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This is probably a simple question.
I appreciate the realism that the sustain patches in the VSL SE solo violin do not sustain indefinitely. But is there an adjustment I can make w/ VI Pro to make them do so, or at least last longer? (I'm relatively new to VI Pro, and realize this may be a simple question).
While I'm here, actually, also, is there any way to control the amount of vibrato on the string patches?
Thanks!
To make the sustains longer (stretching) is possible with VI Pro, but most of the time not so good idea because the vibrato becomes slower.
The good news about this is, that with the same tool (stretching the sample) you can vary the vibrato, and that gives often a "reality push". For example starting with slow vibrato and then increasing the speed of the vibrato. Or slow down the vibrato a bit at the end of a tone. It's definitly an expression tool that sounds very well.
Another good working tool is to diminish the attack a little (not to much). But that is something different again.
This sounds interesting - and like something I'll need to play around w/ when the current deadline has passed.
For now, though, I wonder what the solution is if I just want a solo violin sustaining a high E6 for about 8 bars. In real life the player would just change bow direction as inaudibly as possible. How do I simulate this effect w/ the SE solo violin (plus version)?
Hi shnootre,
You can also keep your sustain pedal pressed and retrigger the sustained note to force a bow-change (this will switch to a repeated note in legato mode automatically).
Alternatively, you can use Slot Xfade to crossfade between 2 slots (in this case legato and sustains), so that you can crossfade to the sustain right after the legato transition.
Best,
Paul
Paul,
You can also keep your sustain pedal pressed and retrigger the sustained note to force a bow-change (this will switch to a repeated note in legato mode automatically).
I tried the sustain pedal trick, both with the SE default and the Sibelius SE preset/matrix. I tried both the sustain and the performance legato articulations. I tried with the pedal always down, or just pressed just before the retriggering of the note, and then releasing it.
However, what I get is that several notes continue to stack up, as if the damper pedal was kept pressed with a synthesizer.
Is there a video tutorial, or some more in depth instructions for this topic? I'm trying to do this long notes/legato thing, but am not yet able to do it.
Thank you!
Paolo
Is there a video tutorial, or some more in depth instructions for this topic? I'm trying to do this long notes/legato thing, but am not yet able to do it.
The basic idea is to press the sustain pedal (CC64 up) before the note transition and let it go afterwards (CC64 down). The sustain pedal trick will let the sample sound on, while a new attack is triggered on the same note. Without a note-off signal or the CC64 going down, the note would sound on "indefinitely". If you hear different notes stacking, could it be, that other notes (e.g. on the same track) are affected by the pedalling?
Cheers
LuCsa wrote:
I have a question about this... Since the time stretching is no real time operation, I assume you "prepare" a time-stretched version of a sustain/legato patch, put it into a free slot in the "normal" sustain/legato cell and Slot-X-fade in between them?
Indeed you "prepare" a time-stretched version. I put it always in another cell. With keyswitches I choose the right cell to get the adjusted vibrato. It is also possible to use it in a free slot of the sample and Slot-X-fade in between them. But in this way you have only 2 vibrato options (the adjusted and the not adjusted, Slot-X-fade works just horizontally and not vertically). I use often more than 2 vibrato options in one piece and then you have to work with more cells. For me is working with cells to get more vibrato options the easiest way.
Hi LuCsa,
The basic idea is to press the sustain pedal (CC64 up) before the note transition and let it go afterwards (CC64 down). The sustain pedal trick will let the sample sound on, while a new attack is triggered on the same note. Without a note-off signal or the CC64 going down, the note would sound on "indefinitely". If you hear different notes stacking, could it be, that other notes (e.g. on the same track) are affected by the pedalling?
In the example I'm posting, the only instrument being played is the solo violin from the SE+ Solo Strings library. As you can see, I'm sending the CC64 messages from the DAW, to avoid issues with pedal malfunctioning or reverse polarity.
As you can hear, there is a stacking of notes, with the phasing typical of identical notes playing together. What am I doing wrong?
Cheers, Paolo
As you can hear, there is a stacking of notes, with the phasing typical of identical notes playing together. What am I doing wrong?
I'm deeply ashamed to admit that I did not yet discovered that problem. 😐 I never did, so far, more than one rebowing with this technique, where the stacking is not obvious, even less so in conjuction with a moving vel-x-fade controller and so on...
So, I'll sit down next to you and wait for some of the savvies to come by... 🤐
If you're owning the plus version - wouldn't that be a proper situation to use the repetition legatos?
-Lukas
@PaoloT said:
Thank you very much for your hint, Lukas! However, it doesn't work. With the repetition legato articulation, I still get the stacking/phasing result. The only difference is that the sample attack disappears, making the transition smoother.
I think, the repititon-legato patches are used without the sustain pedal...
With very short notes, repetition legato without damper pedal is the closest to the desired effect I could achieve. You have to make the end of the preceeding note very near to the following, without making them overlap. Yet, there is still a marked separation between the notes (it is not played "liscio", but with the intention of playing two legato, yet separated notes).
In addition, repetition legato is extremely short (about 1sec). So, it is not suitable to make long notes with alternating bow.
Maybe Paul can jump in, and explain the procedure in detail? I'm really not able to find a solution.
Paolo
Hi Paul, thank you for your hint. However, this does not solve the issue of having a longer sustained note. The tutorial seems to only concern staccato notes, with no application to legato situations.
To recap what the original poster (but also myself) would like to do: since solo strings don't have looped sustains, you can't sustain a note indefinitely. Having a note longer than a few quarters is, however, very common.
One of the suggested solutions has been to retrigger the note at the bow change. While more labour-intensive than simply holding a note, this could add to realism. I've not found detailed instructions on how to do it, but I read (it was probably your suggestion) to use the damper pedal to tie the notes.
I tried to push the damper pedal down at the end of the first note, and release it just after the beginning of the second note. The result was a progressive stacking of notes, with the typical phasing effect of identical samples playing together (you can hear it in the sound example I posted).
This happens both with the sustain and repetition legato patches.
Where am I doing it wrong?
Paolo
