Hopkin Instrumentarium: Weighted Strings

Weighted Strings is a Kontakt library featuring two custom instruments by Bart Hopkin: the Weighted Lyre and Weighted Zither. Small weights on the strings alter overtone relationships, producing unusual, beautiful tones that range from bright plucks to inharmonic textures. The Lyre has 17 main strings plus three fretted strings, with weights placed to emphasize octave overtones. The Zither offers 34 chromatically tuned strings with randomly placed weights for highly inharmonic, varied tones. Soundiron sampled three stereo mic positions—Close, Room, and Contact—and included custom FX presets and ambient sound-designed content. The interface offers an adaptable LFO system, 12 filter types, a customizable arpeggiator, key and scale lock, and a modular FX rack with 27 DSP modules. Ideal for producers seeking unique plucked and experimental textures for film, ambient, and electronic music.