CONTENTS:

Eric Whitacre Eternity expands the universe of Grammy-winning composer and choirmaster Eric Whitacre into warm, ambient, degraded electronics, piano and warped choir. It was made together with his new album, Eternity in an Hour, and is built for the space around orchestral writing: blissful pads, shimmering drones, washed-out electronics, frozen and disintegrating voices, and felt piano.

At its heart is a modular rig centred on a Soma Lyra-8 and a suite of tactile analogue synthesizers, his grandmother’s 125-year-old felt piano, and choir recordings granularised until the words dissolve. Six artists, whose reworks form the album’s second disc, designed presets alongside Spitfire Audio.

Eric Whitacre Eternity is the first Spitfire Audio flagship library to launch in Splice INSTRUMENT, and the first library in INSTRUMENT with layering. Its dual-layer presets open in a new layered Play view, where two sounds sit side by side and blend on an XY pad. See Layering in Eric Whitacre Eternity.

Eric Whitacre is a Grammy-winning composer and conductor, born in Nevada and trained at Juilliard. His Virtual Choirs have united more than 100,000 singers from over 145 countries.

Eternity in an Hour, written for choir, cello, felt piano and electronics, was commissioned by BBC Radio 3 for the centenary of the BBC Singers and premiered at the 2024 Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. It has since travelled from Sydney Opera House to the Royal Festival Hall, performed beneath Luke Jerram’s Gaia.

Eric Whitacre Eternity is Eric’s third library with Spitfire Audio. Choir is an organic full moon, Contrast is a hybrid half moon and Eternity is an electronic total eclipse. Together the three hold Eric Whitacre’s complete sound world.

Eric Whitacre Eternity and the album were intended from the beginning as one project. All sessions for Eternity in an Hour, across London, Los Angeles and Antwerp, were recorded and produced by Spitfire Audio’s Head of Recording, Harry Wilson, at AIR Lyndhurst Hall, Evergreen Studios (Los Angeles) and Studio Helsinki (Antwerp). That close collaboration captured the ghosts in the machine as much as the moments of organic inspiration.

ERIC’S SYNTHESIZERS

At the heart of the rig is the Soma Lyra-8, loved by Eric for its “ancient, ephemeral sound”. Alongside it sit the Sidrax Organ, a Minimoog Model D, an Oberheim OB-X8, a Hydrasynth and more, sampled over a week at Studio Helsinki.

HIS GRANDMOTHER’S PIANO

An upright Ludwig & Co, in the Whitacre family since 1903 and still on its original felt. It holds a special place in Eric’s heart and inspired much of his style of composition. It is sampled in 4 dynamic layers with 3 round robins, pedal up and down, and presented as a close mix, a mid mix and five effected signal chains.

WARPED CHOIR

Voices from Choir and Contrast, plus new aleatoric “choir waves” recorded at AIR Lyndhurst Hall, granularised, stretched and folded back on themselves until syllables blur into air.

Six artists built presets from Eric’s recordings. Each has their own group in the preset list.

BLANKFOR.MS

Tyler Gilmore, Brooklyn. Tape, digital replication and modular. Try Borealis, Faded Transmission and Permafrost.

ELIN PIEL

Ambient artist, contributing presets and a rework for the album. Try Whispers, Heart and Grace.

IDRA

Ambient and electronic artist. Try Aeon Drift, Echoic Haze and Sunburn Piano.

LESJAMUSIC

Nick Lisher, who has an additional production credit on the album. He taught Eric the Sidrax in near-daily video lessons and played live electronics at the premiere. Try Susurrus, Firmament and Vapourtrail.

LUCA LONGOBARDI

Italian composer and pianist, classically trained, working in contemporary electronic and multimedia. Try Prophet’s Piano, Formant Shimmer and Dusty Memory.

MATT LOWERY

Ambient and electronic artist. Try Murmuration, Smirr and Pareidolia.

THE LIBRARY

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Mac

PC

Both

Eric Whitacre Eternity plays inside Splice INSTRUMENT, which is separate from the Spitfire Audio App. You don’t need the Spitfire Audio App to install or play Eric Whitacre Eternity.

