Virtual Accordion, Concertina, Bandoneon, Harmonica and Melodica
Overview
Akkordica is a virtual accordion, concertina,
bandoneon, harmonica and melodica instrument that
covers a wide range of sounds and combines a
traditional hand-held bellows-driven performance and
modern digital functionality. This squeeze box and
free reed wind instrument is suitable for different
musical styles, be it traditional, popular or
classical. Available as plugin in VST 32 bit and 64
bit and VST3 64 bit versions for Windows as well as
in Audio Unit, VST and VST3 for macOS.
Features
•
Mode Selector
to change between the following instruments:
#
List of Preset Sounds /
Demo ↓
1
Anglo Concertina
2
Chemnitzer Concertina
3
Hohner Accordion
4
Strasser Accordion
5
Musette Accordion
6
Bandoneon (Tango Accordion)
7
Bayan (Chromatic Button
Accordion)
8
Melodeon (Diatonic Button
Accordion)
9
Steirische Harmonika
(Styrian Accordion)
10
Piano Keyboard Accordion
11
Accordina (Harmonicon)
12
Harmonica (Natural)
13
Harmonica (Vibrato)
14
Melodica (Pianica)
•
Akkordica allows you to reproduce many different
accordion types (diatonic and chromatic) for various
genres of musical styles such as Folk, Rock, Blues,
Jazz, Polka, Tango, Bal-musette, Cajun, Zydeco,
Classical, Schrammelmusik, Klezmer, Levenslied,
Sevdalinka, Boeremusiek, Forró, Merengue, Cueca,
Milonga, Chamamé, Cumbia, Vallenato, Norteño, Tex-Mex,
Saltarello, Tarantella, Ceol, Basque Trikitixa and Inuit
music.
•
The harmonica (known as a French harp or mouth organ)
comes with two modes:
natural and vibrato, to be used in many musical
genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical
music, jazz, country, and rock and roll.
•
ADSR envelope generator with Attack, Sustain, Decay and Release parameters:
Ø Attack
determines the time it takes for the note to get to the maximum level. Ø Decay
determines the time it takes for the note to go from the maximum level
to the sustain level (controlled by Sustain). Ø Sustain
determines level the sound is played at while the note is held (after
the other envelope states, Attack and Decay, have been completed). Ø Release
determines the time it takes for the note to fall from the sustain level
to zero (silence) level when it is released.
• Pitch Bend: The Pitch Bend knob directly changes the pitch of the selected
instrument.
Ø Pitch
Bend center position: is normal pitch. Ø Pitch
Bend down: Specifies the amount of pitch change that will occur when the
pitch bend/modulation lever is moved to the left. Ø Pitch
Bend up: Specifies the amount of pitch change that will occur when the
pitch bend/modulation lever is moved the right.
• Low-Frequency Oscillator Controls: These knobs apply LFO modulation to the
selected instrument. By using the LFO to modulate various aspects of the
audio signal, you can apply effects such as vibrato or tremolo.
Ø Rate:
This knob controls the frequency. Turn clockwise for a faster
modulation rate. Ø Depth:
This knob controls the amplitude. With a lower setting, the
resulting modulation is subtle, while a higher depth will result
in a much more extreme effect.
• Reverb built-in: provides a spaciousness and depth to simulate the
sound reflections from walls, floors and ceilings following a sound created
in an acoustically reflective environment. Small rooms can be modeled as
well as large spaces.
• Filter Type. Combo box to switch between the following options:
Ø Low
Pass (LPF): a filter that passes signals with a frequency lower than a
certain cutoff frequency and attenuates signals with frequencies higher
than the cutoff frequency. Ø High
Pass (HPF): a filter that passes signals with a frequency higher than a
certain cutoff frequency and attenuates signals with frequencies lower
than the cutoff frequency. Ø None:
No filter is applied. Ø Cutoff
Frequency Filter: Sets the cutoff frequency for the low pass and high
pass filters.
• Amplitude Range Parameters: It controls the loudness, the way in which we
perceive amplitude.The sensitivity level is set by the user:
• Panning potentiometer control: Set the panning of the instrument. Adjusts
the stereo pan position of the signal output, which determines how much of
signal is sent to the left and right channels.
• MIDI CC Automation: Implementation of MIDI Continuous Controller
parameters for use with external hardware control via DAW, such as: LFO
depth (CC#1), breath controller for harmonica, melodica and accordina
presets (CC#2), expression (CC#11), volume (CC#7),
pan (CC#10), balance (CC#8), filter cutoff (CC#74), ADSR (Attack: CC#73,
Decay: CC#75, Sustain: CC#76, Release: CC#72) and reverb depth (CC#91).
