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Hopkin Instrumentarium: Metaltines Black Friday pricing is 50% off, which puts this Soundiron Kontakt library of four metal lamellaphones at $19.50 until Dec 6, 2026.
The instruments come from inventor Bart Hopkin. Each has a very different shape and mechanism, but they share the same sharp, resonant metal tone, according to Soundiron.
The library covers Mallet K1, Mallet K2, Sit or Play and T-Rod-on-Tine. Articulations, sound-design textures, pads, drones and multiple mic and channel options are all included.
The four instruments are:
Every instrument has two mic positions.
Mallet playing tends to favour the overtones over the fundamental. On the larger K1, that gives a clangy mix of overtones. The smaller K2 works as a bass, since mallet strikes give a punchy sound unlike plucked tines or strings. K2 also has a direct line out from its pickup.
Sit or Play is three benches, each with a pair of circular steel tongue drums set into the seat. The bench tops act as soundboards, and the air partly enclosed under each seat adds resonance.
Articulations for Sit or Play are hard mallet, soft mallet, metal mallet, finger and hand. The library captures a range of striking and plucking tools, from rubber and metal mallets to hard beaters, ping pong balls, rubber bands, picks, fingertips and the base of the mallet itself.
Soundiron also sampled tine plucks and percussive hand slaps on the instrument bodies, in two stereo mic positions.
The interface has automation-ready controls for:
The LFO system has selectable shape, modulation target, speed, intensity, tempo sync and fade-in time. Twelve lowpass, high-pass and FX filters can be assigned to targets such as velocity, modwheel, expression, aftertouch, key position and step-sequencer table control.
There is also an arpeggiator with a velocity table and control over direction, timing, swing, randomisation and duration. A key and scale lock keeps notes inside common scales and keys.
The FX rack has 18 DSP modules, assignable to any of 10 slots in any order. They include phaser, flanger, delay, distortion, amp and cab simulators, compressors, EQ and rotator.
The reverb carries 99 convolution impulse responses of rooms, halls, chambers and outdoor spaces, plus 40 custom FX impulses.
The library has 11,442 stereo samples in 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless NCW format, and takes 7.05 GB once installed. It has 6 Master presets and 20 custom sound-designed FX and ambient presets.
It runs in the free Kontakt Player (version 6+), Komplete Kontrol, all S-Series keyboards and NKS software and hardware from Native Instruments. It works with the Kontakt Libraries browser and Native Access.
Windows 7 or higher or OSX 10.12 or higher is required, with a dual-core CPU and 3+ GB of RAM. A SATA or SSD drive is recommended.
Yes. The Black Friday deal takes 50% off, bringing the Soundiron Kontakt library to $19.50. The offer runs until Dec 6, 2026.
It has four metal lamellaphones: Mallet K1, Mallet K2, Sit or Play and T-Rod-on-Tine, each with two mic positions. Soundiron adds articulations, knock effects, glisses, pads, drones, 6 Master presets and 20 custom FX and ambient presets.
No. It is a Powered-by-Kontakt Player Edition, made for the free Kontakt Player (version 6+). It also works in Komplete Kontrol, S-Series keyboards and NKS hardware, and through the Libraries browser and Native Access.
The FX rack offers 18 DSP modules across 10 slots, plus a convolution reverb with 99 spaces and 40 custom FX impulses. There are also an LFO system, 12 filters, an arpeggiator and a key and scale lock.
Prices and end dates are checked at publishing time and can change, so confirm them at the store before you buy.