SampleScience has shared Total Composure Orchestra (TCO), a free orchestral sample library for Kontakt 5, created using only samples that are in the public domain.

Here’s what they have to say about it:

“Total Composure is the first to offer such a library exclusively for the Kontakt format; making use of Kontakt’s scripting capabilities to greatly enhance the playability, realism, and functionality of these public domain samples.

The scripting aims to provide similar functionality across the different instrument groups, whatever the instrument; while more specific settings play to the strength of each instrument.

Most of the instruments only contain one set of samples per articulation, and some only have one recorded dynamic layer – this is one of the many limitations we have found with using public domain samples. We have overcome these issues using a variety of physical modeling techniques that enhance the audio material. Using dynamic filters and intelligent repetition scripting we have removed the limitation of single dynamic recordings and solitary sample sets.

Although we have put a lot of work into this product it is important to remember that at its core are the samples provided free of charge by a small number of people. Total Composure has gathered these samples from various locations and brought them all to one place where they can be used together. There are over 1500 samples in this library totaling more than 1.5 GB but we have used Kontakt’s lossless compression to crunch the size to less than 500MB.”

Total Composure Orchestra is available as a free download. It requires the full version of Kontakt 5.