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  • Soprano Sax demo

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    There has been some testy rumblings about the Soprano Sax recently. I believe it to be the best Soprano Sax samples available today. I do a fair amount of smooth jazz and posted this simple piece a while back on the NS forum. Maybe this will show another side to the sax that is not being seen here at VSL. The guitar btw is the VSL classical guitar.

    http://www.scoredog.tv/Smooth%20Soprano%20Sax.mp3
  • J
    J
    Whoa!
    Did you read Herb's reply to my post in the contra-bass clarinet thread! I feel offended that I can't express an opinion about the soprano sax patch. This is not a way to treat a potential customer. Have I done something wrong? [:O]ops: Very touchy indeed! Perhaps I should not give honest opinions on this forum anymore - although I thought that this was what it was for. Oh well, I'll go elsewhere.
    BTW, very nice soprano sax demo. I like how you appear to have used marcato samples for the fast stuff. My only critisism is- dare I say it, I'm actually afraid to say this- there are a bit too many slides and portamentos for me. I will now await punishment for voicing this opinion.
    -Julie
  • M
    M
    First off let me say I love every sample vsl makes they are all brillant including the soprano sax based on what I have heard in this demo.

    I guess the main problem with this is for classical playing in a wind-band situation. In America every junior high, high school and college has a wind ensemble. There are probably 5 times as many bands as there are orchestras. One of the instruments often called upon is soprano sax, that is played much more like a clarinet or oboe than a jazzy sax. Its almost a diffrent instrument when played in this context.
  • michiM
    VSL Team
    michiM
    julie, please, try to understand our point.
    you said: ....though I have read that they have an unusable soprano sax, which is a shame....., this is simply untrue and we are sick and tired to fight against this stupid rumor. nobody wanted to offend you personal, it's only this certain subject, which is pure pain for us in the meantime. it's so hard to achieve acceptance for the decisions we made and on the other hand it's so easy to post a weak demo to discredit our saxophone, like vanbebber did.
    so maybe we could cool down a little bit and return to a usual discussion-behavior.
    all the best, michael hula
  • C
    C
    "I'm actually afraid to say this- there are a bit too many slides and portamentos for me. I will now await punishment for voicing this opinion.
    -Julie "

    I agree....i put too many slides in this piece, but that was because I could. No other library could be shown off this way. You of course have the option of using the sax anyway way you want, but you can see from the demo that marcarto and slides (among many other articulations) are possible.

    BTW when VSL conceived this library, I believe smooth jazz was probably not even on the radar of their thinking. This goes to show the versatility of this library to move into different genres
  • C
    C
    "I feel offended that I can't express an opinion about the soprano sax patch"

    I was frankly offended to, and it even aimed at me - and this is in spite of me having read the original post. [:)]. Here is why:

    Regarding the Soprano Sax legatos - I am sure they are both useable, and that they were sampled purpously as they were. But fact remains that they are sampled differently than all other Performance Legatos I have own (30-50 something I guess). You can play beautiful passages with all other non-portamento Legato instruments, but you cant with the Soprano Sax - So the soprano Sax Performance Legato has to be used as a filler between regular samples also included in the liberary.

    So I can understand why someone expecting the legatos to be "like the others" could be dissapointed. So, in my opinion I understand why you feel offended about that reply.

    I do however understand why VSL get pissy about a rumor that they are directly unusable because of course its useable!- But there is no denying that it is used differently than other legato instruments - but then again its a different Instrument. So when I disagree wholeheartedly with the way Evanebber (or whatever his name was) approached this, I understand why he is baffled over the difference between soprano Sax and the other instruments.

    Craig - Demo is great, but as julie says very slide heavy. And you must admit it wouldbe very hard not to make it slideheavy with the soprano sax, even using the non-portamento legato patch.
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    @Christian Marcussen said:


    You can play beautiful passages with all other non-portamento Legato instruments, but you cant with the Soprano Sax - So the soprano Sax Performance Legato has to be used as a filler between regular samples also included in the liberary.
    -------------------------
    Craig - Demo is great, but as julie says very slide heavy. And you must admit it wouldbe very hard not to make it slideheavy with the soprano sax, even using the non-portamento legato patch.


    Please Christian,
    could you develop a little more your thoughts about that ?
    I was about to order the VSL sax library, and this confuses me... I already own the Biggagiggas Sax volumes and they are fine, well sampled, but a bit limited IMO because they lack a really legato sound. That is the reason why I was considering VSL saxes.
    But you seem to say, as I understand it, that the perf.leg saxes are not the usual no-brainer and usable perf-leg that one finds in other VSL libs... really, I'm confused.
    I do not understand very well either your saying about the seemingly unavoidable "slideheavyness" of the soprano.
    [*-)]:
  • C
    C
    "Craig - Demo is great, but as julie says very slide heavy. And you must admit it wouldbe very hard not to make it slideheavy with the soprano sax, even using the non-portamento legato patch."

