Vienna Symphonic Library Forum
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  • How do you organize your liberaries?

    Im considering two options... splitting all liberaries into Strings, Brass, Perc, etc... mixing them all in teh same folders. Or keeping each liberary seperated so having for instance Opus1, VOTA, Dan Dean Brass etc in each their own folder...

    So... How do you do it?

  • For myself, always in seperate folders.

  • So each liberary in each its folder, with each its sub folder for strings, brass etc?

  • I installed the hole VSL in one folder and the VSL Performance Set in another folder on a second hd. performance is more then ok.

    Heimi

  • Seperate folders VSL, Dan Dean, etc., allows you to maintain a mental picture of each library seperately which helps when trying to find a certain character or sound. For example the character and sound of the VSL libtary is firmly established in my mind and so I know what I have and don't get confused during the creative process. If I can't find what I need in VSL I go to another library which stands in relief to VSL and gives me clarity in my search fo alternatives.

    For example: In VSL 1st Ed, there are no "col legno" strings so I went to Sonic Implants folder (also clear mental picture of instruments/sounds) and clear as a bell, there they were. That's what works for me.

    I rely mainly on VSL so I have all instruments (1st Violins for example) and performance instruments in one folder. They are so clearly marked that's it's not a problem at all. I wouldn't want to go back and forth between folders when looking for the same instrument from the same library - waste of time.

    Hope that helps,

    Dave Connor

  • i'd like to add that it makes also sense from a technical point of view.
    to extract cube-violin and performance violin directly from the DVD into one folder will provide the data very close on the disk and the filesystem, so if you change (or play simultaniously) articulations from both the seektime will be reduced to a minimum - this will especially apply to setups where strings, brass, woodwinds, ect reside on their own disk
    christian

    and remember: only a CRAY can run an endless loop in just three seconds.
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    @Christian Marcussen said:

    So each liberary in each its folder, with each its sub folder for strings, brass etc?


    Dave and CM put it much better than me, but Yes.

  • what other libraries do you have, other than dan dean?

    off topic yes..

  • I dont have dan dean..but horns and trombones from Project Sam

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    @Audun Jemtland said:

    what other libraries do you have, other than dan dean?

    off topic yes..


    I have just a couple Dan Dean solo instruments which I haven't even checked out. Like many other's I have the orchestral libraries of:
    Miraslav
    Seidlaczek,
    Roland (Orch CD's and Orch expansion cards - JV series)
    Quantum Leap (Voices, Brass)
    Synclavier Library (dated and inferior now)
    Pro Sonus (Sample Cell)
    McGill Classical (still some gems but eclipsed by current lib.'s)
    Ultimate Orchestral Percussion (DS Soundware)< Very Good
    VSL (The best overall library available - my opinion)

    Dave Connor

  • I agree with Dave that the VSL is the best overall library, probably ten times better than any of those mentioned besides the QL which I don't have and of course want. Though the old sample libraries that were very serious like Miraslav and Siedlaczek still have importance because they captured certain particular sounds that nobody else has - to this day. The delicate string and woodwind sounds of Miraslav and many miscellaneous samples - for example the extremely mysterious pp bass clarinet and flute - in the Siedlaczek.

    BTW what is "McGill Classical? I've never heard of that.

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    @William said:


    BTW what is "McGill Classical? I've never heard of that.


    McGill University in Canada put out a rather interesting collection of Classical instruments including some rather esoteric ones (what must be over 10 years ago now.) In Sample Cell format. The harp was so good that only untill VSL did I replace it. I still use the bass clarinet and contra bassoon (which I'm hoping will fall prey to the VSL upgrade: 1st.ed.DVD.) I still use the glock all the time. I think that's about it though. I don't think I would recommend it now.

    I'm going to give your seidlaczek instr's a re-listen btw.

    Dave

  • My approach to arranging a library has changed in recent times. For each instrument, I have only three folders: Long, Short, and Add Tech (for Additional Techniques).

    Then -- the tedious part -- I rename every instrument to include the company. So "05 TP_oV_Dynamic-Medium" becomes "Vienna 05 TP_oV_Dynamic-Medium."

    This is idiosyncratic, but the long command lines had started to annoy me. I had hit a point where I would have search results like, E:\\Orchestra \\Trombones \\Ensemble\\ Long Notes\\ Vienna\\ 05 TP_oV_Dynamic-Medium.

    Now it's E:\\ENS Trombones Long\\ Vienna 05 TP_oV_Dynamic-Medium." I am never more than one drive and one folder from my instrument. (ENS stands for "ensemble.") There are other benefits. Sometimes, when Giga's database doesn't refresh properly, I can browse directly from the slot without a multi-level folder navigation. The bulk moves and copies are easier, and the line reading in programs like Logic's Project Manager requires little if any horizontal scrolling.

    Once an instrument is actually loaded, its source library is in the name to be read from the sampler. Sure, we recognize the naming conventions by now, but it's a little bonus.

    And the best thing is, I don't lose any functionality, because all I have to do is type "Vienna Trombone Long" and Giga and EXS both list only the Vienna long trombones. (Searches in Windows or OSX do the same.) So I get the benefit of folder separation without the command line sprawl and serial clicking.

    Ah, the McGill Samples. I thought orchestral replication could go no higher. If memory serves, they were from the Canadian university. I couldn't afford them. They were the VSL of their day.

    And before that, the Six-Trak, with the proud brochure that read, "Your Personal Orchestra!"

    I have to go. I'm started to get misty.

  • I use a folder hierarchy following the orchestra. By putting numbers in the names I can force the folders to be displayed in the order I want:
    1. Woodwinds
    ....1. Flutes
    ....2. Clarinets
    ....3. Oboes/EH
    ....4. Bassoons/CBN
    2. Brass
    ....1. French Horns
    ....etc
    3. Percussion
    ....etc.
    4. Strings
    ....1. Violins 1
    ....etc

    Within these, I sometimes also use nested folders for solo and ensembles, or for libraries (ProjectSam, DanDean, Westgate, Xsample). But overall the folder structure closely follows the orchestral score layout.

    These folders are contained within a root folder "Orchestra". I also have root folders for Guitars, Choirs/Voices, Drums, Loops, etc.
    Then finally I also have a set of folders for all the sample libraries, so that I have a place to store their help files and my tweaking notes.

    I have exactly the same folder layout on my sampler 3 PC's, which makes a nice backup system. One PC (strings) is the master where I also so GigaEdit, Translator, etc. This PC's shares are readonly, so that I cannot run into version conflicts. From this one I push any updates to the other PC's. When I run out of diskspace, I tend to delete some big files from the other 2 PC's (which are for brass and ww/perc).

    I hope I can buy Opus 1 in the coming months, and will copy all the VSL files into this structure, of course after buying a few more HD's. For me it's a very easy mental model. My sequencer tracks are also score order.

    Take care [:)],

    Peter
    www.PeterRoos.com