1. INSTALL SPLICE INSTRUMENT

Close your DAW, then download INSTRUMENT from splice.com/instrument. INSTRUMENT is free to download and use.

Mac: open the installer and click Continue through the introduction, agree to the Terms of Use, then click Install and Close.

Windows: open the installer, click Next and accept the License Agreement. Keep the default plugin folders, then click Install and Finish.

2. LOG IN

Open INSTRUMENT and click Log in. Your browser opens the Splice website. Log in, check that the Device Code in your browser matches the one shown in INSTRUMENT, and confirm. You’ll be logged in automatically.

3. LINK YOUR SPITFIRE AUDIO AND SPLICE ACCOUNTS

If you bought Eric Whitacre Eternity from the Spitfire Audio website, link your Spitfire Audio account to your Splice account so Eric Whitacre Eternity appears in INSTRUMENT. You only need to do this once.

If you play Eric Whitacre Eternity with a Splice INSTRUMENT subscription, make sure you log in to INSTRUMENT with the same email as your subscription. See How to link your Spitfire Audio and Splice accounts for full steps.

4. DOWNLOAD ERIC WHITACRE ETERNITY

Go to Discover or Search in the left bar and open the Eric Whitacre Eternity pack. Click Download to install the whole pack, or click the download icon next to a single preset to install just that one.

While a pack downloads, INSTRUMENT shows how many presets are done (for example, “3 of 15 downloaded”) with a progress bar. Presets waiting their turn show as Queued. See Downloads and loading for more.

CHOOSING WHERE CONTENT IS INSTALLED

To change where new content is saved, click the account logo in the bottom left, choose Preferences, and set a folder under Content. We recommend a dedicated top-level folder, such as one called “Splice INSTRUMENT”. If you move existing content, restart your DAW or reload INSTRUMENT afterwards, or you won’t hear any sound.

INSTRUMENT appears in your DAW’s instrument list under Splice.

You can also run INSTRUMENT as a standalone app without a DAW. If INSTRUMENT doesn’t show up, see What do I do if Splice INSTRUMENT doesn’t appear in my DAW?

1. SEARCH

Find any content in INSTRUMENT, installed or not.

2. DISCOVER

New and popular releases to install.

3. PLAY

The main view for playing your loaded preset. Eric Whitacre Eternity’s dual-layer presets open in the layered Play view.

4. LIBRARY

Everything you have installed and ready to play.

5. BRAND PAGES

Spitfire Audio, Splice and LABS content.

6. FREE DROPS

Monthly premium presets that are free to keep.

7. PROFILE

Preferences and feedback.

8. MINI PRESET BROWSER

Click the preset name to browse, or use the arrows to step through presets in the same pack. Click the heart to add a preset to your Likes.

9. OUTPUT VOLUME

Adds up to 12 dB of gain. Hold Shift for finer steps, and double-click to reset.

10. LOADED PRESET

Shows the currently loaded preset.

Open Library and search by Packs or Presets. Only one filter can be selected at a time, and filters work together with the search box. Click a preset’s play button to preview it, and click pause to stop.

Dual-layer presets carry the dual layer tag. Other tags describe the sound, such as Synth, Choir, Piano, Textures, Swells, Pads, Plucks, Soft, Ethereal, Shimmer and Abrasive. Presets that use several effected signals are also tagged, so you can tell them apart from simpler presets.

Open a pack or preset’s three-dot menu to View Pack, Add to Likes, Move it to another location or Remove it from your computer.

Eric Whitacre Eternity’s dual-layer presets combine two sounds into one playable preset. Each layer has its own sound, controls and signals, so you can shape the two parts separately. The XY pad blends them as you play, and the Effects tray processes both layers together.

Eric’s collaborators built almost all of the dual-layer presets. Look for the dual layer tag in the browser to find them.

You can change any layer’s settings and save the result with your DAW project.

Eric Whitacre Eternity’s dual-layer presets open in the layered Play view, with two layers side by side.

1. LAYER A

The first sound in the preset, with its own Sound, Controls and Signals tabs. This is static, and cannot be changed within the preset to a different sound.

2. LAYER B

The second sound, with the same three tabs. This is static, and cannot be changed to a different sound within the preset.

