# Bunker Strings Vol.1 - out tomorrow



## thesteelydane (Nov 27, 2018)

Edit: Bunker Strings has been released. Here's the new thread where I will answer all your questions.

https://vi-control.net/community/threads/bunker-strings-vol-1-out-now.79438/
And here's the walkthrough:



Library available here:

https://bunkersamples.com

Edit: The special preorder sale is now over, but you can still preorder for only 35 USD until release.

Hi all

So I've been working on a little string fx sample library, and it's now so close to completion that I feel comfortable taking pre-orders. Since it was cider monday yesterday (I'm still recovering, and sorry @Mike Greene for stealing that), I've decided to run a special deal for the rest of the week. If you preorder, you get the entire library for only 29 USD! There will be an intro discount as well, but it won't be this low.

This is NOT a normal string library, so do make sure to watch the walkthrough, to see what it's all about. For now only the bas patches are sort of ready to show to the world, but they are glorious.



And here's a walkthrough of the demo track:



Here's the (for now only - working on that...) demo track:


And here's my brand new website where you can pre-order:

http://www.bunkersamples.com (www.bunkersamples.com)

Instruments:

Violin (9)
Viola (9)
Cello (9)
Bass (9)
Full ensemble patches
Sound design patches
Articulations:

Soft pizz trem
Loud pizz trem
Drum stick col legno trem
Ricochet trem (except for bass, coming in an update)
Drum stick col legno shorts (3 dynamic layers, 4 round robbins)

Samples mixed down from over 19 hours of recordings, finished size estimated at roughly between 10 and 15 GB.

It's all early days, and I've put this content together very quickly to be able to offer a special black-friday-late-to-the-party deal to my VIC friends, so excuse the rambling and things missing. It will all come together very soon. I'm super excited about this library, and to the best of my knowledge there's nothing quite like it out there. It's what happens when a string player falls in love with sampling, sprinkled with a touch of mad scientist....hope you'll like it!


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## ka00 (Nov 27, 2018)

Sounds good! Pre-ordered.


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## thesteelydane (Nov 27, 2018)

ka00 said:


> Sounds good! Pre-ordered.



Thank you, much appreciated!


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## TGV (Nov 28, 2018)

Me too. I may never need it, but that bass sound is very promising.


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## hawpri (Nov 28, 2018)

I like how it looks easy to control ensemble size and dynamics. It's also kind of fun to intentionally disregard realism in favor of sound. Sorry if I missed it, but is there going to be just the one mic position?


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## axb312 (Nov 28, 2018)

@thesteelydane Would be nice if you could extend the intro/ pre-order pricing until you release a more detailed walkthrough (With other sections) and release pertinent details like:
1. Number of instruments
2. Sample pool size
3. Number of Dyn layers - I understand this is 3 for the Bass
4. Number of Round Robins - I understand this is 4 for the Bass
5. Articulation list
6. Mic selections available
7. Recording environment
8. 3, 6, 9 players etc. - are these stacked samples or actual recording with varying number of players?

etc. etc.

For that matter, why is a pre-order required? Why not just release the library with intro pricing?


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## HBen (Nov 29, 2018)

OK, I pre-ordered, it sounds great to me. I have received an email says that I will receive the product by December 27, but there's no money charge on my credit cards or PayPal account, so I guess that still means I am all set?


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## funnybear (Nov 29, 2018)

Sounds great. Pre-ordered. I love the grit in the samples.


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## thesteelydane (Nov 29, 2018)

axb312 said:


> @thesteelydane Would be nice if you could extend the intro/ pre-order pricing until you release a more detailed walkthrough (With other sections) and release pertinent details like:
> 1. Number of instruments
> 2. Sample pool size
> 3. Number of Dyn layers - I understand this is 3 for the Bass
> ...



1) 9 for every articulation, across bass, cello, viola and violin.
2) Don’t know yet, until everything is mixed down. Recorded material was over 19 hours, but this will be stacked. That’s the concept of the library.
3) There are no dynamic layers, except for the shorts, which have 3 and 4 round robbins across the entire library. Dynamics is created by fading in more players/layers. This is not intended to be a realistic library, this is intended to leverage what’s best about sampling by creating an instrument that sounds like something real, but can only exist in the virtual domain.
4) p pizz trem, f pizz trem, stick trem, ricochet trem (except for the bass, which will be recorded next summer), drumstick col legno shorts.
5) None
6) A well treated bunker
7) Stacked, but using as many different instruments as I could get my hands on. Again thats the entire concept, as it allows me to apply individual fx to each player down the road. Each layer is mixed down to 3 players to avoid getting a crazy amount of streaming voices.

