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Hi all, I'm looking for suggestions on two things:
1) More 'faked' articulations? (Like using a staccato with a tremelo patch.) I am wanting to stretch out the abilities of my library as much as possible.
2) Organization tips? I'm loading too many cells/ matrices for VST Expression. My 27in screen is half filled by the articulation lane already! Any tricks?
-Sean
I forgot to mention... I'm using VI Pro and my library is in my signature. My main focus is the faking articulation bit. I'm building a pre-template before getting VIP 2.0. I recently realized I wasn't fully utilizing what I had. I want to build a template that will, then make changes when I get 2.0 - It's more work, but it will help me more in the end to improve what I have already.
Thanks,
-Sean
Here is an idea which you could take into account.
http://www.beat-kaufmann.com/vitutorials/vibasicpresets/index.php
I've seen over the years, that it is quite a good thing to own basic presets for each instrument with always the same organisation.
(Same Keyswitches for selecting the same articulations and this for every instrument)
So you will be able to exchange instruments at any time without the necessity of changing the keyswitches (or controllers) as well.
Further, if you have such basic settings for every instrument you dont need to load the whole possible orchestra every time.
You can build the desired orchestra (instruments) in a very short time as well.
Another possibility is, to use the Vienna Ensemble.
You have the possibility to use several VEs as modules so to say.
Such a module could be "The Chamber Strings" or "The Appassionatas" or "The Solo Woodwinds"... All of those modulesare
internal panned, EQed and mixed for it self. You just have to route it through the desiered depth of you mix.
So you will be able to build up your Orchestra in a very short time:
Take the Module "Chamberstrings" (routed through depth 1)
Take the Module Brass Soloinstruments, routed through depth 2
Take the Module Percussion, routed through depth 3
Voilà thats it - You have the Mix as well
If you used the upper VI-tip inside the VE you know that Keyswitch C0 is always staccato for every instrument - for example.
These are some possibilities. There are a lot more of course
Collect here all tipps. Finally try to find the best solution for you.
But once more: It isn't useful always to load all the instruments and their articulations .
1. You spend a lot of time with waiting (Loading samples)
2. You are not very flexible because all the routings are done for one certain situation.
Best
Beat Kaufmann
A couple ideas:
While it is fairly time consuming, it is worthwhile (as Beat has already said) to create your own matrices, and matching articulation locations as much as possible. In my case, general locations are the same in the "X" axis, and the more individualized articulations are deeper down in the "Y" axis. Strings have more rows than woodwinds and brass (don't yet have any full brass DVD's), but set up SE articulations in the same places used with the full libraries.
As for other techniques, it is best just to explore and try things. What one person might find useful, another might not. For strings, think about how a player might use a bow, and explore accordingly. The example you sited is a case in point - a player can easily do that (and is sometimes required to). The stretching tool in VI Pro is also your friend. Again, for strings, a player can make a staccato as short or long as needed. The stretching tool allows for much more creative variety. The same applies with other bowing techniques as well.
Edit: strictly for SE, a 12x2 matrix might suffice, and give at least a few open cells. If you intend to stay with SE, when you can afford it, having Plus for woodwinds and brass would likely prove helpful.
Yeah, I intend on getting more, but via downloads, as I want only specific one's for now that are better obtained this way.
I toyed with the articulation per matrix idea a week or so ago and I'm hooked. It's definiately the right way to do this for me. I ultimately wanted to keep to Beat's ideas for the most part. Mainly because I have thought them on my own already. I prefer as much consistancy as I can per instrument- but this just isn't possible with what I have. I really wish VSL would provide some tools to help build templates faster. I wish I could just copy the entire preset, but have the Viola patches take place of the Violin patches... but with the violin settings in place. That way only fine tuning would be necessary to complete the next preset. The current model requires FAR too much time.
My biggest concerns are...
1) organizing my template in a way that will be as unanimous across the library as possible, and as friendly to VST expression as possible (screen space wise).
2) creating as many 'fake articulations' as I can. I've been playing with the envelope and voicing options to create as many things as I can that I think are common and useful in preset form. So far this venture is my slowest, but still very important to me.
-Sean
Creating detailed templates does take quite a bit of time. However, once the templates are created, they can be reused, slightly modified as needed for a different task, etc., etc., etc. The major construction only needs to be done very occasionally. One idea would be to organize templates along the lines of note length/dynamics/trills, etc.
If VSL would create a feature to allow me to 'duplicate this patch or matrix, but using viola patches instead' I would die happy. That alone would save monumental amounts of my time. I'd still play with each cell to make any needed adjustments, but all the organization and a lot of the tidious work would be done for me. I have to adjust the envelope, transpositions, and advanced playback settings for each and every cell. With how many cells I'm loading, I'm about to go insane in this process. Tidious work, less composing make Sean go crazy! lol
I found that most of my organizing problems are being solved via a combination of VST expression and just having a gazzillion matrices. So I'm good to go on the organization front for now. Now I'll just be playing with combinations of patches, like stac and sus.
I really hope VI Pro 2.0 or later will allow us to have more envelope options, such as timing until cutoff (note length) and other features that will increase the flexibility of the library. I'm trying to have as much "done" in the template as I can. I want flexibility, and none of my template ideas will ever replace my using the flexibility of the library. I just want to save more time in 'programming' to get the right performance. Eventually I might upload my template layout on a site, like Beat's. But far less elaborate and 'tutorialized' than Beat's site. I'll let him do that work! lol
-Sean
I also meant to add, that with the note length feature wish I had... it would be nice to choose our own samples for release playback. Rather than just turning 'release samples' on and off. I'd like to be able to specify a staccato with a blended attack, to give a sort of 'bump' release effect that is fairly common with real performances. This is one example, but I've thought of other uses of this 'release sample' flexibility idea that would be great to have.
I prefer not to do this manually in cubase as 1) templates save time, and 2) doing it via VI Pro in a template is more playback accurate than via Cubase. In cubase, I have to adjust a fader for the attack, delay, etc. which effects all patches, which obviously doesn't produce the same result.
Just a thought anyway.
-Sean
