+1 for second solo violin
- Electric Guitar - (a strat or jazzmaster ...) but this time please apply your sample wizardry to a DI signal!!!!! I mean there are just so many reasons why having a DI sound would be preferable, for example:
- getting a clean/ jazz sound for a start!
- putting though your own amp sims
- even reamping through a real guitar cab
- just, well, having control over the sound for goodness sake! ;)
Also different pick up positions would be good - but no need for all that whammy bar stuff though! ;)
Seeing as how VSL is orchestrally orientated I do not understand how you could possibly release an electric guitar that sounds (to my ears) so at odds with a solo/ ensemble/ orchestral sound or 'acoustic instruments' in genreral AND AT THE SAME TIME be also unsuitable for most (in my opinion) rock contexts and certainly ALL jazz contexts.
OK I think I have got that out of my system, rant over! ;)
- Electric Bass - same deal as with guitar above - DI only - something like a Fender Jazz bass would be very nice.
- Acoustic Bass (the fretted, guitar style body type) - I really am enjoying using the new upright bass VI - an acoustic bass along the same lines would be also most welcome - if a little indulgent....
- Steel String Acoustic (a Martin D-18v perhaps!?) - even if strumming was confined to a small set of very limited 'perf strum' patches, I would still love to have the ability to play finger / plectrum picked styles on a steel string.
- Mandolin - same comments as for Steel String Acoustic above
- Lots more percussion! Industrial / unusual / ethnic / folk ...... bring it on.
- Jazz Drum Kit - but ONLY if you think you can offer something better or significanly different to the main players (BFD and the like).
Otherwise I wouldn't want you to waste time attempting one. Personally what I would really like is for you (or some one) to record a jazz kit (I mean old school NOT fusion!) expansion pack for use with BFD (as Platinum samples have done) recorded in the silent stage so it can be easily integrated with the VSL instruments. This is perhaps pure indulgence - I have hundreds of GB's of kits already - but what the hell ! ..... if you could do some of your magic editing with the ride cymbal to make it play authentically (authentic swells, 'roar', integrating bow and edge hits etc) then that would make it worth buying alone IMO! (or just release a 15 GB 'ride cymbal VI'!)
moving now into the realms of fantasy .....
- A Surbahar would be very nice, I would like to say sitar as well but I think that might be just taking the P a bit too much! (in terms of being unable to perform like the real thing) .... but a surbahar which is meant to be played more slowly might just about work out OK. Sliding notes would be no different to what you have done already with leg/port. Bent notes (which on a surbahar can reach up to an octave!) could be given their own patches so that if played legato could allow small melodies to be played in this 'meend' style without further attacks - and with X-fade and expression control could fade out and so could sound quite authentic. I think?!
Add the easy to implement bass / chikari / sympathetic strings and there you have it! Although distinctly 'Indian sounding' on the one hand, the surbahar sound is also potentially very 'broad ranging' (IMO) .. it can sound rather like a cello in many ways, perhaps even richer, its long sustains make it seem almost bowed in the low notes .... who wouldn't want an instrument like that! :)
- chromatic harmonica .......... Seriously I would love this!
- oh and for obligatory joke suggeston - mobile phone ringtones - for added authenticity (X-fade from inside pocket/ purse to handheld) + audience 'tsk' samples. ;)
No rush.... like some others here I still have a long way to go before getting the rest of the main library ...