Characterful, raw & beautifully imperfect instruments with a touch of fairy dust
Frequently Asked Questions
THE CREATOR & PHILOSOPHY
Dark Fairytale Instruments is created by German composer Oskar
Schuster. All instruments are personally sampled, programmed and
developed in his studio from a collection of acoustic instruments
gathered over many years, including antique and unique pianos,
music boxes, dulcitones, celestas and other unusual or rare
instruments.
Each library is created entirely from the perspective of a working composer, with a focus on realism, atmosphere, playability and musical inspiration rather than sterile perfection. Great care is taken not only in the recording process itself, but also in the detailed programming and behavior of the instruments in order to preserve the nuances, imperfections and charm of real acoustic instruments.
Each library is created entirely from the perspective of a working composer, with a focus on realism, atmosphere, playability and musical inspiration rather than sterile perfection. Great care is taken not only in the recording process itself, but also in the detailed programming and behavior of the instruments in order to preserve the nuances, imperfections and charm of real acoustic instruments.
Many virtual instruments are designed to sound extremely polished,
clean and studio-perfect, often recorded under highly controlled
conditions. On the other hand, there are also more “imperfect” or
characterful sample libraries that may capture unusual instruments
in a more lo-fi style, but often with very limited sampling depth,
few round robins or little attention to performance details, which
can make them feel repetitive or artificial.
Dark Fairytale Instruments tries to combine the best of both worlds: preserving the little imperfections, the organic and emotional character of real acoustic instruments, while still being deeply and meticulously sampled with great care, extensive round robins and close attention to mechanical and performance details.
Dark Fairytale Instruments tries to combine the best of both worlds: preserving the little imperfections, the organic and emotional character of real acoustic instruments, while still being deeply and meticulously sampled with great care, extensive round robins and close attention to mechanical and performance details.
The artwork and visual design for Dark Fairytale Instruments are
created by Oskar’s wife, visual artist
Angie Siveria, in close collaboration with Oskar.
Yes. Dark Fairytale Instruments is an ongoing series and new
virtual instruments are released regularly.
Upcoming releases arriving very soon include a celesta, spinet and a dulcitone, with many more unusual and characterful instruments planned for the future.
Upcoming releases arriving very soon include a celesta, spinet and a dulcitone, with many more unusual and characterful instruments planned for the future.
SOUND & SAMPLING
Yes. The instruments are deeply sampled with up to 30 round robins
per note, capturing subtle variations and natural performance
realism. Depending on the instrument, additional mechanical and
environmental details are also recorded separately, such as key
releases, fingers touching the keys, pedal noises, resonances,
motor or crank sounds, breathing, rustling clothes and other
intimate performance noises. These elements can often be blended
in optionally and are intended to preserve the organic and deeply
human character of real acoustic instruments.
Yes. The instruments include mechanical noises such as pedal
sounds, resonances and natural imperfections that contribute to
their organic character and realism.
Yes. The instruments include separately controllable layers for
mechanical and environmental sounds such as key noises, pedal
sounds, resonances, motor noises, breathing or other subtle
performance details. These elements can be blended in as needed to
create a more organic sound. They can also be dialed down
completely if desired.
COMPATIBILITY
The instruments are compatible with most modern VST3 and AU hosts,
including
Logic Pro, Ableton Live,
FL Studio, Cubase,
REAPER,
Vienna Ensemble Pro
and
GarageBand.
All instruments are available as
VST3
and
AU
plugins for
macOS
and
Windows.
No. Dark Fairytale Instruments are self-contained VST3/AU
instruments and do not require Kontakt Player or any other
sampler.
You only need a DAW such as Logic Pro, Ableton Live or Cubase to use them.
You only need a DAW such as Logic Pro, Ableton Live or Cubase to use them.
Yes. Dark Fairytale Instruments are fully compatible with Apple
Silicon Macs, including
M1, M2,
M3
and newer processors.
INSTALLATION & LICENSING
After completing your purchase, click on “Access Downloads” on the
order confirmation page. You will also receive an email containing
the download link.
On the download page, select your operating system and download the installer. The installation process is straightforward, but if you encounter any issues, you can refer to the installation instructions in the manual, which is also available on the download page.
The first time you open the instrument in your DAW, you will be prompted to enter your license code, which can be found on the download page by clicking “View” in the bottom right corner.
On the download page, select your operating system and download the installer. The installation process is straightforward, but if you encounter any issues, you can refer to the installation instructions in the manual, which is also available on the download page.
The first time you open the instrument in your DAW, you will be prompted to enter your license code, which can be found on the download page by clicking “View” in the bottom right corner.
Yes. You may install the instruments on multiple computers as long
as they are used by the same person.
No. Once the instrument has been activated, it can be used
completely offline inside your DAW.
Yes. All sounds can be used royalty-free in commercial music
productions.
Yes. All future major updates for the instrument are included free
of charge.
Yes. Demo versions are available for selected instruments and can
be downloaded directly from the product pages.