Bunker Samples has announced the release of a new solo violin library in the “Iremia” series of Kontakt instruments dedicated entirely to the softest end of the dynamic spectrum.
Rather than create a generic, all-purpose violin library, Intimate Violin – “Iremia” (Greek for quietude) is a detailed exploration of the most vulnerable and intimate side of the solo violin. When playing extremely quiet, the bow noise and small imperfections in the sound is brought to the forefront, which creates a virtual instrument that feels incredibly intimate, fragile and human.
5 mic perspectives – 3 of them close
Iremia was recorded in a top studio and offers five distinct microphone perspectives. To capture as much detail as possible, Bunker Samples wanted to get as close as possible, so a way to mount a tiny condenser microphone inside the violin itself was developed. On the outside, the Super Close perspective is just 30 cm from the instrument, while the more conventional Close, Mid and Far perspectives makes it easy to achieve the perfect balance between detail and a sense of space.
Sustains, textures, swells…and mutes
Iremia contains 11 sustain articulations of varying intensities, from a whisper quiet ppp to a soft p, all with extended dynamics controls for added expressiveness . The 10 textures on offer include bow and vibrato pulses, fluctuating tremolo and more, adding life and movement to the sound and are great for chordal playing. Also included is three different flavours of natural swells, each in four different lengths.
Every articulation was recorded both with and without mute, and with the x-fade patches the user can seamlessly morph from a dark muted sound into a brighter, un-muted sound, something that would be impossible to do in real life.
With the switch of a button, all the mic positions can be phase aligned to the inside mic, creating bright and dark sound variations without the need for EQ, while the numerous options for controlling the dynamic response of the instrument makes Iremia a highly expressive and playable instrument, despite the focus on only soft sounds.
Intimate Violin joins the other two titles in the Iremia series, the viola and cello, which features the exact same concept, articulations and microphone positions.
We see this bundle it as the perfect toolkit for achieving the fragile Scandi Noir string sound with ease, or for any occasion when you need a sound that quietly pulls you in and whispers you all its secrets.
Available for the full version of Kontakt 6.7.1 or later, Intimate Violin – Iremia is on sale for the introduction price of $49 USD until September 7th, 2025 (regular $99 USD). The Iremia bundle with violin, viola and cello is $149 USD during the promotion (regular $199 USD).
More information: Bunker Samples
