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  • Questions regarding Synchron Strings

    R
    R

    I just purchased Synchron Strings and believe it is a game changer.... the sounds are fantastic.  The level of control is pretty incredible, but unfortunately I am having an issue understanding a few things.  I watched the Synchron tutorial on Youtube which was somewhat helpful but I still dont understand a few things.  So I have 2 questions....

    Question 1) I work on Logic Pro X... and most of the time I add the articulation change keystrokes, and draw in things like expression after Ive recorded the part.  However thus far Ive not been able to do that in the normal way.  My impulse was to assign my mod wheel to expression in Synchron, because that normally then shows up in the automation lanes in my DAW under expression.  However when I do that... Synchron automatically assigns my mod wheel to vibrato as well.  The net effect is that as I am doing string swells etc.... the vibrato switches back and forth and sounds terrible.  I tried shuffling the types of vibrato so that as the expression increases the vibrato also increases in intensity, but it seems like a lot of work and the results are not particularluy predictable.  I gave up on that and tried assigning expression to a slider on my keyboard, except then it doesnt show up in the DAW under expression which precludes me from editing expression after the fact.  I realize I am probably doing something dumb, but what am I missing?

    Question 2) I love the sounds of this program so much that I am considering purchasing Synchronized Appassionata Strings.  Would these 2 libraries (Synchron Strings and Appassionata Strings) be similar enough that it would be a waste of money?

    Thx

    Randy
  • F
    F

    Hi Randy,

    about question 1) I think you just have to familiarize with the GUI and look at the options to decide inside the Synchron Player menu/window "Perform" (that is the first opening in the bottom of the window by default and shows several controllers). You will notice that CC1 is assigned by default to the "dim.control" of Vibrato (they are a set of free assignable controllers named A B C etc. to control the tree of articulations and cross fadings etc.).

    To fix your problem it's enough to change your default Vibrato "dim.ctrl B" from CC1 to whatever you like, and whatever is not interfering with your real-time input. 

    I know it's boring, but reading the manual and make experiments will save you lot of time and trouble later, and enable you to master the options (quite a lot of options actually, Synchron player is a very flexible, totally customizable tool).

     

    About question 2) well it's hard to say because it's personal. But the caracter of Appassionata strings is totally different from the caracter of Synchron:

    - they are bigger sections with a lot more players (e.g. 20 violins instead of 14 etc.) and it's already giving a different texture to the sound

    - they were recorded dry in silent stage, so the transitions are cleaner and are processed before the IR reverb of the Synchron Stage that is responsible for adapting the ambience to the Synchron Libraries: it gives to portamentos and legatos for instance a more clean and easy to fine tune sound compared to the Synchron strings.

    - in general Synchron Strings are crispy and bright, with hi definition and amazing short notes, while Appassionata are dark, mellow, and romantic. According your opinions and taste, you may find the first more suitable for fast and modern music, and maybe the other for slow and emotional or romantic music etc.
  • J
    J

    The Synchronized Appassionata are very different from Synchron Strings.

    They compliment each other very well. Many users haven't been very fond of the Synchron Strings long notes, finding the somewhat brittle tone, timid vibrato and barely audible legato transitions sterile and unexciting. Appassionata is very much the opposite, as the name indicates. Layering both libraries can very much lead to more expressiveness, liveliness and a more attractive sound.

    Conversely, in the short notes department, Appassionata obviously has the size, but due to the large ensemble size, the staccato and spiccato articulations aren't very defined and don't have the percussive quality of smaller sized bands. When layered with the very crisp, tight and pleasantly textured short notes of Synchron Strings, you get a blend which has both the focus and detail as well as size and power.

    You can of course even layer both libraries within the Synchron Player instead of having them in their own instances and on different tracks in your DAW. Then you can also switch your custom instrument from Appassionata, Synchron or a blend of both by simply enabling/muting the corresponding channels and adjusting the volumes in the mixer.