With Dark ERA, Eduardo Tarilonte – the master of mystical sounds – leads us back into the dark age where legends were born and where old northern gods still determined the fate of mankind. This library allows you to discover sounds to which the vikings and other already forgotten cultures and tribes were celebrating and singing their myths.

The fascinating sound of Dark ERA ranges from the transcendental drones of the ancient stringed-harp Tagelharpa to the unmatched grace of the gut-stringed Lyra to the distinctive and characteristic sound of the Nordic bone flutes and the overtone flute Fujara.

These instruments are complemented by an impressive collection of pulsating pads and atmospheric soundscapes which evolve over longer periods. These unique sounds ensure that Dark ERA can clearly be regarded as the next masterpiece created by Eduardo Tarilonte.

This library is the perfect instrument for movie soundtracks and television documentaries covering corresponding topics. At the same time, the library is equally suited for historical and pagan music productions as well as for ambient music. In addition, it provides suitable stylish background music for games within this setting.

Dark ERA offers more than 50 instruments consisting with over 20,000 samples. The library contains seven string instruments, 17 wind instruments and 33 drums and percussion. In order to maximize playability, several play techniques have been recorded and made available in the library respectively our powerful cross-platform compatible sample-player Engine. The wind instruments offer different articulations as well as true legato. In addition, the flutes provide some really unusual and haunting effect sounds.

Furthermore, the string instruments offer round robin samples for notes being picked in up and down directions. The plucked instruments were recorded with different play techniques such as using a plectrum, fingers or being strummed.

The instrument collection is complemented by more than one hundred programmed soundscapes. These are partially rhythmically animated to pulsate in sync with the current tempo or to create unreal atmospheres using complex sound textures. These textures consist of several elements which can be adjusted in level and panning to your liking in the mixer page of Engine.

To support the sound rhythmically, dedicated Epic Loops have been designed. These consist of up to 20 instruments and up to 16 separate elements which can all be individually adjusted, allowing to flexibly arrange beats. Available are four variations for each main loop, different fills and endings (ensemble and single hits) as well as a pulsating sound matching the rhythm. The loops will automatically adapt to the tempo of your DAW. 

The rhythmic pads containing melodic as well as rhythmic elements gap the bridge between drums and solo instruments. Just as for the soundscapes, the individual pad elements can be individually be panned and mixed. 

Another specialty of Dark ERA is the vocal section. Vocal rhythms, being inspired by the Inuit, can be constructed and arranged from single notes. 24 MIDI-files serve as templates which trigger and play the individual shouts. Of course, the rhythms can be edited or even be created from scratch.

The throat singing recordings have been divided into four styles. It is also possible to add harmonics using a dedicated slider. Shaman ritual chants and sole vocals add liveliness and authentic elements to the music.

The stringed and wind-instruments as well as some of the drums being used for this library have been handmade by the master instrument maker Benjamin Simano. The instruments were performed by :

  • Benjamin Simao: String Instruments, Shamanic Drums, Tympanum Romano 
  • Iván Carlón: Wind Instruments
  • Adal Fernández del Castillo: Percussion
  • Moisés Pérez: Throat Singing, Vocal Rhythms
  • Joaquim Manjón: Overtone Singing

During recording of the skin drums, special focus was paid to a full sounding, powerful bass while retaining punch. You can almost feel the sticks hitting the skins. This sound character will be preserved during the mix – present and powerful. In addition, the metallic percussion instruments, including an anvil and horseshoes, sound piercing and fierce.

Sonically, Dark ERA is fully compatible to the other libraries of the ERA-series since it has again been recorded by Jorge Calderón Muriel in the Eldana Studio in Spain, using highest quality equipment such as the Kahayan 4K7 microphone and 12K72 preamp. The instruments have been close mic’ed in order to capture all details and to provide a direct sound experience which can be flexibly edited and shaped in all directions by external tools.

List of Instruments

BOWED STRINGS

  1. TAGELHARPA/ JOUHIKKO SMALL
  2. TAGELHARPA/JOUHIKKO BIG
  3. CRWTH

PLUCKED STRINGS

  1. COLOGNE LYRA
  2. ANCIENT LYRA
  3. SUTTON HOO LYRA
  4. UTRECHT LUTE

WINDS

  1. WAR HORN
  2. WHITE HORN
  3. 10.CURVED HORN
  4. 11.SHOFAR
  5. 12.BUKKEHORN
  6. 13.SHELL
  7. 14.LONG TRUMPET
  8. 15.BIG HORN
  9. 16.DOUBLE FLUTE 
  10. 17.SMALL BONE FLUTE
  11. 18.VULTURE BONE FLUTE
  12. 19.PICTISH PIPES
  13. 20.ELDERWOOD FLUTE
  14. 21.OVERTONE
  15. 22.FUJARA
  16. 23.DIDGERIDOO
  17. 24.WOODEN LUR

PERCUSSION

  1. 25.SHAMANIC DRUM SMALL
  2. 26.SHAMANIC DRUM BIG
  3. 27.BIG FRAME DRUM
  4. 28.SQUARE DRUM 1
  5. 29.SQUARE DRUM 2
  6. 30.SQUARE DRUM 3
  7. 31.SQUARE DRUM 4
  8. 32.SQUARE DRUM 5
  9. 33.SKIN DRUM 1
  10. 34.SKIN DRUM 2
  11. 35.SKIN SNARE 1
  12. 36.SKIN SNARE 2
  13. 37.SKIN TOM
  14. 38.SIEVES
  15. 39.ANVIL
  16. 40.VIKING MOUTH HARP I
  17. 41.VIKING MOUTH HARP II
  18. 42.VIKING MOUTH HARP III
  19. 43.JAWBONE
  20. 44.PAN MEDIUM
  21. 45.PAN RUSTED
  22. 46.SEEDS SHAKER 1
  23. 47.SEEDS SHAKER 2
  24. 48.SEEDS SHAKER 3
  25. 49.SEEDS SHAKER 4
  26. 50.SEEDS SHAKER 5
  27. 51.SEEDS SHAKER 6
  28. 52.SEEDS SHAKER 7
  29. 53.SMALL BELLS
  30. 54.COWBELL I
  31. 55.COWBELL II
  32. 56.BULLROARER
  33. 57.HORSESHOE
  34. 58.BRONZE MORTAR