iamlamprey
Songbird artwork
Songbird cover art
Songbird - Toy Kalimba
4.4 (32 ratings)
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Toy Kalimba

Songbird is a deeply sampled toy Kalimba I bought a few months ago. It has multiple velocity layers and four round-robins for a simple, yet expressive sound.

Listen to Songbird

FAQs

What is this product?

This is a virtual instrument - it plays recorded samples back when it receives a MIDI note from your DAW. Virtual instruments are the industry standard for high-quality, expressive playback.

Do I need a workstation (DAW)?

Yes - both versions of this instrument require both a workstation (DAW) like Ableton or Logic, as well as a sampler plugin (Kontakt or Rhapsody).

Do I need Kontakt?

There is a Kontakt and Rhapsody version. If you want to use the Kontakt version you will need the FULL (not free) version of Kontakt 5.5 or later.

Note: More recent versions of Kontakt (like 8+) may have compatibility issues and are untested. Use an older Kontakt (or Rhapsody).

What is Rhapsody?

Rhapsody is a free alternative to Kontakt, available for MacOS, Windows and Linux. Rhapsody only loads the Rhapsody version - it cannot load the Kontakt version of the instrument.

What is the difference between the Kontakt and Rhapsody versions?

The Kontakt versions came first so they're a bit outdated. In general I recommend using the Rhapsody version - it's free, more "modern" and includes additional controls like sampler-level adjustments and effects.

Do you offer refunds?

If you're unhappy with the purchase, or can't get it working. Send me an email via the Contact Form within 7 days of purchase for a refund.

How do I use this in my DAW?

It depends on the DAW, but the general steps are:

  1. Install Kontakt / Rhapsody
  2. Install the instrument.
  3. Create an instrument track in your DAW - add Kontakt / Rhapsody.
  4. Load the instrument onto the track.
  5. Create (or record) a MIDI clip onto the timeline.

The MIDI information will then be sent to the instrument by your DAW - allowing you to hear the playback.

Do people really use these?

Yes, virtual instruments are still very popular. My libraries have several thousand sales across multiple distributers worldwide - producers and composers use them daily and despite sample libraries being decades old, they're still the best technology we have.

Rhapsody is a free and open-source VST, AU & Standalone player by Libre Wave.

Gone are the days of needing $400 software to open virtual instruments. Rhapsody is fast, powerful and most importantly… it's free.

Specs

  • G2-E5 Keyrange
  • Multi-Velocity Samples
  • 4 Round Robins
  • Built-in FX Suite
  • Free Player Plugin by Libre Wave
  • VST, AU & Standalone Support
  • 17MB download size
  • 17MB uncompressed

Setup guides

Install Rhapsody & add libraries
Library walkthrough
Download Rhapsody

Kontakt 5.8 or higher (full version) required. This library will not work in the free Kontakt Player.

Specs

  • G2-E5 Keyrange
  • Multi-Velocity Samples
  • 4 Round Robins
  • Built-in FX Suite
  • Kontakt 5.8 or higher (full)
  • All major DAWs supported
  • 8GB RAM minimum
  • 36MB download size
  • 36MB uncompressed
  • Does NOT work in the Free Kontakt Player.