Can anyone identify this instrument?

enters at about 0:47, the somewhat percussive stringed instrument:

I'd really love to use a similar sound in my tracks, but I can't quite figure out what the instrument is.. sounds like a deeper, more classy banjo, perhaps something struck with a mallet like a hammered dulcimer?

it actually sounds like a synth or sampler to me (prob played live on a keyboard)- something based on sampled dulcimer or struck string sounds, but there's something un-dynamic about it, and a bit of a digital d50-ish bell tone mixed in. could be a kurzweil or a softsynth like omnisphere - not sure when this was released.

It was released last year, so it could very well be a softsynth. I'm sure I've heard a similar sound in a game soundtrack as well, maybe Unreal or something?

Ah, here we go, this is a similar sound:

Might just have to rip it from the music file :D

That said, I kinda want to try resynthesising it on the monomachine..

edit: actually it's not very similar.. I prefer the one in the IQ song

A close approximation on monomachine:

A bit more synthy than the original, but it's nice to play.

Sounds like Logic's Sculpture synth to me. It's a banana's bit O software actually even though I don't use it on anything.

is it this?

I thought it might be, but there's an additional harmonic below the fundamental frequency (suggesting a mallet, perhaps? or similar to pizzicato), and it's a bit more dampened than a zither as well..

That's why I thought sculpture. Has 3 oscs which can all be treated differently, struck, bowed, blow etc etc and then the timbre can be vectored between 4 materials.

I agree with a few peeps, it sounds like synthesis. Comparing it to the guitar that comes in later and sounds more 'real' in the mix. If it ISN'T synthesis, you can still likely get it with the right vst.

Yeah, I noticed that the sound is slightly different the second time it comes in, sounds more acoustic, as though it's maybe layered with a real acoustic guitar.

It's slightly disappointing tbh, I thought that it might actually be a sample from an acoustic instrument.. maybe I should try to build some kind of mallet based midi controller for the monomachine, haha

either way it sounds like someone raped a kantele

ha, it's not quite the same though

btw I highly recommend that IQ album, it's dark prog done surprisingly well for a 2014 release, lots of mellotron choir

  On 5/29/2015 at 1:33 AM, Ivan Ooze said:

either way it sounds like someone raped a kantele

punch my kantele baby

  On 5/29/2015 at 1:29 AM, modey said:

Yeah, I noticed that the sound is slightly different the second time it comes in, sounds more acoustic, as though it's maybe layered with a real acoustic guitar.

 

 

It's slightly disappointing tbh, I thought that it might actually be a sample from an acoustic instrument.. maybe I should try to build some kind of mallet based midi controller for the monomachine, haha

i think it has a sample (or two) of an acoustic instrument as layers. you could always get a malletKAT for a controller....