With Akkordica you can choose from a wide
selection of accordion, concertina, bandoneon, harmonica and melodica sounds,
playing and feeling the traditional sounds as well as the
new vast array built-in effects for the digital age.
Before you install VST, VST3 or Audio
Units plugins, please make sure your computer fulfills the
following requirements.
Please test
extensively the demo version of this
product in your host to make sure there are no misbehaviors before
purchasing.
Operating System: Windows Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10
(32-bit and 64-bit platforms).
VST or VST3 compatible host application 32/64 bit:
These VST/VST3 software can be "plugged in" to any host application that
supports VST or VST3 Technology like: Image-Line FL Studio, Steinberg
Cubase Pro, Artist and Elements,
Steinberg Nuendo,
Cakewalk by BandLab, Cockos REAPER, PreSonus Studio One, Acoustica Mixcraft,
Ableton Live,
MakeMusic Finale, Avid Sibelius, Magix ACID Music Studio, Magix Samplitude
Music Studio and Pro X, Cantabile, n-Track Studio, DarkWave Studio, Bitwig,
VSTHost,
SAVIHost among others.
MIDI Controller Device: A MIDI
Controller is required to play this VST instrument. The most common type
of device in this class is the keyboard controller. After launching the
Digital Audio Workstation or MIDI host application be sure to select the
appropriate MIDI device before attempting to play your MIDI controller.
An ASIO® sound card is recommended for low latency real-time play.
Operating System: macOS Sierra, macOS High Sierra,
macOS Mojave. We do not officially support older systems such as PowerPC
or deprecated versions of Mac OS X. However our plugins may work, but we
cannot guarantee any performance on such old systems. In all cases,
always we encourage you to test the free demo
version of the software.
Audio Unit, VST or VST3 compatible host
application. They can be "plugged in" to process audio by applications
such as Logic Pro, GarageBand, Cubase, Ableton Live, REAPER, Studio One
Professional, Ardour, MainStage and Digital Performer among others.
MIDI Controller Device: A MIDI Controller is
required to play this VST instrument. The most common type of device in
this class is the keyboard controller. After launching the Digital Audio
Workstation or MIDI host application be sure to select the appropriate
MIDI device before attempting to play your MIDI controller.
Alternatively, are
available the
EXS24 and
KONTAKT sample libraries in .exs / .nki formats.
Limitations of
the Unregistered/Demo Version:
The AU, VST2 and VST3 Plugins DEMO versions is only meant to give you a
taste of what is possible with this plugin in a limited range of an
octave with random
‘white noise’, where Middle C equals C4. For complete information of
MIDI key range available, check out the pdf file titled 'Comparison
Chart for Limitations of the Demo Version'
The full version is available to purchase, as downloadable software, the
price is
Please be aware that we do not offer refunds. To determine
whether the software meets your requirements prior to purchase, we encourage
you to test the free demo of the software plugin and read our License.
VST™
is a trademark of Steinberg Soft- und Hardware GmbH
Audio Units™ is a trademark of Apple
Inc.
Pianica is a registered trademark of
Yamaha Corporation.
Strasser Accordion is a trademark of
Harmonikaerzeugung Strasser GmbH.
Hohner Accordion and Melodica
are a trademark of
Hohner Musikinstrumente GmbH.