3. LAYER TABS

Switch each layer between Sound, Controls and Signals.

4. XY PAD

Sits between the layers and blends them. See The XY pad.

5. EFFECTS TRAY

Filter, tape saturation, delay and convolution reverb, shared by both layers. See Effects.

6. KEY RANGE LANES

Show where each layer sits on the keyboard and where they overlap.

7. KEYBOARD

Play or click the keys to hear the preset.

INSTRUMENT remembers which tab each layer is on, and whether the Effects tray is open, when you reopen the plugin or your project.

SOUND

Here you can transpose, tune, pan, filter and set its level without touching the second layer, as below:

LEVEL

The layer’s volume fader.

PAN

Places the layer in the stereo field.

TRANSPOSE

Shifts the layer’s pitch.

FILTER

Shapes the layer’s tone.

CONTROLS

The performance controls for the layer’s preset. Most Eric Whitacre Eternity presets have:

Some also have:

SIGNALS

The Signals tab is a mixer for the layer’s signals. Blend them to change the sound’s character. Eric Whitacre Eternity’s signals are the source sound (SRC) and five effects signals built from Eric’s rig. Piano presets also have a Close and Mid mix.

ADORN

Mystical, cinematic shimmer with a little grit.

WEAVE

Filterable octave stereo delay, icy and moody, with tails like shards of glass.

DWELL

Understated tape delay, warm and emotional.

DANCE

Long, ghosted echoes that bloom an octave up. On the piano it reads like brass or string pads.

RUIN

Broken, tapey, crunching degradation.

Collaborator presets use a single signal, while other presets offer several. A spinner may show on a signal while it is still loading.

The XY pad blends your two layers. It is assigned to layer Crossfade and Dynamics. Slide left and right to crossfade between Layer A and Layer B, and up and down to change Dynamics.

When a layered preset loads, each puck starts with the crossfade and Dynamics in a curated position for each preset.

The XY pad assignments are fixed.

You can MIDI learn the XY pad, so you can move it from your controller or automate it in your DAW. See MIDI learn.

The Effects tray holds four dedicated effects, shared by both layers, so the whole preset runs through the same effects chain. You can switch each effect on or off.

FILTER

A low-pass or high-pass filter, with controls for cutoff and resonance.

TAPE SATURATION

Adds warmth and drive. Includes controls for Gain, HF Roll-off, Output level and Mix.

STEREO DELAY

A stereo delay that can sync to your DAW’s tempo. With controls for Delay in ms, Feedback level, and Width, Damp and Mix knobs.

CONVOLUTION REVERB

Spaces and textures from across the Spitfire Audio catalogue. Scroll through the impulse responses to choose one; the display updates to show its shape. Eric Whitacre Eternity’s dual-layer presets use spaces such as Large Room, Grand Toasty Hall, Sanctuary Stretch, Dark Chamber, Live Room and Small Dark Room.

The effects controls can be automated from your DAW. The reverb’s impulse response choice is not automatable.

The lanes above the keyboard show where each layer sits and where the two layers overlap. Each lane is labelled with its layer’s name, and the lanes move with the keyboard when you change octave. The lanes show the key ranges; you can’t edit them.

You can control a layer’s level, pan or filter, or the XY pad, from your MIDI controller. Right-click the control, choose Learn MIDI, then move the knob or fader you want to use.

The XY pad has two axes, so right-click the puck and choose whether to learn the X axis (crossfade) or the Y axis (Dynamics).

MIDI mappings are not yet saved when you load a new preset.

The Dynamics control is mapped to the mod wheel (MIDI CC 1) by default. See Appendix C for all default mappings.

QUEUED

Presets waiting to download show a Queued state (dotted circle). They download in turn.

PACK PROGRESS

Pack downloads show how many presets are done, for example “3 of 15 downloaded”, with a progress bar.

SIGNAL LOADING

A spinner shows on a mic signal while it is still loading. You can keep playing while it loads.

Click the account logo in the bottom left and choose Preferences.

PROFILE

The Splice account you’re logged in with, and a link to manage your subscription. This is also where you can check your Spitfire Audio account is linked.

CONTENT

Where new content is installed

IMPORT

Option to import existing LABS content.

