Hi, 

Yes, we are reducing the velocity layers for Performance Legatos when Velocity XFade is switched on. The second lowest layer and the second loudest layer is eliminated for the 8 velocity legatos (regular and no vibrato). 

1) The amount of streaming samples is reduced. 

2) You don't hear the difference, as Velocity Xfade works so remarkably well with the consistent velocity layer.

EDIT: 3) Of course those very helpful dynamic matrices (SOFT, MEDIUM and FULL Dynamic Range) each contain 4 Velocity Layers, and those are also available with Velocity XFade, The higher resolution you get with these matrices are great to work with!

Best, 
Paul

Hi Paul,

I've got question about legatos - are you planning to make legato walkhthrough video? Because this is one thing that is bit hard to grasp. Seems simple, but is complex ;) Few patches, but many legato types, different vibratos etc. For me basic connection between notes is far from what I would like to get without tweaking. But manipulating attack and release during every transition is against that promise:

"With Synchron Strings I, we have achieved the ultimate in realism and expressiveness, while providing a new level of ease-of-use.

Play short notes, long notes with various attacks, legatos, scalable vibrato intensities and note repetitions with a minimal need to switch articulations, and by moving just one or two preconfigured controllers."

I've heard Herb's demo and it is very technical, at some points wow (how to achieve part from 1:37 - that repeating structure, awesome!), but at some a bit... too technical, not very musical. And it ommits fast melody lines. So, any walkhthrough on the horizon? :)

@Piotr Katzpersky said:

I've heard Herb's demo and it is very technical, at some points wow (how to achieve part from 1:37 - that repeating structure, awesome!), but at some a bit... too technical, not very musical. And it ommits fast melody lines. So, any walkhthrough on the horizon? 😊

Honestly, I do prefer Herb as soundengineer and developer of Highend Samplelibraries (as who he has done an incredible job since years) over Herb as compoer (improviser) of short demo sketches.

IMHO I am sure a good musician is able to do wonderful things with Synchron Strings and as we can and have to wait until the Library (and its player) is complete we also can and have to wait for good music done with that Library. 😉

@fahl5 said:

IMHO I am sure a good musician is able to do wonderful things with Synchron Strings and as we can and have to wait until the Library (and its player) is complete we also can and have to wait for good music done with that Library. 😉

I'm also sure of that. The magic is in music, composition, orchestration, not in samples. But Synchron legato seems to be too sudden / slurs to loud and somehow they feel detached. Audio below has 3 legato types, standard, slow, slured, out of the box, same velocity etc. Maybe it's just me, but the connection is not that... connected (slow sounds the best imo).

https://soundcloud.com/piotr_katzpersky/legato-1/s-M8ZWD

I believe that there will be some magical legato knob in Synchron Player to manipulate those samples. So again to Paul: can you confrm that Player will have additional legato transition control? I'm not saying to hurry (take your time guys!), I just want more informations.

By the way, sorry to OP for derailing the thread, but subject is same, so I hope for forgivenes.

One other thing I want to add is that when properly used in the Synchron Player or in VIpro2, I think this library smashes all others AND that the legato has been reinvented and will sound amazingly real.  I just don't know quite yet how to properly weild it.

New test!

• one articulation
• one velocity
• no key switching
• performed LIVE
• no automation
• raw Synchron sound from the soft dynamics preset

To my ears, this is pretty damn convincing especially for a live, completely unedited performance... and once I were to add some processing, and riding some of the CCs a little bit, this is gonna rock.

Are there any full string ensembles in Synchron Strings?

@JimmyHellfire said:

Another thing I've been made aware of on the VI Control forums: to make the results feel more "legato", why not just simply adjust the attack slider a bit?

It actually works surprisingly well, and since we can do this per patch basis in the edit view, it's possible to "set and forget" for the legato patches without affecting the other articulations.

I don't know about Synchron but the other libraries work better if you increase the Release fader for legato no more then 10 units.  You have to be very careful with attack because you start to loose definition and the notes become too blurred.  Plus over attack gives the notes too much of a WAH! sound.

@jasensmith said:

I don't know about Synchron but the other libraries work better if you increase the Release fader for legato no more then 10 units.  You have to be very careful with attack because you start to loose definition and the notes become too blurred.  Plus over attack gives the notes too much of a WAH! sound.

Sure, and I mean, it's not a magic bullet or anything ... but it at least makes the playing feel somewhat more pleasant. Bottom line however, the legato patches are problematic, simply moving a slider ultimately won't remedy that.

@stephen limbaugh said:

• no automation

Why would you ever gonna post something that you didn't even take the time to add some basic cc1? It is bound to sound like an organ, and so it does. I really don't see the point behind it, other than demonstrating how not to use a strings library. Sorry that the words are a little harsh, but you could have made it sound much better by spending just 20 seconds more on it.

@sururick said:

Are there any full string ensembles in Synchron Strings?

@stephen limbaugh said:

• no automation

Why would you ever gonna post something that you didn't even take the time to add some basic cc1? It is bound to sound like an organ, and so it does. I really don't see the point behind it, other than demonstrating how not to use a strings library. Sorry that the words are a little harsh, but you could have made it sound much better by spending just 20 seconds more on it.

@stephen limbaugh said:

As this is a discussion about legato, the purpose is to isolate the transitions between the notes, which are slurred together without a change in bow direction (thus, the groups of notes only have one “attack” sound on the first note of that group).

Got it. I missed that you wanted to showcase the transition only, not the preceding and following note. Convincing is not a word I would attribute to this example, but I am sure it is due to the lack of cc1 information, not the legato transitions themselves.

Have a happy new year everyone! See you in 2018.