Two Soprano Libraries?

[Nessein]

Hi All,

I will need a choir for my next project. 

I am looking at the various vocal choir products within the VI Series and I note that there is the Vienna Choir library that notably contains a Soprano choir as part of the library. However there is also a seperate Soprano Choir library for sale.

Is this the same library? 

I assume they must be two different Soprano libraries as they both come part of the Voices Complete package.

Then what is the difference between the two Soprano libraries? 

Kind Regards,

 

Lee

[Beat Kaufmann]

...However there is also a seperate Soprano Choir library for sale.

...Is this the same library?

Lee

Hi Lee

The choir library thing happened a while ago. As I remember, I think Herb initially only recorded a soprano ensemble and created a library of it to gain experience. The human legato thing is a bit different than with most other instruments. About two years later (I think) a whole choir library was released - with a soprano choir that matched the other voices better than the one produced in advance. So they are not the same. The solo voices followed a little later.
The following examples may show you the differences in sound character. Presumably for competitive reasons, VSL no longer pursued the "choir" issue, as some competitors also had very good products - even with text editors. If they had wanted to go one better, the costs would have been very high and the competition would still have remained fierce. So far my guess.

• Cathedral St_Quen (Soprano, first Soprano Library
• Miserere, Allegri (Soprano Librrary, beside Voice 1+2 - so for the rest of the choir - I used an Organ)
• Dorma Bain (Sound of the whole Choir) - Video
• Alema Redemptoris, Palestrina (Whole Choir)
• Flying Aahs (Soprano from the whole Choir)

Sorry about the bad mixes - there are some from 2006 - also, it was the age of (too) long reverb tails and excessive stereo widths - simply because you suddenly had the effects for such things 😉

Beat

[MMKA]

@Beat-Kaufmann said:.

Hi Lee

The choir library thing happened a while ago. As I remember, I think Herb initially only recorded a soprano ensemble and created a library of it to gain experience. The human legato thing is a bit different than with most other instruments. About two years later (I think) a whole choir library was released - with a soprano choir that matched the other voices better than the one produced in advance. So they are not the same. The solo voices followed a little later.
The following examples may show you the differences in sound character. Presumably for competitive reasons, VSL no longer pursued the "choir" issue, as some competitors also had very good products - even with text editors. If they had wanted to go one better, the costs would have been very high and the competition would still have remained fierce. So far my guess.

• Cathedral St_Quen (Soprano, first Soprano Library

• Miserere, Allegri (Soprano Librrary, beside Voice 1+2 - so for the rest of the choir - I used an Organ)

• Dorma Bain (Sound of the whole Choir) - Video

• Alema Redemptoris, Palestrina (Whole Choir)

• Flying Aahs (Soprano from the whole Choir)

Sorry about the bad mixes - there are some from 2006 - also, it was the age of (too) long reverb tails and excessive stereo widths - simply because you suddenly had the effects for such things 😉

Beat

Beautiful choirs, ok, no words but just vowels, but beautiful singing men and women, I really love the sound of the choirs, and you let them sing, Beat, in your arrangements. And concerning the long tails: what is wrong with choirs who are singing in a church 😊...

[Beat Kaufmann]

@MMKA said:

Beautiful choirs, ok, no words but just vowels, but beautiful singing men and women, I really love the sound of the choirs, and you let them sing, Beat, in your arrangements. And concerning the long tails: what is wrong with choirs who are singing in a church 😊...

A lot of reverb...

It was the time when you could get new hard- and software that could produce beautiful and long reverb. This had not been possible before. So we all used too much reverb rather than too little. I also had a lot of fun with long reverb tails and bombastic pieces of music.
Here is an example:
Peter Hofman, a famous tenor at the time (sadly deceased), also performed classic rock pieces. Here he sings "Jupiter, the Bringer of Joy" - with a bombastic ending and lots of reverb...

This is my attempt at a copy, still without orchestra and choir, but with a synthesizer playback and at least as much reverb as Peter Hofmann used.
----------------------------------------
That's music history too, isn't it? Only 20 years ago (funny to listen to for me too).

Beat

[Gukas Pogosyan]

Dear Beat,

It sounds so beautifull.

Violin