English Spinet II - Edition Beurmann

• The English Spinet II features an instrument built in 1705 by Benjamin Slade, known for his influence on spinet construction.
• This library captures a sweet yet majestic sound character.
• Only one spinet and one harpsichord from Slade's masterpieces have survived.

Product Overview

English Spinet II - Edition Beurmann features a 1705 instrument by Benjamin Slade, known for its sweet yet majestic sound. This library captures the unique timbre of the spinet, making it suitable for baroque compositions and intimate settings.

Details

The library includes over 600 individual recordings, with each note sampled eight times to ensure natural variation, particularly useful for trills and rapid passages. The instrument's design allows for a rich tonal fullness, and the close capture retains key and mechanical details, enhancing the overall playability. Additionally, the spinet features a split octave in the lower range, expanding its playable range.

While the spinet is not velocity-sensitive, the nuances of sound change with each key press, and the library captures these subtleties, including key release noises, in four variations per note. The samples were recorded in the acoustically unique Herrenhaus Hasselburg using high-quality microphones and preamps, ensuring a detailed and vibrant sound. The library is available in original 410 Hz Valotti tuning, with presets also provided in 440 Hz for flexibility in various scoring contexts.