Vienna Symphonic Library Forum
Forum Statistics

182,006 users have contributed to 42,199 threads and 254,646 posts.

In the past 24 hours, we have 4 new thread(s), 9 new post(s) and 48 new user(s).

  1. Home
  2. Sample Libraries
  3. Vienna Instruments Libraries
  4. Where's the Anvil?

  • Where's the Anvil?

    D
    D

    Maybe I can't see the wood for the trees but where's the anvil (you know the ring and the anvil chorus). I have the full percussion but can't find it.
  • DietzD
    VSL Team
    DietzD

    Look for "Rails". If you happen to own the "Processed Percussions", use the ones from there - they are already compressed, distorted and filtered, and therefore sound like the ones we got used to from all those records. 8-)

    /Dietz - Vienna Symphonic Library
  • Mark SchmiederM
    Mark SchmiederM
    I had bought a dedicated Anvils sample library from PMI earlier, but then VSL Percussion came along, and I find the Rails collection, which isn't quite the same thing, much more musically apt for most purposes. Nor do I need to apply any reverb :-). Very well done! As is the entire Percussion Library, which I evaluated in depth vs. all of the competition. I just wish most of the goodies weren't in the Extended License, which I can't yet afford.
  • D
    D

    I'd tried the "Rails" but there nothing like the manly anvils played by the niebelungen - very dissapointing. I'm surpirsed, so much esoteric percussion has been inlcuded but not a proper blacksmith's anvil.

    The "rails" sound way to high and "girly"
  • Mark SchmiederM
    Mark SchmiederM

    That's why I like them -- they blend better in the mix.

    If you need an anvil sound because you need actual anvils, as in Wagner's Ring Cycle, there is no substitute :-).

    AFAIK, PMI (now owned by Sampletekk) has the only high resolution dedicated Anvils sample library. 
  • N
    N

    Dear Dave,

    Just a quick hint about the PMI library (apologies if this isn't really the place for it).  I found that none of the samples individually worked for me.  However, choosing a relatively low "thunk" sample, and layering it with a relatively high "plink" sample, yielded a pretty powerful anvil.  Maybe worth a try.

    Kind Regards,

    Nick.
  • W
    W

    Actually I agree  with Dave  on this and was looking for an intense, maniacal anvil sound but found only the rather lightly and Mozartishly tapped rails.  So maybe that could be an additional sample - a huge anvil hit as hard as possible with a fucking sledgehammer.  Something that will cause pain.  We need that.  Being very pained composers...
  • O
    O

     I've not tried this myself but what about pitching down the VSL rails?
  • W
    W

    That's a possibility though you could only go a little down without getting the sound darker and less metallic.  I did try two at once which helped.  This is obvioiusly something one could sample oneself (shocking concept!) especially if your musical skills at anvil slamming are good.