Pre-order because I wanted to offer something for cyber week, but wasn’t ready to release (recording everything 9 times has turned out to be, well....9 times the work, and I’m just one person). I also wanted to get a feel for the interest. There will be an intro pricing.


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## thesteelydane (Nov 29, 2018)

HBen said:


> OK, I pre-ordered, it sounds great to me. I have received an email says that I will receive the product by December 27, but there's no money charge on my credit cards or PayPal account, so I guess that still means I am all set?



Thanks for ordering! Yes, Gumroad doesn’t charge you anything until I release the product, so I don’t see a penny until I release.


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## thesteelydane (Nov 29, 2018)

funnybear said:


> Sounds great. Pre-ordered. I love the grit in the samples.


Thanks, appreciate it!


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## thesteelydane (Nov 29, 2018)

hawpri said:


> I like how it looks easy to control ensemble size and dynamics. It's also kind of fun to intentionally disregard realism in favor of sound. Sorry if I missed it, but is there going to be just the one mic position?



Yes, only one. But then again, it’s not an expensive library


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## HBen (Nov 29, 2018)

Thank you for filling holes in my string articulations. Please keep up the good work, I hope there will be more following series to fill more holes.


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## thesteelydane (Nov 29, 2018)

HBen said:


> Thank you for filling holes in my string articulations. Please keep up the good work, I hope there will be more following series to fill more holes.


I will be back in the bunker next summer to record not only the missing bass articulation, but also volume 2. Maybe even sooner if I can get a similar sounding studio set up here in Hanoi.


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## kriskrause (Nov 29, 2018)

Could you clarify when the pre-order ends? By midnight CET on November 30, do you mean in about 8 hours, or in about 32 hours?

The concept sounds great, by the way! Love seeing people look for new ways to use sampling.


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## Wally Garten (Nov 29, 2018)

thesteelydane said:


> a well treated bunker



Curious about this -- how did you acquire a bunker for recording?



kriskrause said:


> The concept sounds great, by the way! Love seeing people look for new ways to use sampling.



Agreed!


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## thesteelydane (Nov 29, 2018)

kriskrause said:


> Could you clarify when the pre-order ends? By midnight CET on November 30, do you mean in about 8 hours, or in about 32 hours?
> 
> The concept sounds great, by the way! Love seeing people look for new ways to use sampling.



Actually I think I’ll let it run through the weekend to give more people a chance to get in on the deal! I'll bump the pre-order price up a little Monday morning (which since I'm in Hanoi now, will be after midnight on Sunday in Europe).


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## thesteelydane (Nov 29, 2018)

Wally Garten said:


> Curious about this -- how did you acquire a bunker for recording?



In Copenhagen the city has opened up old WWII bomb shelters for people to rent. A friend of mine did that and converted it into a proper studio - I rented it from him. It was a great place to work, no one disturbs you down there. On the other hand there was no daylight, toilet facilities, or running water, so you had to plan your work around leaving the house AFTER you had taken care of that business at home, and bring in water for the coffee machine. And it was cold in the winter, but nevertheless I miss it, and look forward to being back next summer to record Vol. 2 (I live in Hanoi now).


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## Wally Garten (Nov 29, 2018)

That's amazing and wonderful. Thank you!



thesteelydane said:


> In Copenhagen the city has opened up old WWII bomb shelters for people to rent. A friend of mine did that and converted it into a proper studio - I rented it from him. It was a great place to work, no one disturbs you down there. On the other hand there was no daylight, toilet facilities, or running water, so you had to plan your work around leaving the house AFTER you had taken care of that business at home, and bring in water for the coffee machine. And it was cold in the winter, but nevertheless I miss it, and look forward to being back next summer to record Vol. 2 (I live in Hanoi now).


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## thesteelydane (Nov 29, 2018)

I have created a less rambling walkthrough that much better explains the philosophy behind the library. You can now also watch the demo walkthrough in it's own little short video. Videos in the original announcement post above.


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## hawpri (Nov 29, 2018)

thesteelydane said:


> Yes, only one. But then again, it’s not an expensive library


No worries there. One position works well for me if it is closer and drier rather than farther and wetter.


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## Robo Rivard (Nov 29, 2018)

Just pre-ordered. This will be my Christmas gift to myself. Intriguing stuff. It feels like a more intimate version of "Thrill"... I can't wait to hear the other instruments. I really like the tone.


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## Leandro Gardini (Nov 29, 2018)

That's very interesting! Different unique concept for a somewhat saturated market.


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## thesteelydane (Nov 30, 2018)

leogardini said:


> That's very interesting! Different unique concept for a somewhat saturated market.



Encouraging words! Thank you!


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## alanb (Dec 1, 2018)

Sounds good (enough to pre-order) . . .


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## AllanH (Dec 2, 2018)

This sounds really interesting. Glaeder mig til den 27d.


