Heavyocity has returned to their NOVO line with a brand-new pack: Ostinato Textures. Subtitled “Where Movement Meets Emotion”, this library captures the intricate performances of solo violin, viola, and cello—and places them inside the tried-and-true NOVO engine.
Right from the start, as I dig into the Hybrid preset folder, Ostinato Textures sets out to blur the line between organic string recordings and Heavyocity’s hybrid design philosophy. It’s all about creating motion: rhythmic patterns, evolving articulations, and cinematic textures that can sit anywhere from subtle underscoring to textural focal points.
What’s Inside
Ostinato Textures offers:
- 20 unique articulations per instrument (violin, viola, cello)
- 176 custom presets (140 in the Texture Designer alone)
- 3,328 samples recorded at Heavyocity Studios with state-of-the-art gear
- Texture Designer for layering up to three articulations and creating polyrhythmic counterpoints
- Compact footprint: ~6.5 GB compressed, powered by Kontakt 7
Price-wise, the library retails at $149, with intro pricing and owner discounts dropping it as low as $99.
The Sound
The first surprise is that Ostinato Textures doesn’t immediately lean into the typical “driving, aggressive” ostinatos you might expect. Instead, many of the hybrid presets have a softer, rounder, more mellow edge—and it works beautifully.
“I expected it to be sharper and more aggressive, but instead it has this very warm, soft tone. I’m actually quite intrigued by that.”
In the Hybrid presets, you’ll find a range of textural sound design—organic strings processed into shimmering pads, gated pulses, and even sounds that feel more analog synth-inspired. Some of the most striking patches are the unexpected ambient ones:
“The ambient presets are absolutely fantastic. Spacious, washy pads with patterns that move inside the reverb. It’s stellar—an ambient dream machine.”
When diving into the individual instruments (violin, viola, cello), the bite and rhythmic edge reveal themselves more clearly. The violins in particular bring crispness and drive, while the viola is a standout for not sounding thin or squeaky (a common issue with sampled violas).
“That viola tone is really good—rare for sampled violas, which often end up sounding thin and squeaky.”
The cellos deliver a nice balance of smooth warmth and rhythmic chug, making them perfect for adding momentum without overwhelming a mix.
Performance & Use
Because the library samples actual performances of ostinato patterns rather than programming them artificially, there’s an immediacy and realism here that’s hard to replicate. You’re not just triggering notes—you’re tapping into the soul of a recorded performance.
“You get unparalleled realism and detail when the patterns themselves are sampled. That’s the X factor—the emotion and humanness of a real performance.”
The Texture Designer is where creativity really explodes. Layer different articulations, shift their trigger times, and you’ll quickly end up with polyrhythms and evolving counterpoints that would take forever to program manually.
“From a creativity standpoint, this is one of the coolest things—you can just throw stuff at the wall, find rhythms that inspire you, and go from there.”
Final Thoughts
Ostinato Textures isn’t just another rhythm tool—it’s a versatile, expressive library that balances subtlety and bite. It excels at bringing momentum and character into your music, whether you’re writing intimate underscore, sci-fi-inspired soundscapes, or full cinematic cues.
While I’d love to see even more ambient presets included, the beauty of the NOVO engine is how easy it is to bend and sculpt these sounds into whatever your track needs.
“I wouldn’t have expected this to be an ambient dream machine—but it is. Beautiful, lush, and evocative.”
For the price, the scope of articulations and the quality of sampling make this a very strong contender for any composer’s toolkit. If you’ve been waiting for a way to add realistic ostinato textures to your arsenal, this might just be the staple library you’ve been looking for.
Prefer video? 🎥🎶
Want to hear it in action? Check out my full playthrough and thoughts below:
👉 Full review: https://youtu.be/BlMrvGCBoYY
👉 “No talking” edit: https://youtu.be/G_vo5W1SoZ4
