crossfade sustained strings to tremolo?

[cug]

I've noticed that some VI users (myself included) are setting up matrices with crossfades from sustained to tremolo strings.

My questions are whether or not it's a realistic articulation change and whether or not it can be notated for orchestra.  The VI crossfade effect could be achieved in an orchestra by using two sections -- first and second violins, for example.  The first violins would do a sustained note with decrescendo while the second violins pick up the same note in a crescendo with tremolo.  Also, a similar effect could be achieved by having each player in a single string section move from sustained bowing to full tremolo, but not all at once.

Can this effect be conducted and notated if it's a single section? Seems like the notation examples I've seen are either sustain or tremolo, not gradually moving from one to the other. Maybe that's because it's very hard (or impossible) for each player to do it individually.  duh

Any thoughts?  

Carlos  

[dfhage]

I've seen it done for any string section, just write in the part with a dotted line across as many bars as you need "gradually to trem", that'll do the trick :-). Orchestrators regularly do this as well as 1/2 section trem, 1/2 section harm etc Regards Dave Hage Dakota Music Service

[mon_art]

I don't use the cell x-fade very much, because I don't find the results very realistic; whether from sustained to tremolo or from Vib to Espressivo. The transition between the two set of samples is kind of blurry and awkward. So for these, starting on a new note with the new articulation works better for me.

But the function works great without the x-fade, meaning combining two set of samples; specially harsh with sus or harsh with detaché!

[ktnujynisis]

I thought the same thing with the cell crossfade. Try this - On every note transition switch back to the original performance patch that you would normally use. NEVER CHANGE NOTES WITH THE SECONDARY CELL CROSS-FADE ACTIVE!!! It would definitely sound funky then. Your precision just has to be a little more accurate. Hope this works for ya

[cug]

@dfhage said:

I've seen it done for any string section, just write in the part with a dotted line across as many bars as you need "gradually to trem", that'll do the trick 😊. Orchestrators regularly do this as well as 1/2 section trem, 1/2 section harm etc Regards Dave Hage Dakota Music Service

Thanks Dave and everyone who replied. Sounds like it's a legit orchestral technique and something to add to my VI matrices. I even thought of a way to conduct it, although I might end up looking like Frank Zappa in the process...