# Tokyo scoring strings a year after release thoughts



## Ricgus3 (Dec 14, 2022)

Hi! I saw TSS is on sale now and wanted to see how people who got it feel about it.

So for those of you who did get it. How has it felt? Do you reach for it still or did you go back to your previous solutions?


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 14, 2022)

Is it strange that I find almost no information about this except the commercial thread and some YouTube reviews?

Would really appreciate if someone would chime in on the library


----------



## Polkasound (Dec 14, 2022)

What is TSS?


----------



## Mike Fox (Dec 14, 2022)

Polkasound said:


> What is TSS?


Tokyo Scoring Strings


----------



## Crowe (Dec 14, 2022)

I hate TSS. I hate their monopolistic nature and everything they stand for. They're basically just It That Devours. Francisco Partners for general companies.


----------



## FrozenIcicle (Dec 14, 2022)

Everyone was raving about it when it first came out, but I don't hear the name as often these days. Even with shootout threads, TSS isn't a normal contender. CSS almost always the talk of the lot


----------



## ALittleNightMusic (Dec 14, 2022)

Still don’t like the sound of the demos. No matter how much libraries improve their scripting, the tone is the tone. You have to love that.


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 14, 2022)

Polkasound said:


> What is TSS?


Fixed it in the title!


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 14, 2022)

FrozenIcicle said:


> Everyone was raving about it when it first came out, but I don't hear the name as often these days. Even with shootout threads, TSS isn't a normal contender. CSS almost always the talk of the lot


Yea this is what I noticed now when it is on sale and I am trying to find information that is not official walkthrough or YouTube reviews. Searching in the VI control yields no results


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 14, 2022)

ALittleNightMusic said:


> Still don’t like the sound of the demos. No matter how much libraries improve their scripting, the tone is the tone. You have to love that.


Yes I I have been wondering if it can do other stuff than Jrpg sounds. I am still thinking of upgrading SStS to Pro. But I always found the GUI of TSS very nice and look ahead seems like a good workflow tool.

I watched Daniel James 2hour stream and it sounds good but it also seems a bit quirky to work with if you are like him and like to play your stuff in and improvise in the moment. He had some big issues with the polylegstos and the offsets. Don’t know if the zero latency option would help out as he didn’t try it out. But I am like him, I am a improvisational jazz music by training and really like to explore the music as it happens. But I can see how TSS is really good for dorico and stuff like thT


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 14, 2022)

Crowe said:


> I hate TSS. I hate their monopolistic nature and everything they stand for. They're basically just It That Devours. Francisco Partners for general companies.


Is this sarcasm or real?  I cannot make it out. Sorry for needing clarification


----------



## Crowe (Dec 14, 2022)

It's pretty interesting how much hype and talk there is about it on this forum... but then there's very little interaction on it afterwards. Just people yelling about how great it is.

Now, I do think some folks seem to have weird expectations. It's Tokyo Scoring Strings. It's limited in application by design. It has a very specific sound. If that's not your jam, you shouldn't even be looking at it.



Ricgus3 said:


> Yes I I have been wondering if it can do other stuff than Jrpg sounds.


Sure, it can do do a bunch of other Japanese game types that use that sort of String Ensemble. I'm not sure what you want this library to be.



Ricgus3 said:


> Is this sarcasm or real?  I cannot make it out. Sorry for needing clarification


It's both real and a dose of somewhat unwarranted passive aggression caused by a shortage of coffee after waking up and a general dislike for all the Shorthand being thrown around on this forum. I really do hate TSS. Used to work for a company bought out by them. I saw the title and had to do a double take.

EDIT: Bottom line... I don't think Tokyo Scoring Strings is worth it at the price it's at, and that includes on sale. On sale, you can buy Cinematic Studio Strings for less than that. You can buy Spitfire Studio Strings Pro for less than that. You can buy Century Strings for *much* less than that. I like the sound but I'll patiently wait until it becomes more reasonably priced. I think you can get a similar sound with chamber orchestras and some finagling.


----------



## Pop Corn (Dec 14, 2022)

I don't understand why putting it on sale 2 weeks after BF seemed like a good idea. I need another few months to replenish funds  It does interest me though. I also watched the DJ 2 hour stream. I find it hard to get through 2 hour streams but I was super curious about TSS.


----------



## AMBi (Dec 14, 2022)

Super well put together and polished, though definitely niche so it’s not too surprising it’s not as presently discussed as other libraries.
It’s amazing to think it’s ISW’s first attempt at this kinda thing 

@Trash Panda has some great work with it and seems to use it pretty often


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 15, 2022)

Crowe said:


> I'm not sure what you want this library to be.


I think I want it to be a new bread and butter go to workhorse string library. Currently have SStS as my workhorse and I really like it’s sound but the flaw is the shorts, but it makes it up by having an insane amount of articulations, and Time Machine for stretching the spiccatos. 

I guess I am also very curious the topic died very quickly and was wondering if people think it lived up to the hype. 

I think it does jrpg sounds amazing and some user mock-ups show that! So if that is the thing it does it does it really well. I was searching for user who utilised it in their everyday work/music . But have not found that much info on this.

Thank you for your reply! It is a great read for someone like me who cannot really find that much critique except Daniel James stream


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 15, 2022)

AMBi said:


> Super well put together and polished, though definitely niche so it’s not too surprising it’s not as presently discussed as other libraries.
> It’s amazing to think it’s ISW’s first attempt at this kinda thing
> 
> @Trash Panda has some great work with it and seems to use it pretty often


Yes I have heard his mock-ups and they are amazing! I was wondering if TSS could be a workhorse library or if it too niche to be that


----------



## Crowe (Dec 15, 2022)

Ricgus3 said:


> I think I want it to be a new bread and butter go to workhorse string library. Currently have SStS as my workhorse and I really like it’s sound but the flaw is the shorts, but it makes it up by having an insane amount of articulations, and Time Machine for stretching the spiccatos.
> 
> I guess I am also very curious the topic died very quickly and was wondering if people think it lived up to the hype.
> 
> ...


Well, there you go. It's not a workhorse library, it's a genre library with a rather specific use case. If you are not the kind of person that wants to make Japanese-media-inspired soundtrack music, this is not for you.


----------



## FrozenIcicle (Dec 15, 2022)

AMBi said:


> Super well put together and polished, though definitely niche so it’s not too surprising it’s not as presently discussed as other libraries.
> It’s amazing to think it’s ISW’s first attempt at this kinda thing
> 
> @Trash Panda has some great work with it and seems to use it pretty often


I believe thats because they are into anime. Out side of that, I don’t think the tone can be used else where


----------



## Coffee-Milk (Dec 15, 2022)

For what it's worth, my CSS is gathering digital dust while I constantly reach for TSS for my scoring needs. I'm heavily influenced by Japanese music though and I don't do classical music.

I do have BBCSO, LCO, MA4 as other options so I dont really see TSS as my desert island string library and I dont recommend you view it that way also. Like Crowe said, it's more of a genre library. 🙂


----------



## HM_Music (Dec 15, 2022)

I don't really understand the comparison with other libraries. TSS is a completely different product, and has not positioned itself as a competitor or replacement for other string libraries.

"For many of us who have admired Japanese soundtracks for years, this sound has long been a source of inspiration, but it’s been out of reach for most composers outside of Japan — until now.

Our goal with Tokyo Scoring Strings is to give you the orchestral string sound featured in so many world-famous Japanese productions."

So people like me who like Japanese music will be satisfied with the library and waiting for the continuation of the series.


