Orchestral Tools – Time Micro 2.0.0

A deep temporal orchestra,

Time Micro continues the quest of its partner in the collection, Time Macro , to unravel the mysteries of time and sound. Like its predecessor, Time Micro provides an orchestra and choir that seem to shift the flow of time. But as the name suggests, all the sounds here are softer… quieter… more delicate and airy.

This is the sound of small ensembles and solo instruments playing with extreme restraint and precision. Here too, the focus is on sustain that moves and shifts, with a wide range of articulations and complex chronostructures. Using the power of understatement, this is a secret weapon for underscoring, sound design and all types of modern music production.

Unique Chronostructures

Looking at time in a musical context, we layered sounds on top of each other to create complex orchestral textures that we call Chronostructures. They are divided into two groups: Time Orchestra and Altered Time .

The Time Orchestra group features layered instruments playing sustain. Each carefully constructed patch is its own sound world, with undulating details that respond to the modulation wheel.

In the Altered Time group , the sustain has layers of instruments that move forward and backward, and they can be slowed down or sped up. The effect is mesmerizing, suspending the usual flow of time.

14 Ensembles and Instruments, 4 Full Sections

Time Micro gives you 14 separate ensembles of 3 groups, solo instruments, and small choirs to work with—all playing softly, from airy woodwind tones, harmonic swells, and flourishes to choppy staccato and barely audible, ultra-soft strings. Instead of the standard instruments, you’ll find lower or softer alternatives: basset horn in place of clarinet, flugelhorn/cornet in place of trumpet, and alto/bass flute in place of standard flute. All feature soft, undulating sustain, extended articulations, and dynamic gestures, so you can layer sounds seamlessly.

You also get 4 combination patches. These contain a sophisticated string quartet, a dedicated low bass section, and a patch of shimmering harp, celesta, and mandolin. These sections also perform sustain that matches the articulations of the rest of the collection, so everything fits together perfectly.

Recorded at Teldex

All instruments were sampled in detail in the main hall of Berlin’s famous Teldex Studio, allowing you to seamlessly combine these sounds with other Orchestral Tools libraries .

We recorded everything using 4 mic positions: spot mics close, a decca tree for the classic Teldex sound, additional A/B mics for clarity and a few ambient mics for ambience and space.

New in version 2.0.0

Added 

• NKS 2.0 compatibility
• New polyphonic aftertouch instrument/patch
• 40 new aftertouch presets
• Updates all patches to NKS 2.0 for compatibility with the new MK3 keyboards, allowing automation of control over more parameters such as pan, velocity range, filter cutoff switch, and all available envelope controls (attack, attack curve, release)