Ronroco by Gustavo Santaolalla
A signature sound that adds emotion into music, film and games
A signature sound that adds emotion into music, film and games
Step into the personal sound world of Gustavo Santaolalla. For media composers seeking truly authentic, evocative textures to score drama, tension, and expansive landscapes, or producers wanting unique acoustic character unavailable elsewhere, this library captures the unique voice of the multi award-winning composer’s iconic ronroco. Heard prominently in his iconic scores for The Last of Us, Motorcycle Diaries, Babel, and his seminal solo album Ronroco, this isn't merely a collection of sounds; it's the culmination of a deep, personal connection, meticulously translated into playable form.
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10 String Ronroco
Kontakt Player
Sequencer
Authentic Techniques
Listen to Ronroco by Gustavo Santaolalla
For Gustavo, the ten-string ronroco (specifically the E-minor tuning he discovered and embraced) became a vessel for expressing identity beyond traditional boundaries. Its voice carries echoes of Andean roots but transcends them, finding its way into cinematic soundscapes and deeply personal compositions. It can whisper with introspection or soar with resonant emotion, capable of both grounding melodies and floating textures.
Gustavo himself performed every sample, pouring his distinct, non-traditional fingerpicking style and emotional nuance into each note. He was driven by the desire to capture the ronroco's specific character – the resonance of the wood, the breath between notes, the gentle touch of fingertips. We explored its full spectrum, its shadows and its light, to craft something that feels genuine, intimate and alive.
His instantly recognisable and deeply atmospheric scores also grace critically acclaimed projects like the video game phenomenon and subsequent hit HBO series The Last of Us, Walter Salles' Motorcycle Diaries, and Iñárritu's debut feature Amores Perros. Beyond his influential film work, Santaolalla is a seventeen-time Latin Grammy® Award winner and a pivotal figure in Latin Alternative music, having produced over 100 albums for groundbreaking artists such as Café Tacvba, Julieta Venegas, and Molotov.
His own artistic endeavours include the seminal solo album Ronroco and the innovative electro-tango collective Bajofondo. His staggering collection of accolades further includes two BAFTAs, a Golden Globe®, and two Grammy® Awards, cementing his legacy as a uniquely gifted artist whose signature sonic palette, featuring the soulful ronroco, is revered worldwide.
Expertly programmed by Mike Georgiades
Renowned for his 'beautifully recorded, meticulously crafted' MG Soft Acoustic Guitar and MG Soft Nylon Guitar libraries, the Ivor Novello-nominated Mike Georgiades is an expert in engineering libraries to replicate all the behaviours and nuances of a real guitar through detailed scripting and careful calibration, achieving ground-breaking realism. Innovative performance tools that authentically approach stringed virtual instruments lay the foundation for the expressive engine here in the Ronroco.
A virtuoso guitarist and ronroco player himself, Mike's programming ensures that every single note performed by Gustavo - capturing every delicate articulation, strum and squeak over five distinct velocity layers, becomes a truly responsive and musical tool for your own productions.
What's included
Ronroco by Gustavo Santaolalla offers a sophisticated yet intuitive experience across four main pages – Perform, Sequencer, Calibrate, and FX – designed to let you easily harness the instrument's unique character.
Perform: Real-time Playability
This is your central hub for live playing, seamlessly integrating multiple performance approaches:
Expressive Note Playing:
Instantly capture Gustavo’s feel, playing melodies across the instrument's range, enhanced by a suite of keyswitch-activated articulations. Including realistic pre/post-note slides (up and down), sampled vibrato (plus additional simulated vibrato via Modwheel), and characterful half/whole-step 'twiddles', all performed by Gustavo.
Authentic Slurs & Noises:
Perform automatic slurs (hammer-ons/pull-offs) by overlapping notes within playable legato intervals, controlled by velocity sensitivity. Add lifelike detail with dedicated keyswitches for diverse, velocity-sensitive string squeaks, shifts, and slides. Trigger fret noises automatically on sustain pedal release for realistic transitions (can be disabled for manual control).
Intuitive Chord & Strum System:
Effortlessly create authentic ronroco voicings and rhythms. Easily set chords by holding the 'Set Chord' keyswitch and playing a triad. Choose between 'Auto' voicing (which intelligently interprets major, minor, 7th, and sus chords for authentic ronroco voicings) or 'Manual' for full user control. Perform realistic up/down strums using dedicated keys (yellow keys), including a string hit articulation. Control strum speed and humanization for organic variation.
