Abbey Road has partnered with British fashion house Charles Jeffrey Loverboy to release a free Kontakt instrument, The Big Nessie.
The instrument was created to coincide with the launch of Loverboy's Spring/Summer 2026 collection, Prepared Piano, which is inspired by composer John Cage's experimental techniques of the same name.
The Big Nessie draws on a library of sounds that includes field recordings from the Loverboy workshop in London's Somerset House, and recordings made in Abbey Road's Studio Two by Charles Jeffrey, his musical director Tom Furse, and the Abbey Road team.
According to a press release, the instrument features an assortment of "beautifully strange and raw sounds", spanning "warped percussive textures, tonal fragments and experimental rhythms". These are divided across the keyboard into five groups – Loops, Drums, Bass, Melodic and Sound effects – and can be shaped and manipulated via eight effects, spanning reverb, bitcrusher, filter, tremolo, distortion and more.
While Abbey Road has previously collaborated on products with companies such as Spitfire Audio and Waves, The Big Nessie is the studio's first virtual instrument to be built entirely in-house.
According to a press release, The Big Nessie has been inspired by Abbey Road's "Curve Bender" philosophy, named after the EMI TG12345 Curve Bender EQ, which "allows the studio to capture sounds, process them via their range of unique vintage equipment and acoustic spaces, and present these as playable digital software instruments for creators of all levels to experiment and play".
“There are many beautiful examples of how music and fashion have seamlessly fused together over the years, but this feels like the first time these creative worlds have come together to present a music production creative tool," said Abbey Road's Head of Audio Products Mirek Stiles.
"Working with Charles Jeffrey was a truly inspiring experience that took both Loverboy and Abbey Road out of their comfort zones to make a fun and quirky sampled instrument for the creative community across the globe."
The Big Nessie is a free download, but you'll need Native Instruments Kontakt or the free Kontakt Player to run it. Watch a video walkthrough below.
Download The Big Nessie at Abbey Road's website.
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