We're excited to announce the release of Softstruck - the latest addition to our popular Select series (following on from Emma Legato and Nocturne), and one of our most unconventional Kontakt Player instruments to date!
The idea behind Softstruck was inspired by a felt piano recording session – a technique where felt is placed between the hammer and strings to produce a soft, muted sound often heard in film scores and ambient music. It got us thinking – could we bring the concept of the felt piano to guitar?
We started by placing felt on the guitar bridge, which created a sound like palm muting – interesting but not quite what we were striving for. Then came the lightbulb moment - what if we muted the stroke instead of the guitar?
By using ultra-soft, felt guitar picks – typically meant for nylon instruments like the ukulele – we captured a brushed, blurred guitar tone that felt instantly nostalgic, dark, and intimately textured. We’d found our answer to the ‘felt guitar’!
Applying the technique to three distinctive guitars, which were all recorded through four different signals, combined with the availability of our signature atmospheric FX, Double Track switch, 51 presets and more, Softstruck is ideal for cinematic scores, ambient soundscapes, emotional cues, and much more!
Softstruck is available now with an introductory price of £29 (normally £39) and existing Select series users can take advantage of the £23 intro upgrade price, until 31st August 2025.