Download Instrument Demo(s)

[Michael C.]

I have been going through a number of download instruments recently and found that the same piece is used as the demo for every wind instrument.  I have been using Vienna Instruments for years and I know the quality very well, but if I did not, and was listening to them for the first time via those demos, I would be very unimpressed.  I do not mean to be insulting, I hope to be helpful here. I really think you should have someone go through and do demos that are tailored to each instrument.  Every instrument has its own individual quality and individual playing techniques and articulations which, if you hope to get a realistic sampled approximation, must be strictly adhered to.  You cannot possibly expect a bass trombone to sound realistic if it is playing a sampled line written for oboe, or vice versa.  The end result of using the same midi demo is that the articulation and overall quality of all the wind instruments sounds horribly unrealistic.

Given the high quality of your products and the high quality of demos in the "Demo Zone," I really think some work should be done to provide individual, idiomatic demos for the download instruments.

Please take this suggestion as a constructive criticism.  I love your samples and my work would be impossible without them!

Mike Coyle

http://www.michaelcoyle.net/

[Paul]

Hi Astro,

new demos for the download instruments are already in the works [:)]

Best,

Paul

[Michael C.]

Good to hear, Paul.  Thanks for the info.

Mike

[Beat Kaufmann]

Hello Mike

I am the one who produced these "same-midi-demos". Why did I produce such "horrible" and unrealistic demos? (

The idea behind:

I hate demos which always show samples in way that they appear in a favourable light.

After purchasing them you often are disapointed, because you have a cheaper reverb and compressor, you don't know EQ settings etc.

There are thousends of those "effect-demos" on websites of sample producers.

But when it comes to play a mockup of a well known piece - deathly quiet!

So see these demos the other way round...

1. These demos show more or less 80% of the articulations of these download instruments ( see pdf).

2. If each of these Download Libraries is able to play the same midi file in an equal way - it speaks for the quality of these libraries!

3. The mix shows the instrument in a direct and clean way (without a lot of effects such as reverb and so on).

So I think these are fair 1st demos. They are what they are: Articulation-Demos.

By the way:

Take some Libraries from another producer, take the same midifile and play some instruments... [*-)]

But of course, you are right: It would be great to have now one more demo with a typical use for each instrument.

Feel free to produce such demos and offer them here...[:)] VSL and the customers will be happy.

One small shove back [6]

I listened to your demos: The Strings often use bows of 10meters (too long legatos)... apropo "unrealistic"...

Kind Regards

Beat Kaufmann

and

www.beat-kaufmann.com

[Michael C.]

Dear Beat,

First, please realize I meant no personal disrespect.  I am quite familiar with your work and have great respect for you and all the good work you have done for VI.  I completely understand your points, however, I still hold to my initial comments only because I also have great respect for VI products.  I have never been disappointed with any VI sample products I have purchased, but I have had the experience with other sample companies that you illustrated in your message - one company actually used samples that did not exist in the set that they had for sale!  There is much to be said for showing the instruments in the rawest way possible, and I admire your idea and efforts.  The thing I most admire about VI samples is the performance interval legato, it is brilliant and far surpasses anything else out there on the market.  So, it was mainly that sample that I should be demonstrated in the best possible way to show potential customers what I consider to be one of VI's high points!

Again, please do not be offended personally by my remarks.  They were not intended to be hurtful or rude, but constructive.  Also, I would be happy to do some demos of individual download instruments, but there are many that I do not own, so if VI would like to send them to me for free, I will return killer demos for all!  [:D]  Actually, I will be purchasing a few download instruments for a project I am working on and I will send some demos.  All the instruments I currently own are DVD instruments which have many more articulations so it would not be a fair comparison.
Beat, thank you very much for your reply and I hope you understand my intention here.  Honestly, I have been amazed by your webpage and your output for years now!

Also, there are some examples on my webpage of mock ups of some works that have not yet been performed or recorded which I believe demonstrate VI instruments quite well.  I do all of my mock-ups with VI 95% of the time.

All the best ,

Mike Coyle

http://www.michaelcoyle.net/

@Beat Kaufmann said:

Hello Mike

I am the one who produced these "same-midi-demos". Why did I produce such "horrible" and unrealistic demos? (

The idea behind:

I hate demos which always show samples in way that they appear in a favourable light.

After purchasing them you often are disapointed, because you have a cheaper reverb and compressor, you don't know EQ settings etc.

There are thousends of those "effect-demos" on websites of sample producers.

But when it comes to play a mockup of a well known piece - deathly quiet!

So see these demos the other way round...

1. These demos show more or less  80% of the articulations of these download instruments ( see pdf).

2. If each of these Download Libraries is able to play the same midi file in an equal way - it speaks for the quality of these libraries!

3. The mix shows the instrument in a direct and clean way (without a lot of effects such as reverb and so on).

So I think these are fair 1st demos. They are what they are: Articulation-Demos.

By the way:

Take some Libraries from another producer, take the same midifile and play some instruments... 

But of course, you are right: It would be great to have now one more demo with a typical use for each instrument.

Feel free to produce such demos and offer them here...  VSL and the customers will be happy.

One small shove back

I listened to your demos: The Strings often use bows of 10meters  (too long legatos)... apropo "unrealistic"...

Kind Regards

Beat Kaufmann

and

www.beat-kaufmann.com

[Beat Kaufmann]

Dear Mike

No problem at all. [:)]

Dear Paul

Mike clicked on the audio demos with a certain expectation - the hopes were not fulfilled.

Maybe it would be better to add the text: "Flute... Articulations"

Even better would be to add the possiblity for the direct download of this score Score "Demo Articulations" .

BTW: It is also available within the little "html-document", which comes with the audio demo but most of the listeners do not reach this score there...

This is could be constructive sign of improvment.

All the best

Beat

[Paul]

Hi Beat,

I´ll do what I can to make this clearer - let´s talk over email, I have just contacted you (on your registered email address).

Best,

Paul