@mazeka said:
To make sure I understand,
There are no desk, groups or all at the patch level ?
that means the 8 violins were not recorded as a section all together ?
They are recorded as a section AND as individual players. That is the whole concept of "Dimension" which is not just a cool logo, but a specific type of recording first used with Dimension Brass in which the slight changes in tone/expression/ timbre that happen in an ensemble are audible even though the instrument is recorded closeup, so that you mainly hear it solo.
You would understand this instantly if you had the samples in front of you, since you hear the difference immediately. For example, if you listen to the Dimension tuba you can hear a tiny bit of bass trombone "edge" along with the mellower tuba timbre. That is not a problem since the tuba is supposed to be used WITH the bass trombone.
The same thing happens less noticeably, but very subtly and beautifully with the violins. You can hear each individual player's difference from the others in solo, but there is first of all a tiny amount of sound from the other players also audible AND the players are syncing with each other which is hugely significant. Because unlike sticking a bunch of separate solo violins together, they actually sound like an ensemble but with individual controllability and complexity. It is a brilliiant innovation.
So specifically, there are not patch-level desks, but they are formed just as well by the approach of the Dimension recording by simply taking two or three or four of the players and putting them in unison (with panning and perhaps mistiming/intonation changes).