MNTRA Instruments Ha Noi -

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Sound of Northern Vietnam

Introducing Ha Noi, an ode to the magic of Vietnam’s capital city. This project is the outcome of an immersive creative residency in Vietnam, undertaken by our gifted in-house sound and visual designer, Noah Sherrin. Leveraging the transformative power of our MNDALA 2 engine, these already-vivid sounds have been artistically reinterpreted and reshaped into a multitude of new forms.

With 6 categories, Ha Noi includes over 80 presets, 43 Instrument sample maps and 14 soundscape sample maps that invite you into the soundworld of this special city.

What’s Inside Ha Noi

80+ Presets
43 Instrument Sample Maps
14 Soundscapes Sample maps (Original and Processed)
Up to 7 Round Robins
Up to 2 Microphone Channels

Ha Noi Features

Proprietary Engine
Works as AAX/VST3/AU Plugin MNDALA 2 is free to download
3-Axis Universal Controls
Simply map your favourite controller once for all plugin instances.
Intuitive Performance GUI
Custom animation driven performance interface & mouse hover interactions.
Industry Leading Audio Quality
192khz/32-bit extended ultrasonic range sample sources

Download the MNDALA 2 User Manual

MNTRA Instruments · Dreams of Rain – Brian D’Oliveira

The Story of Ha Noi

Born from the sound world of Hanoi, a city renowned for its dramatic contrasts, vibrant music, and rich history, Ha Noi is our look into the heart and soul of the city’s unique musical heritage. We were graced by the talents of top-tier, local musicians who contributed characteristic sounds and expressive performances, drawing from time-honored traditions and innovative contemporary techniques

The Perform View artwork flow’s from the story of Hoan Kiem Lake, or The Lake of the Restored Sword, in the center of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. The story says a fisherman once came across a large shiny blade while casting his net in the lake and gifted it to a rebel leader named Lê Lợi. The sword gave Lê Lợi and his army immense strength, enabling them to defeat their enemies. After the war was won, Lê Lợi, now emperor, was taking a boat ride on the lake when the Golden Turtle God, Kim Qui came up and asked him to return it to his master the Dragon Lord Long Quân. Grateful for the strength the sword had given him, Lê Lợi returned the sword to the Golden Turtle who took it in his mouth and swam down into the lake. Some say you can still see the shiny reflection of the sword at the bottom of the lake. Depicted in the style of a Đông Sơn drum, massive ornamental bronze drums crafted by people of the Đông Sơn culture, the story is told through abstract drawings and geometric patterns in concentric circles.

Leveraging the transformative power of our MNDALA 2 engine, these already-vivid sounds have been artistically reinterpreted and reshaped into a multitude of new forms. This creative endeavor presents a dynamic palette brimming with a myriad of sonic-colors that reflect Hanoi, including not only instruments but also soundscapes captured throughout Northern Vietnam.

With Ha Noi, you are invited into the soundworld of this special city. Ha Noi tells a rich tale of heritage and innovation that resonates with the heartbeat of a city in motion.

Other products in the Portals Series

Oro – an alchemical transformation of metal instruments from Colombia
Naada – reimagined resonances from India

First-time user of MNTRA Instruments?

They require the MNDALA 2 Free Engine

Simply install once and you will be able to run all of our instruments.

Download Mndala 2 Free Engine

What’s Inside?

Voice

Ca Trù Voice (Long, Broken)
Vocal techniques in the Ca trù musical tradition. Ca trù is an ancient form of musical storytelling featuring a female vocalist, often accompanied by a Đàn đáy player, and involving the interaction of the spectator.
Played by: Vu Thi Thủy Linh

Strings

Đàn Tranh (Bend 1, Bend 2, Bend 3, Bend Up, Bend Down, Tremolo, Vibrato)
The Đàn tranh is a plucked zither with a long soundbox and many strings (14-25). These kinds of bends are characteristic to the emotional quality of the instrument.
Played by: My Chin
Đàn Nhị (Straight, Straight Hard, Glissando)
The Đàn nhị is a two-stringed bowed string instrument. The instrument’s small tubular body is often covered by snakeskin. This highly expressive instrument often carries the melodies of traditional Vietnamese music.
Played by: Ngô Thái Sơn
Electric Đàn Bầu (Straight, Vibrato, Bend Up)
The Đàn bầu is a one-string zither and is essential to Vietnamese folk music, but also commonly employed in pop and rock. It is played by striking harmonics and bending them with a lever. Here it’s plugged into a megaphone amplifier.
Played by: Ngô Tra My
Đàn Đáy
The Đàn đáy is a plucked 3-string lute with silk or nylon strings. It is commonly used as an accompanying instrument in Ca trù music.
Played by: Pham Dinh Hoang

