Hello Herb,
thanks for your quick reply and thanks for the great news about the perf.-leg- portamento piano !!!
Possibly, Christian Marin already forwarded an email of mine to you.
I performed an over 4 minutes long full orchestra score-demo with the 1st edition.
I am just waiting to get an address I can send it to. I am sure you will like it!!! Like I said, as an 47 year old man I havent got anymore time to be too modest [:D] - so here it goes: I would say, it represents VSL at its very best. I had no other choice than to take nearly two weeks of time for this production. Every day until 4 am...I loved every minute of it, and I composed it just for VSL, so no old stuff. Using a composition technique that is rather unusual - I adapted it from my very closed friend Joe Zawinul: I just improvised on a fender rhodes sound keyboard and orchestrated it later. Of course I had to delete parts, but all in all it still has got a certain spontanity. God I am terrible, just talking to good about myself [:D]
Herb, one of the most amazing things with VSL - especially the violins - is the sound compatibility!!! It really sounds like it was all recorded in one session. No problem to layer a beautiful diminuendo over an ending last note of per.-legato. Its absolutely the same timbre, at least I find a fitting one within the different samples responding on velocity. I no longer need midi volume control. What a gift this is !
Although I am a trained concert pianist - or maybe just because of it - I never PLAY any phrases when working VSL. I program everything. As you know best, there are several velocity numbers where the patch (samples) change to another. The harp changes at velocity 56 as well as the pizz violins, than again a change at 92, etc. I do rather prefer to program this as to play it and being forced to edit it later.
Herb, I´m totally enthusiastic, i could write a book. Finally after so many years of waiting, I can realize dozens of personal symphonic projects. Just for my personal joy, just to rediscover the universe of music again and again.
I havent had so much fun with orchestral music for a long time. If I had the time, I would love to record Stravinskys "Rite Of Spring", just to discover the architecture of this master piece by playing it. I have the written score for many years and I love to read it again and again.
Congratulations again, Herb!
Technology can be frightening, and many people will complain, that by now you (almost) can replace a real orchestra. At least, you can realize productions that were not possible to finance before VSL came. But - on the other hand - when technology is so creative and innovative, it deserves to take place in our society, in order to give musicians the chance to realize their (musical) dreams.
For me, my musical dreams are the dreams of my life.
Regards - Kuno Schmid, Stuttgart -