Post Description

Kalimba is a modernized version of the ancient African mbira, also often called the thumb piano. It has a simple, melodic percussion-string sound with a tonal body, reminiscent of a marimba. It is often used in combination with pianos and other percussion instruments to add a sharper attack and playfulness to the sound. Our instruments were made of wood and coconut shells, with hammered steel prongs suspended over their sound holes. The notes cover approximately one and a half octaves for the smaller of our two instruments and over two octaves for the larger kalimba.
We recorded kalimba in three different environments: Close and Dry in our studio; at medium distance in a small cell; and in a large, long linear hall, both at close (1 meter) and far (15 meters) microphone distances. We call our long hall "The Bunker" because that's exactly what it really is - deep underground, a WWI artillery bunker. This is one of our favorite secret places and has been used for parts of the Rust 2 library and some of the other tools in our collection. The dry recording was done with a stereo pair of large diaphragm condensers 2 inches apart in a very dry location. You will hear a slight crackle and squeak of wood. We think these elements help give instruments a more natural sound and feel.