Creating one big Patch!

[JimineySnicket]

Hello,

I am currently working with a composer on a film and he has the VSL, I think the first edition. He has aksed if it is possible to create one big string patch that contains the whole range of instruments ie from Double bass all the way up to Violin.

So he can sit down with his keyboard and just play all the octaves and not worry about chaning to the violins and then to cellos and then back to violas etc. I suppose this is more a question of will the EXS24 allow me to do it. I also use the MachFive, perhaps this would be better. I'm wondering how difficult it would be to layer it so that it is velocity sensitive, ie you play quietly and you get the quiet samples.

If anybody has any ideas on this I would love to know. First off it would be good to know if it is actually possible.

Many Thanks,

Jim

[Christian Marcussen]

Dont know... but it would be great with such a patch for GS3... In Opus1 I beleive there are "Ensemble" string patches... dont know - but I think they are cut own on velocity layers. But it would be nice with a really large patch now that GS3 allows it,

[JimineySnicket]

Thanks for the reply, I'll look into the OPUS 1 having a string patch. If someone out there could confirm whether or not the OPUS set does have an ensemble patch that would be great....

Also forgive my ignorance but what is GS3?

Thanks again,
Jim

[Christian Marcussen]

Hi.. GS3=GigaStudio3

[marnix]

Hi Jim,

In Opus 1, you will find a whole set of ensemble patches and articulations in "00 STRINGS ENSEMBLE". There are all kinds of combinations and the possibility to access the various dynamic layers either through velocity or via the Modulation Wheel.

Best, Marnix

[Christian Marcussen]

Marnix... do you know how complete these patches are, compared to Pro. Ed. in terms of layers and sampling

[JimineySnicket]

That's great Marnix, Thank you.

Best,

Jim

[JimineySnicket]

Hi Marnix,

I had a look at the OPUS set but it seems that these ensemble patches are still confined to the instrument ranges which is ofcourse what you would expect. What I want to do is have them all on one patch so for example Double Basses in the bottom octave then Cellos then Violas then 2nd Violins etc, covering the whole range..... Unless I'm not reading it properly this doesn't seem to be covered. But it would be great if it was, I'm just going off the articulations on the website.

Many Thanks,

james

[Horse Opera]

You could always just load them into separate channels and play them all at the same time...unless that doesn't work with EXS...I don't know. With Kontakt you can load in as many voices (that your machine will allow) as you want and save it as a multi-instrument.

-BW

[Tomkovsky]

@Another User said:

In Opus 1, you will find a whole set of ensemble patches and articulations in "00 STRINGS ENSEMBLE". There are all kinds of combinations and the possibility to access the various dynamic layers either through velocity or via the Modulation Wheel.

Isn't this string ensemble patch contained in the first edition also?
I'm sure it is.

[Martin Bayless]

yes, the ensemple patches are in the first edition. that said, is the question being asked here whether all the sections can be mapped in one patch so that their entire ranges are present in different parts of thee keyboard? if so, the ranges would prohibit them all from fitting. on the other hand, if the question is, can they be assebled in a way that combines them into more or less a string synth kind of patch, then the ensemble patches might be sufficient.

Inclusion of the basses presents a problem since they sound an octave below the cellos though. If present in an ensemble patch, they could muddy the lower textures consequently encouraging the composer to write in a keyboardish style. Other options might be to be crossfade the basses with a controller, or to create an additional octave below the lowest note of the cellos. The point is to avoid confusing the octave the instrument sounds.

[marnix]

Hi Martin,

For the Symphonic Editions for instance, we mapped patches called "Strings_(sus, stacc, trem and all)" which have an extended playing range over 88 keys and contain violins, violas, celli and basses.

Where the range of the different instruments overlap, you can switch from for instance the celli to the basses with the Mod Wheel.

Christian, the amount of used samples is more or less identical in the Pro Edition and in Opus 1 and the same articulations (sus, stacc, and trem) are covered.

Best, Marnix

[Martin Bayless]

yes. thanks for the clarity, marnix. I thought of that, but the initial post indicated his composer didn't want to switch instruments, however convenient and sensible VSL's approach to the problem is. It still isn't very clear to me what he wants to do so the more (accurante) information, the better!

[marnix]

Hi Martin,

You mentioned the option of a controller, so I thought the information might have been useful.

Basically, it is possible of course to create one big patch with all, let´s say, sus strings and transpose the basses so they do not get in conflict with the celli in your EXS editor. The patch will require more than 88 keys though and you will have to transpose the playing range of the master keyboard while you record, so we thought the solution with the Mod Wheel is more practicable...

These big combined ensemble patches are rather meant to sketch out ideas quickly - after I recorded a basic idea with them, I usually break the sequence up and use the more intricate articulations in different tracks. Also I prefer to have the various sections of the strings in different colours in my arrangement window, so I hardly ever keep the initial ensemble part except for later reference.

Perhaps it would be a good idea, if your composer could tell you a little more about what he wants to do with these patches, so I can be more precise in my answers... [[;)]]

Best, Marnix