Here is a very quick and easy solution for building custom matrices: 

start with an empty matrix (which will become your custom matrix) and load also a factory matrix which holds the amount of players you need. (all or any subdivsion). This factory Matrix is just used as resource and any articulation you need can be copied and pasted to your custom matrix. with cell copy/paste. (right mouseclick on any cell and select copy)

With this workflow you don't have to search through the patch browser and you can built a very complex custom matrix within less than a minute.

best

Herb

There you go, easy when you know how - thanks Herb.

Thanks for the tips, and I do realize these options are there. And I acknowledge that I probably have a thing or two to learn about VI Pro. I just think, when you're getting into these bigger and more complex collections, maybe some custom tools would be extremely valuable to streamline things, so there is less time sepnt on technical fussing and more on music making. As is, they're really straining the usability of VI Pro.

I've had some issues with loading 8 player presets and eventually resorted to the technique Herb described but what would be really useful would be 8 player patches. This would be more elegant than having to load a preset then copy paste individual patches. The patches exist in the presets it would just be great to be able to access them directly from the load menu on an individual basis.

I did a feature request for this last year!

http://community.vsl.co.at/forums/p/33208/209347.aspx#209347

Julian

Cell copy/paste doesn't work when you need cell xfades that aren't in the original matrix setups.

If it was easy for VSL to provide a complete set of 8-way patches for DS Violins, I suspect they would have done it already. It would involve at the very least a redesign of the Patch browser, and for that reason, I feel it may well not happen, though I would welcome it if it did. In the meantime, I don't think it's a gross inconvenience for users to have to create their own presets - people who do this stuff for a living are used to that kind of programming job.

@Conquer said:

If it was easy for VSL to provide a complete set of 8-way patches for DS Violins, I suspect they would have done it already. It would involve at the very least a redesign of the Patch browser, and for that reason, I feel it may well not happen, though I would welcome it if it did. In the meantime, I don't think it's a gross inconvenience for users to have to create their own presets - people who do this stuff for a living are used to that kind of programming job.

It probably won't happen but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be useful. Of course it would require a redesign, but it's probably a very small task compared to recording, editing, sequencing, and testing the million+ samples in the DS collection, and it would make them more of a joy to use. 

@clamnectar said:

it's probably a very small task compared to recording, editing, sequencing, and testing the million+ samples in the DS collection, and it would make them more of a joy to use. 

I agree. But I would think finishing the DS collection would be the number one priority for VSL at this stage.

I don't argue with any of the extreme efficiency workflow ideas - all that is fine if implemented -  but with Dimension Strings something I have been doing is building my own custom matrices as templates and that involves listening to each player's individual sound deliberately.  Every player is different in the Dimension instruments, and so it is good to "audition" each one for subtle differences in timbre, attack of short notes, phrasing of legato, etc.  This makes you more aware of what they are doing, quite like a conductor who knows his orchestra.   So building your own template is a good idea anyway, based upon loading and testing each individual player.  Though I know many people are too impatient or busy to do that and have to crank out a track instantly so want "out of the box"  generic programming.   But with templates, once you do the initial work, everything you do later is already set up. 

I just love the lush sound of Appassionata Strings and I'm daydreaming of something like "Dimension Appassionata Violins". It could be for example a section of 38 violins in unison that could be divided into two sections of 20 and 18 (1st and 2nd violins) which could be divided further into sections of 10+10 (1st violins divisi) and 9+9 (2nd violins divisi). This would fulfill two of my wishes. Different set of sounds for 1st and 2nd violins and a huge sound for 1st+2nd violins playing in unison. All together this would mean 7 diferent set of samples (38-20-18-10-10-9-9). In dimension violins you can divide the section into 8 different parts, so this would be one less than that. At least in my mind this idea wouldn't be impossible to execute. Of course I'm all but an expert of creating professional samples. But oh how fantastic it would be... :D

Agreed, that would be very cool - it could be the ultimate violin section library.

Well actually the current complete VSL strings allow you to do that sort of complex divisi especially with Dimension added.    I do not hesitate for a second dividing Appassionata either alone of layered with another section into the smaller sections. Part of the reason is that now the sound has become so much more complex due to Dimension strings being added. 

I am now simply frothing at the mouth for the violas... this can present a certain danger in the studio.

@William said:

Well actually the current complete VSL strings allow you to do that sort of complex divisi especially with Dimension added.

Yes, of course this is true. But in addition to the points I made earlier, the deep sound of a huge unison section and the different sound sets for first and second violins, there would also be the divisi sections for both of them and what's most important and the whole point of all this, they all would be in perfect balance with each other and the realism would really rise to the next level. As it has with other dimension instruments.

Due to their large section sizes, VSL's Appassionata Strings have a unique sound. To have that sound available in 'Dimensionised' form would be great.

@Conquer said:

Due to their large section sizes, VSL's Appassionata Strings have a unique sound. To have that sound available in 'Dimensionised' form would be great.

You can achieve a huge section sound using DS, it's just a matter of careful positioning of doubled players on the MIR stage (using different humanize variations on different players is usually very helpful). Another, simpler but very efficient option is to combine DS and Orchestral Strings sections.

You can listen to an example of the 2nd method here (Wagner example from ca. 4' onwards) though this time not for a "huge", but standard symphonic violin sections (more spatial resolution an depth resulting from DS added to Orchestral Strings).

@Dominic.Peel said:

I am using my own quite large Dimension Cellos preset as a starting template for the Violas but find that in replacing a large number of the patches (well ... all of them really) the final confirmation window is way too long for my screen and I am unable to finish the task as the default setting is "NO"

I had the same problem. Here's my workaround.

-Go to the System Preferences-Keyboard-Shortcuts

-At the bottom, put the Full Keyboard Access😞...) to All Controls

-In VI Pro, when the long menu appears press Tab then press Enter.

Voilá

Fred