Bring your scores to life
A one-of-a-kind, encyclopaedic collection of beautiful cloud-like evolutions, pointillistic textures and single hits created from tuned and untuned percussion. This new world of dynamic sounds is a collaboration with three of the world’s most renowned percussionists, equipped with their enviably rare and extensive range of instruments.
Following the same groundbreaking concept as our celebrated Swarm series, various techniques were performed simultaneously at random intervals in the inimitable resonance of The Hall at AIR Studios — resulting in undulating textures and swarm-like swells ranging in sparsity and density, with a staggering 16 signals to choose from. Percussion Swarm also offers you 30 warped pads and rhythmic textures, and 235 snapshots, presented in our Mercury Synth engine.
- You can buy now and download any time
- Students & educators save 50%
- Includes Kontakt Player (free download)
- Compatible with NKS
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Spitfire Audio App required
Listen to Percussion Swarm
Shot In The Dark - Homay Schmitz
A Triumph - Oliver Patrice Weder
Kodama - Louis Rugg
On The Horizon - Oliver Patrice Weder
Enhance Your Emotive Scores
Widescreen percussion innovation
A distillation of months of musical experimentation and innovation, this epic and versatile set of tools follows the blueprint of our celebrated Swarm libraries, designed to add movement, depth and a modern edge to your TV, film or game scores. We have taken all of the sampling techniques we learned over the last three years and applied it to percussion, asking ourselves, what if you take percussion instruments, and play them as if they are strings? Percussion Swarm features truly stunning performances from some of the world’s finest percussionists, equipped with their enviably rare instrument collections: Paul Clarvis, Frank Ricotti and Gary Kettel, who have performed on our existing percussion libraries and are renowned for their prolific film work.
Uncharted territories
We selected a huge range of both well-known and lesser heard tuned and untuned percussion instruments, from Glockenspiels and Tubular Bells to Angklungs and Udus, most of which do not sustain naturally. Using performances and the resonance of the world-renowned Hall at AIR Studios combined with unconventional playing techniques, including bows and rubber balls to lengthen each sound, we have added breadth, depth and harmonic range to each instrument, transforming them into a liquid-like form that dances along the picture. Expertly recorded by engineers Jake Jackson and Fi Cruickshank, these sounds will blend seamlessly with our other orchestral and percussion libraries, providing the perfect textural addition to any orchestral composition.
Percussion Swarm offers plenty of room for your own experimentation and fine-tuning with 16 signals: six standard microphone positions from Close to Ambient, plus the Close Pans section, allowing you to hone in on any of the equally spaced three players or mix and match, for much more immediacy and detail. We also give you four distinct mixes curated by Jake Jackson, for instant playability. The 'Clouds' are long, looped notes made up of a glorious patina of uneven repeated hits, with a slider to control density, while the Swarms range from thunderous rolls, to swells and bowed metallic sheens, where each individual hit is imperceptible, with a slider to control the speed of the swarm and note length. We have also recorded short, single hits for each instrument, useful for creating your own rhythm tracks. Percussion Swarm offers you a unique experience impossible to replicate live, adding something truly unexpected to your scores.
The Mercury Synth
The warped section takes these organic sounds to a completely new place, giving you 30 warped sounds and 235 snapshots created by our expert team of developers. Made using granular synthesis, guitar pedals and other outboard gear, discover an extensive range of otherworldly pads, evolving swells and atonal rhythmic textures, all presented in our Mercury Synth engine.
