Originally Posted by: Jason Archibald 
... Are there any in-depth tutorials for developing a mastery of using these libraries beyond the several great but short ones put out by VSL?
Thanks
Hello Jason
You may have already found my site, but there is so much there.
One of the important things when dealing with samples is dialing in the articulations. If you can't develop a routine here ^ it's not fun in the long run.
A) One possibility is to use notation software that selects the articulations depending on the notation. If you write a sfz over the note, a sfz is played, if you write 16th notes or a dot over a 4th note, a staccato is played (or as you define it yourself). Here are two facts that speak against the method (via notation):
1. the notation does not always correspond to the way the written note is actually played (see 39).
2. with the exception of Dorico, the other notation software products are not able to include enough controller curves and other functions besides the notes to simultaneously also control the VI player (SYNCHRON player) so that the result sounds musical. People who own notation programs and want to improve their sound result create a midi file, import it into a DAW and operate the VIs there.
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B) Another possibility is to use the expression maps that VSL has provided. Simply put, you assign notes in the DAW the desired articulation with which they should be played, without having to worry about how many individual notes (keyswitches) it would take to trigger a corresponding articulation. It is important to know that these keyswitches are not standardized. The note C0, for example, is not generally available for all libraries in order to select a staccato.
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C) While A) and B) are official offers to solve the problem of articulation selection, there are still individual ones. For me, the following has proven itself:
Fact is that you can usually define 10-15 articulations, which you need most often:
E.g.
- C0 1 Spiccato
- C#0 2 Staccato
- D0 3 Détaché
- D#0 4 Sustain w Vib
- E0 5 Sustain wo Vib
- F0 6 Legato
- G0 7 Portamento
- G#0 8 sfz
- A... 9 dim short
- ...
If you create a matrix for each instrument so that the same note always triggers the staccato in all libraries, for example, you will soon be able to set these articulations very quickly. I call this creating your own "basic presets". Here is an example (Basic Presets) for the new SYNCHRON-Player...
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Once the music has been played, you have to decide whether you want to make the orchestra mix by processing the individual audio signals from the VIs or SYNCHRON players, or whether you want to create an audio file of all instruments (without effects) first and then use it to make an audio mix.
I prefer the second method here because I could still do a new mix in 20 years. This is not possible with the first method, because in 20 years the computer will no longer be set up the same way, licenses and effects will be missing, so a project may no longer open at all... (my experience during the last 20 years).
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Unfortunately, one thing has to be said despite everything: Professional and great music examples with samples always require (still) a lot of time, in addition to a lot of routine and experience. It's hard to produce something quickly if you want it to sound good. "Still" because perhaps one day artificial intelligence will be able to take over a few processes. e.g. setting keyswitches depending on the style of music or an entire audio mix...
Beat