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## thesteelydane (Dec 2, 2018)

Last few hours if you want to save 10 bucks on the preorder price...


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## thesteelydane (Dec 3, 2018)

The special sale is now over, but you can still preorder for 39 USD (full price will be 59 USD). I'm back to chopping samples....


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## TGV (Dec 3, 2018)

Be careful not to cut your fingers (as in: RSI).


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## thesteelydane (Dec 3, 2018)

TGV said:


> Be careful not to cut your fingers (as in: RSI).



It is a real danger. Definitely feeling it in my mouse hand today....


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## Rob Elliott (Dec 3, 2018)

bummer - woke up this morning and realized I procrastinated on this little gem (just so many black Friday options this year - a bit of 'white noise') . Oh well, now I must wait for release. Looks very interesting though. Best of luck on this niche library.


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## TGV (Dec 3, 2018)

thesteelydane said:


> It is a real danger. Definitely feeling it in my mouse hand today....


Get up regularly (set an alarm every 30-45 mins), and do exercises like these:


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## thesteelydane (Feb 5, 2019)

A little micro hype/bump: barring unforeseen circumstances, Bunker Strings will be out tomorrow.


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## Phillip Dixon (Feb 5, 2019)

cant find on your site is it still up for grabs at discount price ....


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## thesteelydane (Feb 5, 2019)

Phillip Dixon said:


> cant find on your site is it still up for grabs at discount price ....



The preorder price is over, but fear not, there will be an intro discount of only 39 USD. Website temporarily down for maintenance.


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## Phillip Dixon (Feb 5, 2019)

ok great cheers


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## Robo Rivard (Feb 5, 2019)

Great news! What is the final size, so I can start making some room on my SSD?


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## thesteelydane (Feb 5, 2019)

Robo Rivard said:


> Great news! What is the final size, so I can start making some room on my SSD?



About 3,5 GB.


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## Robo Rivard (Feb 5, 2019)

thesteelydane said:


> About 3,5 GB.


Thanks, can't wait for the release!


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## AllanH (Feb 5, 2019)

That is great news. Looking forward to the release


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## HBen (Feb 6, 2019)

thesteelydane said:


> A little micro hype/bump: barring unforeseen circumstances, Bunker Strings will be out tomorrow.



Money was charged minutes ago, but I did not receive download links, anything wrong with Gumroad?


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## thesteelydane (Feb 6, 2019)

HBen said:


> Money was charged minutes ago, but I did not receive download links, anything wrong with Gumroad?



I hope not. Let me know if it doesn't come through soon!


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## HBen (Feb 6, 2019)

thesteelydane said:


> I hope not. Let me know if it doesn't come through soon!



It's in spam folder, phew....downloading for now, no worries.


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## ScoreFace (Feb 6, 2019)

This sounds really interesting, cool idea and I'm sure it is fun to play with. Have you thought about doing more articulations with your system?


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## Parsifal666 (Feb 6, 2019)

Reminds me a bit of Soundiron Sick.


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## thesteelydane (Feb 6, 2019)

ScoreFace said:


> This sounds really interesting, cool idea and I'm sure it is fun to play with. Have you thought about doing more articulations with your system?



Indeed I have, hence the “Vol.1”


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## thesteelydane (Feb 6, 2019)

I’ll make a big official announcement in the tier 1 commercial section soon, but I wanted to send it out as soon as it was ready for the people who preorder. Walk through and more demoes are in the making.


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## Robo Rivard (Feb 6, 2019)

Downloading. But the download link went straight to the spam folder. Be carefull guys!


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## thesteelydane (Feb 6, 2019)

Robo Rivard said:


> Downloading. But the download link went straight to the spam folder. Be carefull guys!



Sorry about that. Gumroad has gotten good reviews all around, so I did not foresee this issue. If you preordered and haven’t received the receipt with the link, do check your spam folder

Also, I have become aware of a bug in one of the bass patches. I’m on it...


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## fiestared (Feb 7, 2019)

thesteelydane said:


> Sorry about that. Gumroad has gotten good reviews all around, so I did not foresee this issue. If you preordered and haven’t received the receipt with the link, do check your spam folder
> 
> Also, I have become aware of a bug in one of the bass patches. I’m on it...


Hi, sorry if already asked, but how long for the intro offer ? Will you have a walkthrough before it ends ? Thanks


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## SillyMidOn (Feb 7, 2019)

Just bought it - it's a great library


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## fiestared (Feb 7, 2019)

SillyMidOn said:


> Just bought it - it's a great library


Hi, could you please give us more details, great for what ? Thanks


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## thesteelydane (Feb 7, 2019)

fiestared said:


> Hi, sorry if already asked, but how long for the intro offer ? Will you have a walkthrough before it ends ? Thanks


 About a month. I’ll make an official announcement soon and then you’ll have a month, so don’t worry. More Defoe’s and videos coming next week. My launch plans got a bit screwed because I had to leave my studio for 4 days for personal reasons, but I’m trying to put together a decent walkthrough while on the road.


