@Another User said:

Ok, fair enough.

What do you think of my idea of recording intervals of 2 notes in the John Barry feel?

Actually I think that is a great idea!
The existing portamento patches are wonderful, but are only at the one speed. Having long and luscious interval/portamento recordings with a good amount of vibrato would add a very valuable expressive (and melodic)tool - one which I would use very often.
Barry is a good example. Perhaps 'molto espressivo' versions could also be done to cover that more angst ridden sound as well - along the lines of say, for example, the opening of the last movement of Mahler's 9th symphony. Lots of other examples throughout Mahler, or Wagner (Tristan, etc.), and countless others..


Hmm.. just to bring up more ideas and examples, it might also be worth looking at a couple of patches from the old Miroslav strings collection - namely the 'violins soft', and 'violins long detache'. These are perhaps the most overtly 'romantic' sounding patches ever captured in samples so far - limited by the technology of the era (in sample years, they are practically historic! [:P] ), but imagine that kind of tone translated to modern methods and with VSL's thoroughness (and legato techniques!)..

This also brings me back to my theme about neglecting the other sections - these two patches are possibly the best ones in the Miroslav set, and they are only available for the violins... you could not mirror that sound in the other sections, and that was/is extremely frustrating... [8o|]

Hence Horizon Romantic Strings, with multiple luscious portamento/interval performance patches... [[[;)]]]


Can you post a quick example of these samples for review (I don't have that library.)


Rob

@Rob Elliott said:

Can you post a quick example of these samples for review (I don't have that library.)


Rob

Yes, I could make a quick little mp3 demo of just those sounds later today - but I don't have anywhere convenient to host the file...
(my official website is still in early stages of development... *sigh*.. so much work to do... [[;)]] )

i have a few megs to spare, can you attach it in an email to me?

I'll send you my email address.

Hey Guys,
Before asking for a special articulation, don't you want to KNOW what's already inside the Orchestral Strings I & II ?

Herb, thanks for planing the Bass flute "-))

Why did it took so long ?

Do you consider it as rare as the heckelphone (tenor oboe), contrabass clarinet, or the euphonium ?
I may be wrong but in my mind it's the same as the bass clarinet and the Contra Bassoon. Much much more often used than the Bass Trumpet, the Contrabass Trombone, the Contrabass Tuba.
Furthermore in the movie music it's very common, not an just an antiquity like those [below below below 8va x 3 intruments ] [[;)]]

Personally I know much more scores which are asking for Heckelphone than for bass flute.

A "new content overview" for the orchestral strings I & II and all other collections you can find in the Product Infos in the Products & Shop area.

best
Herb

Thanks Herb
Many nice updates !

Is there a p or pp portamento legato performance ?

p/pp portamento only for chamber and solo strings

best
Herb

@herb said:

p/pp portamento only for chamber and solo strings

best
Herb

Wonderful news that our solo violin will now be able to do portamento at soft levels!

Thanks Herb!
Tom

I have the pro edition but if I wait around june 2006 to buy the orchestral string collection, will I have the Epic Violin ?

Thanks

So at what point will this be available to pro users? After you purchase any module of the symphonic cube? Also I have the pro cube only, not the performance set. Will this be still available?

@SyQuEsT said:

I have the pro edition but if I wait around june 2006 to buy the orchestral string collection, will I have the Epic Violin ?

Thanks

So ? [[;)]]

@herb said:

bass flute, heckelphone (tenor oboe), contrabass clarinet, euphonium, and some more instruments are already in production
they should be releasable 2nd quarter 2006
so no mission necessary any more

best
Herb

I would like, if I may, to put in a word for two more WW instruments: Oboe d'amore, Basset horn?These surely have at least equal claim to be included in the VSL orchestra as those listed above (which I am also glad to see included)

Just wanted to re-emphasize that I would really like a mp legato string patch with a sweet romantic vibrato. The current p legato patch is almost non-vibrato. (*sorry- typed non-legato before which was a mistake)

The term "epic" strings makes me a touch nervous because I worry that simply recording a larger number of players will not yield the sound that many of us are searching for. In fact, I'd prefer to actually be able to pick out a few individual instruments here and there as one can usually do in a choir of voices. William mentioned that the current strings sections can sometimes get razor thin in a mix. I think this is partially because of a kind of monolithic accuracy and uniformity to the performances in the samples. Ironically, I think that if there was a way to capture more of individuality the players into the samples then perhaps sections might actually sound fuller and larger even if the number of players is not actually increased.