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 15, 2022)

Coffee-Milk said:


> For what it's worth, my CSS is gathering digital dust while I constantly reach for TSS for my scoring needs. I'm heavily influenced by Japanese music though and I don't do classical music.
> 
> I do have BBCSO, LCO, MA4 as other options so I dont really see TSS as my desert island string library and I dont recommend you view it that way also. Like Crowe said, it's more of a genre library. 🙂


The thing is. I really love studio Ghibli work and music. I am working on a track now with at vibe. So TSS should be perfect there. Right now SsTs is doing the legworks but the melody which I have written is very anime inspired. I have gotten my answer now that I wanted atleast: If i like and want that flavour, i get it. If i want it to be a substitute for SstS, i should just upgrade my SsTs to pro. 

Will ponder on this. But I LOVE the sound of the Cello and Violas in TSS and the shorts are really nice! But when I loaded up SStS and played along with the walkthroughs the violins can sound very alike! even with just the tree mic in Core.


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 15, 2022)

HM_Music said:


> I don't really understand the comparison with other libraries. TSS is a completely different product, and has not positioned itself as a competitor or replacement for other string libraries.
> 
> "For many of us who have admired Japanese soundtracks for years, this sound has long been a source of inspiration, but it’s been out of reach for most composers outside of Japan — until now.
> 
> ...


Yes via this thread it has become more clear to me now! The thing is I really love the anime music work it has been famed from. Studio Ghibli and Final Fantasy Series. BUT My own music has a mix of that with the classical "movie" romatic/action vibe. So what I am wondering if TSS can stretch out over those areas aswell when I write or if I in that case should combine my other strings with TSS to get a Hybrid sound from Ghibli and J.Williams-y


----------



## re-peat (Dec 15, 2022)

FrozenIcicle said:


> (...) they are into anime. I don’t think the tone can be used else where.



I don’t hear it like that _at all._ Pretty sure in fact that if we were never told it was recorded in Tokyo, we would ever guess just by hearing how it sounds, let alone associate this library with something specific and/or exclusively Japanese. Never once have I loaded up a TSS patch and thought: “Oooh, this sounds Japanese.”

To my ears, these strings could well have been recorded anywhere in the world and they can also be used, as well as any other (similarly conceived) library, for any job that people would use (non-symphonic) sampled strings for.

One could mock up, say, a Viennese waltz, a South-American tango, a Coplandesque ‘Hoe Down’ or an Scandinavian wedding song — in so far as sampled strings are capable of, and a wise choice for, any of these things — or use them for any purpose that is best served with studio strings, and I’m willing to bet that no one would ever notice that the strings were recorded in Tokyo.

Sonically, its most pronounced and defining characteristic is its non-reverberant studio sound.

__


----------



## SimonCharlesHanna (Dec 15, 2022)

re-peat said:


> I don’t hear it like that _at all._ Pretty sure in fact that if we were never told it was recorded in Tokyo, we would ever guess just by hearing how it sounds, let alone associate this library with something specific and/or exclusively Japanese. Never once have I loaded up a TSS patch and thought: “Oooh, this sounds Japanese.”
> 
> To my ears, these strings could well have been recorded anywhere in the world and they can also be used, as well as any other (similarly conceived) library, for any job that people would use (non-symphonic) sampled strings for.
> 
> ...


Yeah I don't really see the "niche" angle either. It's a fairly standard string library with a really crisp dry tone. 

I haven't had a chance to use them properly in a piece but they are very solid.


----------



## Piotrek K. (Dec 15, 2022)

I don't own TSS but the sound doesn't yell anime or Japan to me. Based on demos those are just clean, detailed studio strings. The Japan / Anime / Final Fantasy attributes are more marketing stuff and not some kind of baked in Japanese magic. TSS uses string sections that are common in VGM/Anime and performers who actually perform that kind of music (which is far from being homogenic style). So I would say that you probably can write a traditional western symphony with them and no-one would say "great / bad symphony, but those strings sounds very eastern".


----------



## EvilDragon (Dec 15, 2022)

re-peat said:


> I don’t hear it like that _at all._ Pretty sure in fact that if we were never told it was recorded in Tokyo, we would ever guess just by hearing how it sounds, let alone associate this library with something specific and/or exclusively Japanese. Never once have I loaded up a TSS patch and thought: “Oooh, this sounds Japanese.”
> 
> To my ears, these strings could well have been recorded anywhere in the world and they can also be used, as well as any other (similarly conceived) library, for any job that people would use (non-symphonic) sampled strings for.
> 
> ...



Well said!


----------



## Jackdnp121 (Dec 15, 2022)

TSS is fine…. Studio sounding … But as someone else mentioned …it does seems that you can get the same kind of studio Sounding anywhere in the world ….

articulation wise nothing really ground breaking

legato is ok … short is good

Still not so sure about the sitting position of V1 … was expecting even wider sounding

lastly To me the jap animation sounding is the way they write n orchestrate

So i believe you can totally write a good jap animation style with non TSS

i did some Japan style mock up awhile ago using CSS , Hollywood strings

happy with the result , dont think I necessary need TSS to compose any asian Style music

cheers


----------



## lucky909091 (Dec 15, 2022)

It's not a bread and butter string library as you are looking for.
The sound is special and does not really fit into a classical orchestral arrangement.


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 15, 2022)

Jackdnp121 said:


> TSS is fine…. Studio sounding … But as someone else mentioned …it does seems that you can get the same kind of studio Sounding anywhere in the world ….
> 
> articulation wise nothing really ground breaking
> 
> ...



Sounds super good! All strings on both are CSS and HS?


----------



## Corda1983 (Dec 15, 2022)

It's good. It has a certain melancholy, wistful, intimate kind of sound - obviously reminiscent of JRPG and Anime but I think its usage could certainly stretch outside of that as well. Conversely it offers nothing you couldn't do with other string libraries - it just has a particular sonic character that is maybe a little more reminiscent of that style of music.

On a strictly technical/functional level it's good and has some interesting features but nothing out of this world, so I would not buy it if you think it's going to vastly improve on any of the other main contender string libraries or offer some next level realism or performance from a technical perspective. It can certainly compete with them and has its own set of strengths/weaknesses comparable to other string libraries.

I would say it's exactly what it seems to be - a technically sound, intimate and distinctive sounding mid-sized string orchestra with a comprehensive set of articulations broadly comparable to peer string libraries. If you like the sound and interface and you have money to spare, it could be a good investment and is nicely priced (especially at the moment), but if you have a bunch of string libraries you love, TSS isn't going offer anything radically different - just a certain character and flavour of its own.


----------



## filipjonathan (Dec 15, 2022)

I got TSS back when it just came out because I really liked the concept of the smaller ensemble recorded in a smaller room. I mainly do pop productions so the sound is perfect for me. And by the way, I am definitely _not _a big fan of jrpg's, Anime, and other Japanese stuff, so that's not the reason why I got the library. Zero latency mode is perfect for when you just want to play stuff in. The only thing I'm not satisfied with is the runs mode BUT they said they are improving it for the next big update. 

Here's a little snippet of TSS in a romantic/lush setting


----------



## EvilDragon (Dec 15, 2022)

Corda1983 said:


> Conversely it offers nothing you couldn't do with other string libraries



...except lookahead functionality, say.


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 15, 2022)

filipjonathan said:


> I got TSS back when it just came out because I really liked the concept of the smaller ensemble recorded in a smaller room. I mainly do pop productions so the sound is perfect for me. And by the way, I am definitely _not _a big fan of jrpg's, Anime, and other Japanese stuff, so that's not the reason why I got the library. Zero latency mode is perfect for when you just want to play stuff in. The only thing I'm not satisfied with is the runs mode BUT they said they are improving it for the next big update.
> 
> Here's a little snippet of TSS in a romantic/lush setting



Thank you for sharing! Really beautiful sound! Really crisp


----------



## chrisav (Dec 15, 2022)

Couldn't help but laugh reading the first page of this thread, thank god some sanity was restored on page two! 

