I think VSL are absolutely right in their approach. You cannot remove reverb once it's there but you can always add it to your own taste and with modern convolution plug-ins this can be very effective.

The only usable alternative to a dryish sound would be to record in an ambient hall with a large acoustic and make phase related 4 channel samples where the reverb vs dry mix was controllable. Apart from the complexity and cost and computer resources to run this would be much more prone to error in use by less experienced users.

When a complete orchestra plays together there is no denying that remote pick up of, say, things like the horns on the violin mics add to the realism of the recording but this sort of "reverb" could never be achieved with samples and what VSL currently does with its ambient approach is definately the best for samples.

Julian

@julian said:

[...] The only usable alternative to a dryish sound would be to record in an ambient hall with a large acoustic and make phase related 4 channel samples where the reverb vs dry mix was controllable. Apart from the complexity and cost and computer resources to run this would be much more prone to error in use by less experienced users. [...]

The main drawback would be that you again would have a fixed stage-position of the player or ensemble. You can't simply "pan" the reflections without losing the most important acoustic cues (and thus: realism) for the position of their original source. It gets worse as soon as we want to take multiple individual sources from different positions into account.

A fixed position like this may be what you want in _some_ situations, but most certainly not in all cases.

@julian said:

[...] The only usable alternative to a dryish sound would be to record in an ambient hall with a large acoustic and make phase related 4 channel samples where the reverb vs dry mix was controllable. Apart from the complexity and cost and computer resources to run this would be much more prone to error in use by less experienced users. [...]

The main drawback would be that you again would have a fixed stage-position of the player or ensemble. You can't simply "pan" the reflections without losing the most important acoustic cues (and thus: realism) for the position of their original source. It gets worse as soon as we want to take multiple individual sources from different positions into account.

A fixed position like this may be what you want in _some_ situations, but most certainly not in all cases.


Yea baby - bring on MIR!!!!!!!



Rob

[:D] We work on it, believe me.

I also appreciate VSL's approach. Not everything in the library is used for large orchestra. Works using smaller ensembles benefit from having greater control over the reverb later rather than dealing with it embedded in the samples themselves. Wind ensembles, string quartets, smaller brass ensembles, etc., even different types of compositional styles gain much from not having the exact same long reverb tails on every project. I *echo*, so to speak, Dietz's comment about fixed positions and restrictived panning.... what if I want the second violins on the right or the French horns left of center? It's much easier to do decently in "post".

Having VSL's Silent Stage ambience saves a lot of initial pre-delay programming. Secondary pre-delays are easier to apply with VSL's ambience already in place.

Some audio engineers who receive sampled orchestral projects often have their own ideas about how it ought to be mixed and what type of reverb might be added. Whether I might agree or disagree is apart from the notion that I might be paid to deliver a specific product that meets their specs. That requires maximum flexibility. Ironically, I even had one engineer reject a flute solo done in VSL because he didn't even want the "natural" ambience. I thought it sounded great, but I wasn't being paid to argue with the production team.

Altiverb 5 is my mainstay reverb, at least until MIR is ready. I love Altiverb and really haven't used anything else for VSL, but it will be nice to have MIR as an option or even a replacement.

On this specifically, concerning flashman's suggestion of adding more hall to make it a little like Silicon Implants, I totally disagree. The VSL approach is perfection sonically, and simply needs to be added to (though they are overburdened already, I know) with more articulations to satisfy all the slavering-composers demand for MORE, MORE, MORE.

Of course VSL should not complain too much about this demand. Some businesses get LESS, LESS, LESS as a response to what they do... [[;)]]

So true, William. It is quite a compliment to VSL in disguise.

I know we were discussing "epic" or "expressive" violins, but just today I was wandering around deep in VSL thought and it hit me--- "I miss the low B extension on the contrabass!!"

Here we are in the middle of a generous offer for violins and I confess to be guilty of the "more-more-more" disease!

Just can't get enough of a good thing!! [:P]

I don't know if the recording is done or not, but are some score suggestions for what I would consider "epic" strings sound. Herb - you should have most of these scores.

John Williams - ET Adventures on Earth: Across the moon sequence

Jerry Goldsmith - Star Trek Next Generation theme - bridge

John Williams - Across the Stars

Jerry Goldsmith - Basic Instinct

Faure - Pavane

Ravel - Mother Goose - Le jardin feerique

I don't know if you got my e-mail about this, but besides a .3 and a .5, I feel the collection needs overall a .7 and possibly a .9. I love the .5s, but I frequently find myself wishing they were a little longer. For example, a .7 would cover the pitch lengths quite nicely in Mozart's A Little Night Music..

I would also ask that you consider "epic trills" which Miklos Rozsa used quite effectively in movies like El Cid, Plymouth Adventure, King of Kings and others.

