My vote for this to be implemented soon!

Paolo

Thank you, Paul. Very nice!

Paolo

Hi,

Presets in Synchronized libraries have often different saved values of Channel Volume (CC7). Is this the equivalent of the Natural Volume parameter in MIR? Is it a way to balance the instruments the one against the others in a realistic way, or just a personal preference?

Paolo

Hi,

In the players from VSL, dynamics can be controlled either via Velocity or via CC. This can be decided in the patch (articulation), or in a general way by using a dedicated CC (by default, CC28).

Some recent collections include presets with shorts controlled via Velocity, longs via CC. As an alternative, presets where control is decided on a general level are still supplied.

While I like to have shorts controlled by Velocity, I still prefer to have a free decision on how to do. When building expression maps in Dorico, the first event in one of the items is a CC28. In general, this is the same as having the type of control in the patch: shorts and longs behave in a different way.

But with the type of control delegated to the expression map, I can decide, on an individual project, to edit my expression map, and change how it behaves. If I want the shorts to be controlled by a CC, I can simply change that, and the preset will simply behave by consequence.

Paolo

FRG, thank you for listening and for the hint about dynamics. I'll take care of it in the ongoing revision!

Paolo

I know, that's a nonsense. Period instruments are used for maximum authenticity – or, at least, for what we imagine was authentic at a time. On the contrary, sampled instruments are the realm of credible inauthenticity. But, since we are simulating the real world, why can't we simulate a simulated real world?

So, I didn't felt ashamed when I tried to make Beethoven with sampled period instrument. What I did was to reduce the members of the strings family (via Dimension Strings, in a 44443 setup). Then, the obvious Natural Horns and Trumpets from the Historical Winds collection.

I didn't have Classic-era (around 1800) woodwinds, so I used what I had. The Transverse Flute is not the equivalent of the bigger, deeper and meatier flute of that era. Yet, it's probably better to give an idea of 'past' than the modern metal flute, and all considered it was not yet the fast-evolving flute of the 30s. The Baroque Oboe should be a bit better, since the difference in sound with the Classic Oboe shouldn't be too much.

No Classic Clarinet in my arsenal, nor a Classic Bassoon. The clarinet was harsher than the modern one, but not too dissimilar. I have no clear idea about the evolution of the bassoon. I have a Baroque Bassoon from Chris Hein, but I feel that the instrument was, in the beginning of the 19th century, sounding more like a modern than an earlier one.

In any case, a new chapter to the Historic Winds collection, including Classic-era instruments, would be great.

So, does it work?

Beethoven - Eroica with sampled period instruments

Paolo

Hi,

A feature that I would find handy in the Synchron Player is a way to turn all mixer channels on or off with a single command. Something like Alt-clicking on the on/off button for a channel, and having all the other channels being alternatively turned on or off.

This would speed things like selecting a single Dimension Strings instrument, or activating most of the room mics in a Synchron library.

Paolo

Thank you, Andi! I see I can choose either way. So, it's my choice either to go for the minimal option (no player selection, only mixer channels on/off), or for a more ready-to-use one (adding all the player selection). The end result will be the same.

One way to decide is conditioned by the use I will do of the full section and the separate players. Since I usually reserve different channels in VEP for full sections, divisi and individual players, I guess the minimal option, based for density on turning mixer channels on/off, would be the cleanest way.

Paolo

I've finally made my All players presets, assembling the regular, sul pont, sul tasto and sordino versions of the Dimension Strings.

I could now complete the Group and Desk branches of the various versions, but I'm still not sure I should do. Being able to activate/deactivate each individual player in the Mix pages seems extremely hand, and the way the things are preferably done in Synchron Player.

But VSL also programmed the Group and Desk branches in the All players presets, so I wonder if they can be of some use. Maybe they were there for divisi writing, without having to load a different preset?

Paolo

Thank you, Andi!

So, to keep the number of presets at the bare minimum, I could:

- Program the All players versions
- When I need a single instrument, just deactivate all the other channels in the Mix page

I could even remove the Players dimension, since even creating Groups and Desks can be done on-the-fly when adding the All players preset to a sequence.

Paolo

Hi,

I'm creating my custom presets for Synchronized Dimension Strings, and I would like to see which is the fastest way.

First of all, I'm editing the presets containing all the players, like "1st Violins full - All players". Is this type of preset the same as those including only an individual player, like "1st Violins full - Player 1", when I mute all the other players in the All players preset?

