Session Guitarist STRUMMED ACOUSTIC is a Native Instruments instrument focused on acoustic guitar accompaniment, with detailed sampled sound and a wide selection of patterns. This guide covers loading it in Kontakt, selecting patterns and shaping the sound. Auto Chords, genre-based presets and effects such as EQ and reverb offer flexible ways to create acoustic backing without playing guitar, from demos to finished productions.
Add High-Quality Acoustic Guitar Backing to Your Music
Session Guitarist STRUMMED ACOUSTIC specializes in acoustic guitar accompaniment.
Its strengths arerealistic acoustic guitar sound and a wide selection of patterns.
It is useful both for people who do not play guitar and for those who find recording acoustic guitar difficult.
It is also handy for making a high-quality demo quickly.
First, we’ll explain the concept behind Session Guitarist
and focus on switching patterns.
Video: Basic Operation and Switching Patterns
Excerpts from YouTube Questions and Answers
Thank you for your tutorials! Whether I load it in Kontakt or Komplete Kontrol, I can’t see the keyboard shown in the video. What setting displays it?
You can toggle the display using the control shown in this image:https://app.box.com/s/yxz4vkg0uocal8gco4olpb940kfcqcThank you.
When I enter the B1 articulation in the piano roll, I hear B even though I am playing a C chord. How can I fix this?
The note labels in your DAW and instrument may be an octave apart. Try entering the articulation one octave lower.
Can this play individual notes for a solo?
This instrument is designed for strumming accompaniment, so it cannot play individual notes or solos.
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Loading Session Guitarist
Load the instrument using Kontakt.
It also integrates with Komplete Kontrol.
You can use the Light Guide to see key functions and easily control parameters.
It can also be combined with the scale feature.
Key Functions
The keys are color-coded by function:
- Red: switch performance patterns
- White, immediately to the right of red: stop the performance
- Yellow: ending articulations
- Green: special articulations such as slides
- Blue: select the pitches to be played
Combine these to program a performance.
Playing Chords
Enter the chord you want to play.
The rhythm is added automatically, so you can hold the notes.
Use the lower notes to select the performance pattern.
Turn on the power button outlined in red to play diatonic major or minor chords in the selected song key with one key.
Turn on Auto Chords and choose the song key in the outlined area of the window.
The selected key remains set even after Auto Chords is turned off.
With Auto Chords, black keys can automatically add notes to the diatonic chords.
This makes it easy to audition chord colors and add extensions.
Using Pattern Presets
Choose from the included patterns and assign them to keys.
Use this section to choose a genre.
Change the selection with the arrows beside the pattern name.
Click the preset name to display the list.
You can also specify time signatures and triplet feels.
Double-click a pattern name to load it.
The pattern is now loaded.
The guitar sound also changes to suit the genre.
The example changes all patterns, but you can also select patterns individually.
For the preset you want to change, use the arrows in the outlined area or click the magnifying glass.
- Red: choose the chord used to audition patterns
- Yellow: filter patterns by time signature, performance feel and rhythm
- Green: the filtered patterns appear here.
Click to audition a pattern; double-click to load it onto a key.
Adjusting the Sound for Your Track
Next, adjust the sound of the selected pattern.
A range of controls lets you adapt it to different tracks and genres.
Video: Sound Editing
Using Sound Presets
Load presets from this section.
Doubling creates the width of two layered guitars.
The outlined area on the left adjusts the performance character and voicing.
- Voicing: blend sounds played in low and high fret positions.
You can also move the control fully to one side. - Accent: controls the strength of the performance.
Moving it right makes the dynamics more pronounced.
If these values return to their defaults,
you may need to turn off MIDI reset in your DAW’s preferences.
Detailed Sound Adjustment
- 1. In addition to the voicing above,
set the doubling and pan. - 2. Adjust the volume of fret noise when changing chords.
- 3. Adjust the main effects: EQ, compressor and reverb.
The controls are straightforward enough for beginners to shape the sound to taste.
Saving a Sound Preset
You can save the settings made so far.
Press the outlined button to store them.
Saved presets can also be recalled easily.
Setting Performance Feel
- 1. Add swing to the performance.
It can match a swung track or be added subtly to a straight rhythm. - 2. Add timing variation to the performance.
Turn the control right to preserve the natural timing variation of the recorded performance;
turn it left for tighter, quantized timing. - 3. Shift the timing of the entire performance earlier or later.
For example, pushing it slightly ahead can add energy.
The unit is milliseconds (ms).
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What do I need to use Session Guitarist STRUMMED ACOUSTIC?
The instrument runs in Native Instruments Kontakt. It also integrates with Komplete Kontrol, whose Light Guide can show key functions visually.
Q2. Can I use it if I don’t play guitar?
Yes. Auto Chords and pattern presets let you enter chords on a keyboard and add rhythmic backing without guitar-playing skills.
Q3. What genres does it support?
It includes patterns for a range of genres, with options for time signature, triplet feel and performance character.
Q4. Can I customize the sound?
Yes. In addition to sound presets, you can adjust voicing, accent, EQ, compression and reverb to suit the track.
Q5. Can I save my settings as a preset?
Yes. You can save sound presets containing your pattern and sound adjustments, then recall them later.
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