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## D Halgren (Feb 7, 2019)

fiestared said:


> Hi, could you please give us more details, great for what ? Thanks


Great for textures and feel. This library gives you articulations that you don't already have and can't get anywhere else. The shorts have a great snap to them. The sound is really pristine and present. The extra sound design patches are really useful and well done, as well.


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## fiestared (Feb 7, 2019)

D Halgren said:


> Great for textures and feel. This library gives you articulations that you don't already have and can't get anywhere else. The shorts have a great snap to them. The sound is really pristine and present. The extra sound design patches are really useful and well done, as well.


I see what you mean, a kind of engine integrated in the rhythmic, rolling and pushing the track...


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## D Halgren (Feb 7, 2019)

thesteelydane said:


> About a month. I’ll make an official announcement soon and then you’ll have a month, so don’t worry. More Defoe’s and videos coming next week. My launch plans got a bit screwed because I had to leave my studio for 4 days for personal reasons, but I’m trying to put together a decent walkthrough while on the road.


Defoe is one of my favorite actors


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## robgb (Feb 7, 2019)

Just listened to the naked versions of the demos on the website and this sounds like a wonderful library.


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## fiestared (Feb 7, 2019)

thesteelydane said:


> About a month. I’ll make an official announcement soon and then you’ll have a month, so don’t worry. More Defoe’s and videos coming next week. My launch plans got a bit screwed because I had to leave my studio for 4 days for personal reasons, but I’m trying to put together a decent walkthrough while on the road.





D Halgren said:


> Defoe is one of my favorite actors


Me too, especially in Auto Focus


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## thesteelydane (Feb 7, 2019)

I have created a new thread for the release announcement. Please take all your questions there.

https://vi-control.net/community/threads/bunker-strings-vol-1-out-now.79438/


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## SillyMidOn (Feb 8, 2019)

fiestared said:


> Hi, could you please give us more details, great for what ? Thanks


It fills a gap that I didn't really knew existed. It's the first library by The Steely Dane, and is impressive in its recording quality. There are some lovely textures in there which are very useable (pizzicato trem/drumstick trem etc), and the Drumstick Shorts patches are worth their admission price alone - essentially using drum sticks to create short, percussive, snappy "spiccato" patches that have a great sound. Fantastic on all 4 instruments (violins, violas, celli, basses). So you have a small selection of patches, snappy, percussive ones and ones which are more textural and very ready for layering and further manipulation with fx. The price is very fair, some newbie developers sometimes get ahead of themselves with pricing, but this is a very fair price point. 

Spread the word, everyone, I want this developer to succeed and create more libraries - I'm excited to see what Nicolay comes up with next, and he was very quick to respond and fix a very minor bug.


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## thesteelydane (Feb 8, 2019)

SillyMidOn said:


> It fills a gap that I didn't really knew existed. It's the first library by The Steely Dane, and is impressive in its recording quality. There are some lovely textures in there which are very useable (pizzicato trem/drumstick trem etc), and the Drumstick Shorts patches are worth their admission price alone - essentially using drum sticks to create short, percussive, snappy "spiccato" patches that have a great sound. Fantastic on all 4 instruments (violins, violas, celli, basses). So you have a small selection of patches, snappy, percussive ones and ones which are more textural and very ready for layering and further manipulation with fx. The price is very fair, some newbie developers sometimes get ahead of themselves with pricing, but this is a very fair price point.
> 
> Spread the word, everyone, I want this developer to succeed and create more libraries - I'm excited to see what Nicolay comes up with next, and he was very quick to respond and fix a very minor bug.



Thank you for your kind words, I'd love to quote you that!


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## SillyMidOn (Feb 8, 2019)

thesteelydane said:


> Thank you for your kind words, I'd love to quote you that!


You are most welcome to.


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## dzilizzi (Feb 8, 2019)

Had to figure out where my spam folder was. And there were my links! Looking forward to playing with this.


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## lp59burst (Feb 10, 2019)

The Demo's are really impressive... I especially liked the demo "Dreadnought" by Rotho... very GoT'ish...
I wish I had remembered to get this on pre-order... it is however, still a very good deal on "intro" so I'm in...


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## rotho (Feb 10, 2019)

lp59burst said:


> The Demo's are really impressive... I especially liked the demo "Dreadnought" by Rotho... very GoT'ish...
> I wish I had remembered to get this on pre-order... it is however, still a very good deal on "intro" so I'm in...


Cheers!


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