TSS, like any other string library, has its sound. I've yet to understand how it's in any way "very niche" though. Some actual explanation of what highly specific sonic qualities make it totally unfit for anything other than "anime music" or JRPGs would be very welcome!


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 15, 2022)

EvilDragon said:


> ...except lookahead functionality, say.


Yes the look ahead seems like a great feature. If I may ask you; is there a way to play with the poly legato in real-time to hear what you play or so you have to write it in and the play it back? Danuel James had issues during his stream with this.


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 15, 2022)

chrisav said:


> Couldn't help but laugh reading the first page of this thread, thank god some sanity was restored on page two!
> 
> TSS, like any other string library, has its sound. I've yet to understand how it's in any way "very niche" though. Some actual explanation of what highly specific sonic qualities make it totally unfit for anything other than "anime music" or JRPGs would be very welcome!


Yes I have had a hard time finding information here on it, outside the official thread which is 70 pages hype and then it kinda faded away(?).

Nobody responded to this thread the first two days until I bumped it again and changed the title. Which also was weird for me. Almost like there is a common secret understanding we don’t talk about TSS here. Of course it is not, but when you write threads that are about any other library people are pretty quite to chime in. But regarding TSS is have been harder to get any impressions.

Glad people started to chime in here ! It has helped me a lot. Having more answers but still haven’t decided. The sale goes on until 2 January so I guess there is no stress yet. Maybe I’ll just watch DJs 2hour stream again


----------



## EvilDragon (Dec 15, 2022)

Ricgus3 said:


> Yes the look ahead seems like a great feature. If I may ask you; is there a way to play with the poly legato in real-time to hear what you play or so you have to write it in and the play it back? Just asking from the DJ stream where he seemed to have issues with this



For playing stuff in you would use the zero latency mode. Lookahead is geared more towards pure piano roll editing, where you don't need to worry about punching in notes early - they can be directly snapped to the grid, legato notes don't need to overlap instead just touch each other (which enables you better/easier voice leading/poly legato writing), etc etc.



This video shows quite well how flexible TSS is and how it can fit well into many different workflows. It is not a one trick pony or a niche genre library, as some seem to think for whatever reason.


----------



## Jackdnp121 (Dec 15, 2022)

Ricgus3 said:


> Sounds super good! All strings on both are CSS and HS?


thanks mate 
One summer day Css n the octopath one HS


----------



## EvilDragon (Dec 15, 2022)

filipjonathan said:


> The only thing I'm not satisfied with is the runs mode BUT they said they are improving it for the next big update.



The thing is, TSS currently doesn't have a "runs" mode at all. It's just fast legato, but not runs - of course it's not going to be the best option for doing runs! That mode is what's going to be added in 1.1, when we get around to it.


----------



## Sarah Mancuso (Dec 15, 2022)

Ricgus3 said:


> Yes the look ahead seems like a great feature. If I may ask you; is there a way to play with the poly legato in real-time to hear what you play or so you have to write it in and the play it back? Danuel James had issues during his stream with this.


Yep! You can enable poly legato in standard mode and turn down the poly input delay to the smallest value that feels responsive enough while still giving it enough time to analyze your playing.


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 15, 2022)

EvilDragon said:


> The thing is, TSS currently doesn't have a "runs" mode at all. It's just fast legato, but not runs - of course it's not going to be the best option for doing runs! That mode is what's going to be added in 1.1, when we get around to it.


Oh so this is a feature that will come to TSS? Or is it unconfirmed?


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 15, 2022)

Sarah Mancuso said:


> Yep! You can enable poly legato in standard mode and turn down the poly input delay to the smallest value that feels responsive enough while still giving it enough time to analyze your playing.


Thank you Sarah!


----------



## EvilDragon (Dec 15, 2022)

Ricgus3 said:


> Oh so this is a feature that will come to TSS? Or is it unconfirmed?



It's confirmed and it will come next year, sometime.


----------



## tcb (Dec 15, 2022)

I bought TSS during the intro period.I think TSS does everything well but..not the easist.For example when I need lyrical legato line,CSS is still my go-to.Yes TSS has more paramaters to tweek with and I can get good realism but it really takes much more effort than CSS.When I need Anime-jpopsong-style strings I will use SCS,the performance legato patch is perfect to program fast legato lines,runs,shorts at BPM170 and above. (But SCS may too wet,annoying me)
The lookhead mode is the biggest shiny point of TSS I think.But It has a lot of bugs!It often create hanging notes,make the track muted(then I have to open kontakt UI and panic it) .It did't save my time overally.
But TSS is deeply sampled,I think bugs can be fixed.TSS has the potential to make very realisic tracks.I am looking forward to 1.1 update.
I still recomend TSS as a first string library.The sound is dry,easy to mix,deeply sampled and have a lot of articulations
==
Here is an anime OST-style track I wrote this year,mainly used TSS for string parts(the Violas pizzcato is SCS others all TSS,no first chair strings)


----------



## Gaffable (Dec 15, 2022)

As posted by @doctoremmet in another thread, Tokyo Scoring Strings can be purchased during the current sale for $255, by stacking coupon codes:


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 15, 2022)

tcb said:


> I bought TSS during the intro period.I think TSS does everything well but..not the easist.For example when I need lyrical legato line,CSS is still my go-to.Yes TSS has more paramaters to tweek with and I can get good realism but it really takes much more effort than CSS.When I need Anime-jpopsong-style strings I will use SCS,the performance legato patch is perfect to program fast legato lines,runs,shorts at BPM170 and above. (But SCS may too wet,annoying me)
> The lookhead mode is the biggest shiny point of TSS I think.But It has a lot of bugs!It often create hanging notes,make the track muted(then I have to open kontakt UI and panic it) .It did't save my time overally.
> But TSS is deeply sampled,I think bugs can be fixed.TSS has the potential to make very realisic tracks.I am looking forward to 1.1 update.
> I still recomend TSS as a first string library.The sound is dry,easy to mix,deeply sampled and have a lot of articulations
> ...


Have these haning notes and bugs been reported or is commonly known? First time for me reading about it


----------



## EvilDragon (Dec 15, 2022)

Yeah we would welcome a MIDI file that can consistently reproduce the hanging notes. They should not be happening.


----------



## Mike Fox (Dec 15, 2022)

But does it djent?


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 15, 2022)

EvilDragon said:


> Yeah we would welcome a MIDI file that can consistently reproduce the hanging notes. They should not be happening.


Decided to pick it up! Will play around with it tomrrow and if I encounter any hanging notes I will post it! . never heard about it before this thread though


----------



## tcb (Dec 15, 2022)

EvilDragon said:


> Yeah we would welcome a MIDI file that can consistently reproduce the hanging notes. They should not be happening.


It happened when I was programing them.Playback is safe.If I got a poper situation I will send your the midi file!


----------



## AceAudioHQ (Dec 15, 2022)

Crowe said:


> It's pretty interesting how much hype and talk there is about it on this forum... but then there's very little interaction on it afterwards. Just people yelling about how great it is.


Well, I think that's true for the majority of libraries, with the only exceptions being the most popular ones. For example when I was pondering If I should buy Tarilonte's Kwaya, the only songs using it were the demos, nothing on YouTube or on forums, everyone always said how great it is and how they bought it since it was on sale, but after that nothing, nobody ever posted any tracks using it, or maybe people did but they just didn't advertise that it was used in a track they posted.

