Bassoon staccatissimo tip for First Edition users

[NG1]

A while back there was some discussion about the bassoon staccato being too long for some musical applications (particularly when trying to achieve a humorous staccatissimo effect in moderate to fast tempos.) I thought I would post my solutions to this in case someone found it helpful.

Basicly, you can easily get three different length of staccato as follows (in order of longest to shortest):

1) the Bassoon stacc patch (of course)

2) the 8_130_rep patch - by using the repetition tool to play the last sample only. It has a very nice shape and release.

3) the 1s_sus_RS patch. This one still has a good fast attack like the staccato patch, and the release sample allows for extremely short lengths.

I've found that alternating between the three of these as needed makes for very convincing lines as opposed to using one technique only.

[Craig Sharmat]

thumbs up

[William]

Thanks for those very good suggestions. I've noticed something similar with some of the other release sample instruments allowing different length staccati.

This suggests something that I personally would like in future sampling -

rather than more and more different instruments sampled, instead have more note variations in the instruments that already exist. In other words, the same notes on paper, but with different subtle variations - shorter, slightly longer, slightly less marcato, slightly more, etc. After all, each time you hear a live instrument play the same note - it is a different performance of that note. This especially is true (to get off the subject somewhat) in the legato - I wish the p strings had more "teneramente" or drippy (to put it unkindly) slides, instead of the generally useful but slightly "dry" and clean legato they have at present.

An example of this in other instruments is the horn mp legato, which is more portamento than the forte, and incredibly beautiful. Probably the most beautiful sound in the whole library (though I'm biased being a horn player).

[NG1]

@Another User said:

rather than more and more different instruments sampled, instead have more note variations in the instruments that already exist. In other words, the same notes on paper, but with different subtle variations - shorter, slightly longer, slightly less marcato, slightly more, etc.

Yes! I couldn't agree with this more. Getting the other instrument families and all the ensembles to be as comprehensive as the articulations of the solo brass would be a great starting place here, and then moving on to your other suggested variations. Effective use of these variations really is the secret to a convincing sound, and I say the more the better.