What's Included
4 pallettes
Clouds
- Long, looped notes, with a slider controlling the density of the hits
Swarmed
- Swelling short notes with a slider controlling note length and speed of swarms
Shorts
- Short single notes and hits with sliders controlling tightness and release
All in ones
Xylophones
- Pitched cloud
- Swarmed sticks
- Short Soft sticks
- Pitched cloud hot rod
- Swarmed sticks hot rod
- Short soft sticks hot rod
Glockenspiels
- Pitched cloud
- Swarmed sticks
- Short soft sticks
Glass glockenspiels
- Pitched cloud
- Swarmed sticks
- Short soft sticks
Kalimbas
- Pitched cloud
- Swarmed sticks
- Short soft sticks
Marimbas
- Pitched cloud
- Pitched cloud fingered
- Swarmed bows
- Atonal cloud
- Short soft sticks
Tubular bells
- Pitched cloud
- Superball cloud
- Swarmed fingers
- Swarmed superball
- Short soft sticks
- Short superball
Tubular bells metal sticks
- Pitched cloud
- Swarmed sticks
- Short metal sticks
Chimes & phones
- Pitched cloud
- Swarmed bows
- Short soft sticks
Wah chimes
- Pitched cloud
- Swarmed bows
- Short soft bows
Angklungs
- Pitched cloud
- Swarmed sticks
- Short soft sticks
Crotales
- Pitched cloud
- Swarmed bows
Hand bell carousel
- Pitched cloud
- Swarmed bows
- Twirls
- Short soft sticks
Dafs
- Atonal cloud
- Swarmed fingers
- Short soft sticks
- Short hard sticks
Damarus
- Atonal cloud
- Swarmed fingers
- Short soft sticks
Rammanas
- Atonal cloud
- Swarmed fingers
- Short soft sticks
Batas
- Atonal cloud
- Swarmed fingers
- Short soft sticks
Udus
- Atonal cloud
- Swarmed fingers
- Short hits
- Short soft hits
Rototoms
- Swarmed bows
- Pitched cloud
- Short soft sticks
Pantam
- Pitched cloud
- Swarmed fingers
- Short soft sticks
Tongue drum sticks
- Pitched cloud
- Superball cloud
- Swarmed sticks
- Swarmed superball
- Short soft sticks
- Short superball
Tongue drum fingers
- Pitched cloud
- Swarmed fingers
- Short soft sticks
Close pans
- All-in-ones
Extras & mixes
- All-in-ones
Warped
- Laurasia
- Pangaea
- Euramerica
- Gondwana
- Pannotia
- Avalonia
- Protolaurasia
- Rodinia
- Cimmeria
- Baltica
- Laurentia
- Nuna
- Nena
- Atlantica
- India
- Siberia
- Sclavia
- Kenorland
- Ur
- Congo
- Vaalbara
- Eurasia
- America
- Amasia
- Aurica
- Novopangaea
- Amazonia
- Artica
- Chilenia
- Kalaharia
Warped snapshots
- Amasia - battle of 1297
- Amasia - big Bang
- Amasia - blown Out
- Amasia - default
- Amasia - everything
- Amasia - giant's Heartbeat
- Amasia - missing
- Amasia - robot Veins
- Amasia - skipped A Beat
- Amasia - tiny Heart
- Amazonia - default
- Amazonia - forest
- Amazonia - irreversible
- Amazonia - mod
- Amazonia - pan pad
- Amazonia - positive
- Amazonia - reichesque
- Amazonia - rooted trees
- Amazonia - slow space
- Amazonia - trust
- America - a train
- America - baby bubbles
- America - coral reef
- America - default
- America - dial up
- America - fingers
- America - hydro organ
- America - more movement
- America - sea sick
- America - water tremolo
- Artica - around
- Artica - baby penguins
- Artica - crisp
- Artica - default
- Artica - hollow
- Artica - sad 'n' sweet
- Artica - tangy
- Artica - the glacier
- Artica - tundra winds
- Artica - walker
- Atlantica - circus act
- Atlantica - default
- Atlantica - industrial ring
- Atlantica - morpheus
- Atlantica - spring
- Atlantica - trap door
- Atlantica - werk
- Aurica - black ice
- Aurica - changing
- Aurica - default
- Aurica - dystopian big ben
- Aurica - haunted bell pad
- Aurica - icy lake
- Aurica - resister
- Aurica - ritual
- Aurica - short changed
- Aurica - wow and flutter
- Avalonia - atonal gust
- Avalonia - corrupt electricity
- Avalonia - default
- Avalonia - distant impact
- Avalonia - jupiter storm
- Avalonia - rather fat
- Avalonia - whoops
- Baltica - default
- Baltica - moon
- Baltica - ocean
- Baltica - reverend
- Baltica - specimen
- Baltica - swellboi
- Baltica - transmissions
- Chilena - default
- Chilena - empty
- Chilena - ice queen
- Chilena - light lead
- Chilena - surprise
- Chilena - up and away
- Chilena - wobble
- Chilenia - default
- Chilenia - extra crunch
- Chilenia - ouen
- Chilenia - sands
- Cimmeria - default
- Cimmeria - galaxy
- Cimmeria - meteor shower
- Cimmeria - orb
- Cimmeria - portal
- Cimmeria - stardust
- Cimmeria - stratucci
- Congo - alien whistle
- Congo - default
- Congo - fade away
- Congo - mono ghost
- Congo - mothclub
- Congo - on the beach at night alone
- Congo - tapeworm
- Euramerica - default
- Euramerica - drainpipe
- Euramerica - drift
- Euramerica - fizzy
- Euramerica - gentle
- Euramerica - got lost
- Euramerica - pulsar
- Eurasia - default
- Eurasia - float away
- Eurasia - mars organ
- Eurasia - night sky
- Eurasia - our moon
- Eurasia - space gliss
- Eurasia - where's my flute
- Gondwana - cold shiver
- Gondwana - default
- Gondwana - hopeful
- Gondwana - music box
- Gondwana - selected ice works