Sometimes I wish there was a subforum here where people would post their tracks under specific library threads just for that


----------



## titokane (Dec 15, 2022)

Gaffable said:


> As posted by @doctoremmet in another thread, Tokyo Scoring Strings can be purchased during the current sale for $255, by stacking coupon codes:


How dare you. I wasn't planning on buying it right now, but for $255? How dare you.


----------



## AceAudioHQ (Dec 15, 2022)

titokane said:


> How dare you. I wasn't planning on buying it right now, but for $255? How dare you.


That list is missing the newsletter -10% code mc10welcomeT6UF If you haven't used that already


----------



## Crowe (Dec 15, 2022)

AceAudioHQ said:


> Well, I think that's true for the majority of libraries, with the only exceptions being the most popular ones. For example when I was pondering If I should buy Tarilonte's Kwaya, the only songs using were the demos, nothing on YouTube or on forums, everyone always said how great it is and how they bought it since it was on sale, but after that nothing, nobody ever posted any tracks using it, or maybe people did but they just didn't advertise that it was used in a track they posted.
> 
> Sometimes I wish there was a subforum here where people would post their tracks under specific library threads just for that



I know right! I feel like there should be something like dedicated "owner's thread" board for stuff like that. A place to collect demos and information about tools and gear.


----------



## Trash Panda (Dec 15, 2022)

Ricgus3 said:


> Yes I have heard his mock-ups and they are amazing! I was wondering if TSS could be a workhorse library or if it too niche to be that


VI-C in general does not seem to like the sound of a studio orchestra and prefer the character of a scoring stage or concert hall, which is likely why you don't see TSS, Spitfire Studio Orchestra or other more dry, non-trailer oriented orchestras get mentioned much around here.

If you're looking for a studio-style string section with a studio ambience, TSS is a monster of a workhorse. I haven't dug too deeply into Spitfire Studio Strings Pro yet, but SStS, to my ears, is a different sound and play style that's more geared towards western television style scoring.

As far as versatility goes, whether it's pop, studio orchestra, rock, metal, disco, jazz, or a James Bond-style theme, TSS works great with anything that doesn't require a cavernous concert hall or scoring stage feel.


----------



## chrisav (Dec 15, 2022)

It just hit me that TSS should've had disco falls recorded when they first had the space and ensemble booked!


----------



## AceAudioHQ (Dec 15, 2022)

chrisav said:


> It just hit me that TSS should've had disco falls recorded when they first had the space and ensemble booked!


If it had falls, scoops and proper runs I would definitely consider buying it


----------



## Jrides (Dec 15, 2022)

chrisav said:


> It just hit me that TSS should've had disco falls recorded when they first had the space and ensemble booked!





AceAudioHQ said:


> If it had falls, scoops and proper runs I would definitely consider buying it


I have been thinking the same thing since it was released.


----------



## galactic orange (Dec 15, 2022)

Thanks for posting! A couple of the TSS examples start off quiet and have a volume jump. Is that usual behavior?


----------



## Trash Panda (Dec 15, 2022)

AceAudioHQ said:


> If it had falls, scoops and proper runs I would definitely consider buying it


32nd note runs at 120 bpm.

CSS Runs Mode:
View attachment CSS Runs Mode.mp3


TSS Rebow Legato Runs:
View attachment TSS Rebow Runs.mp3


TSS Slurred Legato Runs:
View attachment TSS Slur Runs.mp3


TSS Porta Bow Runs:
View attachment TSS Porta Bow Runs.mp3


TSS Porta Slur Runs:
View attachment TSS Porta Slur Runs.mp3


----------



## Denkii (Dec 15, 2022)

Mike Fox said:


> But does it djent?


You'll have to wait for Shreddage strings


----------



## Trash Panda (Dec 15, 2022)

galactic orange said:


> Thanks for posting! A couple of the TSS examples start off quiet and have a volume jump. Is that usual behavior?


Only if you're a doofus like me who forgets to check renders before posting them. Should be fixed now.


----------



## Mike Fox (Dec 15, 2022)

I personally think it has a really cool tone, unique yet versatile. I may have to pick it up while on sale.


----------



## kitekrazy (Dec 15, 2022)

re-peat said:


> I don’t hear it like that _at all._ Pretty sure in fact that if we were never told it was recorded in Tokyo, we would ever guess just by hearing how it sounds, let alone associate this library with something specific and/or exclusively Japanese. Never once have I loaded up a TSS patch and thought: “Oooh, this sounds Japanese.”
> 
> To my ears, these strings could well have been recorded anywhere in the world and they can also be used, as well as any other (similarly conceived) library, for any job that people would use (non-symphonic) sampled strings for.
> 
> ...


A DAW user always wants shiny and new and let the eyes deceive the ears. How else can we justify the 40th string library or 75th EQ.


----------



## IdealSequenceG (Dec 15, 2022)

Impact Soundworks Tokyo Scoring Strings - Violins 1 Test


----------



## TomaeusD (Dec 15, 2022)

I picked it up today after putting it off for a year. I never really liked the sound from many of the demos (to me they can sound like 90s rompler strings) but I kinda wish I had bought it sooner. It's dry and much more consistent than SStSP. The legato feels good with the speed turned up, although I'm not a fan of the portamentos. The many short articulations are lovely and seem unique. In fact, I'd say it's one of the most versatile string libraries I have because I can capture the tight studio sound, or place it in Berlin Studio and give it a more symphonic feel. If only I had time to make some demos...


----------



## timbit2006 (Dec 15, 2022)

What I would really like to know is why does small ensemble size + medium-small marble walled studio = anime music


----------



## doctoremmet (Dec 15, 2022)

timbit2006 said:


> What I would really like to know is why does small ensemble size + medium-small marble walled studio = anime music


Because anime studios typically have music recorded like that. Check out the huge number of well known anime titles that have scores with the exact same string band, recorded in the exact same studio by the exact same recording engineers that recorded TSS


----------



## Lord Daknight (Dec 15, 2022)

I love it, it was my first dedicated string library and I'm a massive weeb whose childhood was spent listening to anime soundtracks like Attack on Titan so the tone is the best part for me. The lookahead mode is the best feature


----------



## AlbertSmithers (Dec 15, 2022)

I think one has to approach TSS similar to Sample Modeling libraries (though it's far less difficult to get TSS to sound good). It is very responsive to programming, which is why if you don't provide enough CC11 it will sound very fake. 

Also reverb. Good reverb really helps.


----------



## Casiquire (Dec 15, 2022)

filipjonathan said:


> I got TSS back when it just came out because I really liked the concept of the smaller ensemble recorded in a smaller room. I mainly do pop productions so the sound is perfect for me. And by the way, I am definitely _not _a big fan of jrpg's, Anime, and other Japanese stuff, so that's not the reason why I got the library. Zero latency mode is perfect for when you just want to play stuff in. The only thing I'm not satisfied with is the runs mode BUT they said they are improving it for the next big update.
> 
> Here's a little snippet of TSS in a romantic/lush setting



That sounds REALLY nice! Was this without much fuss or did it take an amount of tinkering?


----------



## Rudianos (Dec 15, 2022)

TomaeusD said:


> I picked it up today after putting it off for a year. I never really liked the sound from many of the demos (to me they can sound like 90s rompler strings) but I kinda wish I had bought it sooner. It's dry and much more consistent than SStSP. The legato feels good with the speed turned up, although I'm not a fan of the portamentos. The many short articulations are lovely and seem unique. In fact, I'd say it's one of the most versatile string libraries I have because I can capture the tight studio sound, or place it in Berlin Studio and give it a more symphonic feel. If only I had time to make some demos...


okay I had the same impression.... weird synthy stuff. So dryness ehh? And you now like. Could you please post a demo of it with Berlin Studio?


----------



## filipjonathan (Dec 15, 2022)

Casiquire said:


> That sounds REALLY nice! Was this without much fuss or did it take an amount of tinkering?


