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  4. Can't get enough of the saxes

  • Can't get enough of the saxes

    F
    F
    You know it's really quite funny. I recently bought the Vienna SE and just yesterday upgraded to the Extended library. I thought I would be writing all sorts of classical pieces when I finally got my hands on these samples but I've been so taken with the saxophones that i've been doing jazz charts.

    I bought J&BB last year and was kinda disappointed with the sonic realism of the saxes. But as soon as I started playing the VSL saxes WOW. I love that you can hear the key clicks on the lower register of the bari sax. Brilliant.

    I was just wondering if anyone else is using VSL saxes (or even the muted bones and trps) for jazz pieces. I think they are totally amazing.
  • cmC
    VSL Team
    cmC
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    so the only thing remaining is to point you to the *big* saxophones [;)]
    christian
    and remember: only a CRAY can run an endless loop in just three seconds.
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    F
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    @cm said:

    so the only thing remaining is to point you to the *big* saxophones [;)]
    christian


    Evil. Just evil. [[:|]]

    Seriously though, that thought had crossed mind. [H]
  • Mark SchmiederM
    Mark SchmiederM
    Well, I've only had my Extended Library license since Friday night (and have spent most of the weekend fighting system integration problems, as reported in another thread), but I too was blown away by the saxes, which simply came along for the ride and contributed nothing to my decision to complete my Special Edition.

    I normally use physical modeling for monophonic wind instruments (woodwinds and brass), but saxaphones have often eluded even physical modeling approaches. I own and play alto sax (and have at one point or another owned, rented, and/or played tenor and soprano sax), but when I work with sax sounds I tend to like a full section and so a sample library is the logical solution. Up until now, all have let me down.

    The saxes in Vienna Special Edition are both realistic and expressive, and would lend themselves well to more formal big band jazz, I believe. Maybe not for be bop, chamber jazz, soloing, etc. But just the little bit of playing around that I have done today with the sax samples has left me gasping in disbelief that anyone could have done such a good job with such a notoriously difficult instrument to reproduce.
  • G
    G
    a bigband demo would be nice....
  • F
    F
    Yeah I think this library above all others really nails the sound. I've been embaressed to play my jazz piece for my sax friend but not with the VSL samples. I think the key is the performance legato. That's where a lot of other sample libs reveal their weakness- they don't have a real enough system to attain the slurring, With VSL they nailed it. that to me is the most significant reason why I went with Vienna SE. It was affordable and gave me those wonderful performance legatos.
  • DietzD
    VSL Team
    DietzD
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    @Guy said:

    a bigband demo would be nice....

    Not exactly a Bigband-demo, but interesting nonetheless:

    [URL=http://vsl.co.at/en-us/67/4587/4931.vsl#]Three Improvisations - Presto - by Phil Woods[/URL]
    /Dietz - Vienna Symphonic Library
  • H
    H
    And here enjoy Guy Bacos Vienna Bigband demo:

    http://www.vsl.co.at/Player2.aspx?Lang=13&DemoId=5039

    thanks a lot Guy!
  • F
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    @mhschmieder said:


    Maybe not for be bop, chamber jazz, soloing, etc. But just the little bit of playing around that I have done today with the sax samples has left me gasping in disbelief that anyone could have done such a good job with such a notoriously difficult instrument to reproduce.


    What do you think of these pieces I did using a smaller trio setting rather than big band? I used all Vienna SE instruments except loops for drums and the bass.

    http://www.icompositions.com/music/song.php?sid=61050

    http://www.icompositions.com/music/song.php?sid=60583
  • G
    G
    herb,

    in the link page you indicated for upright bass: synth patch, it's no synth patch,
    it's your own VSL solo double bass, I used the pitch bend to give it a jazzier feel.
  • G
    G
    Hey folks,

    My last demo is a bigband piece, I'd like to hear what you have to say about it, any feedback is welcomed.

    Thanks,
  • J
    J
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    @Guy said:

    Hey folks,

    My last demo is a bigband piece, I'd like to hear what you have to say about it, any feedback is welcomed.

    Thanks,


    Very good indeed [:P]
  • F
    F
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    @Guy said:

    Hey folks,

    My last demo is a bigband piece, I'd like to hear what you have to say about it, any feedback is welcomed.

    Thanks,


    I liked it. Guy, do you have any big band experience? I noticed you went to McGill (I went to York for jazz performance then switched to composition mid-way through). I like your voicings in the brass. nice chord progressions too.

    The one thing I think is cool about Garritan's J&BB is that they sampled different types of altos, tenors, and bari's so that you could play all in unison and not get the typical phasing sound that one finds when you layer the same sample on itself. I'd love to see a VSL bigband release. I mean, the saxes is already killer. I love the fact that you can easily move between bop, big band, post-bop, and classical with these saxes. I'd also love to hear a soprano. Hmm, I forgot to check if it's in the full-sized sax library.

    Anyhow, Guy, I visited your website and your orchestral stuff is really awesome. Have you had any pieces played by real musicians. when listening to your music, I can definitely hear it played by real musicians.
  • G
    G
    Thanks Jamriding.


    Fiery,

    1st bigband piece I ever wrote, I'm enjoying jazz improvisation and bigband music more than ever although it's maybe 10% of my strength so I have no pretense about writing great bigband music but I'd sure like it to grow among my compositions. I remembered hearing at Mc Gill University the bigband classes rehearse in the evenings while I was cooling off nearby from the hectic days of theory and analysis, it was awesome to hear them play and they were good!

    As pieces played by real instruments, not pieces exclusively of real instruments and those are not on my website which reminds I really need to update it. My current destiny makes it that I write a lot using sampled sounds.

    Thanks for the comments, I enjoyed it.
  • F
    F
    no problem! I liked your Charlie Parker piece too! [:D]
  • DietzD
    VSL Team
    DietzD
    Hi Guy,

    I like your big-band piece (like actually all of your work), I'd just like to hear a less reverberant version, more like a swing-band in a jazz-club or a 50-ies dance-hall, less orchestral reverb, if you know what I mean. [;)]

    Kind regards,
    /Dietz - Vienna Symphonic Library
  • G
    G
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    @Dietz said:

    Hi Guy,

    I like your big-band piece (like actually all of your work), I'd just like to hear a less reverberant version, more like a swing-band in a jazz-club or a 50-ies dance-hall, less orchestral reverb, if you know what I mean. [;)]

    Kind regards,


    Your the man. Sure thing.

    ps I think I chose the Altiverb "Mansion from the Shining" hehe!
  • D
    D
    I wonder if the Sax library can do Soprano to sound like Kenn G, anybody?
    Thanks
    Sonny
  • G
    G
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    @Dietz said:

    Hi Guy,

    I like your big-band piece (like actually all of your work), I'd just like to hear a less reverberant version, more like a swing-band in a jazz-club or a 50-ies dance-hall, less orchestral reverb, if you know what I mean. [;)]

    Kind regards,


    Done.

    Should probably be uploaded within 24 hours. Thanks.
  • C
    C
    Guy,

    Five and a half minutes in less than seven and a half hours?

    I normally don't say anything about the demo submissions in these forums, but I must say that under the circumstances that's really impressive work. Being a jazz musician first before an orchestral composer I can crank out jazz pretty fast, so I have to admit I'm humbled by this.

    Very idiomatic stuff, Guy. Nice drums, too. What are they?

    BTW, if anyone dares to put a Kenny G demo up, I want everybody to know right now that I will NOT listen to it. [[;)]]

    Clark