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  4. Divisi in Synchron Strings

  • Divisi in Synchron Strings

    T
    T

    So with Synchron Strings releases now almost complete, I was wondering what techniques folks here are using to replicate divisi playing?  

    Any advice appreciated!

    Michael
  • stephen limbaughS
    stephen limbaughS

    So far, I'm just swapping in some dimension strings and blending it with the synchron ensemble pulled down.  Not totally satisfied with that yet.
  • W
    W

    There is no divisi and if you simply split the parts you will create twice the number of players.  
  • W
    W

    Though you can do double stops since they effectively double the number of strings heard simultaneously.  
  • T
    T
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    @William said:

    There is no divisi and if you simply split the parts you will create twice the number of players.  

    William, thanks, I do know that.  I was wondering if anyone had any creative techniques,  or thoughts on how to do it, volume reduction, time shifting, eq, etc...
  • stephen limbaughS
    stephen limbaughS

    Have you tried a different blend of mics?  I'm wondering if some combination of dual mono mics panned a little off from each other with the tree mics pulled down would be convincing... 
  • W
    W

    Faking it contradicts the whole principle of the library!  

    But yeah,  you can probably get away with some trick. 
  • T
    T
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    @stephen limbaugh said:

    Have you tried a different blend of mics?  I'm wondering if some combination of dual mono mics panned a little off from each other with the tree mics pulled down would be convincing... 

    Stephen, I'll have to play with that.

    I have tried creating additional (duplicate) ensembles and panning them and adjusting volume in MirPro, and that gets close,but not quite there.
  • T
    T
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    @William said:

    Faking it contradicts the whole principle of the library!  

    Indeed, and I own DImension Strings which is probably the best solution I've seen yet for divisi (although some Kirk Hunter libraries offer a very nice approach).  

    But if "faking it" is out of the question, then it would seem that if I'm working on a piece with divisi (or mutes or col legno or spiccato or feathers, for that matter) then use of Synchron Strings is out of the question.  

    Also, if you want to be a purist about it, then "faking it" would also include a combination of the old standbys Orchestral Strings with Chamber Strings for the divisi.  Or adding solo strings in a larger orchestral mix to create detail.  Or using EQ, for that matter, to adjust the tone of any sample library.

    To me, using a sample library implies and, in fact, requires some degree of "faking it".  
  • C
    C

    How about this?

    Increase prominence of important violin sound:
    Boost +1dB to +3dB 1000Hz, Q=1.4
    Boost +1dB to +3dB 3000Hz Q=1.4

    Reversing dB value with the settings suggested above, you should be able to decrease prominence of the violin sound. This way you would "thin out" the section's sound, emulating a reduced number of players on each divisi section. Is this what you want to do?

    P.S. Just out of curiosity, why not employ Dimension strings, which you do have?
  • W
    W

    "Also, if you want to be a purist about it, then "faking it" would also include a combination of the old standbys Orchestral Strings with Chamber Strings for the divisi.  Or adding solo strings in a larger orchestral mix to create detail." - tensivity 

    No, I would never say that!  Because the other recordings are done totally dry on the silent stage and one can easily add them together and place them into a single ambience using EQ if needed.  I always use those smaller ensembles for divisi and it is perfect because the smaller ensembles are more "close" sounding and the numberes of players are also very close. EVen if they don't match precisely the sound is perfect.   Also layering the solo instruments is one of the best effects available in VSL strings.  The ultimate though is layering solo with Dimension.     

    However - none of this is the same with Synchron because they are reorded completely differently with the ambience in.  So you are truly faking it and distorting that basic sound.  Though as I said one can do tricks and get away with things, certainly.  You can probably fool people with a completely different reverb!  But it is not the intent of the library. 
  • T
    T
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    @crusoe said:

    How about this?

    Increase prominence of important violin sound:
    Boost +1dB to +3dB 1000Hz, Q=1.4
    Boost +1dB to +3dB 3000Hz Q=1.4

    Reversing dB value with the settings suggested above, you should be able to decrease prominence of the violin sound. This way you would "thin out" the section's sound, emulating a reduced number of players on each divisi section. Is this what you want to do?

    P.S. Just out of curiosity, why not employ Dimension strings, which you do have?

    I like the sound of the new Synchron Strings, and I figured a lot of folks were experimenting with them.  Just wondered if anyone had run up against the divisi issue.

    Thanks for the suggestion, I'll give it a try.