Thanks!! It's the lookahead mode with some mod wheel riding and legato speed adjusting, according to the melody but I'm sure it would sound nice even without it. So not much tinkering at all. I would however ride the modulation a bit more though, now when I listen to it, but that's just a minor thing.


----------



## HM_Music (Dec 15, 2022)

No time for a good comparison. Circumstances are such that I spend most of my time without light.

CSS
View attachment css.mp3

TSS
View attachment tss.mp3


It would be interesting to hear similar but more accurate comparisons from forum members. Perhaps I will change my mind. Now I think it is quite obvious that TSS sounds more organic than others, for the reason that it was made by the same people who work on Japanese music, strings of Koichiro Muroya which sound in many Japanese tracks and Mitsunori Aizawa who also worked on a lot of Japanese music. And of course the most important thing is the size of the ensemble and the dry sound.

Of course, using TSS does not mean that the output will be anime music. You can make anime music using any library. It's more important what you personally like and inspires you while writing. Whether the library matches the reference that sounds in your head. All libraries sound different when we write music, for other people this subtlety will not be so noticeable.


----------



## Markrs (Dec 15, 2022)

FrozenIcicle said:


> Everyone was raving about it when it first came out, but I don't hear the name as often these days.


I find this with loads of libraries, there is the build up of excitement, the library is released, often gets lots of favourable comments and then….. the buzz moves onto the next library. 

I think this happens less with libraries that get regular updates like CSS or Infinite Brass/winds as that tends to generate some hype when the update is released.


----------



## bcslaam (Dec 15, 2022)

HM_Music said:


> No time for a good comparison. Circumstances are such that I spend most of my time without light.
> 
> CSS
> View attachment css.mp3
> ...


Thanks for posting. Good work. It sounds a bit like VSL Elite strings.

qu: The higher A note of TSS around at 38sec and 42sec mark (A4 I think) seems to "suck" closed, ie the legato doesnt sound quite right. Would you say this could be hidden with a little bit of work or is it indicative of the library?
Tone wise the CSS sounded kinda forced for the sustains but the legato was a bit better. Elite strings (which I have) is kind of in the middle of these two.


----------



## timbit2006 (Dec 15, 2022)

HM_Music said:


> No time for a good comparison. Circumstances are such that I spend most of my time without light.
> 
> CSS
> View attachment css.mp3
> ...


Both played at the same time sounds really good, CSS and TSS compliment each other well. I really hope this doesn't mean I'll be needing to buy CSS now.



doctoremmet said:


> Because anime studios typically have music recorded like that. Check out the huge number of well known anime titles that have scores with the exact same string band, recorded in the exact same studio by the exact same recording engineers that recorded TSS


Yeah. 🇯🇵 🇯🇵 edit: I guess the japanese flag doesn't work
I meant moreso to some of our audial perception though, if you heard this with your eyes closed can you tell it's Japanese?


----------



## Sean (Dec 15, 2022)

Gaffable said:


> As posted by @doctoremmet in another thread, Tokyo Scoring Strings can be purchased during the current sale for $255, by stacking coupon codes:


Omg you're kidding me I just bought it for 350 🤮


----------



## Daniel (Dec 15, 2022)

HM_Music said:


> TSS
> View attachment tss.mp3
> 
> 
> .......... Now I think it is quite obvious that TSS sounds more organic than others, .........


I totally agree with you,... never heard this kind of demo. 
I would like to hear senza vibrato from TSS's demo and it is hard to find ,,, and now I can hear this.
I cannot imagine how beautiful this library if we can automate senza vibrato flowing to soft or molto vibrato. 
Thank you.

Best,


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 16, 2022)

Markrs said:


> I find this with loads of libraries, there is the build up of excitement, the library is released, often gets lots of favourable comments and then….. the buzz moves onto the next library.
> 
> I think this happens less with libraries that get regular updates like CSS or Infinite Brass/winds as that tends to generate some hype when the update is released.


It is almost as if we like the anticipation and hype more than the actual product …


----------



## jazzman7 (Dec 16, 2022)

timbit2006 said:


> Both played at the same time sounds really good, CSS and TSS compliment each other well. I really hope this doesn't mean I'll be needing to buy CSS now.


That's exactly what I found. I was looking to layer CSS with another VI to get a the right sound for a track I was working on. I was surprised how nicely TSS fit the bill. 

I see a lot of back and forth about "Which String library?" 

Over time, I've really come to view each one as another color on the Artist's pallete. Not that I'm planning to collect them all! (My wallet made me add that caveat)


----------



## timbit2006 (Dec 16, 2022)

jazzman7 said:


> That's exactly what I found. I was looking to layer CSS with another VI to get a the right sound for a track I was working on. I was surprised how nicely TSS fit the bill.
> 
> I see a lot of back and forth about "Which String library?"
> 
> Over time, I've really come to view each one as another color on the Artist's pallete. Not that I'm planning to collect them all! (My wallet made me add that caveat)


I've always found the best results mixing a solid dry library like TSS with a nice wet emotional library. I definitely thank @Leandro Gardini for some of his videos that really pushed my skills with that mixing for emotion concept in particular. Another winning combo is TSS+Majestica or 8W. I absolutely love that sound; a few Japanese composers have talked about using Majestica in particular as a layering library.


----------



## doctoremmet (Dec 16, 2022)

timbit2006 said:


> Another winning combo is TSS+Majestica or 8W. I absolutely love that sound; a few Japanese composers have talked about using Majestica in particular as a layering library.


Interesting! I can totally see that work. Will have to try that.


----------



## shropshirelad (Dec 16, 2022)

Does TSS have an ensemble patch/patches?


----------



## Lord Daknight (Dec 16, 2022)

shropshirelad said:


> Does TSS have an ensemble patch/patches?


Ye


----------



## shropshirelad (Dec 16, 2022)

Lord Daknight said:


> Ye


Thank you.


----------



## ender7 (Dec 16, 2022)

I bought TSS on preorder and consider it one of my best purchases. I love the sound. The shorts in particular are *amazing* quality.

I’ve been using it as my main library on client projects with good results. Personally I prefer the sound of a smaller string library like this as bread and buffer, and only occasionally bringing out the big guns.

The lookahead makes things always sound better, but I find myself trying my best not to use it if possible. Things just start to get wonky with Logic Pro, and I record all of my stuff live with a keyboard. I do feel the library is geared more towards users who pencil in midi.

And that brings to me one of my only two complaints. I have CSS, Symphony Series, Sonokinetic stuff, all Met Arks, some Spitfire strings and a few others. TSS is not hard to get a decent sound out of the box but I consider it the most challenging string library I have. The workflow is not great, at least for primary midi keyboard users, and it benefits heavily from much tinkering and automation during and after tracking. You get vastly different sounds depending how you ride dynamics, vibrato and expression, not to mention legato speed and other settings. I also find the UI makes things harder to use, not easier. Again compared to my other string libraries. But much of this is because there are so many features, and it’s admittedly harder to get a UI just right in this case. I don’t find it that bad but if I could change one thing honestly it would be to have a better UI.

The only other thing I don’t like is sometimes the strings can sound a bit nasally. I’m still trying to figure out the optimal EQ for this, but I chalk this up more to my lack of experience more than anything else. I could also try the mic mixer patches but I usually stick to board mix. But again it comes back to usability out of the box.

When I first opened it up, I had to learn the default vibrato is crazy high, that arco has a distinctive spicato attack overlay (that’s changeable) by default, which of the different modes to use (standard, zero latency, lookahead)… all before I could get a decent sound. In other words I felt a little that something was wrong with me until I committed myself to read the manual and watch all the videos.

