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  4. Synchron Brass - chromatic sampling?

  • Synchron Brass - chromatic sampling?

    T
    T

    Hi! I was wondering if the Synchron Brass library features chromatic or whole-tone sampling? I couldn't find this information anywhere. Many thanks!
  • MackerM
    MackerM

    On listening extremely closely to a few of my new Synchron Brass instruments and ensembles (with Humanization off), here and there I've been able to spot a single sample per whole-tone zone, as I expected.

    In the past I've investigated this by looking at recorded chromatic scales in Melodyne, where sample/zone usage can be seen clearly. But nowadays I'm fairly sure one sample per whole-tone zone is pretty much the industry standard for decent orchestral libraries. I don't know about VSL's extremely high quality piano libraries though.

    I for one am happy that semitone zones are not the general rule - considering not only the amount of SSD I'd need, but also the prices that sample-library makers would have to charge to cover their editing staff's time spent on each library.
  • PaulP
    VSL Team
    PaulP

    Hi, 

    The correct answer is: It depends on the articulation and the instruments. 

    In the course of our recordings, we think we have found the best options to capture a homogenous, consistent and, like Macker said, economic sample set of our instruments. A lot of research went ino this topic, and it was also interesting for us to find out that chromatic sampling does NOT necessarily lead to better results.

    Best, 
    Paul

    Paul Kopf Product Manager VSL
  • MackerM
    MackerM

    Paul, thanks for your elucidation on the thinking and practice that went into this great new library. My assumption about whole-tone sampling being the general rule has been duly updated. My faith, confidence and pleasure in VSL's general approach to the quality, sense, taste, care and craftsmanship put into the making of their libraries, are yet again reaffirmed.

    TheModalRealist, much of my old audiophile attitude is still with me; I'm listening to a big mockup I'm working on through Sennheiser HD600 cans via a Focusrite Clarett audio interface and Neve headphone amp, with 64-bit summing enabled in Logic. I'm hearing a convincing full modern symphony orchestra, made of almost entirely VSL libraries, with 16-16-12-12-8 string sections - all SyDimension Strings - in which I've used the (whole-tone) transpose trick to reach this size (without phasing) whilst retaining the capability of going into 2, 3 or 4 part divisi. This means that in some cases a string sample can be re-pitched by 1, 2 or even 3 semitones from its recorded root pitch (as well as the microtuning introduced by my orchestral intonation subsystem). Am I hearing any unwelcome artifacts or effects because of that? No, not as far as I can tell. What I do know is, the magic is working for me and that's what matters to me above all. Hoping this may be a helpful perspective for you.