Vintage Horns 3

Vintage Horns 3 is a collection of virtual instruments for Kontakt 7, designed to authentically capture the sound of horn soloists and sections from the 1930s through the 1970s. This includes some of the most iconic horn styles of the era, such as the Detroit Soul Solo Bari Sax, 1970s R&B Solo Alto Sax, Grungy Rock ’N’ Roll Solo Tenor Sax, and the expressive Jazz-Fusion Flute, featuring wild flutter-tongue and “singing” articulations. 

Like its best-selling predecessors, Vintage Horns 3 wasn’t created to be a flawless, ultra-clean virtual instrument. Instead, the goal was to craft a collection of brass and woodwind instruments that embody the raw, organic character of horn players from the ‘30s to the ‘70s - complete with the quirks and imperfections that made their performances so memorable. 

This library draws inspiration from the distinctive playing styles of legendary musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Fred Wesley, Eddie Harris, Wayne Shorter, David Sanborn, and Lenny Pickett, as well as the powerhouse horn sections of Motown, Tower of Power, the J.B.’s, and the Rebirth Brass Band. 

To achieve this sound, the Big Fish Audio team carefully studied these musicians’ techniques - paying close attention to tone, vibrato (or lack thereof), articulation, and instrument choices. They embraced the loose tuning and kept in the expressive details that other virtual instruments might have removed - like honking, squawking, warbling, cracked, and slurred notes - the kind of nuances real horn players used throughout the ‘40s, ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s. 

The result? A sampled horn collection with true character - a virtual instrument unlike anything else on the market. The BFA team think you’ll agree, and hope you enjoy Vintage Horns 3 as much as they enjoyed creating it. 

User Interface 

The instrument interface is designed for simplicity and ease of use, featuring intuitive controls that allow you to shape your sound effortlessly: 

• Reverb – Adjusts the amount of reverb applied to the instrument. Below the knob, a drop-down menu offers 15 convolution reverbs, each emulating a different vintage recording space. 
• Tape Sat – Adds tape saturation, recreating the warm, analog character of vintage tape recordings. 
• Bass – A bi-polar knob that boosts or cuts the low end. Treble – A bi-polar knob that boosts or cuts the high end. 
• ADSR – Four knobs that control Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release, allowing you to shape the instrument’s envelope to your preference. 

Key Switches 

Keys marked in red on Kontakt’s virtual keyboard are known as key-switches. Pressing a key- switch allows you to switch between different articulations - for example, from Sustain (the default for all instruments) to Staccato, Stab, Falloff, and more. Key-switches are always arranged in the same order on Kontakt’s virtual keyboard. 

• B - Sustain
• Bb - Staccato
• A - Stab
• Ab - Falloffs
• G - Doits (mainly for brass instruments) 

Note: Not all instruments include the same articulations. If a particular articulation isn’t available for an instrument, its corresponding key-switch will not be marked in red. 

Instrument List 

Vintage Horns 3 features 17 multi-sampled brass and woodwind instruments, each designed to capture the authentic character of a specific era and style: 

• 1960s Soul Jazz Flute – A rich-sounding soprano flute with a few surprises: wild flutter-tongue articulations and an even crazier set of sung-flute samples (limited to the player’s upper vocal range). Perfect for Jazz, Soul Jazz, and Prog Rock flute solos or for adding unique effects to your productions. 
• 1960s Solo Detroit Soul Bari Sax – Inspired by Motown bari sax legend Mike Terry, this sound is big and wide on the bottom, giving it plenty of punch in a horn section. Louder velocity layers are edgier and rougher - ideal for soulful solo lines. 
• 1970s Solo R&B Alto Sax – A cutting, edgy alto sax inspired by players like David Sanborn. Perfect for Funk and R&B solos and surprisingly punchy when paired with trumpets in a larger horn section. 
• Grungy Solo Rock ’N’ Roll Tenor Sax – A raw, growling tenor sax tone reminiscent of Jr. Walker, King Curtis, and Bobby Keys. Later adapted to rock by Clarence Clemons with Bruce Springsteen. Ideal for solo lines, fills, and lead parts in gritty rock and blues tracks. 
• Jazz Fusion Soprano Sax – Inspired by players like Grover Washington Jr. and Wayne Shorter, this soprano sax delivers warm, soft tones at lower velocities and a cutting, wild edge at higher dynamics. A great choice for Jazz ensembles and solo lines. 
• New Orleans Clarinet – A rich, vintage-sounding clarinet with expressive vibrato, inspired by legends like Sidney Bechet, Benny Goodman, and Barney Bigard. Perfect for New Orleans Jazz, Dixieland, and 1930s-40s Big Bands. 
• New Orleans Trombone – A big, brassy trombone inspired by classic New Orleans brass bands like the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Gets raucous at higher velocities, just like the real thing. 
• New Orleans Tuba – A deep, resonant tuba inspired by New Orleans brass traditions. Ideal for New Orleans Jazz, Dixieland, and vintage big band arrangements. 
• R&B Trombone – A punchy, powerful trombone inspired by Fred Wesley, known for his work with James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic. A great choice for Funk and R&B horn sections. 
• Soul Ballad Flugelhorn – A warm, lush-sounding flugelhorn inspired by Greg Adams and Mic Gillette of Tower of Power. Ideal for Soul, R&B, and Jazz ballads. 
• Soul Jazz Tenor Sax – Modeled after the great Eddie Harris, this tenor sax shifts from soft and sweet to hard-edged and funky. Features altissimo (false fingering) effects, making it great for Jazz, Soul Jazz, and R&B solos. 
• Soul Jazz Trumpet – A bold, edgy trumpet sound inspired by players like Lee Morgan, Nat Adderley, and Benny Bailey. At higher velocities, it takes on a wild, character-filled tone. 
• Vintage Bebop Alto Sax – Inspired by the legendary Charlie “Bird” Parker, this sax delivers smooth, lyrical tones at softer dynamics and biting, punchy projection at higher intensities - perfect for Jazz solos and sax sections. 
• Vintage C Melody Tenor Sax – A warm, wide-vibrato sax popular in the 1930s big band era, bridging the range between alto and tenor sax. Captures the authentic feel of pre-WWII jazz ensembles. 
• Vintage Cuban Mambo Band Growling Trumpet – A dramatic, powerful trumpet with a wah-wah cup mute and an aggressive growling sound, perfect for Cuban mambo and Latin big band leads. 
• Vintage Jazz Trumpet – A smooth, expressive trumpet inspired by Harry James, ideal for Jazz ballads and vintage-style productions. 
• Vintage Plunger Vibrato Trumpet – A classic “wah-wah” trumpet inspired by Bubber Miley and King Oliver, perfect for New Orleans Jazz, Dixieland, and 1930s-40s Big Bands, whether as a solo instrument or part of a horn section. 

System Requirements

• The library requires approximately 3.5GB once installed Kontakt 7 Player or Kontakt 7 (Version 7.10)
• 4GB RAM or more 

Mac

• OS 12 or higher (64 bit compatible)
• Intel Core i5 or later
• Or Apple Silicone Macs 

Windows

• Windows 10 or higher
• 64 bit compatible
• Intel Core i5 or equivalent CPU