Dimension tuba range

[byronhawkins]

I'm trying to use Dimension brass for an orchestral brass section. This works fine for all the parts except bass trombone and tuba, for which the high range does not extend far enough. I need tuba up to middle C (C4), and bass trombone up to the F above (F4)--this is not difficult to play on the instruments, but the Dimension patches only go up to C3. I'm using the Sibelius presets for tuba and bass trombone. Is it possible I have it configured wrong? Or is there at least a way to map a tenor trombone onto the upper register in Vienna Ensemble, so that at least some instrument plays the upper notes?   I'll probably get a single instrument copy of bass trombone and tuba to fix this, though I can't find the ranges of those libraries. Does anyone know where the ranges are listed? Thanks for your help.   Byron

[Bill]

Most Tuba patches go up to G4, Bass Trombone to E4 (legato to G4).

[Babe]

This is not correct,  Both the bass trombone and tuba have and upper range of C2.  They are keyed to C3 and sound an octave lower.  This lack of range make these instruments unusable.

[andi]

Hello Byron!

The Tuba and Bass Trombone included in the Dimension Low Brass section are not ment to be full-blown single instruments, but come as a part of this section which has a smaller range.

With VI Pro it's possible to extend the range of the Dimension Low Brass Tuba and Bass Trombone with Dimension Trombones in the upper register. To do this, you have to load the Trombone patches to other slots of the same cells of the Tuba or Bass Trombone presets and edit the keyboard range, so that they start one halftone above the last Tuba or Bass Trombone notes.

The range of the Tuba Single Instrument goes from D1 to G4.
The range of the Bass Trombone Single Instrument goes from C1 to E4.

Best regards,
Andi

[javajam]

Ha, sometimes I should have a look to the forum first...
I've been worrying about Dimension Bass Trombone & Tuba ranges for a while and tried to figure it out. Not easy as they are mapped one octave higher than the other brass instruments. Adding the VSL middle C3 and good luck then ;-)

Ok thank you Byron and Andi, I'll have a look to extend the range like said. Anything but plug'n play btw... And if it should work for the bass trombone, I'm not sure about the tuba/trombone chain sounding.

[javajam]

Following, is there a way to map an instrument one octave higher ? As tuba (and bs trombone) are higher, you can't extend the range by simply loading a trombone in a slot as respective range are played on different octaves...

[Cyril Blanc]

@andi said:

The Tuba and Bass Trombone included in the Dimension Low Brass section are not ment to be full-blown single instruments, but come as a part of this section which has a smaller range.

...................................

The range of the Tuba Single Instrument goes from D1 to G4.

The range of the Bass Trombone Single Instrument goes from C1 to E4.

Best regards,
Andi

Hello Andi,

I am starting to use THE DIMENTION BRASS, this product is a killer ! To make it perfect, and to make everybody happy why don't you give the Dimension's Tuba and Bass Trombone there full range

It is not say we buy an amputee Tuba and an amputee Bass Trombone LOL

Thanks in advance for the update 

Best

 

Cyril

[Babe]

Another problem with the Dimension Brass low brass is the leakage.  I can't believe that VSL, with their history of top quality products, which includes Dimension Brass itself, released the low brass as it is.   

[javajam]

I'm back to some work with trombones/tuba... The mapping of the Dimension ones is... let's say, stunning. What are we supposed to understand there ?

- Bass trombone and tuba sound one octave lower than written.
- Range is uncomplete.
- Bass trombone lowest octave is doubled.
- (and as Babe said, there's a significant leakage...)

This is totally weird and makes the low brass hardly usable.

[prodamu]

Wait a minute, the whole idea of ​​the Dimension libraries is that they are sampled as a section that plays together. How would you like to avoid leaks when the instruments play together right next to each other? Of course, you can record one instrument at a time, then there will be no leakage, but you will not get the realistic sound of a section that plays together. Same thing if you isolate the intruments to much from each other.

This is also not specific to Low Brass, it is the same for the other Dimension Brass and Dimension Strings sections. BUT, in the other cases, all instruments recorded together are of the same kind and then the leak is not heard in the same way as for Low brass where there are different types of instruments playing in two different octaves.

I thought from the beginning that you could use Low Brass to play chords where each instrument plays different notes (it works fine for the other Dimension sections) but the leakage, which as said is inevitable with this sampling method, prevents it. The conclusion is that Low Brass works best for unisona phrases.

In terms of range, probably the range of Low Brass has the range usually used when two trombones a bass trombone and a tuba play unison (in two octaves) so I do not feel it's strange that the full scope of the instruments has not been combined this purpose.

Today I use Dimension Trumpets and Dimension Trombones together with VSL Bass Trombone and Bass Tuba or Contrabass Tuba to play chords. Dimension Low Brass I use when these instruments will play unison to get the extra power and realism that you do not get with the individual intruments. And for solo, I use VSL trumpet in C, Tenor Trombone, Bass Trumbone or Contrabass Trombone. Not Dimension Low Brass.

[javajam]

 

@prodamu said:

Today I use Dimension Trumpets and Dimension Trombones together with VSL Bass Trombone and Bass Tuba or Contrabass Tuba to play chords.

The leakage is particularly noticeable on the low brass but it's not the worse default, I could manage with, that's why I wrote it within parenthesis. That said, I'm not supposed to buy a bank which could be used in unison only I guess, the Dimension Brass are not said having this terrible restriction as far as I know.

The main problem is the range, we have uncomplete instruments here !

And you just confirmed what I said. You're using other VSL instruments when you need the entire instrument range or wish to avoid the leakage. And the usual bass trombone sounds pinched and poor regarding the DM one BTW.

I don't see any valuable reason to get two instruments which have an uncomplete and limited range. Never seen anything like this anywhere else.

[Babe]

Dimension Brass is my main brass libarary.  I love it.  I have no problem with leakage with the standard instruments.  I use them in solos, unisons, and chords.  The low brass, however, is the worst.  Unusable.  For tuba, I use either the VSL tuba or one from another libarary.  If I need that bass trombone sound, I use SM.