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  4. Built in vibrato a problem ?

  • Built in vibrato a problem ?

    B
    B

       I understand (maybe incorrectly) that the VSL strings have built-in vibrato.  If true, does this mean that it is essentially uncontrollable, and if so how can you make realistic solos from this ?  There is a guy on YouTube that does a rendition of Massenet's Meditation on solo violin (Garritan Stradivarius) and he is obviously controlling existence, intensity and speed of vibrato like crazy with mod wheels, aftertouch, etc.  It sounds incredible to me (although I am NOT a string player).  Can this be done on a string VSL library this well, and if so how if vibrato is built into the samples ?
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    @bcarwell said:

       I understand (maybe incorrectly) that the VSL strings have built-in vibrato.  If true, does this mean that it is essentially uncontrollable, and if so how can you make realistic solos from this ?  There is a guy on YouTube that does a rendition of Massenet's Meditation on solo violin (Garritan Stradivarius) and he is obviously controlling existence, intensity and speed of vibrato like crazy with mod wheels, aftertouch, etc.  It sounds incredible to me (although I am NOT a string player).  Can this be done on a string VSL library this well, and if so how if vibrato is built into the samples ?

     

     The idea of the Garritan was very good. However, to me sounded more like an electric drill than a violin.  [;)]

    With the VSL samples you would have to keyswitch to get samples with or without vibrato, as well as ones with progressive vibrato, so it is not as convenient. However, it sounds a lot better.

    DG
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    @bcarwell said:

       I understand (maybe incorrectly) that the VSL strings have built-in vibrato.  If true, does this mean that it is essentially uncontrollable, and if so how can you make realistic solos from this ?  There is a guy on YouTube that does a rendition of Massenet's Meditation on solo violin (Garritan Stradivarius) and he is obviously controlling existence, intensity and speed of vibrato like crazy with mod wheels, aftertouch, etc.  It sounds incredible to me (although I am NOT a string player).  Can this be done on a string VSL library this well, and if so how if vibrato is built into the samples ?

     

     The idea of the Garritan was very good. However, to me sounded more like an electric drill than a violin. 

    With the VSL samples you would have to keyswitch to get samples with or without vibrato, as well as ones with progressive vibrato, so it is not as convenient. However, it sounds a lot better.

    DG

    Well to be fair to Garritan, he had a standalone Stradivarius product (discontinued product) that did have controllable vibrato, etc.  There was also a standalone cello product but it's no longer available either. 

    Now for the Stradivarius sample that comes with GPO I think the electric drill comment applies 😊
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    @winknotes_282 said:

    Well to be fair to Garritan, he had a standalone Stradivarius product (discontinued product) that did have controllable vibrato, etc.  There was also a standalone cello product but it's no longer available either. 

    Yes that's the one. An abomination.  [8o|]

    DG
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    VSL uses an authentic rather than artificial approach for vibrato, and this whole question depends on which strings you are talking about.  There is an enormous range of expressive possibilities.  With ensemble strings you can use crossfade between senza vibrato and vbrato samples which works so well that it is indistinguishable from the real change played live.  With solos you can sometimes hear phasing if you crossfade between samples.  (Not always actually, and it depends on the notes involved. I sometimes use crossfading on solo instruments that works perfectly and do not rule it out the way some people have suggested.)   But as DG mentioned variation in vibrato on a single bow is possible by using the progressive vibrato.  ALso, all the vibrato is recorded in a way which is very characteristic of the playing style.  For example, you will hear vibrato starting after the target note in a legato the same way it would normally be played live.   Also, the dynamics have characteristic changes in vibrato amount based on the natural tendency to increase vibrato with loudness.  If you had a violin playing fff with no vibrato, it would sound very odd and in fact is almost never used except for a special effect (or perhaps in authentic style Barogue performance practice).   The reverse, of a lot a vibrato on a ppp note, would also sound odd as normally vibrato lessens with loudness.    On top of those examples, there are samples for "vib down" which start with heavier vibrato that fades away, as well as samples for more espressivo vibrato on a given dynamic.  What makes all of this so good for realism is that it is all recorded very characteristically for orchestral /solo playing.  

  • B
    B

    Thanks all for responding. I now understand and am less concerned.  And BTW, yes the wonderful Massenet I was referring to was done with the <standalone> and no longer available Strad solo violin product, and not any Garritan product that came in a bundle.  And it must have been good to ears other than my own as well, as I would often see people trying to find where they could buy it even though it was discontinued.

    Thanks again for the explanation.

                           Bob