@Plowman said:

My long-standing struggle with "basic" instruments is the way they're thinned out. They cut out entire velocities.

Plowman,

Does that mean there's a difference between the stacc 1 + 2 of a basic instrument patch (say BASIC Vln 14) and the Stacc 1 + Stacc 2 that are singular instruments?

If so I didn't know (and would certainly like too.)

Dave Connor

I totally agree Plowman. I don't even use the basic instruments at all because of the bad velocity switching. I don't get how we're supposed to use programs like that. I guess we're supposed to choose which velocity we like, and then add programming like filters in order to adjust the sound the way we REALLY want it? It's a mystery to me...

Even some of the normal programs, like the solo trumpet, have bad velocity switching. I'm considering another brass library because of this problem.

I sincerely hope the Symphonic Cube fixes some of these problems.

Yes, Dave, there is a significant difference. VI-14 Stac from the Basic Instrument set has only two velocities, mf and ff. (the crossover being at 88 to 89). Stac 1 and 2 from the Short-Notes folder have four velocities: p, mf, f, and ff. I assume that other instruments are thinned out in a similar manner, though I haven't checked.

I understand the crossfading argument (that you'll get phasing and other artifacts when one sample is superimposed over another). But my ears prefer that issue to the unplayability of the cross-switching of significantly different dynamic samples. So some basic instruments become more usable when crossfading is used.

I recently purchased the SAM brass bundle. SAM unapologetically assigns samples to maybe two to four keys at a time. And the sounds are perfectly usable.

Tony, I agree, especially with the trumpet. I think it's partly due to the significant timbral difference between a soft and loud trumpet.

Plowman,

Wow, learn something new every day.

Are you using Gigastudio? If so won't the ability to load a lot more instruments in GS 3 solve a lot of this? Wouldn't loading the stac 1 + 2 combination patch and using the alternation tool or even key switching give you all the velocities conviently in one instrument. Or are you saying you would like a Basic patch that had all the articulations (pizz, cresc., etc.) that contained all the velocities in each instrument. Even so, won't the added dimensions in GS 3 allow for that as well?

Thanks

Dave

Hi Dave. I use both Gigastudio and EXS. My library is the First Edition Giga, but most of it is converted and the general trend is moving toward EXS. (though Giga's editor remains light years ahead of EXS'.)

More dimensions are something of a mixed bag relative to this discussion. "Basic instruments" should be clarified. They serve two functions.

The first is to conserve RAM by thinning out the instruments. Most of my comments above relate to this.

The second purpose specific to VSL is the ability to mix articulations live using the alternation tool. We can't alternate to other MIDI channels (Logic environment aside). So in that sense, we must have our articulations within one combination program on one channel using keyswitches.

It is soon apparent that more dimensions won't do much for the first purpose. As long as we are bumping our heads against a RAM ceiling of any kind, we will still be looking at those greedy four (or more) velocity programs and asking ourselves if they can be thinned out. More dimensions won't help.

But regarding the second purpose, the answer to your question is yes. More dimensions will most definately allow us to compile even more articulations -- multi-velocity articulations at that -- within one program for the purposes of alternating live.

"Wouldn't loading the stac 1 + 2 combination patch and using the alternation tool or even key switching give you all the velocities conviently in one instrument."

Perhaps you already this, but just to clarify, I think Stac 1 and 2 are different recordings of a staccato. If you mixed them for the sake of alternation, you still wouldn't get more velocities. You would get upbows and downbows though (if I'm remembering the patch correctly), which can be a great aid to realism.

Plowman,

Thanks for detailed response.

I have 1st ed as well and never realized that BASIC was a ram saving group of instruments! I don't think I've noticed because I've tended to use PerFLeg instruments far more than articulations.

Glad to be out of the dark on this.

As far as memory limitations GS 3 will aid in ram availabilty as well and help us all out a little.

Dave