Insanity Samples New Orleans Brass 2 [KONTAKT]

• Product: New Orleans Brass 2
• Publisher: Insanity Samples
• Version: 1.0.2
• Requirements: Kontakt v5.8.1 or later
• Source: insanitysamples.com/products/new-orleans-brass-2-second-line-brass-band

Insanity Samples New Orleans Brass 2 is a second line brass band library by Insanity Samples featuring 7 authentic NOLA instruments (2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 1 baritone saxophone, 1 sousaphone, and a marching-style percussion rig). Recorded with three simultaneous microphone positions (dynamic, ribbon, and pencil mics) on every note, it captures the character, grittiness, and soulful articulations of New Orleans street brass traditions. Designed for composers and producers working in film, television, games, and world music contexts, it solves the problem of creating authentic NOLA brass textures without deep knowledge of jazz tradition or hour-long multi-track recording sessions.

Key Takeaway

New Orleans Brass 2 is a character-first second line brass ensemble that excels at delivering authentic, groove-oriented NOLA brass textures through its performance-driven articulations and three-microphone recording system, particularly for composers who need specific regional flavor without generic symphonic compromise. With up to 10 round robins per articulation, three microphone positions for tonal color control, and specialized NOLA techniques (falls, rises, flutter tonguing, squeaks, and growls), it’s an excellent choice for film composers, world music producers, and game audio designers who need the sound of the Big Easy. At $189, it’s competitively priced and won “Best of 2024 World/Ethnic” recognition from Sample Library Review.

Channeling NOLA Street Brass

New Orleans Brass 2 doesn’t try to be a symphonic brass library wearing a costume. It is—unapologetically—a second line brass band: the specific, culturally rooted ensemble sound that walks the streets of the French Quarter during Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. The two trumpets are bright and aggressive. The two trombones sit in the pocket with grit and character. The baritone sax adds richness and body. The sousaphone (the NOLA equivalent of a tuba) anchors the whole thing in the low end. The percussion rig swings with the swagger of the street.

This is not a compromise positioning. This is a deliberate artistic choice.

The recording methodology underscores this philosophy. Rather than asking players to perform in a controlled, acoustically dead studio, Insanity Samples recorded each instrument through three simultaneous microphone positions: dynamic mics (bright, articulate, cuts through), ribbon mics (warm, colored, character-forward), and pencil mics (detailed, intimate, you hear the mechanics of the instrument). In real second line bands, you’re not hearing isolated, EQ’d instruments. You’re hearing them as they project through a New Orleans street space—wet, bouncy, alive. The three-mic approach approximates this: you can blend them for tonal color, keeping the dynamic mics forward for definition while adding ribbon warmth and pencil detail underneath.

What you won’t find is the Lyndhurst Hall lushness of Spitfire Symphonic Brass or the AIR Studio One surgical detail of Spitfire Studio Brass. This library doesn’t apologize for the sound of real brass players playing a real style. That sound is grittier. Messier. More human.

Seven Different Players, Not Synthesized Doubles

New Orleans Brass 2 features seven instruments, but—critically—they’re not synthetic clones of a single performance. The two trumpets are performed by different musicians, with different tone qualities, different attack characteristics, and different articulation feels. The two trombones are likewise different players. This is crucial for the library’s reality quotient.

When you stack two trumpet lines in a NOLA brass band, you’re not hearing a carbon copy of the lead trumpet doubled. You’re hearing two different people, in two different parts, playing with slightly different urgency and color. Insanity Samples captured this. Load Trumpet 1 and Trumpet 2 into your DAW, and you’re hearing two separate musicians—not a processing trick to make one sound like two.

The Baritone Saxophone was chosen specifically for NOLA character. One reviewer noted: “The Baritone sax is a fantastic addition and so rich in detail. Can even hear the keys on the instrument.” This level of detail—the mechanical sound of the instrument’s mechanism, the breath, the subtle finger movements—is what separates a library designed for a specific tradition from a generic brass library.

The Sousaphone (not a euphonium, not a standard tuba) is the bass voice. In a NOLA street parade, the sousaphone walks the tempo, anchors the harmony, and provides the low-end thump that makes people dance. It’s not a subtle instrument.

The Percussion Rig is unusual among brass libraries. Most brass sample libraries focus on pitch-based instruments and leave rhythm to drum kits. Insanity Samples includes a marching-style percussion setup: kick drum, snare, hi-hat, cowbell, and the secondary rhythm instruments of a street band. This is a commitment to completeness—you can sketch out entire NOLA brass band arrangements without leaving the library.

Performance-First Control System

Insanity Samples’ selling point is their “organic and lifelike playing engine”—a set of interface controls designed to make programmed brass behave more like a human musician would play it.

True Legato as Interval Transition. Rather than playing individual sustain samples and stitching them together, True Legato mode performs actual interval transitions—one note flowing into the next with articulation and breath. Legato Type options (e.g., normal vs. soft attack, marcato-starting vs. non-marcato) let you control the character of the connection.