Percussion

Trong Ban (Regular, Hand Hit, Flam)
A large traditional hand drum played with a stick or hand.
Played by: Le Quỳnh Trang

Chèo Drum (Regular, Bounce, Flam, Side)
A small drum that serves as the rhythmic backbone for Chèo, a type of satirical musical folk theatre from northern Vietnam.
Played by: Le Quỳnh Trang

Drum Set (Low, Mid, High, Double)
Group of drums from a traditional Vietnamese drum set, precursor to the modern trap drum kit.
Played by: Le Quỳnh Trang

Pitched Percussion

T’rưng (High, Low, Muted)
The T’rưng is a bamboo xylophone used by the Jarai and Bahnar ethnic groups in Vietnam’s Central Highlands.
Played by: Vu Thi Thủy Linh

Wind

Sáo Mèo (Large Vibrato Fast, Large Vibrato Slow, Small Double Tongue 1, Small Double Tongue 2, Small Double Tongue 3)
The Sáo Mèo is a bamboo free reed wind instrument used by the H’mong ethnic group of northern Vietnam. Often two larger and smaller (male and female) pipes are coupled together to facilitate a wider range and tonal contrast.
Played by: Nguyen Hai An
Sáo Bầu (Drone, Short, Straight)
The Sáo Bầu is a free-reed wind instrument. It has a gourd wind chest with a center playing pipe and two outer drone pipes.
Played by: Nguyen Hai An
Tiêu (Double Tongue, Flutter, Overblown)
The Tiêu is a large vertically played bamboo flute.
Played by: Nguyen Hai An
Sáo Trúc (Straight, Vibrato)
The Sáo trúc is a small bamboo flute with six or ten fingerholes that is often called the ‘voice of Vietnam’.
Played by: Nguyen Hai An

FX (Soundscapes original and effected)

Hanoi Ambiences – Birds
Urban wildlife recorded in central Hanoi with an LCR microphone array. Ran through an extensive chain of creative processing.

Hanoi Ambiences – Fan
Recording of an oscillating fan with an LCR microphone array.

Hanoi Ambiences – Traffic
Hanoi’s infamous traffic recorded with an LCR microphone array.

Hanoi Ambiences – Light Rain
Light summer rain captured in Hanoi’s old quarter with an LCR microphone array.

Hanoi Ambiences – Med Rain
The beginning of a monsoon recorded near the Temple of Literature in Hanoi with an LCR microphone array.

Ninh Binh Ambiences – Heavy Rain
A heavy rainstorm on a lotus field in Ninh Binh, a small city on the Red River, captured with an LCR microphone array.

Ninh Binh Ambiences – Traffic Rain
Rain and background traffic in Ninh Binh, a small city on the Red River, captured with an LCR microphone array.

Requires MNDALA 2 Free Engine

Tech Specs

Samples

Recorded at 32-bit and 192 kHz ultrasonic resolution

Engine

AAX/VST3/AU plugin for Windows & Mac OS (10.11+) including full M1 Chip support
No fuss copy protection, simply install and the instrument is uniquely encrypted to be used within your system
Seamless downloads, updates, and installation within MNDALA 2 with a registered Mntra account

File Size

57 sample maps
4 GB installed, 8 GB recommended for setup

System Requirements

Minimum 8GB of RAM and an i5 or better CPU required
Supported by all 64-bit AAX/VST3/AU compatible DAW’s*

*Mixcraft 9 not supported

MNTRA MNDALA Engine Walkthrough

Learn how to use the MNDALA Engine and its features to facilitate your exploration of MNTRA's sound sculptures, with this tutorial from composer Jeff Tremblett.

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MNTRA Instruments Ha Noi