How to make SE more playable (like audition)

[patmaddox]

I'm new to VSL, and bought the Audition Credit to try sounds out before making a decision. I really liked the sounds and the playability, and it convinced me to buy SE Volume 1+.

I've been using SE Vol. 1 for a couple weeks now and I really like the sounds. I feel the playability isn't quite the same as what I felt with the Audition Credit though. I'm aware that the full libraries have more dynamics layers and articulations, so perhaps it's that. Of course it could also be that now I'm hearing the sounds in higher fidelity and so I hear the subtleties of the playing more. I'm also wondering if perhaps the Audition Credit is configured with different velocity curves, or transition scripting (if that's a thing with vienna?), or something like that.

Anyway, I'm wondering what I can do to configure Vienna Instruments to get a playing feeling similar to the Audition Credit.

[littlewierdo]

Realize that the special edition is a very limited subset of what Vienna has to offer. While the special editions, or as I like to call them, starter editions, are very flexible considering what you get (I do all my writing with the core special editions for the moment), they only contain a small subset of articulations, and, are limited to typically between 1 and 3 velocity layers (a note played at different loudnesses on an instrument will produce different sounds tonally). With the complete instrument packages however, you are getting around 8 velocity layers, which, gives a much more realistic and nuanced sound. In addition, the special editions only come with real recordings of every 3rd note and are pitch shifted for notes that fall in between. Contrast that to the standard editions which contain actual recordings of every other note, and full packages which contain recordings of every note.

Also, Vienna Instruments Pro adds a considerable amount of realism, my guess is that you are using VI Pro in audition and using VI basic for your purchased libraries.

I havent used audition so I cant speak specifically to it, but it sounds like it gives you a demo of the full library and that would definitely make a huge difference. As to usability, Im not sure what you mean, the full libraries should be just as easy to use as the special editions, heck, the full libraries might be harder to use considering you have so many more choices with them.

[littlewierdo]

If you click on MyVSL at the top right of the page, you can bring up the library manuals, there is a manual for the special editions and for the complete libraries. The manuals are laid out very well, providing all the details you want to know, including each velocity layer and its range for each articulation. The Special Edition manual I believe is just shy of 200 pages.

[patmaddox]

Thanks for the info littlewierdo.

I understand that the full editions have more velocity layers and sample more notes than SE. I think that probably contributes to what I'm hearing.

Also, Vienna Instruments Pro adds a considerable amount of realism

I've heard this a bunch before. Does it "add a considerable amount of realism" simply by loading instruments in VIP instead of VI? How? I know that it has some tuning and timing randomization. What else does it do out of the box to add realism?

The VIP sales page states it provides "intelligent Performance Detection for all Vienna Instruments," and the manual has the words "Human Performance Control" in the introduction. There's no other mention of "intelligent Performance Detection" or "Human Performance Control" anywhere else in the manual.

(edit: according to the videos "Human Performance Control" is the tuning / timing randomization. Still not sure what "intelligent Performance Detection" is)

This is what I alluded to in my original post with "transition scripting" – does VIP somehow read the MIDI data as I'm playing it and interpret it in some way that provides a bit of realism?

I'm trying to understand the variables involved in the difference between SE and Audition. Here's what I've got so far:

• velocity layers – full libraries have more
• note samples – full libraries are chromatic, SE is every two or three notes
• some special sauce that VIP provides
• tweaks to VIP configuration

Maybe there's other stuff. I'm open to hearing it.

For now I'm accepting the limitations of the SE samples. That leaves the last two variables – VIP special sauce, and tweaking the configuration.

Is the Audition simply full libraries + VIP, with no tweaking to the configuration? Or is there some VIP tweaking I can do as well to get the sounds to play more smoothly? (I realize you don't have the answer to this littlewierdo but hopefully someone from VSL can chime in)

It boils down to: how close can I get SE to the feel of Audition, and what do I need to do to make that happen?

[Paul]

Hi Pat, 

The Audition Player is a simplified VI player, with only the most essential articulations, to have a quick overview. 

No other differences there. 

I see that you have a demo license for VI PRO. You can check out the Humanize feature which should be quite audible if extreme settings are applied, and subtle when mixed in with care (depending on what you play). 

Performance Detection is referring to our Performance Repetitions and Performance Legato, and also to the matrix controllers like Speed Control (switching between articulations depending on your playing speed), Velocity and other Matrix Controllers. 

I still wonder why/how the Audition Player would create such a different experience for you... any way you want to send us a recording of the difference? support@vsl.co.at

Best, 
Paul