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Users Guide

Orange Tree Samples


Copyright 2010 Orange Tree Samples, All Rights Reserved
Table of Contents

Foreword ......................................................................................................................................... 3
A History of the Hulusi ................................................................................................................ 3
About the Sample Library............................................................................................................ 3
Performance ................................................................................................................................... 4
Interface .......................................................................................................................................... 6
Settings ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Mapping ...................................................................................................................................... 8
Equalizer ...................................................................................................................................... 9
Ambience................................................................................................................................... 10
Credits ........................................................................................................................................... 11
Contact .......................................................................................................................................... 12

Hulusi USERS GUIDE Orange Tree Samples


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Foreword
 A History of the Hulusi
The Hulusi is a free-reed pipe instrument from Yunnan, China, originally played by the Dai
minority. The Hulusi is similar to the Chinese Bawu, Thai Pi Joom, and many other instruments
found throughout Asia. The Hulusi is usually found in three varieties according to size and
range. The Hulusi sampled for this project is in Bb, a medium sized Hulusi.

The Hulusi is capable of a large variety of tones depending on the volume of playing. It is
commonly played as a solo instrument. The Dai men would play the Hulusi to express their love
to women, though after being popularized among other peoples, it assumed a more general
role among other Chinese musical instruments.

 About the Sample Library


While it was a difficult process to simplify all the possible articulations, weve included the main
techniques necessarily to realistically recreate Hulusi performance. For example, we sampled it
with and without vibrato in three velocity layers. We also sampled many nuances of the Hulusi,
such as how low air flow in the Hulusi causes a much lower pitch to sound. This affects the both
the sound of releases as well as soft attacks in notes. We also recorded breath noises and many
other subtleties that add realism to the sample library.

We sampled the Hulusi using a pair of microphones: a rare 50s Shure Uni-Ron ribbon mic and a
Neumann KM184 small diaphragm condenser mic. The ribbon mic captured the warmth and
fullness of the Hulusis tone, while the small diaphragm condenser recorded the crispness of
the high frequencies. The mics were carefully positioned to maintain correct phase. By using
this combination of mics, we were able to capture the beautiful tone of this instrument.

We hope you enjoy exploring the Hulusi, and thank you for supporting Orange Tree Samples!

Hulusi USERS GUIDE Orange Tree Samples


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Performance
Legato

The Hulusi is a monophonic instrument, which means that it can only play one note at a time. If
two notes overlap, the latest note will supersede the previous one. Likewise, if you release a
note while others are held, the Hulusi will revert to the previous note. The term for this sort of
legato in MIDI is retrigger legato. In this way you are able to easily play trills and other
realistically monophonic lines.

Vibrato

You can dynamically switch between vibrato and non-vibrato articulations by using the
modulation wheel (CC #1). At the controllers lowest position, the Hulusi will use no vibrato,
while at the highest value it switches to vibrato. The starting value for the Hulusi sample library
is the vibrato articulation.

Velocity

As well as sampling multiple velocity layers for the sustains, we also recorded that chiff sound
when attacking notes with a loud, short burst of air. You can get this sound by playing a note
with a very loud velocity. At low volumes and releases, you realistically get a soft lower note
that occurs when playing the Hulusi.

Expression

The volume envelope is smoothly calculated through changes in the velocity of the MIDI notes
played. This automatic interpretation makes the Hulusi very expressive and realistic, without
requiring the use of a breath controller.

Pitch Wheel

The pitch wheel is modeled after the way pitch bend works on the Hulusi --the exact range of
which depends on the current note being played. This allows you to bend from one note to the
next available.

Keyswitches

Additional articulations are available through the use of non-latching keyswitches. The MIDI
notes which these keys reside can be assigned in the Mapping section of the interface.

Hulusi USERS GUIDE Orange Tree Samples


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The first articulation is a grace note. This sound is created by momentarily lifting up on the tone
holes, creating a short leap in pitch, a useful ornament in Hulusi performance. During a sustain,
press this keyswitch to play the grace note articulation.

