I've been reading these posts and am rather concerned with the complaints about the legato.

I decided to listen to some demos and videos showcasing Synchron Strings legato, and personally I don't hear anything wrong, but what would I know? I'm not a string player, and I'm assuming that the people who say the legato is bad know much more about legato string playing than I do.

I do know that legato and slurring is not the same thing, so I wasn't expecting the legato to be perfectly smooth, but considering I plan to invest in VSL when I'm employed, this is worrying.

Hi TheAmateurMusician, 

Thanks for writing.

Reproducing connected notes for legato, repetitions, runs and trills has always been a tricky endavour, and there are many approaches available since we started recording all note connections within an octave up and down from each note in the range of an instrument and then reproducing this note connection with the Performance Tool in 2003. 

It is obviously also a very emotional topic, which shows how passionate musicians are about their tools and their profession. We see nothing wrong with that. 

There will always be different opinions on literally every product on the market, and there will always be room for improvement, no doubt.

With the Synchron Series, we are starting a new approach, with a new player and multiple mics at your disposal, resulting in a great mix out-of the-box. And: at a great price. 

I'd say: Listen to the demos and the videos and make your decision based on what you hear.

And bear in mind: There will be more. We have been recording samples since 2001, every day, every week. That's what we do. 

Best, 
Paul

@TheAmateurMuscian said:

I do know that legato and slurring is not the same thing, so I wasn't expecting the legato to be perfectly smooth, but considering I plan to invest in VSL when I'm employed, this is worrying.

Hey, if this is something that could help you, here are 3 legato lines - first is performed with one of competitors library, second are Synchrons, standard vibrato patch (mix), third are also Synchrons, but patch is lyrical vibrato (mix), normal legato. None of them sound good, but it's because there is no CC data - to show pure transitions without any additional processing.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/b5fw1ihqtq9838l/legatos.mp3?dl=0

Anyway, being at your place I'd wait for release of Synchron Player for Strings I and for more reviews.

Hi Piotr Katzpersky,

Thanks for the demos.

Well, initially, I thought the first demo (the competitor) had the smoothest legato which caused me concern, but then I realised the second and third demos (the Synchron Strings) were rather louder, which would likely affect the transition from one note to the next.

Also, on further inspection I discovered that the first demo wasn't completely smooth either. It's faint, but I can tell when one note ends and another begins. This is also true for the Synchron Strings demos, but since they're louder it's more obvious, which is probably what led me to think the first demo was smoothest at first.

So in the end, it's difficult to judge.

@Paul said:

Thanks again for your patience!

You should say : "thanks again, dear silly cash providers, to be treated with disrespect since six months"

Releasing 2 new products with Synchron player (CFX and SFX Strings) before releasing the Synchron Player for the Strings I or Percussion I is just insulting.

Personally my trust in VSL is totally broken : I will even not try the Synchron Player if it releases finally one day, and I'm selling all my Synchron products.

Agreed. This complete ignorant behavior is simply insulting. 

Last Library from VSL for me too.

Not the last library for professionals.  VSL is always first on the list of must-haves.   

Synchron Player simply took more time to get ready. There was no "insult."  Synchron is new technology, which everyone knows has delays and/or improvements as things progress.  VSL has a great track record for giving their customers the best products in sampling, and they are certainly not abandoning that with their Synchron series.

William Kersten

www.williamkersten.com

@TheAmateurMuscian said:

Hi Piotr Katzpersky,

Thanks for the demos.

Well, initially, I thought the first demo (the competitor) had the smoothest legato which caused me concern, but then I realised the second and third demos (the Synchron Strings) were rather louder, which would likely affect the transition from one note to the next.

Also, on further inspection I discovered that the first demo wasn't completely smooth either. It's faint, but I can tell when one note ends and another begins. This is also true for the Synchron Strings demos, but since they're louder it's more obvious, which is probably what led me to think the first demo was smoothest at first.

So in the end, it's difficult to judge.

Here is second approach - this time volumes are similar and additional legato was added. Disclaimer: Performed by robots that are dead inside - means no CC data ;)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1yvoi9dlyllaadb/legato-2nd.mp3?dl=0

1st - competitor,

2nd - synchrons, normal legato, vibrato,

3rd - synchrons normal legato, lyrical vibrato,

4th - synchrons slow legato, normal vibrato

@Piotr Katzpersky said:

Here is second approach - this time volumes are similar and additional legato was added. Disclaimer: Performed by robots that are dead inside - means no CC data 😉

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1yvoi9dlyllaadb/legato-2nd.mp3?dl=0

Hi, thanks for this.

Well, to my ears, the Synchron Strings do sound a little bit smoother than the competitor in the equal volume demos. I'd be interested to know what the competitor is, just out of curiosity.

I also do hope that the VSL Synchron Player for Synchron Strings will be released very soon. It's stressful and a little sad seeing these angry customers threatening to abandon VSL over their admittedly unorthodox way of handling product releases lately. I can't claim to understanding how these people feel because I'm not a customer (yet), so what would I know?

Competitor is Hollywood Strings. So yes, it's not very new library, but despite that it gives much more control over produced sound imo (vibrato, legato).

As for standard synchron legato - for me it is odd, it sounds detached. In naked demo they sound okish, but they've got habit of surprising during sequencing (odd atacks, transition buildup, don't know how to call it). On lyrical vibrato patches it's okish. Slow legato is the best out of the pack, but works only for slow passages. None of them are great or reinvented. And I think this is the biggest problem. We were lured by big marketing words, promises and we believed them, because it was VSL. And everything since then went downhill. One of the worst releases in sample history I guess.

In the end it's all about your own ears - take audition credit, pay that 20 euros, test Synchrons with player when it's out (in context of sequencing, not playing around, because while played they are beautifully responsive). Because regret over few 100 euros will be much bigger than over 20 euros. And you might actually like them.

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