- Gondwana - shining
- Gondwana - tidal
- India - atmos
- India - clean and mean
- India - default
- India - drone
- India - rezonator
- India - scanning
- India - tight and bright
- Kalaharia - another room
- Kalaharia - default
- Kalaharia - functions on the low
- Kalaharia - jupiter
- Kalaharia - kind knight
- Kalaharia - merry go round
- Kalaharia - midnight mass
- Kalaharia - organ breathes
- Kalaharia - turbine
- Kalaharia - windy
- Kenorland - 1310
- Kenorland - awaken
- Kenorland - ceremony
- Kenorland - default
- Kenorland - dundas
- Kenorland - landing
- Kenorland - return
- Laurasia - clean delay
- Laurasia - default
- Laurasia - percussion bends
- Laurasia - planet destroyer
- Laurasia - spinner
- Laurasia - tremor
- Laurasia - underworld
- Laurentia - can't help
- Laurentia - default
- Laurentia - in the shadows
- Laurentia - not saved
- Laurentia - organ
- Laurentia - power
- Laurentia - until the light takes us
- Nena - 1984
- Nena - crazy
- Nena - default
- Nena - help me
- Nena - not true romance
- Nena - still
- Nena - vibolo
- Novopangaea - 2049
- Novopangaea - cable
- Novopangaea - crash
- Novopangaea - default
- Novopangaea - distorted delay
- Novopangaea - drive space
- Novopangaea - drive
- Novopangaea - iron
- Novopangaea - modulated percussion
- Novopangaea - phase air
- Nuna - breaking
- Nuna - cab
- Nuna - default
- Nuna - edge
- Nuna - gnarly
- Nuna - mono no aware
- Nuna - no comply
- Pangaea - default
- Pangaea - ice cold
- Pangaea - lost
- Pangaea - mountain chimes
- Pangaea - swimming shorts
- Pangaea - underground
- Pangaea - where am I
- Pannotia - 13 angels
- Pannotia - broken tape
- Pannotia - cashews
- Pannotia - default
- Pannotia - kino
- Pannotia - mac music
- Pannotia - organ doner
- Protolaurasia - black moon rising
- ProtoLaurasia - default
- Protolaurasia - dots
- Protolaurasia - joono
- Protolaurasia - movement
- Protolaurasia - selected ice works II
- Protolaurasia - sweet
- Rodinia - baroque lazer
- Rodinia - changing gears
- Rodinia - default
- Rodinia - hang ten
- Rodinia - okay then
- Rodinia - razor bass
- Rodinia - razor lead
- Sclavia - all good
- Sclavia - cassette
- Sclavia - default
- Sclavia - from a distance
- Sclavia - infancy
- Sclavia - jupiter rising
- Sclavia - ladywell
- Siberia - default
- Siberia - double dip
- Siberia - eon
- Siberia - fade
- Siberia - fond
- Siberia - pass this on
- Siberia - slow
- Ur - axolotyl
- Ur - default
- Ur - exoddus
- Ur - oddworld
- Ur - oil
- Ur - poison
- Ur - water
- Vaalbara - default
- Vaalbara - eunomia
- Vaalbara - manhattan
- Vaalbara - plip vaalbara - plip
- Vaalbara - reflective
- Vaalbara - rewind
- Vaalbara - voice of the mysterons
Mics & mixes
Standard
- Super close
- Close valve
- Tree
- Ambient
- Outrigger
- Mids
Close pans
- Super close panned (L)
- Super close panned (R)
- Super close panned (C)
- Close valve panned (L)
- Close valve panned (R)
- Close valve panned (C)
Mixes
- Stereo pickups
- Ribbon pair
- Mid mix
- Small mix
FAQs
Why do I need this product?
Our first percussion library in three years, this library takes percussion instruments to a whole new dimension, using all of the sampling expertise and techniques we have developed over the last few years. Recorded in the inimitable resonance of The Hall at AIR Studios, we give you 16 signals, for peerless sound quality and control. Following the same groundbreaking concept as our celebrated Swarm libraries, Percussion Swarm features a huge range of rare and essential instruments, presented in a way that makes them easy to work seamlessly into your scores. Each instrument is taken to its limit, offering you inspiring Clouds and Swarms enabling you to create textural beds, and single hits for writing rhythm tracks. The Mercury Synth also gives you a huge range of inspiring pad sounds and rhythmic textures. A library full of endless possibilities and unfamiliar sounds, create engaging, original music in an instant, in a way that sounds graceful and sophisticated.
How can I use this library effectively?
The sweeping, kinetic nature of this library makes it perfect for expansive panoramas, cityscapes as well as sequences that require rhythm and movement. A library like this is also a fantastic textural tool to mix in with your existing libraries, adding fascinating detail. With other more static libraries, we tend to layer up a lot of different sounds to bring our music to life. This isn’t necessary with Percussion Swarm, so don’t overload your music — let it flow! It has been recorded in the world famous Hall at AIR Studios — the same fantastic space where we recorded our Symphonic and Chamber libraries, so it will blend in perfectly with these libraries, adding stunning colour and texture. Combine it with our other Swarm libraries, or add extra reverb for a more vast, widescreen soundscape.