Ready to hear the Gu Zheng? Best Service has released Yellow River Sound's Gu Zheng (Mac / Win), a virtual instrument comprised of the sampled sounds of the traditional Chinese Gu Zheng instrument.

The Gu Zheng has been a mainstay in Chinese music for more than 2,000 years, notes Best Service, and has evolved into the modern instrument we see today, as a plucked zither equipped with 21 strings and movable bridges. Basic playing styles include plucking at the right side and pressing at the left side to produce pitch ornamentations, tremolo, and other sounds.

Produced by Zhang Jian (China Conservatory of Music) and Ma Jing (ADSH) in cooperation with Best Service, the Gu Zheng virtual instrument makes good use of the Best Service Engine sample player. Thanks to Engine, you can hear the instrument's detailed articulations clearly, and experience first-hand how the element of silence plays a big role in Gu Zheng music. The Gu Zheng’s low Velocity samples capture a wide dynamic range, from completely silent to absolutely punchy. Check out the audio demos (MIDI arrangements) at the Best Service Web site.

The 1.6 GB Gu Zheng instrument comes with Best Service's Engine Sample Player; 24-bit, 44.1 kHz quality samples; multisamples on every single Velocity layer; articulations with up to 5 Velocity layers, 3 different tempos of bend up / down, and more; one-shot single notes on most layers; MIDI files and audio phrases; and more. All Gu Zheng sounds were recorded at the China Conservatory of Music using Direct Stream Digital Technology and 5 microphone positions, with a custom-designed Gu Zheng instrument.

Yellow River Sound Gu Zheng Features:

• 1.6 GB sample library
• Multisamples on every single Velocity layer
• Detailed articulations with up to 5 Velocity layers, 3 different tempos of bend up / down, and so forth
• Sampled from a custom-designed Gu Zheng
• Recorded at the China Conservatory of Music using Direct Stream Digital Technology and 5 microphone positions
• 24-bit, 44.1 kHz sample playback
• One-shot single notes on most layers that emulate the real performance
• MIDI files and audio phrases included

Gu Zheng is available in VST, Audio Units, and RTAS plugin formats for 119 EUR (or approximately $151) at bestservice.de.