RARE SOUND ESSENCE

The Chelys Lyra VST meticulously captures the Lyra's unique tone. To make the virtual sound experience as close as possible to that of a real instrument, we have divided the keyboard into various sections to be played simultaneously.

• Various noises for chords and plectrum effects
• Fingertip sounds of the left hand
• First eight harmonics
• Plectrum string interaction (Modwheel controlled)
• Upper octave harmonics and trillate effects
• BPM synced MIDI phrases

Musical scales: Modern and Ancient (Aristoxenian) tradition including Diatonic, Chromatic, and Enharmonic.

This virtual instrument is based on the Aquincum Organ, a third-century bellows organ reconstruction originally made in the 1930s by the Angster factory (Pécs) for the Aquincum Museum in Budapest. The samples were recorded by Francesco Landucci during the 2024 exhibition "Theatre: Authors, actors and audiences of ancient Rome" at the Ara Pacis Museum in Rome.

Historical Context:

• Provenance: Reproduction of the model donated to the Museum of Roman Civilization.
• Original Design: Historically operated by two people (one for bellows, one for playing).
• Sound Restoration: Since the 1930 reconstruction was partially non-functional, sounds were digitally reprocessed to provide a full playable range.

Technical & Experimental Features:

• Four Pipe Rows: Authentic rank sampling with individual volume control.
• Harmonic Intervals: Added experimental IV and V intervals for an evocative ancient flavor.
• Mechanical Realism: Adjustable noise levels for the two bellows and air hiss.
• Octave Range: Includes both medium and low octaves, reprocessed for modern samplers.