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Please recommend a Middle Eastern percussion library similar to the percussion found on "Passion."

Dylanguitar

Dylanguitar

Senior Member
I'm looking for a percussion library that will get me very close to the percussion sounds in Peter Gabriel's Passion. Does such a library exist? Not looking for a giant gonzo trailer percussion library. More regional middle-eastern. If you're familiar with Passion, you know what I'm talking about. Thanks!!
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NI’s, Middle East, as mentioned; though you’d probably also want NI’s West Africa as Passion used a combination of those traditions. Also, Flying Hand Percussion, which has been around for a while but is undiminished and exhaustively sampled:
www.handheldsound.com

FlyingHand Percussion – HandheldSound

highlights instruments features & tech video & audio requirements & info reviews $ Add to Cart the highlights FlyingHand Percussion is a dedicated Hand-Percussion sample library. With over 30,000 samples, it represents an authentic and evocative ensemble utilizing a great number of...
www.handheldsound.com www.handheldsound.com
 
It's quite an old library, however the sound quality and playability is hard to beat by today's standard. The best part is all the loops from this library are MIDI.
 
Dylanguitar said:
I'm looking for a percussion library that will get me very close to the percussion sounds in Peter Gabriel's Passion. Does such a library exist? Not looking for a giant gonzo trailer percussion library. More regional middle-eastern. If you're familiar with Passion, you know what I'm talking about. Thanks!!
Click to expand...
The percussion on the Passion soundtrack isn't really Middle Eastern. I just listened to it again to be sure, and I couldn't hear anything Middle Eastern about it except a darbuka on two tracks. Even the darbuka wasn't played in a idiomatically Middle Eastern fashion. So I looked at the credits and saw the following instruments listed:

doholla
octoban
shaker
surdo
tabla
talking drum
tambourine

Only the doholla is an actual Middle Eastern instrument. It's the darbuka I heard. It was played by Peter Gabriel, which would explain why it didn't sound like it was played in a traditional manner. There are also some generic credits like "percussion", "drums", and "African percussion". Some of the "drums" credits are drum kit played by Billy Cobham and Manny Elias.

In conclusion, if you want that sound, you don't need a Middle Eastern percussion library, you just need a general percussion library that has an assortment of instruments.
 
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Excellent response above from sumskilz. The full evolution series world percussion 2.0 library actually covers all of that territory (darabuka, octoban, surdo, tabla, talking drum, tamborim and various shakers). It's fantastic.

In regards to Middle Eastern specific percussion, there's also Sonokinetic's Sultan Drums.
 
sumskilz said:
The percussion on the Passion soundtrack isn't really Middle Eastern. I just listened to it again to be sure, and I couldn't hear anything Middle Eastern about it except a darbuka on two tracks. Even the darbuka wasn't played in a idiomatically Middle Eastern fashion. So I looked at the credits and saw the following instruments listed:

doholla
octoban
shaker
surdo
tabla
talking drum
tambourine

Only the doholla is an actual Middle Eastern instrument. It's the darbuka I heard. It was played by Peter Gabriel, which would explain why it didn't sound like it was played in a traditional manner. There are also some generic credits like "percussion", "drums", and "African percussion". Some of the "drums" credits are drum kit played by Billy Cobham and Manny Elias.

In conclusion, if you want that sound, you don't need a Middle Eastern percussion library, you just need a general percussion library that has an assortment of instruments.
Click to expand...
There is a tambourine-like instrument that shows up several times. It's in both "The Feeling Begins" and to a lesser extent on "A Different Drum." But it's not like a traditional tambourine. It's very high-pitched. I wish I knew what that was. Also I'm guessing the shaker that happens later on in "The Feeling Begins" is a shekere? It seems like the tambourine (or whatever high-pitched version of it is cranking out 16th notes while the shekere (or similar) is playing downbeats.
I'd be interested in what you think the instrumental breakdown is on that percussion ensemble in "A Different Drum." I've been in love with that track for like 30 yrs.
 
muziksculp said:
That's a great soundtrack from 1989. You made me listen to it. I haven't heard it for many years. :)

Maybe NI's Spotlight Collection : Middle East Library. It has a decent selection of Middle Eastern Percussion. You might already have it if you have Komplete.

https://www.native-instruments.com/...spotlight-collection/middle-east/instruments/
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I have the NI "discover" for India, W. Africa, and Middle Eastern percussion. I'm curious what the difference is between "discover" and "spotlight." I looked online but didn't see any answers. The only thing I saw on NI's website is that the instrument set is somewhat expanded on the spotlight?
In any event, I've already started going through those libraries to get really acquainted with what I have before I start investing money in new libraries.
 
Dylanguitar said:
I have the NI "discover" for India, W. Africa, and Middle Eastern percussion. I'm curious what the difference is between "discover" and "spotlight." I looked online but didn't see any answers. The only thing I saw on NI's website is that the instrument set is somewhat expanded on the spotlight?
In any event, I've already started going through those libraries to get really acquainted with what I have before I start investing money in new libraries.
Click to expand...
I think they just changed the title, I don't think there is anything different in the content.
 
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