    It was a personal choice to show off the slide ability of the Soprano Sax. It would have been simpler to not use as many slides and just keep it straight. I do not understand this statement. I could post a simplified version of this demo if there is enough people who can't believe that the library can't play straight tones but I find it funny. For years people complained that libraries didn't have a real feel going from note to note. Then a library comes along which allows for it, a demo gets done, with maybe a few too many slides, and people ask...can the library be played with less slides.

    the answer is of course...it can be.
  • P
    P
    Yes ofcourse it can - but not the Legato Patch. Not in the way that you can with all other non-portamento legato patches.

    So let me refraise - It would be hard toing the peice you did using the Performance Legato, without making it slide heavy. Or rather, it would be impossible unless you choose to not tie the tones together.

    I am NOT saying the soprano is unusable at all! But its the non-porta legato patch is VERY different from all other non-portamento patchesand can not be used on its own for playing melodies - not in the way the others can.
  • P
    P
    BAH...the written above was by me, but on my old forum acount.
  • C
    C
    LOL! The above one to... It keeps messing up.

    So for the record...what was written above by "Patriarch" is written by me on my old Forum account..
  • S
    S
    [quote=Craig Sharmat]"I'm actually afraid to say this- there are a bit too many slides and portamentos for me. I will now await punishment for voicing this opinion.
    -Julie "

    I play in a group and we have a sopranosax player that's one of the best in town. Wwe play a mixture of progressive rock and jazz. He plays folk music and godspel as well when other people call.
    I'm sorry to say that your demo is maybe worst than the words of Julie.
    It never, only for a moment, let me think "Hey, this is a real sax player!"
    The other VSL demos I have listened to arevery goodbut this is far from real world. I'm sorry about writiing this but I have listened to it 4 times.
    This is not for let you stop doing demos, please make another more real.
    I look forward to hearing it soon!
    ciao
    Sergino
  • N
    N
    And furthermore, Craig, I hate the way you dress!

    [:P]
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    @Nick Batzdorf said:

    And furthermore, Craig, I hate the way you dress!

    [[:P]]


    Yeah! And why do you wear those funny shoes? It's lke you overdosed on The Prisoner or something! [[:P]]
  • J
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    @Nick Batzdorf said:

    And furthermore, Craig, I hate the way you dress!

    [:P]
    Well, that sure showed him. [:D]
  • C
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    Well I am never coming back here again (you forgot to mention I smell bad) after I answer this post.

    "I play in a group and we have a sopranosax player that's one of the best in town. Wwe play a mixture of progressive rock and jazz. He plays folk music and godspel as well when other people call.
    I'm sorry to say that your demo is maybe worst than the words of Julie.
    It never, only for a moment, let me think "Hey, this is a real sax player!"
    The other VSL demos I have listened to arevery goodbut this is far from real world. I'm sorry about writiing this but I have listened to it 4 times.
    This is not for let you stop doing demos, please make another more real.
    I look forward to hearing it soon!
    ciao
    Sergino"

    Believe it or not I have played wirh a sax player too. Actually I have played many gigs, tours and sessions with some of the worlds best as an L.A. based guitarist,composerr and arranger. I am not saying this sax should be replacing the real deal, but it is as good a facimile of a soprano sax as is available today.

    Now I am never coming back....except maybe tomorrow ...or the next day. Hey
    i bought a new bike....anyone want to see it?
  • Z
    Z
    ...its ok I guess, but you bought the wrong colour...

    Keep trying though! We'll let you know where you're going wrong.
  • C
    C
    Hey Craig- When you think back on this thread, please do not recall be as someone bashing your stuff, becuase this was not the case at all.

    My comments were solely comments regarding teh soprano sax and has nothing to do with your abilities to use it.

    Thanks
  • S
    S
    Maybe your sax player it's too friendly with you?
    My intention was to make you getting better. When somebody says something rude, it's a big occasion for improving and let him see what you are able to do.
    If you leave the forum, you are a looser, but if you do well, you are the winner.
    (Sorry for my English, but I hope it is clear).
    Hear you again
    Sergino
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    @Sergino Futurino said:

    If you leave the forum, you are a looser
    Rule no. 1, you should never, ever call someone a "looser". That is simply an insult which is totally undeserved.

    Secondly, Craig was joking when he said he was leaving.

    We'll chalk this up to your limited vocabulary. [:D]