Flautando & Ponticello

Each section of a string ensemble is capable of producing a kaleidoscope of colors and timbres that can paint evocative and transcendent musical landscapes. This third installment of Synchron Duality Strings offers the main articulations of the series in especially soft as well as eerie, glassy tonal colors, depending on where the players put the bow on the strings.

Flautando is played close to the fingerboard and exclusively in pianississimo (ppp). The tone is very soft, gentle, and ethereal. Sul ponticello refers to playing very close to the bridge, producing a much sharper sound with lots of overtones. This playing technique covers the entire dynamic spectrum (pp - ff).

The performances of these articulations were captured in the same sampling sessions as the regular and sordino recordings, ensuring the best possible compatibility with the other playing techniques. While the large ensembles played their instruments in Stage A, the small ensembles simultaneously played in the dryer Stage B of Synchron Stage Vienna, performing perfectly in sync.

If you are working with several instances of the Vienna Synchron Player, consider using different colors between the large ensemble in Stage A and the smaller ensemble in Stage B. Experiment with new timbres using sordinos in the large Stage A and flautando in Stage B, or mix ponticellos in Stage A with non-sordino performances in Stage B.

As a special bonus set, this Collection includes beautiful Tutti Pianissimo Colors. The ensemble of 52 string players (14 first violins, 12 second violins, 10 violas, 10 cellos, 6 basses) was recorded in the large hall Stage A as a kind of third layer to the other styles. It offers spiccatos, long notes and tremolos in the three colors flautando, flautando con sordino, and ponticello, all of them played in the softest dynamic range of ppp. Using the new Colors Controller (CC3) you can seamlessly move through the various playing techniques to create unheard-of textures of softly morphing stringscapes. These tutti patches are available in two orchestration variants: a wide spread across four octaves including basses, and a narrow one across one octave without basses (violins in unison, violas and cellos in unison one octave below).

If you have the regular, sordino and colors collections of Synchron Duality Strings installed, the “Merged” Presets combine all patches on one surface, making it easy to switch and access an overview of all available articulations.

Standard & Full Library

The Standard Library and Full Library of Synchron Duality Strings (colors) both include the same articulations. The difference lies in the number of provided microphone positions.

Notation Program Integration

You’ll find Expression Maps for Cubase and Dorico as well as Soundsets for Sibelius under "Additionals" in your Vienna Assistant.