Velocity-Responsive Articulation Switching. The core innovation here: hit the keys gently, and the library delivers one articulation (maybe soft staccato). Hit harder, and it switches to another (maybe sforzato). The threshold is adjustable—set it at 60, and gentle playing stays soft; push above 60, and it snaps. This prevents the “sample-y” sound of repeating a single dynamic layer. Real trumpet players vary their dynamics constantly.

Adaptive Speed Control. A slider determines how fast you’re playing. Move it low, and the library assumes you’re playing slowly, delivering slower articulation transitions. Push it high, and the articulations snap faster. This is not a fixed parameter—it’s adaptive, changing in real time based on your playing velocity and your explicit speed slider position.

Performance Velocity Modes. Up to 4 dynamic layers can be loaded into the matrix simultaneously. The library will choose the best layer based on how hard you play. Combined with the articulation switching, this creates a responsive, expressive playing surface.

Scale Link for Melodic Accuracy. Articulations like falls and grace notes stay in the key you’re playing in. Set the scale link to C major, and falls will land on scale degrees, not arbitrary pitches. This is useful for melodic articulations that need intervallic accuracy.

Visual Articulation Matrix. The interface shows a grid of available articulations. You can trigger them via keyswitch (specific notes on the keyboard trigger specific articulations) or via velocity. The matrix visualization makes it clear which articulation is loaded in which range.

The interface is initially dense. But the built-in tutorial videos (unusual for a sample library) help demystify it. Once internalized, it becomes a powerful, expressive toolkit.

Bread, Butter, and NOLA Flavor

The core articulations number up to 9 per instrument, but variation within those articulations is extensive.

Foundational Articulations:

• Longs (sustains, with attack and release options)
• Staccato (short, punchy articulations)
• Sforzato (accented attacks with quick release)

NOLA-Signature Articulations:

• Falls (pitch descending articulation, characteristic of brass band style)
• Rises / Grace Notes (pitch ascending articulation)
• Flutter Tonguing (fluttered attack, extended technique)

Character & Texture Sounds:

• Muted Whaps (singles and doubles, percussive hit on the mouthpiece)
• Squeaks and Squeals (extended techniques, tonal color variation)

Realism Through Variation: Up to 10 different recordings of each articulation prevent the machine-gun repetition you hear with lower-quality libraries. Every time you play a staccato, the library rotates through multiple recordings, keeping the sound fresh.

Dynamics Across Intensity Ranges: Up to 4 dynamic layers per articulation, selectable via velocity. Soft, normal, loud, and very loud—each with a distinct character.

This articulation set is not exhaustive like Orchestral Tools Berlin Brass (which includes extended techniques like growls, harmonics, and overtone manipulations). But it covers everything a NOLA brass library needs, plus the character sounds that make the style distinctive.

Three Microphones, Three Sonic Colors

Most orchestral libraries record instruments in a treated studio, then add reverb and color in processing. Insanity Samples took a different approach: record each instrument with three microphones simultaneously, then give the user control over the blend.

Dynamic Mics capture the articulation clarity and attack—the initial “bite” of the brass. Use these forward in your mix, and the library becomes punchy and present.

Ribbon Mics add warmth, roundness, and character. Ribbon microphones have a natural proximity effect (sounding rounder and fatter the closer the sound source). Pushing the ribbon mics forward adds vintage, colorful character.

Pencil Mics capture detail—finger movements on the keys, breath sounds, the mechanical texture of the instrument. These are close and intimate, not necessarily audible on their own, but crucial when blended underneath.

In the mixer tab, you can adjust the level and pan of each microphone position in real time. Some presets come pre-mixed (e.g., all three mics at full level, panned for width). But you can instantly adjust the character by pushing dynamic mics to 100% and ribbon/pencil to 0%, or any blend in between. This is far more flexible than a library with a single mic position and a “character” knob.

The Sampleist reviewer demonstrated this: different mic positions panned differently create a wider, more spacious sound out of the box. Users who prefer a tighter stereo image can consolidate the mics.

Kontakt, CPU, and System Demands

New Orleans Brass 2 requires the full version of Kontakt 5 or higher. This is critical: Kontakt Player will not work. For composers and producers already invested in Kontakt, this is not a barrier. For those without it, the cost of Kontakt ($99–299 depending on version) is an additional investment.

Download size: 5.66 GB (uncompressed pre-download)
On-disk size: 6 GB (post lossless-compression—no quality loss, just compressed data)

RAM requirements: Kontakt libraries of this scope typically require 8 GB minimum, 16 GB recommended. The library itself isn’t memory-intensive, but loading multiple instances (a trumpet, trombone, sax, sousaphone, and percussion rig simultaneously) will consume ~4–8 GB.

CPU load: Not officially published, but typical Kontakt instruments with this feature set (true legato, round robins, dynamic layers, multiple effects) run 3–8% per instance at normal buffer sizes. If you’re loading all seven instruments together (trumpets, trombones, sax, sousaphone, percussion), budget 20–40% CPU for the full ensemble—a significant load, but manageable on modern systems.

