Qanun

• 6708 samples
• 3 GB (5.84 GB uncompressed)
• 2 microphone positions
• Up to 5 velocity layers
• Up to 5 round robins

The talented Mayranush Rubenyan broke onto the world scene when she first played for the Age of Empires IV soundtrack. The Qanun and her playing were featured to add authentic flair to the Ottomans and Arab cultures. She got her start over 17 years ago at the early age of 6, when she first saw her mother playing it and fell in love with the instrument.

Maryanush mastered the instrument at the Artemi Ayvazyan Music School in Ashtarak and later in the Arno Babajanyan Music College in Yerevan. Still residing in her native Oshakan, she’s continuing her musical education at Yerevan State Conservatory.

• Long 5 Dyn Layers, 5 RR
• Short 5 Dyn Layers 5 RR
• Tremolo Short 3 Dyn Layers
• Tremolo Long 3 Dyn Layers
• Vibrato Long 1 Dyn Layer 1RR
• Trills 2 Dyn Layers
• Clusters Long 2 Dyn Layers 5RR
• Clusters Short 3 Dyn Layers 5RR

Mics

• Mix
• Ribbon
• Tube

The Qanun opens the slate of the fledgling company’s upcoming products. Founded by famous rocker Serj Tankian and recordist and composer Olajide Paris together with Gevorg Mnatsakanyan in 2023, the company aims to tell a story with every product. A story about the musician they cooperate with, the recorded instrument, and ultimately the experience of the user.

“We wanted to open with the Qanun because it can easily relate to Western music tradition, bridging the gap between the East and West, a function that Armenia also gracefully serves,” says Paris.

Triple A Audio sampled an Armenian Qanun hand-made in a small village in Armenia in the Southern Caucasus. With metal levers and wooden tuning pegs to alter the pitch of the note, it can play a range of up to 3 and a half octaves. The recording player wore the traditional silver thimble and pick made of bull horns on both index fingers to resonate the sounds.

"We wanted to create a virtual instrument that would allow musicians to explore the rich, beautiful tones of the Qanun like never before," said Paris. "This Armenian Qanun has an entirely different structure and sound than other variants of the instrument. It's an equal temperament that extends the musical range of the instrument beyond the mughams of the Middle East onto Western-style concertos, symphonies and even jazz."

The Qanun virtual instrument for Kontakt is deeply sampled using multiple mics, catching every pristine pluck by qanun master Mayranush Rubenyan in delicate perfection. With up to 5 round robins and 5 velocity layers on each of the 8 articulations, it's a professional-grade tool for composers, producers, and musicians.

The Qanun opens the series Folk Noir, which is the Triple A Audio designation for instruments that fit in the more traditional folk categories. But always with a twist.

• 6708 Samples
• 3GB 5.84GB Uncompressed)
• Requires Kontakt 6 Full Retail - Latest Version
• (Does Not work In the Free Kontakt Player)

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