Well, the limit of 5 favorites was only for one post. [[;)]]

My next 5 are:

1) The entire Flute ensemble including the alto as Tripit mentioned, but also the variety of sound/expressions in the two different c flutes, and the new VI "Lyric Piccolo" samples which have that extremely beautiful, delicate solo piccolo sound, as opposed to the shrieking high-pitched piccolo everyone thinks of. And then there is my new love the bass flute... but I already mentioned her. I mean... it. (Sorry dear!)

2) Celesta, because it is one of my favorite instruments anyway and also is a great job of sampling to capture the soft mysterious sounds so characteristic of the instrument.

3) Oboe d'amore as Guy mentioned - that is such a beautiful. soft, espressivo sound. It is going to make many people writing oboe solos instead write oboe d'amore solos.

4) Violas in all the versions -appassionata, orchestral, chamber and solo. Now the reason for this may be my bias for the viola but all the different samples VSL did - including the very First Edition orchestral - seem to capture the quality which makes violas stand out from the other strings - that particular dark, rich but hollow and melancholy tone.

5) Harp - the basic harp is great and the best available now, but the additional articulations of flageolett and glissandi as well as the other more specialized ones make it fantastic.

The harp is fantastic!

I'm thinking I really have to get the Oboe d'amore. I've used extensive oboe in the past, but usually relying on recording a real oboe as I've yet to find a sample oboe that I really liked. The bass flute sounds like it's worth it as well.

And I agree with Guy about the Harp. It's by far the best sample harp I've heard.

@Tripit said:

I'm thinking I really have to get the Oboe d'amore. I've used extensive oboe in the past, but usually relying on recording a real oboe as I've yet to find a sample oboe that I really liked. The bass flute sounds like it's worth it as well.

And I agree with Guy about the Harp. It's by far the best sample harp I've heard.

Tripit,

The Oboe d'amore is my 'go to' oboe. It now resides on my template. These guys get better and better at this sample thingy! [:D]


Rob

@Tripit said:

I'm thinking I really have to get the Oboe d'amore. I've used extensive oboe in the past, but usually relying on recording a real oboe as I've yet to find a sample oboe that I really liked. The bass flute sounds like it's worth it as well.

And I agree with Guy about the Harp. It's by far the best sample harp I've heard.

Tripit,

The Oboe d'amore is my 'go to' oboe. It now resides on my template. These guys get better and better at this sample thingy! [:D] Rob


Yeah, I think you are right Rob. The samples do seem to be getting better and better, specially at capturing expressiveness and warmth. The original oboe just sounds a little too cold and sterile to my ears - especially after using the real thing on numerous scores. Sounds like most of us are leaning the same way when it comes to what we like.

Although they ARE improving and the samples are getting better and better, the oboe d'amore is not meant to be an improvement on the reg oboe, they are like different instruments for different uses, in orchestral blend I would be careful about using the oboe d'amore and for solos I would use only for special passages.

@Guy said:

Although they ARE improving and the samples are getting better and better, the oboe d'amore is not meant to be an improvement on the reg oboe, they are like different instruments for different uses, in orchestral blend I would be careful about using the oboe d'amore and for solos I would use only for special passages.

Of course, you are correct. They are different, with different purpose. I still use the regular oboe - sans amore, to blend into passages, but I hardly, if ever, use the regular oboe in a solo passage unless it's really brief. I just find it to be lacking in making me feel and hear what I want. So far I've still used a real player if I'm doing any kind piece that features oboe at length as a solo instrument.
I can't speak for the d'amore, because I don't have it yet, but I'm encouraged by the others favor toward it. If it offers for oboe what app strings did for the strings, it can't hurt.

With that said, the flutes have become one of my favorites. I don't even miss using the real thing in a lot of situations. (not all though, because there are still many articulations I can get with a real player that VSL doesn't have) But over all, I think the flute samples sound and react the way I want. I get them to move me. I've had a couple score tracking dates were we didn't even replace the flute solo because the VSL sounded so great, everyone agreed we should keep it in.

I've always loved Oboe, and I've written one or two long pieces that really featured Oboe as the primary solo instrument but I can't seem to get the VSL Oboe to hit me the way I want. It's very nice, but it just doesn't come alive for me. Like I stated before, I think to me, it sounds a little sterile and lifeless somehow.
But, that's just me. I'm sure there are those out there that would disagree and love it.

@Tripit said:

I've always loved Oboe, and I've written one or two long pieces that really featured Oboe as the primary solo instrument but I can't seem to get the VSL Oboe to hit me the way I want. It's very nice, but it just doesn't come alive for me. Like I stated before, I think to me, it sounds a little sterile and lifeless somehow.
But, that's just me. I'm sure there are those out there that would disagree and love it.

I know what you're saying, I get that problem with the solo french horn (reg), unless the overall texture is very thin I'll prefer to use the horn à 4 for single horn passages, the solo horn, seems a bit thin to my taste in mf-fff and doesn't give me what the horn à 4 gives. I would propose that someday VSL comes up with an extended Solo Horn library, thin horn sound, medium, thick, very thick, etc... I think that would be very important for good orchestral sound.

We already produced a second solo horn included in Brass II, which offers a thicker sound.

best
Herb

Goodness! Is my lib missing something? [[:|]]

Yeah, I have Brass II, the Wagner tuba which is pretty much the thickness and sound of 2 horns can be used in place, didn't really think of that, and I even did a demo for it! [:O]ops:

I think Herb was maybe referring to the triple horn on Brass II? [8-)]

Triple horn is meant to go higher but I don't think it has a thicker sound. [8-)] [8-)]

[[;)]]

Higher and a little lower, but that was not the main goal that we've decided to record this horn. We also looked forward to get a different sound.
Choice of instrument, miking and musical performance were dedicated to this approach, which should be of course noticeable. [*-)]

@Guy said:

Triple horn is meant to go higher but I don't think it has a thicker sound. [8-)] [8-)]

[[;)]]

Well I don't know what it's meant to do, but I does sound thicker to my ears. I usually prefer it over the standard horn.

@herb said:

Higher and a little lower, but that was not the main goal that we've decided to record this horn. We also looked forward to get a different sound.
Choice of instrument, miking and musical performance were dedicated to this approach, which should be of course noticeable. [*-)]

You're probably right, I'm sure I didn't give it a chance, if people say there is a difference then there must be a noticeable difference.

Thanks herb, [[;)]]

I agree with Guy on the Oboe d'amore being a very different instrument. I was thinking at a basic compostional level, one might want to write for that instead of oboe. But you certainly cannot play an oboe solo with oboe d'amore as they are totally different instruments.

On the french horn I never noticed any problem with the solo, and in fact love it. The triple horn has a deeper tone, and is another wonderful sound, but the regular solo f horn has a beautiful tone I wish I had obtained in my years of practice and performance as a horn player [:'(] Also, the regular f horn is a crossfade sustain instrument, which is huge for the lazy MIDI orchestrator!

I looked for a demo of the triple horn, I managed to find one, and the sound is better than I thought.

Sur les toits de Paris

http://www.vsl.co.at/en-us/67/4587/4597.vsl

Not sure about the composer though....

Guy, you are wrong. That composer is excellent. I am deeply offended that you insulted him. I really think you ought to just consider how what you say here has an effect on the people you criticize. After all, they are trying to make a living too.


Also, have you considered removing all mirrors from your household?

@William said:

Guy, and I say this will all respect, you may need to slacken up just a bit...

Didn't expect that, what do you mean William?

I presume you're kidding, because you DO know that THIS composer I mocked is myself?