![Piano Accordion: A piano accordion is an accordion equipped with a right-hand keyboard similar to a piano or organ. Its acoustic mechanism is more that of an organ than a piano, as they are both wind instruments, but the term "piano accordion"—coined by Guido Deiro in 1910—has remained the popular nomenclature. It may be equipped with any of the available systems for the left-hand manual. Anglo Concertina: The Anglo or Anglo-German concertina is a member of the concertina family of free-reed instruments. The Anglo originated as a hybrid between the English and German concertinas. The button layouts are generally the same as the original 20-button German concertinas designed by Carl Friedrich Uhlig in 1834. Strasser Accordion: In 1919 a forester by trade, Anton Strasser chooses a physically less demanding profession following a war injury. Aged 22 he begins his second apprenticeship – this time as an accordion maker – under Robert Zechner. In 1926, on completing his apprenticeship he establishes the Strasser accordion company in an abandoned garage in the Austrian city of Graz. Around 1939, Increasing sales necessitate a move to larger premises. Anton Strasser modernizes his business, emphasizing the change with a new company logo and slogan: “Harmonica production with electric machines”. All kinds of accordions were built: Schrammel accordions, chromatic accordions with buttons and keys, and, in particular, that traditional diatonic alpine accordion, the “Steirische Harmonika”. With their lightweight construction and the many technical improvements made by Anton Strasser, the company’s instruments soon count among the most popular accordions far beyond Strasser’s home town, with exports to the Netherlands and the USA already gathering pace. Hohner Accordion: Since 1857, HOHNER has been crafting the highest quality musical instruments in the World. They make harmonicas, accordions, melodicas, recorders and guitars to name a few. The German Harmonica and Accordion Museum in Trossingen, which houses the famous HOHNER collection, is quite simply unique and tells the HOHNER history like no one else. More than 25000 different harmonicas, lovingly preserved by curator Martin Häffner, make up the largest single collection on the world. But the museum doesn‘t only exhibit musical instruments, it also shows rare films, recordings, sales displays, advertising posters and much more. The exciting story of Matthias HOHNER, his rise to fortune and the assimilation of his numerous competitors is all documented in the main museum building. Special exhibitions are shown in the new premises a short distance away in Bau V, a huge former factory building on the original HOHNER factory site. Musette Accordion: The word musette was originally the name for a bagpipe-like instrument played in the courts of France's upper classes during the 17th and 18th Centuries. Eventually it fell out of favor with the privileged population and was picked up by the country's rural peoples, especially those in the central Auvergne region. When the Auvergnats moved to Paris in search of work in the early 1800s, they brought their folk music to town, many of them opening cafés that catered to factory workers and their families. It was in these cafés that Sunday dances, or bals musette as they came to be known, began to be held. In the 1870s, another wave of immigrants began to pour into Paris, this time largely from Italy. The uprooted Italians settled into the same working-class neighborhoods as the Auvergnats, and brought their own musical instrument with them: the accordion. The instrument was at first vehemently rejected by the earlier inhabitants, but after a period of often violent resistance the Auvergnat musicians came to embrace the "box of thrills, and it eventually became the scene's dominant instrument. Soon, the fare being played at the café dances began to reflect the city's diverse culture, mixing the styles of the French countryside with Italian cantos, Manouche gypsy music and Polish and German waltzes, polkas and mazurkas. This galvanizing, cross-pollinating period is acknowledged as the birth of the true musette style. Harmonica: The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. There are many types of harmonica, including diatonic, chromatic, tremolo, octave, orchestral, and bass versions. A harmonica is played by using the mouth (lips and tongue) to direct air into or out of one or more holes along a mouthpiece. Behind each hole is a chamber containing at least one reed. A harmonica reed is a flat elongated spring typically made of brass, stainless steel, or bronze, which is secured at one end over a slot that serves as an airway. When the free end is made to vibrate by the player's air, it alternately blocks and unblocks the airway to produce sound. Melodica (Pianica): The melodica, also known as the pianica, blow-organ, key harmonica, or melodyhorn, is a free-reed instrument similar to the pump organ and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole, allowing air to flow through a reed. The keyboard is usually two or three octaves long. Melodicas are small, light, and portable. They are popular in music education, especially in Asia. The modern form of the instrument was invented by Hohner in the 1950s, though similar instruments have been known in Italy since the 19th century. The melodica is known by various names, often at the whim of the manufacturer. Melodion (Suzuki), Triola (Seydel), Melodika (Apollo), Melodia (Diana), Pianica (Yamaha), Melodihorn (Samick), Pianetta and Clavietta are just some of the variants. This can lead to some confusion, as many people will use different names as a blanket term to describe all of these instruments. Accordina (Harmonicon): The button accordina was invented and made by André Borel under the name ‘Chromatic Harmonicon’. Things change a lot in the free-reed world. Accordinas are reappearing since few years. It went unnoticed for a long time. Accordion-players ignored it and public did not even know it. This hybrid between accordion and harmonica was born from André Borel’s imagination, in the late 30’. Today, it is made again and people develop a passion for it, going against the fate which surrounded the story of this instrument. Bandoneon (Tango Accordion): The bandoneon (or bandonion, Spanish: bandoneón) is a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. It is an essential instrument in most tango ensembles from the traditional orquesta típica of the 1910s onwards. The bandoneon, so named by the German instrument dealer, Heinrich Band (1821–1860), was originally intended as an instrument for religious and popular music of the day, in contrast to its predecessor, German concertina (or Konzertina), which had predominantly used in folk music.