Hatt and JWL:

Thanks for your comments/tips. They're both very helpful. I must try
transposing up to a different sample and then use the mod wheel to bring it back down. Very interesting- I never thought of that. I have been shifting the midi tracks
to make it sound fuller. With both of these techniques, I think my problem may be solved, at least until I can afford to buy another VSL VI.

JWL- your point about playing the part in, instead of just copying and pasting, makes a lot of sense.Then I won't have to worry so much about covering up the articulations, and I'm sure it will sound more natural.

Thanks,

Tom

Not a tip but a demo...

In the German Magazin "Sound Recording, No 7/2006" I found two tests:
1. VSL VI-Chamberstrings
2. Garritan's Stradivari
The author combined both libraries for a short demo: Vivaldi's 4 seasons
http://www.beat-kaufmann.com/VSL_Garritan.mp3


No comment from my side...

Have fun
Beat Kaufmann

I'll comment: Not very good.

@dpcon said:

I'll comment: Not very good.

I'll add to that: Garritan-- strident and under equipped for the demands of complex musical expression.

In fact, it's really an unfair comparison. Nothing comes close to VSL's solo strings.... and for that matter, nothing can compare to VSL's expressive detailing across the entire library.

The most important point is that VSL-VI ought to remain the front end sound-- the "near" orchestra. If I use any other collection it is used more as the "far" sound, which *can* add wonderful complexity within the ambience and reverb settings. It's very easy to reproduce the "duck and smear" technique that often occurs at the back of a real string section. I would never expect another collection to carry the essential articulations, especially on a chamber work.

I'm sorry, but this demo quality has nothing to do with the used libraries. The author obviously is a musical moron.

Ouch! That was a 'harsh articulation' Mathis. [:D]

@mathis said:

I'm sorry, but this demo quality has nothing to do with the used libraries. The author obviously is a musical moron.

To save the author's soul...
I believe that most of the authors of magazines don't have the time to get the knowledge they should have to work out the qualities of such complex PlugIns. Further they are not musicians perhaps but "only" technical experts... and by the end of the month they should have finished their work (even if they have or not) because the customers want to buy the magazin.

So the question is: Why on earth don't they use official demos?
Heaven only knows [8-)]

Beat

@mathis said:

I'm sorry, but this demo quality has nothing to do with the used libraries. The author obviously is a musical moron.

To save the author's soul...
I believe that most of the authors of magazines don't have the time to get the knowledge they should have to work out the qualities of such complex PlugIns. Further they are not musicians perhaps but "only" technical experts... and by the end of the month they should have finished their work (even if they have or not) because the customers want to buy the magazin.

So the question is: Why on earth don't they use official demos?
Heaven only knows [8-)]

Beat

Heaven? [[:|]]

But the devil is in the details...

@Another User said:

I believe that most of the authors of magazines don't have the time to get the knowledge they should have to work out the qualities of such complex PlugIns. Further they are not musicians perhaps but "only" technical experts... and by the end of the month they should have finished their work (even if they have or not) because the customers want to buy the magazin.

[6]

Hopefully this author isn't in that category, but it's true that I haven't had time to do a lot of composing while putting out Virtual Instruments magazine. [:)]

@Beat Kaufmann said:

No comment from my side...

Have fun
Beat Kaufmann

But, I hear you notwithstanding...

Those who *can* will compose. Those who *can't* will write reviews. Always the case.

@JWL said:

But, I hear you notwithstanding...
Those who *can* will compose. Those who *can't* will write reviews. Always the case.

[[;)]]

I think a lot of very capable composers who have written reviews might be surprised to hear that. [[;)]]

@mathis said:

I'm sorry, but this demo quality has nothing to do with the used libraries. The author obviously is a musical moron.

Hahahahaha!

[:D]

@Nick Batzdorf said:

I think a lot of very capable composers who have written reviews might be surprised to hear that. [[;)]]

...and a lot of reviewers who gave up composing might have no idea what we're talking about!! [:P]

Robert Schumann was a great composer who wrote a lot of reviews. I'm not aware that he wrote for any technology magazines, however. I think Batzdorf may be unique in this regard.

Robert Schumann is a great example of composer reviewer. Good call.

Schumann was also better than I am. If only he hadn't died 100 years before i was born. I'd certainly ask him to write for us.

@Nick Batzdorf said:

Schumann was also better than I am. If only he hadn't died 100 years before i was born. I'd certainly ask him to write for us.

Nick,
You could always use a 'ghost' writer.........

[H]

yeah, for whatever reason, writing words can put food on the table while writing music, in many cases, can't...

@mathis said:

I'm sorry, but this demo quality has nothing to do with the used libraries. The author obviously is a musical moron.

To save the author's soul...
I believe that most of the authors of magazines don't have the time to get the knowledge they should have to work out the qualities of such complex PlugIns. Further they are not musicians perhaps but "only" technical experts... and by the end of the month they should have finished their work (even if they have or not) because the customers want to buy the magazin.

So the question is: Why on earth don't they use official demos?
Heaven only knows [8-)]

Beat

There are plenty of "official demos" that shouldn't be as well. I've come accross many demo's that made me cringe and think that the demo did more harm to the image of the lib than good.