SSDs are recommended for sample streaming, though not mandatory.

The Only NOLA Brass Specialist

New Orleans Brass 2 exists in a niche intersection: genre-specific (NOLA style) + mid-range price + performance-driven (not symphonic).

Spitfire Studio Brass Professional. $349–649. 17 solo instruments, close and tree microphone positions, dry recording (AIR Studio One), detailed round robins, maximum articulation depth. Designed for versatility across genres. Much larger, more expensive, more general-purpose.

Spitfire Symphonic Brass. $349–649. Recorded in the lush Lyndhurst Hall, epic orchestral character, extensive articulations. Designed for film scoring that needs grandeur. Expensive, symphonic, not NOLA-specific.

BBC Symphony Orchestra Brass. Part of a larger orchestral bundle. Not specialized for NOLA style. Generic symphonic brass.

Cinematic Studio Brass. $299. Character-focused, compact, good bang-for-buck. But not NOLA-specialized.

Where New Orleans Brass 2 Stands:

• It’s the only dedicated second line brass band library on the market
• Price ($189) is lower than Spitfire’s offerings, higher than budget options
• Specialization (NOLA only, not versatile) appeals to world music producers and jazz/funk composers
• Performance-driven interface (vs. symphonic detail-maximization) favors keyboard-based playability

Award Recognition and Community Response

In 2024, Sample Library Review held a community vote for “Best of 2024 World/Ethnic.” New Orleans Brass 2 won the popular vote. This is not a critic’s pick—it’s the community choosing. Reviewers have praised it as “fun to use,” “stellar,” “incredibly realistic,” and “a really cool job of making an interface that makes things seem more lifelike.”

There is no significant criticism documented yet, likely because the library is new (released 2024) and because Insanity Samples’ previous releases built goodwill and reputation.

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Only dedicated NOLA second line brass library on the market; no direct competitor	Requires full Kontakt 5+; Kontakt Player does not work
Three-microphone system (dynamic/ribbon/pencil) provides genuine tonal control and flexibility	Niche sound; not suitable for generic symphonic scoring without context
Different real musicians for each trumpet/trombone, not synthetic doubling or clones	Character-focused rather than detail-maximized (fewer extended techniques than Berlin Brass)
Up to 10 round robins prevent machine-gun repetition; articulations feel alive and natural	CPU load significant when loading full ensemble (20–40% for all 7 instruments)
NOLA-specific articulations (falls, rises, flutter tonguing, squeaks, growls) capture authentic character	Three-position system requires blending for various sonic contexts; no dedicated close mics
Percussion rig included; complete arrangement possible within single library	Interface dense initially (though built-in tutorials help unlock depth)
$189 price point mid-range affordable; currently on intro pricing ($94.50)	No velocity-morphing expression control (some competitors offer advanced morphing)
Award-winning (Best of 2024 World/Ethnic, Sample Library Review community vote)	Legato transitions may differ slightly from Spitfire or Berlin alternatives
Built-in tutorial videos rare in sample library industry, genuine learning aid	Not suitable for traditional symphonic orchestration without genre-context misalignment

If you need authentic NOLA brass band sound and nothing else exists like it, New Orleans Brass 2 is the only choice on the market.

If you need versatile symphonic brass that can do many styles, Spitfire Studio Brass Professional or Berlin Brass are superior.

If you need quick, character-forward brass without deep customization, Spitfire Symphonic Brass is faster.

If you need detailed, realistic brass for film scoring, Spitfire Studio Brass (dry) or Orchestral Tools Berlin Brass (max detail) are optimal.

But if you’re scoring a film set in New Orleans, creating world music arrangements, or producing funk/jazz tracks that need authentic brass, and you want a library that is the second line sound rather than approximating it, New Orleans Brass 2 is unmatched.

Final Verdict

New Orleans Brass 2 is not trying to be Spitfire Studio Brass or Orchestral Tools Berlin Brass. It’s succeeding at being the first—and only—authentic NOLA second line brass band library. If you need that specific sound, it’s the only choice on the market, making the question not “is this good?” but “is this the NOLA sound I need?”

For film composers, game audio designers, and world music producers working with New Orleans traditions, Creole music, funk arrangements, or any context where NOLA brass character is essential, this is an excellent, award-winning choice. The three-microphone system provides tonal flexibility. The performance-driven interface rewards keyboard-based composition. The inclusion of percussion means you’re not hunting for a separate rhythm kit.

For symphonic orchestral composers, traditional film scorers, or anyone who needs versatile brass (not specific-genre brass), this library is a specialty tool—useful as a color accent over a broader ensemble, not as a foundation.

At $189 (or $94.50 on intro pricing), it’s competitive. The award recognition and enthusiastic community response back up the quality claim.

Rating: 4.20 / 5 — Strongly Recommended for composers and producers working in NOLA, jazz, funk, and world music contexts; niche but unmatched in its category.

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