AUDIO & MIDI SETTINGS

Configure your audio output and connected MIDI devices.

OFFLINE MODE

Use INSTRUMENT without an internet connection for up to 7 days. See How does offline mode work in Splice INSTRUMENT? for details.

UTILITIES

Support information, plugin settings, log files and an error report.

SUPPORT

Links to the Splice INSTRUMENT help pages.

STATISTICS

Anonymous usage data that helps us improve INSTRUMENT. You can turn this off.

VERSION

The version of INSTRUMENT you have open.

Presets are named by group, so Wild Flower - Felt Piano belongs to the Wild Flower group. Eric’s own presets are grouped by the album’s pieces.

ERIC’S PIANO

The Wild Flower group: Eric’s grandmother’s upright Ludwig & Co, from the plain felt sound to versions drowned in modular effects.

ERIC’S EFFECTED CHOIR

The Human Form group: choir voices and new choir waves, granularised and stretched until the syllables blur. You’ll find more choir sounds in Endless Night and Beams of Light.

ERIC’S SYNTHS

The Iron Brace, Soul Slept, Beams of Light, Grain of Sand and Endless Night groups: the Lyra-8, Sidrax Organ, Minimoog Model D, OB-X8, Hydrasynth and the rest of Eric’s rig.

COLLABORATOR PRESETS

Each collaborator has their own group: BlankFor.ms, Elin Piel, IDRA, Lesjamusic, Longobardi (Luca Longobardi) and Matt Lowery. Most groups mix single-layer presets made from the collaborator’s own processed samples with dual-layer presets. Elin Piel’s presets are all dual-layer.

Q: I CAN’T SEE ERIC WHITACRE ETERNITY IN INSTRUMENT

Check that you’re logged in to INSTRUMENT with the right Splice account, and that your Spitfire Audio account is linked to it. Open Preferences > Profile to see which account you’re using. Then search for Eric Whitacre Eternity in Library. Owned packs show an Owned label.

Q: I MOVED MY CONTENT AND NOW THERE’S NO SOUND

Restart your DAW, or reload every instance of INSTRUMENT, after moving content.

Q: WHY DOES INSTRUMENT LOOK DIFFERENT FROM THE ERIC WHITACRE ETERNITY VIDEOS?

INSTRUMENT was updated just before launch with improvements to browsing. Some videos were filmed before that update, so a few screens may look a little different.

Q: HOW DO I CHECK WHICH VERSION OF ERIC WHITACRE ETERNITY I HAVE?

The pack version isn’t shown in INSTRUMENT yet. You can see it in the name of the Eric Whitacre Eternity content folder, for example “…/Spitfire Audio - Eric Whitacre Eternity/Presets/v1.0.0”.

Q: CAN I INSTALL ERIC WHITACRE ETERNITY ON MORE THAN ONE COMPUTER?

Yes, our license allows for up to two installations at a time for a single user.

Q: CAN I GET A REFUND?

If you have ordered Eric Whitacre Eternity in error but have yet to download it, please get in touch at spitfireaudio.com/support and we can refund the order as long as it is less than 14 days since your purchase.
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Once a product has been downloaded, we cannot offer a refund for it.

Q: DOES ERIC WHITACRE ETERNITY RESPOND TO PITCH BEND OR KEYSWITCHES?

Pitch bend is enabled in Eric Whitacre Eternity, but there are no keyswitches.

Q: CAN I USE ERIC WHITACRE ETERNITY IN THE SPITFIRE AUDIO APP OR KONTAKT?

No. Eric Whitacre Eternity is only available in Splice INSTRUMENT.

All presets at launch, by group. Dual-layer presets are marked.

WILD FLOWER (4)

HUMAN FORM (11)

IRON BRACE (10)

GRAIN OF SAND (3)

SOUL SLEPT (6)

BEAMS OF LIGHT (4)

ENDLESS NIGHT (5)

BLANKFOR.MS (42)

IDRA (20)

LESJAMUSIC (29)

MATT LOWERY (35)

LONGOBARDI (33)

ELIN PIEL (16)

See future Eric Whitacre Eternity changelogs for updates and fixes.