If positive, this would mean that I could either use the same preset for the solo players, or derive the individual Player presets from the All players presets, by removing the other players.

If loading the All players presets with all the cells/patches deactivated, I guess that they will only take the memory needed to load that individual player that is playing.

Am I correct?

Paolo

It's really great! The only minus, is that I've my wrist panicking for editing my DS presets! :)

Paolo

Hi,

With some music program (for example, Dorico) there is no easy way to transfer, say, CC1 messages to CC2. This has proven a problem when trying to use an existing project (using the standard CC1 controls for dynamics) with your Synchronized SE libraries, programmed to use CC2 for this task.

To adapt the old project to the new libraries I would have had to either rewrite all the dynamics automation, or to reprogram the presets and the expression maps. A huge work. Exchanging data with a more capable sequencer was not in question, since I would have lost all the notation data.

A handy feature would be a CC routing in your players. Receive CC1, and route it to CC2. The user will be in charge of checking for overlapping CCs.

Paolo

Ah, nice, I was underestimating the size of the Haydn-Saal. The Mozartsaal is one of my preferred, so I'm happy to know the sound lives in a similar category.

Paolo

Hi,

I don't have a direct experience of either of them, and have not had a chance to compare the sound of recordings made in them. But, as far as I can see, the Schubertsaal in the Wiener Konzerthaus looks very much inspired to the Esterhazy's music hall. Similar size, similar shape, similar roof.

Are they meant to sound the same?

Paolo

Originally Posted by: bogdan

I'll try this definetely. I suspect a bug too; let's hope Andi will hop in and modify the expression map accordingly !

More than the expression map, I suspect it is more how Dorico manage articulations. Sometimes, adding a 'nat' before another articulation, or where a direction-type articulation should end, can solve some of the missing articulation change issues.

Paolo

Somewhere else in the forum I've seen a hint to turn off any extra MIDI input. So I did, and in the meantime I reworked mixing. However, I've still a feeling of some phasing happening. Are they just my ears?

Paolo

Hi,

I was trying to replicate with Synchron Strings Pro (Standard) the demo of a competitor's strings library, and had to notice that I got some hint of what I would call 'phasing' in the Violoncelli.

In this excerpt I'm using the RoomMix/Close preset, with adjustments in panning and the Close mics level. The phenomenon also appear with the default settings. No effect has been applied.

What's going wrong?

Paolo

Fabio, thank you for listening!

Happy New Year!

Paolo

A solution could be to change the sul pont playback technique to an attribute, instead of a direction. If it's the glyph, I think this would also make sense.

If it is the sul pont text expression, it is clearly a direction. But you can make an exception with it, by making it an attribute, and extending it up to the next technique.

In any case, I suspect a bug somewhere.

Paolo

I can confirm that after sul pont. and then col legno, recalling arco actually recalls sul pont.. It also happens when there are other articulations instead of col legno.

Paolo

Thank you very much! Very interesting!

Paolo

Referring to competitor's products is not appreciated in this forum, but I guess that by citing products not covered by VSL could not be of bad taste.

Good koras can be found in collections like Native Instruments' West Africa, UVI's World Suite 2, and Sonic Zest dedicated library. I've seen others around, but I think these are the most up-to-date and detailed I can think of (and I'd be happy to know if there are others around).

I'm not sure VSL will sooner or later release non-European instruments, a bit off their original mission. In any case, I would love if they further expanded their interests more in time than in space, since we are still missing a lot of instruments from the Baroque and Classic period, and I doubt many quality developers will ever devote time to them.

Paolo

I didn't watch at the film, so I could listen to the soundtrack without any distraction. And I liked it very much. I'm not surprised, since I liked very much the work that Reznor/Ross did for The Social Network.

I found a lot of mastery in this score. They dug in the styles of the referred epoch, and made very credible recreations of it. Light music and avant-garde pieces are all much in line with the time, so I guess music and picture match perfectly.

In some way, I found this soundtrack similar to what Howard Shore has done with Cronenberg's most experimental films (Crash and The Naked Lunch), even if here we are on the lighter side of experimentation.

So, I don't know how it works as a soundtrack, and how it is when listened with the movie, but I would say that is a well-made score, matching or not each one's tastes, but admirable in being creative and – why not? – historically informed.

Paolo

Hey, you can't promise 10,000$ and then go back! Now, with this excuse of the hackers!

Paolo