Now back to the good stuff! These strings mix amazingly well. I have paired them with CSS very nicely, and also Met Ark, and Sonokinetic. I think they can mix with anything.

The legatos are very good and even when they aren’t there are plenty of ways to get them there. From legato speed options, to lookahead mode, to many different timing controls. I can fine-tune the legatos more than any other string library I’ve used.

I love the different release options. The legato swell option, aftertouch and a few more options are great options to have too.

To the people saying the sound of TSS only works with anime and japanese style music that’s not true at all. I think that comes back to knowing how to work out the different sounds the library can bring. If you just load it up and don’t change anything then yes you are going to get a certain sound. In this respect it could really use a few more patches or presets to make it more approachable at first.

I also really wish they would release sample midi projects like CSS does. For the price I feel like it should include basic solo strings.

I recommend the library to anyone who likes the sound. I don’t think you can get the sound anywhere else despite all the claims. It’s not just another studio strings sound. It’s unique and distinctive, and if that’s the sound you want just get this. Seeing that they will be adding more features makes me excited!


----------



## shropshirelad (Dec 16, 2022)

Now downloading but with 3 string libraries added this week I am done, done, done!


----------



## doctoremmet (Dec 16, 2022)

shropshirelad said:


> Now downloading but with 3 string libraries added this week I am done, done, done!


NSS and Sonokinetic by any chance?


----------



## gamma-ut (Dec 16, 2022)

ender7 said:


> The only other thing I don’t like is sometimes the strings can sound a bit nasally. I’m still trying to figure out the optimal EQ for this, but I chalk this up more to my lack of experience more than anything else. I could also try the mic mixer patches but I usually stick to board mix. But again it comes back to usability out of the box.


Dynamic EQ or multiband compression may be your friend here. Too much knocked out of the key band in the 1kHz (and possibly 4-6kHz) region and it just sounds dull. But with dynamic you can let the attack through unchanged and then push down on the nasal/harsh sounds so they become less obvious.


----------



## HM_Music (Dec 16, 2022)

bcslaam said:


> Thanks for posting. Good work. It sounds a bit like VSL Elite strings.
> 
> qu: The higher A note of TSS around at 38sec and 42sec mark (A4 I think) seems to "suck" closed, ie the legato doesnt sound quite right. Would you say this could be hidden with a little bit of work or is it indicative of the library?
> Tone wise the CSS sounded kinda forced for the sustains but the legato was a bit better. Elite strings (which I have) is kind of in the middle of these two.



In essence it is just a midi without any attempt to set up legato/automation. I think if you take the time, everything should sound better



timbit2006 said:


> Both played at the same time sounds really good, CSS and TSS compliment each other well. I really hope this doesn't mean I'll be needing to buy CSS now.


Maybe. But this is a matter of taste, I would prefer to use something like Tundra or Ark. For example, I found out that Hiroyuki Sawano used Majestica library for layering.


----------



## shropshirelad (Dec 16, 2022)

doctoremmet said:


> NSS and Sonokinetic by any chance?


How did you know?  Essentially 3 for the price of 1, so a nice little bit of shopping. Thanks to you and many others for the incredible glitch information.


----------



## FrozenIcicle (Dec 16, 2022)

Markrs said:


> I find this with loads of libraries, there is the build up of excitement, the library is released, often gets lots of favourable comments and then….. the buzz moves onto the next library.
> 
> I think this happens less with libraries that get regular updates like CSS or Infinite Brass/winds as that tends to generate some hype when the update is released.


True, I only own libraries that the hype never worn off and consistently win "blind shootout" battles. Even though I do get Intro sale marketing FOMO, once I hold off till after I realised I made the correct decision. Of course if money is no problem, then spend away


----------



## Trash Panda (Dec 16, 2022)

shropshirelad said:


> Now downloading but with 3 string libraries added this week I am done, done, done!


Just one more couldn’t hurt…


----------



## Markrs (Dec 16, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> Just one more couldn’t hurt…


Is it “wafer thin”… 😂


----------



## EvilDragon (Dec 16, 2022)

ender7 said:


> I also find the UI makes things harder to use, not easier. Again compared to my other string libraries. But much of this is because there are so many features, and it’s admittedly harder to get a UI just right in this case. I don’t find it that bad but if I could change one thing honestly it would be to have a better UI.



Interesting comment. What would be a better UI for you considering the involved featureset?


----------



## Jrides (Dec 16, 2022)

ender7 said:


> I also really wish they would release sample midi projects like CSS does. For the price I feel like it should include basic solo strings.


I agree with both of these. Especially the solo strings. If for nothing else just first chair.


----------



## AlbertSmithers (Dec 16, 2022)

EvilDragon said:


> Interesting comment. What would be a better UI for you considering the involved featureset?


FWIW I really like the UI. It's simple when you first open it and it behaves just like standard libraries. But when you dig deeper you can enable more complex options, which were made easily understandable through the marketing that led up to the release, as well as the documentation. I can't think of how IS could have made a nicer UI really. Esp the brush look on the Vibrato, OMG so good.


----------



## Casiquire (Dec 16, 2022)

AlbertSmithers said:


> FWIW I really like the UI. It's simple when you first open it and it behaves just like standard libraries. But when you dig deeper you can enable more complex options, which were made easily understandable through the marketing that led up to the release, as well as the documentation. I can't think of how IS could have made a nicer UI really. Esp the brush look on the Vibrato, OMG so good.


The UI is gorgeous! And seems so functional too. One of my favorites


----------



## Rudianos (Dec 16, 2022)

At first I was like a little put off by the tone. And then I started to actually play the instrument. And WOW. So far, best trills in the business. Very inspiring UI... needs some digging ... I am glad I can move my KS.


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 16, 2022)

Is the UI scalable? On my 27” 1080p monitor I takes up almost all the screen :o


----------



## Trash Panda (Dec 16, 2022)

Ricgus3 said:


> Is the UI scalable? On my 27” 1080p monitor I takes up almost all the screen :o


If you load it in Kontakt 7.


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 16, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> If you load it in Kontakt 7.


Man. I really don’t want to. I want to avoid kontakt 7 for as long as possible


----------



## Trash Panda (Dec 16, 2022)

Ricgus3 said:


> Man. I really don’t want to. I want to avoid kontakt 7 for as long as possible


The player is free though.


----------



## filipjonathan (Dec 16, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> The player is free though.


I gave in yesterday and downloaded it finally. I actually like the new browser.


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 16, 2022)

filipjonathan said:


> I gave in yesterday and downloaded it finally. I actually like the new browser.


I have tried player 7 once. Really disliked the new interface and the browser. Found it harder to find my libraries. But I guess I will try it again since TSS GUI is too big for my screen


----------



## Rudianos (Dec 16, 2022)

Ricgus3 said:


> I have tried player 7 once. Really disliked the new interface and the browser. Found it harder to find my libraries. But I guess I will try it again since TSS GUI is too big for my screen


yeah it is a bit different - but we can adapt in just a few days


----------



## shropshirelad (Dec 16, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> If you load it in Kontakt 7.


How are you re-scaling the main window? My big hope for K7 was that I'd be able to make things bigger!


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 17, 2022)

Okay I have installed k7 player. HOw do I make this window smaller now? i can see no button for scaling


----------



## shropshirelad (Dec 17, 2022)

Ricgus3 said:


> Okay I have installed k7 player. HOw do I make this window smaller now? i can see no button for scaling


I want to make it bigger but can't see a way to do that either!