Thoughts?

Best,
Jay

Jay,
As a former orchestral player, i oftem found the live strings version of 'A440' to be quite thick, hence the lush sound. I think VSL haven't neccessarily been too accurate, but the section tuning is very precise, and it's my view that the prception of thin strings comes from this. My tiny collection i use whilst travelling was recorded years ago by friends and has a 'thicker' sound. But that's 4 violins quadrupled in a mix, so the odd wide tuning sits out a little. I would rather a precise tuning method, then be able to manipulate it from there, so i'm kind of in VSL's camp here. I have a question at this point, and you're certainly the fellow to ask. Would the sound improve in 'width' if you were to record the current section strings by 4, detuning, and varying expression for each, then pulling the lot together, with an adjustment in dynamics for the increased number of players?

I mean it doesn't really matter that much if you're using '56' sampled players if the end result sounds like a normal string section, full and complete, does it?
Maybe we're thinking in a related orchestral way about this, instead of concentrating purely on the validity of the sound, and almost ignoring how we put it together. For example, i often 'ghost' a flute with the strings if i want the sound a little brighter. That's not a notated flute, merely a sound enhancer. And if i want a slighty more fluid sound, i 'ghost' a clarinet, un notated the same. almost at zero in volume, just a whisper really.

I'd be interested in hearing something like the quadrupled section, just to establish some sort of benchmark of how much is too much.

Regards,

Alex.

i think the problem with the "multiply the smaller section" appraoch is similar to what happens when trying to sweeten a smaller section when thee budget isn't there (is it ever?). if the players don't have the sweetened parts in their headphones all hell breaks loose because they don't have anything to reference to. if on the other hand smaller sections were recorded against some sort of reference part, i wonder whether the players would zero in "too much" on the tuning and again leave us with the same problem. obviously don't have any idea what the answer may be but thoughts might be interesting...

Can I just chime in, for my money it would be great to have a patch that has at least 4 layers, with increasing **intensity** of performance, always dolce in tone, but becoming more appassionata with each layer.

Just my 2p!

Cheers

Paul

@PaulThomson said:

Can I just chime in, for my money it would be great to have a patch that has at least 4 layers, with increasing **intensity** of performance, always dolce in tone, but becoming more appassionata with each layer.

Just my 2p!

Cheers

Paul

Yes, that is really sorely needed. The violins as they are now are just not expressive at all. Very straight, with no emotion. What good does it do us to have a legato viollin section with no emotion? This is the single biggest fault of the VSL violins. I'm sure they will take care of it.

TH

@PaulThomson said:

Can I just chime in, for my money it would be great to have a patch that has at least 4 layers, with increasing **intensity** of performance, always dolce in tone, but becoming more appassionata with each layer.

Just my 2p!

Cheers

Paul

Perfect Paul - this is a right on requirement!!!


Rob

I've been trying to duplicate John Williams large voilin section. Let me know what you guys think. This was done with Pro Edition, Solo and Chamber Strings. I tried a lot of subtle realtime detuning after I laid the tracks and it seems to work great....I'm sure we could get a better sound if I spent time to EQ it right.....

http://www.cratewatchers.com/starwars/princessleah.mp3

-Ben

Ben -- this exemplifies the issue I've always have with almost all the VSL strings. In a word -- thin. Add to that nasal, weak, etc. Not warm, full, etc. Sorry to be so blunt, but I continually have to work really hard to get anything full sounding out of the VSL strings in what is otherwise a great and groundbreaking library. I always have to layer them with strings from other libraries, using the VSLs to provide the legato factor (but mixed low).

I remember way back when I first got this library and was incredibly eager and excited to get to the strings after being blown away by the woodwinds. I kept going through preset after preset, thinking that those magic warm strings were just a few clicks away. I'm still looking believe it or not, for something I may have missed.

A solo line like this really exposes these issues, as orchestration problems are not to blame. I'm looking to the future to see what VSL and others may bring forth to solve these problems. I have great hope for the forthcoming Epic Strings as the VSL Epic Horns are their best full sounding work to date. Thomas_J's recent ensemble strings are exactly what's missing.

I have nothing but the highest respect for everyone at VSL and the hard, hard work that they've done to bring us this fantastic library, but this is my critique of it, and I post this to contribute to the progress VSL is bound to make with their next round of accomplishments. Can't wait to hear it!

Gary