Name: Cremona Quartet Ensemble
SKU: CremonaQuartetEnsemble

Exquisite strings collection

Cremona Quartet unites four of the world’s most precious string instruments, delivering their sound with stunning authenticity. With phase-aligned stereo samples and meticulously sampled chromatic articulations, every nuance and quirk of these historic treasures is yours to explore. Advanced parameter controls provide unparalleled precision, while the addition of the Cremona Quartet Ensemble makes crafting detailed arrangements simpler than ever.

Ensemble walkthrough

Solo walkthrough

Audio demos

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Welcome to Cremona

Known as the birthplace of strings, the Italian city of Cremona has a long and special history. Built hundreds of years ago with wood from surrounding forests, each instrument has its own unique personality, and together their sound represents the heart, soul and magic of the region. A collection of four cherished string instruments dating back to the 1600s, Cremona Quartet captures and preserves every detail of their rare characteristics.

Phase-aligned velocity crossfades on long articulations allowing for superbly realistic bow changes.

Innovative modeling of live virtuoso vibrato performances lets you produce highly authentic results with real-time control.

Dial in the perfect timbre for the mood you want, as a real violinist would, with Low-String, High-String and Smart fingerboard positions.

Switch between 20 articulations in total, including Long, Short, Expressive, Dynamic, and Special articulations, all with up to four legato transitions.

Mix close, mid, and far mic positions to create the perfect acoustic space for your strings ensemble.

Meet the quartet

These instruments were made by the finest luthiers in history. With each articulation of every note played by virtuoso performers in Cremona’s Auditorium Giovanni Arvedi, and recorded in exceptional detail, their sounds are now immortalised for contemporary productions.

Stradivari Violin – ‘Vesuvius’

Born around 1644, household name Antonio Stradivari is the most famous luthier in the history of violin making. His innovations in proportion and shape set trends that continue to influence the craft today. His ‘Vesuvius’ violin, the leader of our Cremona Quartet, was built in 1727 towards the end of the master craftsman’s golden period.

You can also access the sound of Vesuvius in solo form with Stradivari Violin.

Discover Stradivari Violin

Stradivari Violin audio demos

Making Stradivari Violin

Stradivari Cello – ‘Stauffer’

Though best known for violin making, Stradivari also made other stringed instruments. His ‘Stauffer’ cello, built in 1700, is listed as an Italian national treasure. Completing the quartet with luscious deep tones, it adds weight to the overall sound of the ensemble.

You can also access the sound of Stauffer in solo form with Stradivari Cello.

Discover Stradivari Cello

Stradivari Cello audio demos

Guarneri Violin – ‘Prince Doria’

Stradivari may be the world’s most famous violin maker, but many of the world’s most prominent players and composers consider Guarneri del Gesù to be the best. The second violin in the quartet is his ‘Prince Doria’, built in 1734.

Guarneri Violin audio demos

Amati Viola – ‘Stauffer’

A pioneering luthier, Andrea Amati is widely regarded as the inventor of the violin as we know it. His son Gerolamo continued this tradition in the family workshop in Cremona, and built the quartet’s oldest instrument, the ‘Stauffer’ viola, in 1614.

Amati Viola audio demos

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Cremona Quartet Ensemble

Cremona Quartet Ensemble brings all four of these instruments together in one place, making it simple to craft stunning orchestral arrangements with ease and unparalleled speed. The new Auto Divisi feature seamlessly distributes parts across the ensemble, while real vibrato samples for sustain and marcato articulations infuse each instrument with vivid individuality and character.

Cremona Quartet Ensemble audio demos

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Save with the Cremona Quartet Bundle

Get the best of both worlds with the Cremona Quartet Bundle. Whether you’re crafting intricate solo masterpieces or sweeping string arrangements, enjoy the precision of the Quartet and the flexibility of the Ensemble in one package – together at a special bundle price.

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An extraordinary recording process

The sounds of Cremona Quartet were captured using a bespoke array of microphones and preamps, placed in a specially designed acoustic environment. Even the local people of Cremona played their part, with all traffic near the auditorium stopped for the duration of the recordings, to ensure that no external noise could interrupt the process.

Situated in the city of Cremona and the home of these precious instruments, the Museo Del Violino enabled the project by allowing the recordings to take place.

The Auditorium Giovanni Arvedi was purpose-built to allow stringed instruments to sound their very best.

The concert hall was designed by Italian architect Giorgio Palù, with consultation from pioneering acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota.

32 microphones were placed around the concert hall in order to capture every possible timbre from each instrument.

All of the recordings were carried out under armed guard, due to the exceptionally high value of the instruments used.

About e-instruments

Responsible for producing Session Strings and Session Horns, e-instruments specializes in crafting intensely detailed sampled instruments. They launched the Cremona Quartet project to digitally preserve these rare and extraordinary sounds for current and future composers and musicians to use in contemporary production contexts. The team captured the uniquely special character of each instrument using the highest-quality recording equipment.

Read more about e-instruments.

At a glance

Product type:	Komplete Instrument
Instrument type:	Violin, cello, viola
For use with:	Free Kontakt Player or Kontakt
Sound category:	Strings
Number of NKIs:	Solo 8, Ensemble 1
Download size (Mac/PC):	Cremona Quartet Solo: 99.1 GB, Cremona Quartet Ensemble: 17.89 GB, Cremona Quartet Bundle: 114 GB
System requirements:	Free Kontakt Player or Kontakt version 8.1.0 and higher. Please also see the Kontakt Player system requirements and the Kontakt Player FAQ.
User manual online:	Online manual
User manual:	Download manual

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