Interview with Guillermo Guareschi

Why did you decide to produce a Ronroco Kontakt library?

I’ve noticed that there wasn’t a library that truly reflects the sound of the ronroco. It is a very musical instrument with a complex and rich sound. It has ten strings with an atypical tuning, capable of generating beautiful sounds with little knowledge of the playing technique. 

What inspiration does the sound of the Ronroco give you?

In comparison with other string instruments, the ronroco creates immediately an ambience of warm intimacy. It connects with a sensitive part of you with an additional quality of peace, calmness, and certain ambiguity. In that sense, when using the ronroco for scoring to picture, it gives you a wide, flexible, and an emotional palette to play with. Even if it seems humble, in its humility it has the quality to communicate by plucking a simple chord sequence.

What recording methods did you use during production?

I recorded it using modern and vintage gear to capture the true essence of the instrument with definition and maintain its raw organic quality. An EMI Redd 47 microphone preamplifier was used for the close microphones. I built an echo chamber room with a nice size to create a real sense of space. It is necessary to mention that in order to get this quality, all my recording equipment has been modded to my specs.

The library has a lot of useful articulations and flexible controls. How difficult was it to create?

The ronroco was created in the middle of the pandemic so I had a lot of time to try many different ideas. It was a long process but it was fun all the way! So I do not see it as a difficult process, it was a trip to create it.

If you were to produce a Ronroco library again what would you do differently?

As with every project that I am got involved in, I will try different techniques and ideas to explore new sounds. But I think that the quality and emotion that this ronroco has, will be impossible to replicate. I see it as recording an album at a special time. All those external factors contribute to the overall sound. Besides, I am very fond of the original pieces included in this Kontakt release. 

You also recently produced a Cuatro library. How would you compare the two libraries? Which one proved to be the most challenging to sample?

The cuatro, although it is also a string instrument, is very different from the ronroco. It is an even more humble instrument than the ronroco. It has only four strings. In order to make it sound rich I had to pay special attention to the recording techniques. For instance, I record the cuatro with more round robins and dynamics. The cuatro was recorded in my new studio on the coast of Valencia ( Spain) where I achieved an even higher resolution than in my previous studio. 

Do you have any plans to create more sampled instruments in the future?

Yes, I am working on it focusing on developing a new series of instruments with the ability to allow the musicians to have more control over every nuance of the instruments.