Lastly, weve included a slow, fading release. This articulation recreates the slow fade in volume
of the note, in contrast to the quick releases of regular notes. To enable this articulation, press
the fade release keyswitch while releasing the sustain.

Hulusi USERS GUIDE Orange Tree Samples


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Interface
The Hulusi library features a powerful MIDI interpretation engine, to insure the samples sound
and play as realistically as possible. Many aspects of the Hulusis performance are automated,
allowing you to instantly play the Hulusi from your MIDI keyboard, or sequence it using your
DAW. Included in the Hulusi interface are controls to alter the mapping, tone, and select from a
diverse collection of high-quality environments. This section of the manual explains how the
interface controls work.

Hulusi USERS GUIDE Orange Tree Samples


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 Settings
Transpose

Out of the various types of Hulusi available, the Hulusi in this sample library is in Bb, so it is
limited to a specific range of pitches. With this in consideration, weve added the ability to
instantly transpose the Hulusi to any key you want. Setting
ting the key for the Hulusi transposes
both the range as well as the pitch of the instrument.
instrument

Legato Speed

The speed of legato is essentially d determined by the speed the Hulusi performer places and
removes his fingers on the tone holes. While expert Hulusi performers play with consistency in
this aspect, we wanted to give you the aability of adjusting this factor.. This allows you to add a
humanistic element to your performance
performance by adjusting the speed at which legato is performed,
since after all, no Hulusi player
ayer is perfect.

You can automate the legato speed knob (assigning it to be controlled by a MIDI continuous
controller) by right-clicking
clicking on the knob. In Kontakt 2, you can automate the control through
the Midi Automation tab within the Auto section of Kontakts interface. Just drag the MIDI
controller number you want to the desired control on the Hulusis s interface.

Mapping Style

You can use the settings in this drop


drop-down
down menu to select whether you prefer the traditional
mapping, which only has the acc
accidentals possible on the Bb Hulusi,, or a chromatic mapping,
which includes all the notes of the chromatic scale.

Hulusi USERS GUIDE Orange Tree Samples


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 Mapping
Grace

Allows you to move the grace note keyswitch to any key you desire. Depending on the size of
your MIDI controller, you may wis
wishh to move these keyswitches to more convenient keys.

Fade Release

u set the keyswitch for the fade release articulation.


This control lets you

Hulusi USERS GUIDE Orange Tree Samples


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 Equalizer
Low

Boosts or cuts the low frequencies in the instrument


instruments tone. The frequency and bandwidth for
the EQ are optimized d for the Hulusi.
Hulusi

Mid

Boosts or cuts the middle frequencies in the Hulusis tone.

High

Boosts or cuts the high frequencies in the Hulusis tone.

Hulusi USERS GUIDE Orange Tree Samples


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 Ambience
Environment

You can select the convolution impulse from this dropdown menu. The ambiences
ambienc range from
warm, intimate tones to haunting, distant echoes. There are real spaces included as well as
synthesized ones for ethereal tones.

Bypass

Disable all the effects by enabling the bypass control.

Reverb

Adjusts the overall wet/dry balance of reve


reverb.

Delay

This adjusts the amount of delay in the Hulusis


s effects. The delay time and panning has been
fine-tuned to suit the Hulusis
s tone, although you can adjust these parameters either in
Kontakts back-end
end interface or by disabling the delay complete
completely (by setting tthe control to 0%)
and applying your own delay effect.

Hulusi USERS GUIDE Orange Tree Samples


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Credits
Hulusi performance/recording, production, and scripting:
Greg Schlaepfer

Special thanks to:


Oriana Schlaepfer, Yangfan Qi

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Contact
Wed love to hear from you! If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the
improvement of our products, please do not hesitate to contact us.

admin@orangetreesamples.com

http://www.orangetreesamples.com

Copyright 2010 Orange Tree Samples, All Rights Reserved

Hulusi USERS GUIDE Orange Tree Samples


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