Plugin Boutique are offering a deal on Softstruck by Sonora Cinematic for a limited time, now only £34.80 / $46.68, (usually £46.80 / $62.78). The offer ends August 31st.
An unconventional, cinematic guitar library inspired by the delicate warmth of the felted piano, Softstruck is the third addition to their and our most unusual instrument yet.
The idea for Softstruck was born during a felt piano recording session – a technique where felt is placed between the hammer and strings to produce a soft, muted sound often heard in film scores and ambient music. It got Sonora Cinematic thinking – could they bring the concept of the felt piano to guitar?
They started by placing felt on the guitar bridge, which created a sound like palm muting – interesting but not quite what they were striving for. Then came the lightbulb moment – what if we muted the stroke instead of the guitar?
By using ultra-soft, felt guitar picks – typically meant for nylon instruments like the ukulele – Sonora Cinematic captured a brushed, blurred guitar tone that felt instantly nostalgic, dark, and intimately textured. They’d found their answer to the ‘felt guitar’!
Taking their new-found technique, they sampled three distinctive guitars…
- Guitar 1 (‘Butterscotch’) – a classic guitar with an added middle pick-up that offers an iconic scooped clean tone which is very bright to begin with and darkened considerably with the felt.
- Guitar 2 (‘Flatwounds’) – a fantastic, chambered guitar with a p90-style pickup – a much darker guitar made even darker by fitting flatwound strings.
- Guitar 3 (‘Singlecut’) – a classic model renowned for its bassy sound at the neck pickup.
The guitars were recorded through four signals: two different amps for each guitar for some tonal variation and two different pedalboard chains, one ambient and lush, the other more experimental.
Softstruck also features the Double Track switch found in Nocturne. This is a quick and easy one-click way to create a beautiful, rich organic stereo image by using different round robins on the left and right channels.
Across 51 curated presets, Softstruck’s beautifully muted, brushed tones offer an expressive, organic softness that’s both familiar and refreshingly original.
Whether you’re composing a cinematic score, crafting ambient soundscapes, shaping emotional cues, or writing delicate, heartfelt songs, Softstruck provides a deeply inspiring palette. Its understated character makes it equally suited for introspective solo pieces or layered textures in complex arrangements.
Watch the overview/demo HERE.
Softstruck requires a free or full version of Kontakt 8.3 or later.
For more information on Softstruck and to compare prices, click here:
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