Ample China Zheng

Name: Ample China Zheng
Price: 126 USD
Author: Ample Sound

by Ample Sound · Instrument · Sampled Chinese guzheng (zither)

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Ample China Zheng is a sampled guzheng, the Chinese plucked zither, in Ample Sound's own plugin.

It has 11 articulations, an 8 GB library, three playing modes and the Riffer 4 MIDI editor. It costs $126 on sale (regular $169).

Best for: Acoustic Instruments. Genres: Ambient & Cinematic, Jazz, Acoustic & Classical, Pop.

Keywords: world instruments, sample-based, plucks, monophonic, strings, cinematic, film & game audio, flat UI.

What it does

Ample China Zheng is Ample Sound's sampled guzheng, the Chinese plucked zither, with playing modes that handle its pentatonic tuning and glissandi for you. Ample Sound calls it "one of the most distinctive sounds in traditional Chinese music".

11 articulations: sustain, natural harmonic, tremolo, glissando, glissando up, glissando down, bend and release, bend up, bend down, single vibrato and vibrato.
Samples and mics: recorded with five microphones (left, right, mid and a stereo distant pair), offered as four mic modes with different tone and space.
Tremolo: expressive and straight tremolo with legato and infinite looping; several start positions follow velocity so notes begin naturally at different speeds and dynamics.
Playing modes: Keyboard mode for chromatic playing, Guzheng mode that keeps you on the instrument's strings, and Glissando mode for sweeps between notes.
Key settings: choose a key and the strings are retuned to the nearest string, the way a player retunes the real instrument.
Riffer 4: one-click auto expression and auto vibrato, articulation, fingering and legato editing, CC and velocity editors, plus quantize, swing, legato and monophonic tools.
Effects: 8-band EQ, compressor, delay and convolution reverb.

Source: Ample Sound product page

When to use it

Ample China Zheng is the pick when a track needs a convincing solo guzheng, with the bends, tremolo and glissandi that define the instrument. Compared with the harp in an orchestral library such as BBC Symphony Orchestra Core, it gives the pentatonic tuning, pitch bends and vibrato of Chinese playing rather than a Western harp sound. Within Ample's own range it suits brighter, sweeping parts better than Ample China Guqin, the quieter, deeper zither, and it covers zither parts rather than the plucked lute lines of Ample China Pipa. Its key settings and Guzheng mode make it easier to play in tune with the instrument's layout than a plain chromatic sample set.

Best for: guzheng glissandi, tremolo melodies and bends in film, game, C-pop and traditional music.
Genres: cinematic, game, pop and traditional Chinese music.
Look elsewhere if: you want a quieter, deeper zither (Ample China Guqin) or a Western orchestral palette (BBC Symphony Orchestra Core).
Tip: use Guzheng mode to stay in an authentic pentatonic scale, and Glissando mode to get natural sweeps from the timing between notes.

What producers say

The one detailed review found is enthusiastic and lists no real drawbacks.

Sample Library Review (2021) said it "knocks it out of the park" and called it the most complete and playable guzheng library available.
Praised: the sound, the range of glissandi and bends, keyswitched ornaments in real time, velocity-sensitive tremolo and the clean interface with mic choices.

Sample Library Review

Where to buy

Ample Sound: $126 (regular $169)
Plugin Boutique: $126 (regular $169)

Tutorials and reviews

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