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  • My Duality Harmony

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    It took me some time to understand the approach of Duality Strings and how to get the best out of them, but now I truly appreciate what they bring to the table. I think they might be one of the finest string libraries available today.

    After working with them on a few projects, I’ve come to see that they stand alongside the legendary Synchron Strings in their own unique way.

    When it comes to longs and legato, even though Synchron Strings technically has more dynamic layers on paper, Duality Strings allows for smooth crossfades from the delicate ppp of Color Flautando to the bold, cinematic fff of Regular Molto Vibrato. This makes swells and dynamic transitions feel incredibly expressive.

    For the shorts, they work beautifully in most contexts, even with the noticeable bowing detail in the spiccatos. However, in fast, long passages, they can feel a little too bold and lack dynamic subtlety.

    But some adjustments help improve the balance. While they don’t perfectly match the lightness of Synchron Strings spiccatos, they come quite close:

    1. Lower Stage B significantly - sometimes even muting it completely.

    2. Increase the Dynamic Range fader to around 90-100 (below 90, things can start feeling too dense).

    3. Use the ModWheel. Unlike in Synchron Strings, in Duality Strings the ModWheel affects the Agile Spiccatos articulation, adding more control.

    With these tweaks, I’ve been satisfied with the results.

    And that’s without even mentioning the FX library, which adds a type of versatility that makes Duality Strings an all-in-one option for a variety of genres and moods...

    Overall, it has pretty much become my main strings library for projects.
    Go figure...
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    Yes, I totally agree with your techniques! I’ve got similar tricks too, especially turning off Stage B 😊
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    Nice, folks.

    I recently mocked up the first four bars of Brahms Symphony 4, Movement 1 with Duality Strings.

    For all their ubiquity in orchestral work, arpeggiated string figures used in accompaniment can be a challenge. They're there, but they're not there -- conspicuous in their absence, but transparent when present. And sample libraries can make it hard to subdue such an accompaniment. Even straight legatos can speak too directly. And no, bringing down the volume or Xfade is not enough.

    I discovered to my delight how applicable the Duality slurred legato can be for this kind of harmonic underpinning. Smooth, supportive, but not too forward. Previously I had considered slurred legatos only for a smeared, soaring melody.

    Another takeaway: as I was building the track, it didn't sound very good. But when I finally overlaid the octave string theme, the whole Synchron stage suddenly jumped to life.

    I'd like to experiment with Dynamic Range, as I reflexively look past it. So thanks for that idea.

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    @plowman said:

    Nice, folks.


    I recently mocked up the first four bars of Brahms Symphony 4, Movement 1 with Duality Strings.


    For all their ubiquity in orchestral work, arpeggiated string figures used in accompaniment can be a challenge. They're there, but they're not there -- conspicuous in their absence, but transparent when present. And sample libraries can make it hard to subdue such an accompaniment. Even straight legatos can speak too directly. And no, bringing down the volume or Xfade is not enough.


    I discovered to my delight how applicable the Duality slurred legato can be for this kind of harmonic underpinning. Smooth, supportive, but not too forward. Previously I had considered slurred legatos only for a smeared, soaring melody.


    Another takeaway: as I was building the track, it didn't sound very good. But when I finally overlaid the octave string theme, the whole Synchron stage suddenly jumped to life.


    I'd like to experiment with Dynamic Range, as I reflexively look past it. So thanks for that idea.

    "But when I finally overlaid the octave string theme"

    What do you mean by that?
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    In Brahms' fourth symphony, movement one, the principal theme begins the work (there is no introduction). That theme is written in octaves with the first and second violins. I recorded that at the end, after building the harmonic support beneath in the violins, cellos and basses and the answering winds above.

    When I laid in the violins in octaves, it coalesced the entire Synchron sound (as one might expect).

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    @plowman said:

    In Brahms' fourth symphony, movement one, the principal theme begins the work (there is no introduction). That theme is written in octaves with the first and second violins. I recorded that at the end, after building the harmonic support beneath in the violins, cellos and basses and the answering winds above.


    When I laid in the violins in octaves, it coalesced the entire Synchron sound (as one might expect).

    Nice trick, thanks!