Orchestral Tools: Clutch

Collaborating with names such as Tom Holkenborg, Harry Gregson-Williams, and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Orchestral Tools is a small, independent company whose instruments are used by A-list Hollywood composers and underground Berlin up-and-comers alike. When it comes to capturing orchestral music, there aren’t many locations in the world that can compete with Teldex Studio, situated in Berlin. Boasting ideal acoustics for orchestral recordings, it is the largest independent recording facility in Germany, and with a 455-square-metre live room it is almost the same size as Abbey Road’s Studio One.

The relationship between Orchestral Tools and Teldex began in 2012 when the first installation of the Berlin Series ‘Woodwinds’ was recorded there. Since then, Teldex Studio has become the sonic home for Orchestral Tools, and has allowed it to reach new levels of orchestral sampling, delivering rich, detailed, and flexible instrument collections that will add new depth to symphonic compositions. As well as this, the studio has possibly the largest collection of vintage Neumann microphones in the world, making it the perfect space for recording orchestral collections.

Known for its warm tone and mellow timbre, this iconic organ provides players with an incredibly wide dynamic range, and is able to create both subtle nuanced sound as well as powerful blasts of harmonic force when needed. Clutch’s high, low, and full drawbars deliver a classic, authentic Hammond B3 tonewheel organ sound, while the two percussive voices add an extra layer of expressiveness. Clutch can play the blues and improvise jazzy solos, but it also excels at rock, funk, fusion, and all modern variations of soul. Neatly capturing an iconic and versatile instrument, Clutch encourages exploration through experimentation.

Clutch can be accessed through the free SINEfactory library.