actually, this has been buggin me for a while, so i wanted to throw my suggestion into the ring for hopeful articulations in the future.

i would love to see a greater number of gradations in the Dynamic patches... crescendoes and diminuendoes... I often find myself stuck in a tempo that makes a 3 second cres too short, but a 6 second one too long... It seems the lengths they chose to include on some instruments were chosen rather randomly (keep in mind i only have the Orch Strings 1 & 2 to refer to). But, for example, in  the Violas, you have a 1.5 sec and 3 sec with medium dynamic; a 3 sec and 6 sec with strong dynamics; and then 2 sec and 4 sec dynamics, but  with no vib.... so what if i wanted a 4 second medium dynamic crescendo WITH vibrato? im outta luck.

I know, i know.. there are plenty of ways to "work around" such an issue. But one of the main selling points of all VSL is its pristine realism, and having to set up a second instrument for ONE note which i then have to trigger early and then volume-fade in... well, it would just be nice to have a broader amount of dynamic times available.

So my wish-list would include 1 to 6 second dynamic patches, at 1/2 second intervals (1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, etc.) for both medium AND strong dynamics.. as well as the same setup for no_Vibs, con sordinos, etc.... i guess im asking for a lot there... hehe. oh well, just wanted to  give my 2.5 cents' worth...

> michael 

It occured to me that the numerical enumeration might not be very pleasant to read. I think I should update that to a list that can be viewed by sections, as well as also taking in the request for more dynamics. Well the order shouldn't be read too literally, but I also thought that some combinations should be rather packaged together. Of course the best solution would be individually downloadable articulations, that maybe require a registration for a certain VSL library Std/Ext (hope not, but let's face it, these are not substantial additions to smaller packages, yet they may be a good teaser into the VSL world).

All time favorites

- Choirs

- MIR impulses

- Percussion - one never can have enough I think (at any time)

- Soundtrack specific stuff for all sections

- Solo vocalists 

Strings 

- Single desk Violins (2 in unison)

- Single desk Violas and Celli (2 in unison)

- 2nd Solo Violin (with different timbre, individual string stuff)

- 2nd Solo Viola and Cello

- More legato layers

- More lyrical, expressive articulations

- More dynamics with more different lengths to choose from 

- Con sordino Chamber Strings

- Con sordino Solo Strings

- Con sordino articulations for the new instruments from above

- Flautando/non-vibrato legatos 

- Matching all types of Strings in articulation availibility (same articulations for any type of ensemble or solo instrument) 

Woodwinds

- 2nd Bassoon 

- Clarinet in A (solo and/or pair)

- Ethnic instruments like Duduk and others

Brass 

- 2 Double Horns (in unison, also with different mutes perhaps)

- 4 Double Horns (in unison)

- Bb Trumpet

- 2 Bb Trumpets (in unison)

- Alto Sax Horn in Eb

- 3 Trumpets revisited 

Non-orchestral stuff (most only mentioned 1 time so far)

- Electric Guitar (strat or jazzmaster, DI signal)

- Electric Bass (DI signal)

- Acoustic Bass (the fretted, guitar style body type)

- Steel String Acoustic (a Martin D-18v perhaps!?)

- Mandolin

- Jazz Drum Kit (superior to others availible)

- Surbahar (maybe sitar)

- Chromatic Harmonica

- G. Silberman Organ (well, maybe that stands for "just another one please") 

- Big-Band articulations where suited (Saxes, Winds, Brass) 

- Baroque Strings, Woodwinds and Brass

- Noise noise noise - player coughs, sheet turning, audience whispers and rumbling, applauses ;) 

Did I miss a request in that list?

PolarBear 

I agree with that post about total uniformity of cresendo/diminuendos and more of them.  Though I know that is incredibly difficult to record  [:'(]

   Polar bear - again, I agree with most of your list and am not trying to constantly contradict, however -  what is this with Epic 3 trumpets? We already have 3 trumpets.  make them play louder?  Hmm... they already sound pretty awesome.   And if that is not enough go to the Epic Trumpets (i.e., trumpets a6).  Also, we have had 4 unison french horns since the 1st Edition.  [:@]

Well I edited the list meanwhile...