[1]:16 Around 1870, German and Italian emigrants and sailors brought the instrument to Argentina, where it was adopted into the nascent genre of tango music, a descendant of the earlier milonga. Chemnitzer Concertina: Chemnitzer concertina is a musical instrument of the hand-held bellows-driven free-reed category, sometimes called squeezeboxes. The Chemnitzer concertina is most closely related to the bandoneón (German spelling: Bandonion), more distantly to the other concertinas, and accordions. Steirische Harmonika: The Steirische Harmonika is a type of bisonoric diatonic button accordion important to the alpine folk music of Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, the German state of Bavaria, and the Italian South Tyrol. The Steirische Harmonika is distinguished from other diatonic button accordions by its typically richer bass notes, and by the presence of one key per scale row that has the same tone on both compression and expansion of the bellows, called a Gleichton. The bass notes earn the distinction Helikonbässe because they use bigger reeds with duralumin reed frames and a special chamber construction that amplifies its bass tones to give it a loud sound reminiscent of a Helicon tuba. Melodeon (Diatonic Button Accordion): A melodeon or diatonic button accordion is a member of the free-reed aerophone family of musical instruments. It is a type of button accordion on which the melody-side keyboard contains one or more rows of buttons, with each row producing the notes of a single diatonic scale. The buttons on the bass-side keyboard are most commonly arranged in pairs, with one button of a pair sounding the fundamental of a chord and the other the corresponding major triad (or, sometimes, a minor triad). Diatonic button accordions are popular in many countries, and used mainly for playing popular music and traditional folk music, and modern offshoots of these genres. Bayan (Chromatic Button Accordion): The bayan is a type of chromatic button accordion developed in Russia in the early 20th century and named after the 11th-century bard Boyan.](Akkordica_instruments_720x405.jpg "Piano Accordion: A piano accordion is an accordion equipped with a right-hand keyboard similar to a piano or organ. Its acoustic mechanism is more that of an organ than a piano, as they are both wind instruments, but the term piano accordion—coined by Guido Deiro in 1910—has remained the popular nomenclature. It may be equipped with any of the available systems for the left-hand manual. Anglo Concertina: The Anglo or Anglo-German concertina is a member of the concertina family of free-reed instruments. The Anglo originated as a hybrid between the English and German concertinas. The button layouts are generally the same as the original 20-button German concertinas designed by Carl Friedrich Uhlig in 1834. Strasser Accordion: In 1919 a forester by trade, Anton Strasser chooses a physically less demanding profession following a war injury. Aged 22 he begins his second apprenticeship – this time as an accordion maker – under Robert Zechner. In 1926, on completing his apprenticeship he establishes the Strasser accordion company in an abandoned garage in the Austrian city of Graz. Around 1939, Increasing sales necessitate a move to larger premises. Anton Strasser modernizes his business, emphasizing the change with a new company logo and slogan: “Harmonica production with electric machines”. All kinds of accordions were built: Schrammel accordions, chromatic accordions with buttons and keys, and, in particular, that traditional diatonic alpine accordion, the “Steirische Harmonika”. With their lightweight construction and the many technical improvements made by Anton Strasser, the company’s instruments soon count among the most popular accordions far beyond Strasser’s home town, with exports to the Netherlands and the USA already gathering pace. Hohner Accordion: Since 1857, HOHNER has been crafting the highest quality musical instruments in the World. They make harmonicas, accordions, melodicas, recorders and guitars to name a few. The German Harmonica and Accordion Museum in Trossingen, which houses the famous HOHNER collection, is quite simply unique and tells the HOHNER history like no one else. More than 25000 different harmonicas, lovingly preserved by curator Martin Häffner, make up the largest single collection on the world. But the museum doesn‘t only exhibit musical instruments, it also shows rare films, recordings, sales displays, advertising posters and much more. The exciting story of Matthias HOHNER, his rise to fortune and the assimilation of his numerous competitors is all documented in the main museum building. Special exhibitions are shown in the new premises a short distance away in Bau V, a huge former factory building on the original HOHNER factory site. Musette Accordion: The word musette was originally the name for a bagpipe-like instrument played in the courts of France's upper classes during the 17th and 18th Centuries. Eventually it fell out of favor with the privileged population and was picked up by the country's rural peoples, especially those in the central Auvergne region. When the Auvergnats moved to Paris in search of work in the early 1800s, they brought their folk music to town, many of them opening cafés that catered to factory workers and their families. It was in these cafés that Sunday dances, or bals musette as they came to be known, began to be held. In the 1870s, another wave of immigrants began to pour into Paris, this time largely from Italy. The uprooted Italians settled into the same working-class neighborhoods as the Auvergnats, and brought their own musical instrument with them: the accordion. The instrument was at first vehemently rejected by the earlier inhabitants, but after a period of often violent resistance the Auvergnat musicians came to embrace the")