Hi Alexander - unless they take more than the three days originaly set for these recordings we wont be seeing that many articualtions I think.

I just hope they do sustains at 3 dynamics.

@Peter Alexander said:

I don't know if you got my e-mail about this, but besides a .3 and a .5, I feel the collection needs overall a .7 and possibly a .9. I love the .5s, but I frequently find myself wishing they were a little longer. For example, a .7 would cover the pitch lengths quite nicely in Mozart's A Little Night Music..

I am also frustrated with the note lengths under 1 second. However, it might well be that the new VI will deal with this. To my mind there are basically 3 parts to a sample; the attack, the middle and the release. It may well be that VI (either now or in the future) will be able to crossfade these segments from different samples. I have a feeling that the release sample is already automatic, but don't know about the attack.
FWIW there are so many times that I can't find a useful articulation for what I want, that I don't think that loads of extra recording would help (unless VI gets to read my mind, or work with a large latency, a bit like Synful). After hearing about all the heavy duty editing that has been going on for the last couple of years, I am hoping that the new VI will be much more flexible regarding these shorter note lengths.

DG

i think many user don't like to buy the sound they have just for using the instrument.
This product is good for a new user but for us, we pay 2 time for the same sound.
Why not be possible to buy sound by sound.

Expl leg v1= X euro
alti stacc= x euro ETC...

And for exemple , the very simple music i would like to play musically with string is the albinoni adadgio.(giazotto)

If a string vsl product can give the emotion, i will be ok to buy it [:D]

@thierry.ecuvillon said:

i think many user don't like to buy the sound they have just for using the instrument.
This product is good for a new user but for us, we pay 2 time for the same sound.

So people keep saying, but it's just not true. If you read the specs it states that there is "new" material in the standard version.......

DG

DG

@thierry.ecuvillon said:

And for exemple , the very simple music i would like to play musically with string is the albinoni adadgio.

Which isn't even by Albinoni [:D]

The intent of my post was to:

1) give a short list of what "epic" strings might sound like, along with the rough location in the score.

2) To encourage a few longer note lengths. At present, the .5 in the strings can make for excellent fluid legato lines without using the Performance tool. The problem is when you come to a sustained pitch that's slightly longer than the .5, forcing you to find a matching sustain which in turn adds an extra track. A .7 or a .9 could be a very all purpose program.

@Peter Alexander said:

The intent of my post was to:

2) To encourage a few longer note lengths. At present, the .5 in the strings can make for excellent fluid legato lines without using the Performance tool. The problem is when you come to a sustained pitch that's slightly longer than the .5, forcing you to find a matching sustain which in turn adds an extra track. A .7 or a .9 could be a very all purpose program.

Yes, but maybe VI will do that for you, so that you won't need an extra track/match velocities/crossfade etc.

DG

@Peter Alexander said:

The intent of my post was to:

2) To encourage a few longer note lengths. At present, the .5 in the strings can make for excellent fluid legato lines without using the Performance tool. The problem is when you come to a sustained pitch that's slightly longer than the .5, forcing you to find a matching sustain which in turn adds an extra track. A .7 or a .9 could be a very all purpose program.

Yes, but maybe VI will do that for you, so that you won't need an extra track/match velocities/crossfade etc.

DG

The purpose of this thread is make recording suggestions for Epic Violins. This I have done, with score references.

@Peter Alexander said:

The purpose of this thread is make recording suggestions for Epic Violins. This I have done, with score references.

Fair enough. I was just trying to suggest that it may well not be necessary, after all I would rather that they recorded things that we can't even fake..!

DG

@Peter Alexander said:

A .7 or a .9 could be a very all purpose program.

Very good idea here as it would fill in a very much needed gap in the articulations. I imagine we will eventually see these for all instruments ( but later rather than sooner unfortunatly.)

Sorry if this is a stupid question, and I did search the forum and read the FAQ but I couldn't find a definitive answer:

Can you say if this library is likely to be available in Horizon format or will it be VI only?

In fact, will there be any more Horizon products released at all from hereon?

Thanks

R

Recording sessions for the large violin section have already started.
We have changed the working title to Appassionata Violins, somebody mentioned here that "Appassionata" would be a better name tha "Epic", and that's right, because Appasionata is exactly what they are.

We also expanded the recording schedule to much more recording sessions, and we also developed a new modular performance-interval producing/mapping scheme.
So we are able to offer real interval legato patches for many different articulations.
Main focus is on two velocity variations, one in mp and one in mf. Here you will get performance legati with medium vibrato, heavy vibrato, progressive vibrato, variations with slightly out of tune notes (at the beginning) going into tune.
There will also be a pp performance legato patch with strong vibrato, and a molto appasionate ff patch.

I'm very, very happy with the results so far, and we try to offer you this stuff as fast as possible. Maybe we can upload first patches end of March.

best
Herb