1. Solos 4 independently-mixable soloists per instrument. Layering up to 4 soloists over an ensemble provides depth and realism. And the vibrato and dynamic control of these soloists is like none other out there.
2. Chamber Ensemble 4 Violins 4 Violas 3 Cellos 2 Double Basses
3. Studio Ensemble 8 Violins 6 Violas 6 Cellos 3 Double Basses
4. Symphonic Ensemble 16 Violins 12 Violas 12 Cellos 6 Basses
Spotlight 4D was programmed to follow your playing style intuitively. No need for excessive keyswitching and feature changes. Simply put, it's fun to play.
Modern, easy-to-use interface The learning curve for Spotlight 4D is incredible easy.
Articulation Morphing Morphing and blending in and out between "longs", tremolos, and trills can create truly interesting and inspirational phrases.
Customizable Control Despite Spotlight 4D's easy-to-use interface, you still get all of the deep-level control you need. Almost every feature and articulation can be assigned to a controller or keyswitch.
The Key Features of Spotlight 4D
- Morph long (sustained) articulations with trills and tremolos. Create truly interesting effects by fading in/out trills, tremolos and long notes.
- All-In-One Instruments. No more hunting around to load the right patch.
- Legato with Chords. No more switching back and forth between "legato" and "polyphonic" just to play chords.
- The legato is programmed to be consistent with true legato. Additionally, you can choose "bowed", "slurred" or "portamento" during legato mode.
- Unrivaled Vibrato Control for Solos. Vibrato amount, speed, fade-in time, and "instant" vibrato controls.
- Articulations switched by keyswitch or UACC (universal articulation continuous control). If UACC is chosen, your cue will automatically "chase" the articulation so that you don't have to worry if the right articulation is happening wherever you start the cue.
- Senses whether you are playing "staccato" or "connected" without needing additional control.
- Create any length staccato from any sustained articulation
- Total attack strength control. Control the attack by velocity, interface slider or MIDI CC
- Dynamic control by velocity, MIDI CC or both.
- Microphone perspective
- Run Mode. Select a special "Run Mode" feature that makes playing fast runs much more realistic.
- Sordini emulation
- Purge. Purge articulations that you do not need.
- Auto Divisi. Automatically detects and executes the ensemble size needed for a chord or unison.
System Requirements
- Full retail version of Kontakt, version 5.7.1 or higher. Will NOT work in the free Kontakt Player! You do not need a serial number and will not need to use the "Manage Libraries" feature. A short video showing how to load an instrument can be found at https://www.kirkhunterstudios.com/spotlight_beta/opening_spotlight4d.mp4
- Mac OS X 10.11, i5, 4 GB RAM (i7 - This library requires a robust CPU), 8 GB recommended)
- Windows 7, 8, 10, Intel Core i5 or equivalent CPU, 4 GB RAM (i7 - This library requires a robust CPU, 8 GB recommended)
- 10 GB free disk space for sample content
Compatibility
- Kontakt Stand-alone
- VST
- (AU)) Audio Units
- AAX
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ONLINE TUTORIAL (PDF)
Make sure that you have 20GB free space where you download the provided .rar files. The space is needed for both the .rar files, AND the extracted files which will be explained later.
Spotlight 4D Installation - Mac (Using UnRarX)
- Download all .rar files from your download list.
- By defaualt, you will need to download the .rar files manually.
- IMPORTANT: Make sure that all of the .rar files are exactly the same size except the last one. If this is not the case, then some kind of error has occurred during the download process.
- Now, if you don't already have UnRarX installed on your Mac, it is included in your download list.
- Place the UnRarX application into your Applications folder.
- Now, navigate back where you downloaded all of the Spotlight 4D .rar files. Right-click the first file "Spotlight_Strings_4D.part01.rar". Then choose "Open With" and then select UnRarX.
- The files will now automatically start extracting the entire Spotlight 4D Library.
- PLEASE NOTE: At the end of extraction, you should receive the message "All OK" from UnRarX. If not, then it is likely that an error occurred during the download of the .rar files.
- Once the extraction is complete, your Spotlight 4D Library folder will be located inside the same folder where your Spotlight 4D .rar files are.
- You can move your library anywhere you wish. Save the .rar files in the event of losing your extracted library.
- If, for some reason, the UnRarX application does not work, try the Keka or UnArchiver apps that are on your download list.
Spotlight 4D Installation - Windows (Using WinRar)
- Download all .rar files from your download list.
- If you have WinRar, from your windows explorer, navigate to the first .rar file.
- Then, right-click it, and choose "Extract Here":
- WinRar will then prompt you:
- Choose "Yes to All"
Installation of Spotlight 4D for Windows OS without WinRar
- Download all .rar files from your download list.
- You will need the 7-Zip application which is included in your download list. Make sure you choose the correct version for your system whether 32 bit or 64 bit.
- 32 bit - 7z1602.exe
- 64 bit - 7z1602-x64.exe
- Once you’ve installed 7-Zip, right-click the first .rar file. Choose to extract the files from the 7-Zip menu item. Note that you only have to choose the first .rar file, and the full library will extract automatically.
“Kirk Hunter string libraries have been doing the heavy lifting in my scores since the first SAW film, and Spotlight Strings 4D gives me the solid, thick Kirk Hunter sound that I love, with a whole new level of usability and convenience. The morph controls for vibrato, tremolo, and trill articulations let me perform complex parts with less key switching, and the ability to control the length of short articulations and control the blend on the fly between soloists and ensembles all within a single patch lets me work faster. Most importantly, Spotlight Strings 4D sounds great – big, smooth, and supremely playable.”
“On deadlines I need to work fast and not waste time with complicated interfaces. SPOTLIGHT 4D is quick and intuitive to use. The highlight for me is how smooth and easy it is to play legato lines at almost any speed.”
“I really like this library to sketch in. The Ensemble patch just feels nice to the touch. This library does play well with others. Sweet!”
“Within moments of loading in the Spotlight 4D Strings I was making music and totally inspired. Wonderful, playable realistic sounds under my fingertips. Fantastic!”
I have been a longtime user of Kirk’s excellent libraries, and 4D is an absolute winner! Great sounding, easy to use, and a great combination of solo and ensemble strings. Also, Kirk provides excellent turn-around support in case you need to have a feature explained, and he is always willing to listen to feedback. How many other library makers can you say that about? 🙂