key Features:
- Four Iconic Electric Guitars: Immerse your productions in the authenticity of classic guitar tones, meticulously captured for timeless appeal.
- Two Classic Vintage Amps: Choose or blend between two classic vintage amps synonymous with these tones.
- Real Spring Reverb: Experience the unique character of a real spring reverb, yours to dial in as you please.
- Tremolo Effects: Explore authentic tremolo effects modeled from vintage amps, with added styles inspired by popular pedals and sync-to-host functionality.
- Extensive FX Chain: A wealth of powerful FX chain presets designed by guitarists with easy access via macro control.
- Diverse Articulations: Explore a wide range of articulations, including plucks, chords, swells, feedback, harmonics and more.
- Vibrato Performances: Infuse your music with expressiveness using vibrato bar performances for sustained notes.
- High-End Recording: Enjoy studio-perfect sound quality all captured via Rupert Neve Designs® pre-amps.
- Versatile Sustains: Create dynamic compositions with sustains and mutes, enhanced by different guitars and amp settings.
- Chord Options: Choose between major and minor chords for versatility in chord and looped texture patches.
- Intuitive Modwheel Control: Seamlessly switch or blend between various articulations using the modwheel for enhanced playability.
- Compatible with Native Instruments Kontakt 7.6.1 or free Kontakt player.
- Native Instruments NKS compatible.
- Download Size: 33 GB
- 24-bit, 48 kHz
- Kontakt instrument - requires free Kontakt 7 Player or Kontakt 7 Version 7.6.1 or higher
- System Requirements:
- Intel Macs (i5 or higher): macOS 11, 12 or 13 (latest update)
- Apple Silicon Macs (via Rosetta 2 & natively on ARM in Standalone or in hosts that support it): macOS 11, 12 or 13 (latest update)
- Windows 10 or 11 (latest Service Pack), Intel Core i5 or equivalent CPU, 2 GB RAM
- Graphics hardware support for Direct 3D 11.1 (Feature Level 11_0) or higher
- 4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended for large KONTAKT Instruments)
- macOS (64-bit only): Stand-alone, VST3, AU, AAX
- Windows (64-bit only): Stand-alone, VST3, AAX