Arpeggio & Tremolo Control:
Play individual chord strings arpeggio-style using the String Keys (blue keys) or trigger lush major/minor tremolo chords based on the current selection using the dedicated Tremolo Key. Control the tremolo attack/release envelope and start behavior (strum or fade-in).
Performance Effects:
Utilise the 'Fix String' keyswitch to lock playing to a specific string, effective for certain slide techniques. Engage open-string switches for specific strings to create fluid, ringing chord changes and textures. Control how chord changes respond (Squeaks, Stops, Sustain). Manage the unique octave-doubled third string manually or automatically.
Sequencer: Instant Authentic Rhythm
Craft intricate patterns and rhythmic beds with a powerful, yet easy-to-use sequencing engine:
Flexible Sequencing: Utilise a fully customizable 4-bank, 32-step (max) sequencer. Activate/deactivate notes per string for each step. Define articulation (style switches) and strum direction (picked, up, down) per step. Control volume per step relative to playing velocity.
Authentic Rhythms:
Load presets containing MIDI patterns derived from authentic ronroco rhythms and arpeggiation styles interpreted from Gustavo's playing. The library also carefully recreates playing articulations like upstrokes and downstrokes, crucial for capturing the instrument's true sound, especially on the octave-doubled third string.
Creative Control:
Set sequence length (Bars), Time Signature, and Rate (step division). Adjust Strum Speed, Humanise Strums (randomness), Humanise Steps (timing), and Swing amount for organic feel. Define chord and sequence release behaviors.
DAW Integration:
Easily record your performance within the sequencer, including chord changes, and simply drag and drop the resulting MIDI directly into your DAW project. Load and save your own sequence patterns.
Calibrate: Tailoring the Feel
Fine-tune the instrument's global settings to suit your needs:
- Adjust overall Volume, Stereo Width, and the balance between Close and Far microphone positions.
- Control the level of Fret Noise and whether noises trigger on pedal release.
- Manage the instrument's Dynamic Range (compression) and shape the note Attack envelope.
- Optionally blend in the authentic Room Tone from Gustavo's own studio where the ronroco was recorded.
- Configure String Setup order.
The FX Page: Shaping the Atmosphere
Add professional polish and ambience with three integrated effects:
- Choose from high-quality Convolution Reverb, Algorithmic Reverb, and Delay.
- Easily activate, bypass, and adjust parameters for each effect module.
FAQs
What is in Ronroco by Gustavo Santaolalla?
Ronroco by Gustavo Santaolalla is a meticulously sampled virtual instrument library for Kontakt (free Player), capturing the unique sound, playing style, and spirit of legendary composer Gustavo Santaolalla performing on his iconic Ronroco.
Ronroco by Gustavo Santaolalla features deep sampling, multiple articulations, intuitive performance modes (Note, Chord, Sequencer), and built-in FX, programmed by expert Mike Georgiades.
What is a Ronroco?
A ronroco is a stringed instrument originating from the Andean region of South America, often considered a larger, lower-pitched relative of the well-known charango.
Typically featuring five courses of double strings, its unique character is partly defined by the middle course often being tuned in octaves, contributing to its rich resonance and notable sustain – qualities that differentiate its sound significantly from the brighter, quicker decay of the charango.
While rooted in Andean folk traditions, the ronroco has found a powerful and versatile voice in contemporary music and film scoring, largely thanks to Gustavo Santaolalla's pioneering use of the instrument. This library specifically captures the E-minor tuned variant he famously uses, known for its deeply soulful, atmospheric, and evocative tone.
Read more FAQs for this productTech specs
Mac system requirements
Mac OS X 10.15 or Later
Minimum Intel Quad Core i5
4GB RAM or Higher
64-bit DAWs only (32-bit not supported)
Internet connection required during installation.
PC system requirements
Windows 10
Minimum Quad Core CPU
4GB RAM or Higher
64-bit DAWs only (32-bit not supported)
Internet connection required during installation.
File size
1.22 GB
Kontakt player
Compatible with Kontakt Player 6.71+