Soundiron Tablas

They’ve packed the user interface with powerful sound-shaping controls to give you complete flexibility. The main master Tablas preset contains all the multi-samples in the library and a host of powerful expression features. There are 4 independent sound layers, each with a full set of parameters that can be linked, automated and customized. These include swell, attack, start offset, release (with pad-mode), vibrato, filter, coarse and fine pitch, sound bank selection, and crossfader assignment. Next, they used various sound-design tricks to morph the sounds from our journey into tonal and dissonant pads, synth-tones and ambient dreamscapes. You’ll find these in the Layer 3 (Ambience) sound menu. They can be played by themselves, or used to add texture and body to the primary sounds in Layers 1 and 2. Lastly, the Sub-Synth layer is a basic synthesizer with 10 shapes that can be added for transient and tonal support.

In the advanced settings pull-down window, you’ll also find an adaptable per-layer LFO system, with selectable LFO shape, modulation target parameter, speed, intensity, tempo-syncing and fade-in time. You can also apply your choice of 13 lowpass, high-pass and FX filters, with assignable modulation targets such as velocity, mod-wheel, expression, after-touch, key position and step-sequencer table control. Their customizable arpeggiator features a built-in velocity sequencer table and control over arp direction, note timing, swing, randomization and duration. They’ve also included a key and scale lock system that allows you to constrain your notes to a wide variety of common scales and keys for easy melodic composition and live performance.

The Tablas Loops preset contains over 1,350 loops ranging from 70 bpm to 165 bpm. The built-in loop browser lets you quickly preview loops, filter your search by tempo and you can even star your favorite loops for instant recall. Once you load your loops into the slot grid, you can tweak each loop down to the individual transient slice with playback direction, tempo-sync or beat-mode, normal timing, ½-time or double-time, slice order, ADSR and custom step-automation sequencing for volume, pitch, pan, filter cutoff and resonance parameters that you can freely draw with your mouse.

For non-Kontakt users, they’ve named each WAV file clearly by category and keywords and organized them by category for easy browsing and direct use in cinematic sound design, video games and media post-production work.