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  • General Beginner Questions

    P
    P
    Hi There!

    oooh, where to begin!

    Ok. Currently Im using Cubase SX and the Roland XV-2020 synth. Now, as happy as I am with it, its hard not to find the demo tracks from the VSL jaw dropping.

    I really am moved by some of the tracks I have heard on here! wonderful!

    My questions relate to both VSL and gigastudio.

    Is my understanding correct, in that gigastudio is infact the platform that plays the samples? So, gigastudio is my Roland XV but without any sounds? Then I purchase sample CDs, such as the VSL, and play these using gigastudio and my MIDI Controller?

    So I could have however many channels playing from gigasampler, the samples from VSL?


    Now to my other question. Is VSL really as good as it sounds?! I mean, the sounds are BRILLIANT, do they sound that good once u get it home to try it? How, "out of the box" are the sounds? do they need much tweaking etc?

    Are there any issues with Velocity Switching and Sample Switching or is that pretty much down to Gigasampler?

    Also, once last question, whats the difference between Performance Set and Orchestral Cube?

    Maybe this next one is slightly out the scope of this forum, but, what are the advantages and disadvantages to Software Sampler and my Hardware Synth?

    thanks in advnace

    Phil.
  • S
    S
    Hi Phil,

    while I leave your other questions for Herb, here's a short explanation about the difference between Ochestral Cube and Performance Set:

    The Orchestral Cube contains 45 gigs of orchestral multisamples:
    single note samples in various lengths and dynamics (from staccato to
    sus, from pp to ff), diminuendo, crescendo, sforzando, trills,
    tremolos, pizzicatos etc.

    The Performance Set contains 48 gigs of specialized samples that you
    perform from the keyboard or place in your sequencer, using our "Performance Tool". This offers you completely authentic legato playing or repetitions.
    When you play your personal melody, what you'll hear is natural legato
    (cause you always reproduce originally recorded intervals with starting
    note, target note PLUS the natural transition between them!) in the
    tempo and agogics you choose. The same with repetitions - you'll never
    get the same sample twice and therefore avoid the infamous "machine gun" effect.

    The concept of the Performance Set samples is completely new and innovative. It gives you the possibility to achieve completely authentic results for the first time, for it overcomes the difficulities of producing legato and repetiton sounds - which was the Achilles heel of sampling until now.
    Ideally you should combine Orchestral Cube and Performance Set in your work, because all Vienna Symphonic Library samples were recorded under the same circumstances in the same environment - our "Silent Stage".

    Best,
    sabine
  • H
    H
    Welcome Phil,

    you are right, Gigastudio is your soundsource like a synth or any other soundmodul.
    It is delivered with a piano CD-Rom.
    It simply depends on the music you want to produce which soundlibraries you should purchase.
    Fact is, that Gigastudio is used by many composers fwho needs orchestral simulations.

    Gigastudio offers 4 midiports, each with 16 channels - all in all 64 midichannels.

    Gigastudio supports disc-streaming, and multi dimensions (16 stereo dimensions) for easy articulation switching.

    How good is our library?
    It's not so easy to answer the question for myself.
    Of course I'm proud of our product.
    What I can say is, that all people involved in VSL give everything to produce an optimal product.

    I think the best proof are the user demos. Most of the composers are young, talented guys with "normal" studio equipment.
    I personally don't mix my stuff for myself,
    because I don't find the power button on an hall engine [:O]ops:

    Fact is, VSL was founded, because I was always unhappy with the results of my former orchestral midi mockups.

    best wishes
    Herb
  • K
    K
    One advantage of a software sampler vs Hardware synth, is RAM. Hardware synths are generally reffered to as "romplers" where they have stock waveforms taht you can manipulate with the keyboards on-board FX/filters/etc. Some of these also offer sampling capability but with limited RAM resources

    Gigastudio allows you to stream samples off the hard disk. Therefore, taking ALOT of stress off of loading into RAM (it still does need a 64k buffer for each mono voice).

    Some of the fuil VSL sample banks/gig files would not fit into any current hardware synth at all, as they can be over 1GB in data (insane, but freaking cool)

    At anyrate, SofSamplers are going to be the way to go if you are into reproducing acoutsic instruments. Atleast until physical modeliing starts to take on a MUCH more serious form. (tho I have a feeling it will need to include some softsampling of sorts...since "pure" and "realistic" physical modeling wouldn't ever be able to be done in realtime...atleast not soon, 3-d visuals arent' even at that point ... and I mean "REAL" as in Final Flight of the Osiris/Final Fantasy...which obviously isn't REAL but is getting very close)
  • N
    N
    What's more, physical modeling instruments don't seem to be all that popular, so the market may not be there for it to be pursued.

    And I'll never part with my EWI/VL1 combination! At least not until a software version comes out...