Shekrs: Unusual Shakers Straight from Home
Discover the world of unique percussion with Shekrs – a virtual instrument by Spacedad that transforms ordinary household items into outstanding rhythmic elements. Forget about standard samples; Shekrs draws its inspiration and sound from the most unexpected sources: empty toilet paper rolls, yogurt cups, and paper cups. This VST instrument will add a special, organic, and somewhat low-fi charm to your tracks that cannot be achieved through traditional means. It’s not just a shaker, it’s a tool for experimentation and adding a lively, unconventional feel to your music.
The Essence of Shekrs
Imagine percussion created from things you see every day in your kitchen or bathroom. This is the idea behind Shekrs. Spacedad masterfully recorded and processed the sounds of five different “homemade” shakers, each with its unique timbral characteristics. These sounds retain the authenticity and even the slight imperfection of their original sources, giving them warmth and character. This is the perfect solution if you’re looking for percussive sounds that will stand out and grab attention with their originality.
Playing on Shekrs
Shekrs is designed for easy integration into your music workflow. Each of the five unique shakers is assigned to a separate MIDI note in the range from C#2 to A#2 (C#2, D#2, F#2, G#2, A#2). This allows you to easily program complex and interesting rhythmic patterns using a MIDI keyboard or in your DAW. You can combine different shakers, creating multi-layered percussive grooves that will sound fresh and unusual. This simplicity of use makes Shekrs accessible to both experienced producers and those just starting their journey in the world of music creation.
Modulation and Settings
Although the sound source is household, the possibilities for control and processing in Shekrs are quite extensive. The plugin offers powerful modulation tools that allow you to significantly transform the original sound of the shakers:
- Speed: Control the tempo or “shaking” speed. From slow, measured rhythms to fast, trembling rolls, this function allows you to adapt the shaker to any tempo of your track and create dynamic changes.
- Pitch: Pitch modulation can add melodic or atonal elements to your percussive parts, turning simple rhythms into something more complex and interesting.
- Volume: Precise volume adjustments allow you to control the dynamics and accents in percussive patterns, making them more expressive and lively.
By combining these parameters, you can go from “regular shakin'” to true “shakinsanity,” as the author aptly notes. This opens up vast horizons for creative experiments and creating truly unique sounds.
Built-in Effects
Shekrs is equipped with a set of built-in effects that expand the sound shaping capabilities and allow you to integrate these unusual shakers into any mix:
- Filters (Highpass/Lowpass): Use filters to cut off unwanted frequencies or to create sweep effects, which will add movement and development to your percussive parts.
- Distortion: Add harmonics and saturation to the sound, making the shakers more noticeable and aggressive in the mix.
- Bitcrushing: For creating low-fi or experimental effects, which add digital artifacts and reduce the sound quality in a controlled manner.
- Panning: Place the shakers in the stereo field, creating spatial depth and dynamics.
These effects allow you to adapt the sound of Shekrs to a wide variety of musical genres – from hip-hop and electronic to ambient and experimental music.
Why You Should Try Shekrs?
Shekrs is more than just another VST instrument. It’s an invitation to creativity, to using unusual sounds, and to experimenting with rhythm. If you’re tired of standard percussion libraries and are looking for something truly original that will add character and individuality to your tracks, Shekrs from Spacedad is an excellent choice. It’s easy to use, has flexible enough sound shaping capabilities thanks to modulation and effects, and most importantly – provides you with a unique palette of percussive sounds that were born right from everyday objects. Download Shekrs and start adding a little “homemade” madness to your music today!
Available in VST format for Windows (Win32).