----------



## Darkred (Dec 17, 2022)

TomaeusD said:


> I picked it up today after putting it off for a year. I never really liked the sound from many of the demos (to me they can sound like 90s rompler strings) but I kinda wish I had bought it sooner. It's dry and much more consistent than SStSP. The legato feels good with the speed turned up, although I'm not a fan of the portamentos. The many short articulations are lovely and seem unique. In fact, I'd say it's one of the most versatile string libraries I have because I can capture the tight studio sound, or place it in Berlin Studio and give it a more symphonic feel. If only I had time to make some demos...


Yes! SSTSP vs TSS vs Berlin Strings comparison 🙏


----------



## Darkred (Dec 17, 2022)

HM_Music said:


> No time for a good comparison. Circumstances are such that I spend most of my time without light.
> 
> CSS
> View attachment css.mp3
> ...


Somehow TSS reminds me here of BS, at some moments - is this possible? (at other moments it sounds somehow synthy, it's confusing).


----------



## TomaeusD (Dec 17, 2022)

Rudianos said:


> okay I had the same impression.... weird synthy stuff. So dryness ehh? And you now like. Could you please post a demo of it with Berlin Studio?





Darkred said:


> Yes! SSTSP vs TSS vs Berlin Strings comparison 🙏


I'm currently working remotely away from my studio for the rest of the year, but I may be able to make some space on my laptop for TSS+Berlin Studio and maybe SStSP or Berlin Strings for comparisons. I forgot how big those libraries are so we'll see.  Maybe someone else can give it a shot for the time being?

@Rudianos I saw that you got TSS, has the tone grown on you any more? What reverbs are you trying with it?


----------



## Enc (Dec 18, 2022)

HM_Music said:


> No time for a good comparison. Circumstances are such that I spend most of my time without light.
> 
> CSS
> View attachment css.mp3
> ...


What reverb / effects / processing did you apply to this demo piece?


----------



## Vealti (Dec 18, 2022)

Sean said:


> Omg you're kidding me I just bought it for 350 🤮





Gaffable said:


> As posted by @doctoremmet in another thread, Tokyo Scoring Strings can be purchased during the current sale for $255, by stacking coupon codes:


Thanks for this! Just picked it up.


----------



## ansthenia (Dec 18, 2022)

Beautiful strings. Probably my favorite. I wrote this very short little thing back when I first got TSS, but I think it shows off their lovely tone and legato quite nicely.

Some people say they're just good for JRPG music or anime, but I feel that's because they're listening to TSS with that mindset due to their name and the marketing. I bet if it wasn't marketed as such, and people didn't already know where it was recorded or by what orchestra, people wouldn't be listening to them thinking "oh yeah these are only really good for JRPG's or anime music".

If you want some gorgeous detailed strings, that are dry and relatively small size. Very nice legato and an excellent look-ahead function that makes using them very hassle-free to use for people that would rather sequence the notes into a piano roll (which is what I did for my little demo here, all notes are snapped to grid) then I think TSS should definitely be a consideration.

I cannot wait for the winds and brass, by far my most anticipated libraries.
View attachment Strings.mp3


----------



## Jacobmb_Music (Dec 18, 2022)

I've seen TSS get a lot of commentary that sounds disappointed in the library's dry, close, small sound that it has. Perhaps some people expected the library to be similar to a more traditional string library, but it's really not intended to be your typical concert hall string ensemble.

This library was designed to capture a very specific sound (a sound I had personally been wanting in my music for as long as I've been making music). The JRPG/Anime sound is quite different from what you hear in western music and I think that if you know and love that particular tone, then you will absolutely love TSS. I figure those who don't pay attention to JRPG or anime music are the ones saying that the library doesn't do anything special.

With that said, I also believe it is probably unfair to compare TSS to other string libraries in terms of the overall tone, simply because it *isn't trying* to be like those other libraries. It's its own thing with its own purpose.


----------



## HM_Music (Dec 19, 2022)

Darkred said:


> Somehow TSS reminds me here of BS, at some moments - is this possible? (at other moments it sounds somehow synthy, it's confusing).


Perhaps, although they are still very different to me, the BS to my ear is not as detailed and has a different legato



Enc said:


> What reverb / effects / processing did you apply to this demo piece?


I haven't configured it in detail, but the template looks like this:


Spoiler


----------



## Ivan Duch (Dec 19, 2022)

I purchased TSS during the weekend for a project (for which I wanted an anime string sound) and started playing around with it Yesterday (I must confess I hesitated a bit because of the lack of talk about the library on the forum).

It completely overpassed my expectations, to the point where I'm considering making it my bread & butter library to use with Dorico. The Lookahead is fantastic for that sort of workflow, although Dorico's playback delay is a bit cumbersome to use at this point. But yes, in general the workflow is amazing if you like to work with notation.

It's also very deeply sampled, which makes it very versatile. And I've been testing Berlin Studio reverb with it, just in case I want to make it sound more orchestral and so far so good. 

It's too early to say more but, yes, I'm pleasantly surprised. I'll be able to say more after I finished a couple of projects with it.


----------



## Markrs (Dec 19, 2022)

Ivan Duch said:


> I purchased TSS during the weekend for a project (for which I wanted an anime string sound) and started playing around with it Yesterday (I must confess I hesitated a bit because of the lack of talk about the library on the forum).
> 
> It completely overpassed my expectations, to the point where I'm considering making it my bread & butter library to use with Dorico. The Lookahead is fantastic for that sort of workflow, although Dorico's playback delay is a bit cumbersome to use at this point. But yes, in general the workflow is amazing if you like to work with notation.
> 
> ...


That is great to hear. We should create a list of libraries that work well with Dorico.


----------



## Jrides (Dec 19, 2022)

Ivan Duch said:


> I purchased TSS during the weekend for a project (for which I wanted an anime string sound) and started playing around with it Yesterday (I must confess I hesitated a bit because of the lack of talk about the library on the forum).
> 
> It completely overpassed my expectations, to the point where I'm considering making it my bread & butter library to use with Dorico. The Lookahead is fantastic for that sort of workflow, although Dorico's playback delay is a bit cumbersome to use at this point. But yes, in general the workflow is amazing if you like to work with notation.
> 
> ...


If someone can post a snippet of TSS with a Berlin Studio, it would be very helpful. Trying to decide if I want to pair it with TSS. Doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Noodling. Whatever. However, I would like to hear what TSS sounds like in that space.


----------



## Trash Panda (Dec 19, 2022)

Jrides said:


> If someone can post a snippet of TSS with a Berlin Studio, it would be very helpful. Trying to decide if I want to pair it with TSS. Doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Noodling. Whatever. However, I would like to hear what TSS sounds like in that space.


Here you go. Only processing applied is a limiter to normalize the volume. All instances are TSS Close Mics only for the source signal. 

I'd personally add some EQ on each mic within the plugin to reduce some muddy buildup and shorten the tail length some.

There's some semi-soaring lines starting at around 2:20 and again at 3:30 if you need a contrast from the chugging.

TSS Source Signal:
View attachment FF7R - Let the Battles Begin Medley (TSS Dry Signal).mp3


TSS through Berlin Studio at Default Mix (-6 dB across the board):
View attachment FF7R - Let the Battles Begin Medley (Berlin Studio Default).mp3


TSS through Berlin Studio Tree:
View attachment FF7R - Let the Battles Begin Medley (Berlin Studio Tree).mp3


TSS through Berlin Studio AB:
View attachment FF7R - Let the Battles Begin Medley (Berlin Studio AB).mp3


TSS through Berlin Studio Surround:
View attachment FF7R - Let the Battles Begin Medley (Berlin Studio Surround).mp3


----------



## Sarah Mancuso (Dec 19, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> Here you go. Only processing applied is a limiter to normalize the volume. All instances are TSS Close Mics only for the source signal.
> 
> I'd personally add some EQ on each mic within the plugin to reduce some muddy buildup and shorten the tail length some.
> 
> ...