Anyway it's just a personal thing that I think the trumpets a6 are being far superior in sound to a3 as well as the solo (since 1st Ed.), for example also have a look at the other's guy thread who's struggling with this brass right now. It's that I know from live experience it could sound better, but I also know that it is hard to get there recording-wise. We had 4 Viennese Horns since 1st Edition, not French ones... should I dig up all the posts about their "nasal" qualitites from the past? It's a list of suggestions would could be done *better* than it already exists. It's not my part to decide which would be done ultimately, but I could suggest what I'd favor if I had to choose.

Cheers, 

PolarBear 

No, a French horn at least in America does not refer to a horn played in France.  That is funny!   Because I am a horn player.  The French horn is not French.  Just as the English Horn is not English

And the Bassett Horn is not a hound.

@William said:

No, a French horn at least in America does not refer to a horn played in France.  That is funny!   Because I am a horn player.  The French horn is not French.  Just as the English Horn is not English

And we always say French Horn in English; English Horn in French. [;)]

DG

Is it that you just want to hear me saying "double horn" [:#] or for another try to contradict me [li] in every post on another thread?

Or a hint that the horn is a godly instrument that shouldn't be questioned? The player blows the horn and only god knows what will come out of it?

I'll edit the post accordingly to the answer on this... [;)]

PolarBear 

@PolarBear said:

The player blows the horn and only god knows what will come out of it?PolarBear 

ppolarbear - no, I do not mean to contradict you. It is very pleasant chatting with such a knowledgeable person. 

BTW only god knowing what comes out of a horn definitely applies to my playing...

[URL]http://heritage.scotsman.com/heritage/Bagpipes-a-threat-to-the.3586303.jp[/URL]

@PolarBear said:

Did I miss a request in that list?

PolarBear 

 All very well and necessary; but isn't anybody else interested in a dedicated bank of voices, specifically detailed (as the orchestral and extra-orchestral instruments are) in variety and articulation? Doesn't anyone else feel the absence of versatile vocal soloists to be crippling, or at least very limiting to what can be achieved in symphonic electronics? Do the composers in this forum miss some colourful, but relatively tangential and marginal, ethnic instruments more than a DVD with the complete range of vocal soloists with words and choirs with words, as fully articulated and varied as possible? Especially the soloists who are not offered by anyone as far as I know... If I am the only one who sees this as a priority before additional instruments are considered (I am not referring to enriching and perfecting what is already there - subdividing strings, etc., that I agree comes first), forgive the intrusion.

Many people have already talked about having a choir done, so that is nothing new.  It would of course be very desirable. Mainly because legato is crucial and VSL's legato applied to voices would at last allow a realistic sound instead of the weird disconnected single note samples that are universal.  I am much less concerned about some spoken word utility than simply being able to use an actual slurred legato wordless choir that is as good as the horns, Appassionata, etc

@Errikos said:

Doesn't anyone else feel the absence of versatile vocal soloists to be crippling, or at least very limiting to what can be achieved in symphonic electronics?

Just added that to the list.

PolarBear 

@DG said:

Let's be able to program properly for existing instruments before we look for others.

I am not INDIFFERENT to the the idea of solo vocalists. Whoever said that?  Not me. 

It is not practical to represent a vocal soloist in samples, except crudely, because of the infinite variation of every single musical element on an instant-by-instant basis by even a mediocre singer.  And since everyone is now used to recordings of great singers, it becomes even harder.  If you want a soloist, you are wasting time to use samples.  Especially since a good (live) one can be recorded very practically. However, to get a choir is another matter.  There it becomes immensely difficult in practical or monetary terms.  Also, when the voice is confined to an ensemble in a choir it becomes possible to represent what is done by the singers with samples. And there is no choir currently available that uses actual legato samples.  All of them are single note samples with some processing (as in East West) to fake legato. So to create a full legato sample choir would make a lot of sense. And it does not yet exist.  But to think that with sample solo vocalists someone can program Nessum Dorma is a joke.

BTW if you would like to hear very good solo vocalists sampled try out the "Diva" by Bela D Media.  It is very good, though it reveals the simple fact that the only thing that can be done with a soloist is a glorified single note sample set, and then large chunks of performance with legato and syllables etc. that are completely frozen in place and can only be used "as is.".

Though as i have said before to get more samples is always a good thing...