Instrument library
The library lists every recorded instrument Flesance comes with: what it is, what it sounds like, where the recordings come from and how to use it. Each one is made of real recordings, played by the studio’s own engine (see Sampled instruments).
Finding an instrument
Type in the search field to match names, descriptions, sources and licences. The filters on the left narrow the list: the kind of instrument (keys, strings, winds, brass, mallets, plucked, percussion, drums), recommended ones only, the licence, how notes end (see below), the range an instrument covers, how many dynamics it was recorded with, and its download size. Within one filter the choices add up; different filters narrow each other down. The number next to a choice says how many instruments you would see if you picked it.
The list shows instruments as cards, with every sound preview inline, or as a compact list, one row per instrument with a single preview; the other previews are then on the instrument’s own page. Your choice is remembered in this browser.
Recommended instruments
A few instruments are marked Recommended: the most complete recordings, good to start with.
- Grand Piano: eight dynamics, hammer, damper and pedal noises; the most complete instrument here.
- Upright Piano: a closer, woodier piano with release noises, for songs and lo-fi keys.
- FM Electric Piano: the glassy FM electric piano, three dynamics on every other key.
- Cellos: a full cello section that holds up the low end of any arrangement.
- Harp: every string recorded, ringing out naturally.
- Vibraphone: soft and hard mallets on every key, for warm chords.
- Hand Percussion: nineteen hand drums and shakers, ready for a groove.
- Acoustic Drums: a real recorded kit with six dynamics per drum and a hi-hat that chokes like the real one.
Previews
Every instrument has short previews rendered by the studio’s engine: a phrase or chords, a sweep over its whole range, and soft against loud (drums: a groove, every drum once, and soft against loud). Only one plays at a time; starting another stops the first. The instrument’s own page shows them all, with its range on a small keyboard, the number of recordings and dynamics, the full credit line and related instruments.
How notes end
The single biggest difference between instruments is what happens when you let go of a key:
| Behaviour | What it means | Instruments |
|---|---|---|
| Piano | Dampers stop the string when you let go, except in the top octaves; the sustain pedal lifts them | Grand Piano, Upright Piano |
| Sustained | Sounds while you hold the key, fades out when you let go | Bassoon, Cellos, Clarinet, Flute, French Horn, Oboe, Pipe Organ, Solo Violin, Tenor Saxophone, Tremolo Strings, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba, Violas, Violins |
| Decaying | Rings out by itself; letting go early shortens it | FM Electric Piano, Glockenspiel, Harp, Harpsichord, Kalimba, Marimba, Pizzicato Strings, Timpani, Tubular Bells, Upright Bass, Vibraphone, Xylophone |
| One-shot | Always plays to the end, whatever the key does | Acoustic Drums, Hand Percussion |
Bringing an instrument into the studio
Drag an instrument’s card or row from the library into the studio’s arrangement. This works across browser tabs and windows: keep the library in one tab and the studio in another. An instrument’s own page also has an Add to studio button, which opens the studio with a new track playing it.
- Drop it on an instrument track and that track plays with the new instrument; its notes stay.
- Drop it on an audio track or the empty space under the tracks and a new track with that instrument appears there.
Either way it is one step you can undo. You can also pick any instrument from the + menu above the track headers (see Adding a track) or from the instrument menu in the inspector. The recordings download the first time an instrument is used; the status bar shows the progress.
Downloads and licences
The ZIP button saves an instrument’s recordings, its description and a licence note. Every instrument states its source and licence on its page:
- CC0 (public domain): use it any way you like, no credit needed. Most orchestral and world instruments come from VSCO 2 Community Edition and the Versilian Community Sample Library.
- CC BY: free to use in your music, including commercially, as long as the author is credited. The Grand Piano (Salamander Grand Piano by Alexander Holm) and the Acoustic Drums (MuldjordKit) are CC BY; the credit line to copy is on their pages.
Instruments with licences that forbid commercial use or changes are never included: what you make with Flesance is yours.