@mathis said:

The high a' near the end sounds louder recorded than played back and since I'm currently learning my first lessons about choir I wonder if this high a' is a good idea anyway in a soft context? Can anybody elaborate who has some more significant choir experience?

no, your intuition is right. the group just isn't getting it done up high yet. a soft a is tricky but perfectly fine with a good choir. but most singers can't manage it at any dynamic/vowel (although they'll all insist they can) so it might best be considered the beginning of a "professional" range that can continue up to c (allegri miserere for example).

Thanks, Martin.

Sopranos demo (just the 'ahhs')

8 Bars, 2 soprano parts, 3-part strings playing whole notes so as not to get in the way.

http://homepage.mac.com/jackweaver4">http://homepage.mac.com/jackweaver4

This is a really special product and I'm grateful to be able to download the beginnings of it for free. I look forward to using it on a regular basis.
My short experience with it makes me want to add some hopefully useful commentary.

Even though the library is very small as of now it really is a handful to work with. It may take me a while to get a hold on using all the dynamics that the VSL team has put into some of the patches. I only wonder if their editors really appreciate how quickly some of the seemingly simple decrescendi and crescendi advance?

I found that when to use the legato and various sustain patches was counterintuitive. Some of the lines you hear in the demo which sound legato are the sustains and vice-versa. Some lines were a combination of individual sustains and legatos in an effort to restrain the dynamics.

It's on its way to being a great new library. Once again you are maintaining the characteristic VSL lively sound. Thanks for the new and very usable tool!

Do I have to have the complete symphonic cube in VI format to download the choir? I have it in giga format, but the link to the download page just displays an error in German.

@slaroussels said:

Do I have to have the complete symphonic cube in VI format to download the choir? I have it in giga format, but the link to the download page just displays an error in German.

The VI Symphonic Cube is not available in Giga format. You'll have to purchase the new VI if you want the Sopranos bonus patches I'm afraid.

DG

Well, it took a couple of days to get the files downloaded-- for whatever reason the server kept logging me off mid-stream. Couldn't even log back in to resume where it left off. Odd.

But, this collection is truly promising! It's going to be massive, to say the least. With only UU and AA as a teaser, I can't wait to get my hands on all the other vowels and consonants.

It's also nice to use the VI console for this-- starting to feel like home! I had a lot of fun with the sus and the perf leg, which I can see I'll use quite liberally. It's also nice to focus on a smaller number of articulations with new sounds working to get the most out of them-- forces one to get creative!!

Great job.

Shoot! I just bought East West... timing is everything...

Josh

The VSL choir is only a teaser, so you have lost nothing by buying the EW choir. I am currently using both, as they serve different needs.

DG

Thanks DG...that DOES make me feel better.

Josh

Josh - really quite different Beast (or should I say beastess [:D] )

I simply cannot wait for VSL to finish this library - with word utility. The sopranos legato is nothing short of expectations.


Rob

@Rob Elliott said:

I simply cannot wait for VSL to finish this library - with word utility. The sopranos legato is nothing short of expectations.


Rob

Unfortunately I find the legato almost unusable. I've tried, but there has to be so much ducking and diving with volumes and velocity xFades that I've given up and used the sustains for 95% of the legato line in the track that I'm doing today. I just wish that the legato patches were even and less bumpy. I can hear what should be possible, just it doesn't work the way it currently has been edited (recorded?). I would love VSL to have another go at the legato patches because if they worked properly they would be marvellous.

DG

DG,

I agree that the volume level of the legato transitions is too loud and uniform when played straight, however this is a minor problem that can be fixed (and obviously will be) in programming at some point. The VSL programming has been absolutely incredible on all their completed libraries (especially with all the wonderful new elements and tweaks in VI) and this is an early release. Not to lecture you (of all people) but aren't we getting a little spoiled by the near-perfection offered here regularly? And we demand it even in "Beta" products like this.

One thing I tried was to layer the sustaining "Uu" with the legato of "Ah" (or the reverse) and it sounds almost perfect. Of course, it is two vowels simultaneously, but first of all you can't enuniciate words yet ( I mean the sopranos, DG, not you personally - I assume you can speak the Queen's English quite delightfully), and also singers - especially choral - are so imprecise with their enunciation anyway that half the time a "Uu" IS an"Ah." And on top of that, ALL vowels are the same when you get up in the higher register.

William -- nice suggestion on the layering of UU's (sus patch) with AH's (legato patch). This should certainly make this free gift more usuable whilst we await the final release - which I have high expectations for (just wish it wasn't a year off.) [:'(]


Rob

@William said:

DG,

I agree that the volume level of the legato transitions is too loud and uniform when played straight, however this is a minor problem that can be fixed (and obviously will be) in programming at some point. The VSL programming has been absolutely incredible on all their completed libraries (especially with all the wonderful new elements and tweaks in VI) and this is an early release. Not to lecture you (of all people) but aren't we getting a little spoiled by the near-perfection offered here regularly? And we demand it even in "Beta" products like this.

One thing I tried was to layer the sustaining "Uu" with the legato of "Ah" (or the reverse) and it sounds almost perfect. Of course, it is two vowels simultaneously, but first of all you can't enuniciate words yet ( I mean the sopranos, DG, not you personally - I assume you can speak the Queen's English quite delightfully), and also singers - especially choral - are so imprecise with their enunciation anyway that half the time a "Uu" IS an"Ah." And on top of that, ALL vowels are the same when you get up in the higher register.

Of course I'm being fussy. I think that one of the reasons that the standard of the VSL products is so high is precisely because we're all so fussy. The mere fact that I'm using this beta product instead of other choir products tells you how good is it already. It's almost close enough to taste but not quite up to the standard of other beta products like the Appassionata violins, for example.

DG

Yes, VSL has already created such high standards, beyond other sample libraries. They have created outrageous expectations in all their slavering sample-maniacs-

I mean, all their fine customers.