Ample China Erhu (ACEH) features fully sampled chromatic notes on both the inner and outer strings, with no pitch-shifted samples throughout the entire library, totaling 7.6 GB of high-quality samples.

The Erhu is one of the most representative traditional Chinese bowed string instruments. With only two strings, it is capable of producing an exceptionally wide range of tonal and emotional expression. Ningyue particularly highlights the Erhu’s broad dynamic range, from powerful, highly expressive hard bowing to extremely soft, delicate, and sustained light bowing. Significant tonal changes occur across different bow pressures and dynamics, allowing the Erhu to express both intense, dramatic emotions and extremely subtle, restrained, and lingering phrases.

• Performer: Ying Wang (Doctor of Erhu Performance, Central Conservatory of Music)
• Instrument: Two related Suzhou Erhus were sampled: a standard D-tuned Erhu and a low-register G-tuned Erquan Erhu, the latter traditionally used for Erquan Yingyue. The main D3–G5 range was sampled from the standard Erhu, while the low G2–C#3 range was sampled from the Erquan Erhu.

System Requirements:

• macOS: macOS 10.15 or later.
• Windows: Windows 7 through Windows 11, 64-bit.
• Plugin Formats: VST2, VST3, AU, and AAX, plus the standalone application (Rectangles VST3).
• Storage: 10 GB or more. An internal SSD is recommended, or an external SSD connected through a high-speed USB interface.
• CPU: Intel Core i5, AMD Ryzen 5, Apple Silicon M1, or higher.
• Activation: Activation through the free iLok License Manager software (no hardware dongle required), or with an iLok USB dongle.

Sampling:

• Includes 27 articulations across the Head, Body, and Legato Groups:

  Bowed Articulations: Sustain, Staccato, Ricochet, Tremolo, Portato.

  Expression Articulations: Whispering, Sighing, Crying, Hoarse.

  Fingered Articulations: Pizzicato, Diminuendo, Sforzando, Expressive, Vibrato, Trill, Mordent, Inverted Mordent, Double Mordent, Slide Turn Up, Slide Turn Down, Slide In Below / Slide Out Downward, Slide In Above / Slide Out Upward, Portamento, and Virtual Portamento.

• Portamento supports real sampled slides between any pitches and at any timing, complemented by Virtual Portamento with freely adjustable slide speed.
• Samples were recorded with 5 microphones: Mid-Low, Mid-High, Front, Rear, and Distant. 3 microphone modes are provided for different tonal and spatial characteristics in the mix.
• Bowed string instruments naturally change in both tone and duration with playing dynamics: stronger bowing produces a cleaner, brighter tone with shorter duration, while softer bowing produces a darker, more hoarse tone with longer duration. Sample looping can also be enabled for longer sustained notes.
• Intelligent Legato System: Automatically determines and triggers the appropriate legato based on the timing between adjacent notes. Legato samples feature up to 4 velocity layers, providing natural transitions across different playing dynamics.
• Provides 3 fingering modes — Outer String, Inner String, and Position Mode — reflecting the fingering changes of real Erhu performance.

Riffer 4:

Combines the monophonic, legato, expression, and vibrato controls of wind instruments with the string and fingering logic of string instruments. Riffer can handle legato and dynamic changes according to musical context while visually representing the string and playing position of each note, with appropriate string changes and fingerings, making complex bowed-string performance logic easier to visualize and edit.

• Dual View Modes: Seamless real-time switching between Piano Roll and Tab views - a first of its kind, offering two perspectives for reviewing and editing the compositions.
• String Visualization System: Strings are now visualized within the Piano Roll, enabling MIDI writing that adheres to authentic plucked instrument techniques - automatically preventing polyphony on the same string and intelligently assigning fingering. The result is MIDI that sounds closer to real performance.
• One-Click Auto Expression and Auto Vibrato: Once a phrase is complete, natural Expression and Vibrato curves can be generated with a single click. Riffer analyzes note length, articulation, and musical context to determine whether Expression should be applied, then automatically selects an appropriate curve type and amount of variation, avoiding mechanical or excessive dynamic processing. For example, very short Tonguing or articulations such as Sforzando, which already contain significant dynamic variation, will not receive additional Expression curves.
• Easy Articulation Editing: Easily edit fingerings, articulations, legato, expression changes, and other performance details, reducing the need for cumbersome Keyswitch and MIDI CC programming.
• MIDI CC and Velocity Editors:Display multiple MIDI CC curves simultaneously using different colors and opacity levels. Curve presets allow the corresponding CC curves to be generated instantly with a single click.
• Full MIDI Input and Output Compatibility:Whether importing external MIDI or exporting Riffer content to MIDI or instrument tracks in the host DAW, playback can remain fully consistent.
• Riffer 4 also provides a range of MIDI editing tools, including Quantize, Swing, Legato, and Monophonic processing.

FX:

• Built-in effects: 8-band EQ, Compressor, Delay, and Convolution Reverb.