Big Fish Audio | Samples Spotlight Chris Harris | Vital Series: Mallets Product Review
Skip to content

Vital Series: Mallets | Samples Spotlight

Reviewer: Chris Harris Back to Vital Series: Mallets product details



MALLETS is the first installment of the Vital Series by Vir2 Instruments. Featuring a fully packed melodic percussion ensemble, MALLETS gives you everything you need to create melodic percussion lines all within one patch. This is one of the first commercial releases to take full advantage of the wider GUI real estate within the Kontakt 5.6.5 update. MALLETS provides composers with the necessary tools to create modern melodic percussion music with various mallet options as well a scripted ‘Rolls’ feature that takes your writing to the next level. MALLETS retails for $99 and you can learn more about it and other Vir2 libraries at Vir2.com.

"As a percussionist, I am very picky about what libraries I use for my melodic percussion lines. Vir2 Instruments has hit it out of the park with MALLETS. If you are looking for mallet instruments that not only sound amazing but offer flexibility from types of mallets to musical sound design, than this library is for you."

Pros & Cons

I’ve spent years performing, instructing, and writing for percussion ensembles. Whether it was working with marching bands or more concert style ensembles, I’ve been very picky about the libraries I use in my mock ups. Most developers focus on certain idioms like orchestral or jazz. However, MALLETS is the first library that I’ve used which can cover any genre thrown at it.

I’ve always been a huge proponent of libraries recorded in a wet environment, but this has always been my focus on that "orchestral" sound. MALLETS, though recorded dry, still captures the body and character of each instrument. When you start to layer each instrument and tweak the stereo width and panning, you start to really hear the depth of what this library can do. MALLETS not only gives you the basic package of melodic percussion instruments but also a huge list of presets that expand this library into the hybrid & sound design world. You got to love a library that can wear multiple hats!!

The biggest drawback of this library is that it could go a step further with features like the "Rolls" script. Though excellent in design and functionality, I would love for it to be able to work with more than 2 voices such as being able to emulate 4-mallet techniques and really bring this library more versatility, especially for those who write for percussion soloists. In the end, this library covers more than the basics and offers a lot of depth at an incredibly affordable price. Be sure to check out the full review above and more videos from Vir2 Instruments.

Back to top