The Sculpture: Unique Metal Sound Design for Kontakt

Posted on 13. August 202613. August 2026 by Max Noizefield

SonuScore has released The Sculpture, a new metallic sound design instrument for the free Kontakt Player. This library is built from a single handmade metal sculpture by German artist Klaus Gündchen. Every sound comes from that one object, recorded in close detail and turned into a playable instrument.

The Sculpture produces a wide range of sounds, from haunting drones and shimmering strikes to ethereal resonances and metallic pulses. It shifts between delicate ambience and raw impact, covering a range that most metal instruments never reach.

One-of-a-Kind Sound Source

All samples come from a single multi-cut metal sculpture. Nothing is layered or synthesised. The upper and lower plates ring out with a huge, almost synth-like sound, while the thin connecting rods add granular detail.

This unique approach gives composers a fresh palette. It is not a generic metal library but a precise capture of one physical object.

Four Microphone Perspectives

The instrument was recorded from four positions: close, far, contact, and an internal Blumlein pair. The close position delivers a tight, direct sound. The far position adds natural room acoustics. The contact microphone captures raw vibrations and attack detail. The Blumlein pair sits inside the structure to record internal resonance.

You can blend these perspectives to move from a dry, present sound to a wide, spacious one. This flexibility helps the instrument fit different scoring contexts.

Full Articulation Set

The articulation set includes mallets, rolls, bowed tones, rubberball techniques, and extended FX textures. Soft mallets, hard mallets, metal mallets, brushes, and fingers are all available. Bowing the rods produces long, sustained, almost vocal tones. Striking the plates adds weight and impact.

These techniques allow for expressive performances. The mod wheel can control rolls, adding another layer of realism.

Two Instruments in One

The Sculpture ships as two instruments. The Single instrument models the raw playing experience, direct and responsive. The Engine instrument layers five voices: two freely playable, two arpeggiators, and one granular voice. It includes slot and master effects for building evolving soundscapes.

The Single instrument suits subtle, intimate cues. The Engine works well for sci-fi, horror, and action sequences that need layered pulses and textures.

This dual design makes the library versatile for composers and sound designers.

Features

One-of-a-kind sound source from a handmade metal sculpture
Four microphone perspectives: close, far, contact, and Blumlein
Full articulation set: mallets, rolls, bowed tones, rubberball, and FX
Two instruments: Single and five-layer Engine
Free Kontakt Player ready, no full license required
5–6 GB of sample content

The Sculpture runs on macOS and Windows with Kontakt Player 7.10.9 or higher. It requires 4GB RAM and 4GB disk space.

It is available now at an introductory price of €79 (regular €99). The intro offer runs until August 19, 2026.

For composers who need a unique metallic texture, The Sculpture offers a rare and organic sound source. It is a specialised tool, but one that delivers exceptional depth and character.