Hmmm. In these examples, to me it sounds like a recording with its own room info is being played back in another room, rather than the _performance_ actually happening in the Berlin room, due to how the original room reflections are interacting with the Berlin Studio-added ones. I wonder if adjusting Berlin Studio's early/late reflections balance might help with that.


----------



## Enc (Dec 19, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> Here you go. Only processing applied is a limiter to normalize the volume. All instances are TSS Close Mics only for the source signal.
> 
> I'd personally add some EQ on each mic within the plugin to reduce some muddy buildup and shorten the tail length some.
> 
> ...


Thank you for your samples. Now I am in doubt again if I really should get TSS...something in the tone is strange...maybe its too dry and then too drenched in reverb...but on the other hand there are a few really beautyful demos...but can I get them to sound as they sound? I highly doubt it...


----------



## Trash Panda (Dec 19, 2022)

Sarah Mancuso said:


> Hmmm. In these examples, to me it sounds like a recording with its own room info is being played back in another room, rather than the _performance_ actually happening in the Berlin room, due to how the original room reflections are interacting with the Berlin Studio-added ones. I wonder if adjusting Berlin Studio's early/late reflections balance might help with that.


Probably. These examples are with ERs and LRs set to 100%. I typically like to use more isolated signals for use in Berlin Studio, like Sample Modeling, Infinite series or VSL's old silent stage material.



Enc said:


> Thank you for your samples. Now I am in doubt again if I really should get TSS...something in the tone is strange...maybe its too dry and then too drenched in reverb...but on the other hand there are a few really beautyful demos...but can I get them to sound as they sound? I highly doubt it...


I wouldn't use this specific set of examples as a barometer. It's simply tossing TSS close mic signals into Berlin Studio on default settings, which as @Sarah Mancuso pointed out, causes some weird interactions between the early reflections in each.


----------



## Enc (Dec 19, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> Probably. These examples are with ERs and LRs set to 100%. I typically like to use more isolated signals for use in Berlin Studio, like Sample Modeling, Infinite series or VSL's old silent stage material.
> 
> 
> I wouldn't use this specific set of examples as a barometer. It's simply tossing TSS close mic signals into Berlin Studio on default settings, which as @Sarah Mancuso pointed out, causes some weird interactions between the early reflections in each.


I am talking more about the ultra dry input. its like the very definition of dry...


----------



## Darkred (Dec 19, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> Here you go. Only processing applied is a limiter to normalize the volume. All instances are TSS Close Mics only for the source signal.
> 
> I'd personally add some EQ on each mic within the plugin to reduce some muddy buildup and shorten the tail length some.
> 
> ...


Thanks!
I'm not sure I understand 🤔 This is TSS vs BS? / or TSS with BS mix? / or TSS combined with BS?
If it's not BS, than a comparison of the same track with BS close mic would be great 
(Edit: we're talking about Berlin Strings? or there's another library called Berlin Studio?)


----------



## Sarah Mancuso (Dec 19, 2022)

Enc said:


> I am talking more about the ultra dry input. its like the very definition of dry...


That is the close mic on its own, after all...


----------



## Tekkera (Dec 19, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> Here you go. Only processing applied is a limiter to normalize the volume. All instances are TSS Close Mics only for the source signal.
> 
> I'd personally add some EQ on each mic within the plugin to reduce some muddy buildup and shorten the tail length some.
> 
> There's some semi-soaring lines starting at around 2:20 and again at 3:30 if you need a contrast from the chugging.


I'm sorry but these just don't sound very good at all to me. Sounds like a big wash of verb on top rather than what one would expect a string section to sound like in a bigger room. Room in a room


----------



## Trash Panda (Dec 19, 2022)

Enc said:


> I am talking more about the ultra dry input. its like the very definition of dry...


That tends to happen when you use only the close mic of an instrument recorded in a studio.



Darkred said:


> Thanks!
> I'm not sure I understand 🤔 This is TSS vs BS? / or TSS with BS mix? / or TSS combined with BS?
> If it's not BS, than a comparison of the same track with BS close mic would be great
> (Edit: we're talking about Berlin Strings? or there's another library called Berlin Studio?)


TSS close mics run through a plugin by Samplicity called Berlin Studio (which is a plugin that uses multiple Impulse Responses from Teldex, where Berlin Strings was recorded). I don't know why @Jrides wanted to hear it. Just giving the people what they ask for. 



Tekkera said:


> I'm sorry but these just don't sound very good at all to me. Sounds like a big wash of verb on top rather than what one would expect a string section to sound like in a bigger room. Room in a room


Please read the rest of the thread above.

FYI, these types of responses are why a lot of people don't post examples. It already takes time to put together what gets requested. It's uber annoying having to spend more time explaining everything multiple times afterwards.


----------



## Enc (Dec 19, 2022)

Sarah Mancuso said:


> That is the close mic on its own, after all...


Ok. Thing is...as a non educated 100 % hobbyist I already own too many stuff and I really need to look at my budget now. The deep sampling and the players really caught me though. But I am in doubt if its a beginner library, meaning that I need to buy 7th heaven as well to make it sound smooth and warm or if Studio one stock plugins or Valhalla Vintage Verb will do the thing... poor me.


----------



## homie (Dec 19, 2022)

Darkred said:


> Thanks!
> I'm not sure I understand 🤔 This is TSS vs BS? / or TSS with BS mix? / or TSS combined with BS?
> If it's not BS, than a comparison of the same track with BS close mic would be great
> (Edit: we're talking about Berlin Strings? or there's another library called Berlin Studio?)


TSS through 'Berlin Studio'. Berlin Studio is an IR based reverb.


----------



## Trash Panda (Dec 19, 2022)

Enc said:


> Ok. Thing is...as a non educated 100 % hobbyist I already own too many stuff and I really need to look at my budget now. The deep sampling and the players really caught me though. But I am in doubt if its a beginner library, meaning that I need to buy 7th heaven as well to make it sound smooth and warm or if Studio one stock plugins or Valhalla Vintage Verb will do the thing... poor me.


There is no such thing as a beginner library. If you're referring to ease of use, TSS is the most easy to program strings library I've ever used.

As for mixing, I wouldn't recommend buying a library recorded in a small studio if you want the sound of a big concert hall. Just buy one of the umpteen million string libraries recorded in AIR/Teldex/Zlin/etc. if that's the sound signature you're after.

Anyways, for all the confused folks, here's TSS on the same piece with the full Aizawa board mix, no reverb and no processing except a limiter.

View attachment FF7R - Let the Battles Begin Medley (TSS Board Mix No FX).mp3


----------



## Tekkera (Dec 19, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> Please read the rest of the thread above.
> 
> FYI, these types of responses are why a lot of people don't post examples. It already takes time to put together what gets requested. It's uber annoying having to spend more time explaining everything multiple times afterwards.


I did read the thread, but thanks. I am simply expressing my thoughts.


----------



## Enc (Dec 19, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> There is no such thing as a beginner library. If you're referring to ease of use, TSS is the most easy to program strings library I've ever used.
> 
> As for mixing, I wouldn't recommend buying a library recorded in a small studio if you want the sound of a big concert hall. Just buy one of the umpteen million string libraries recorded in AIR/Teldex/Zlin/etc. if that's the sound signature you're after.
> 
> ...


It's not the sound of a big hall or stage I am after. But I get your thoughts. Thanks for your demos and kind reply. You are doing a great job.


----------



## Trash Panda (Dec 19, 2022)

Tekkera said:


> I did read the thread, but thanks. I am simply expressing my thoughts.


Clearly you did not, as your thoughts were already covered in the exchange with Sarah.


----------



## EvilDragon (Dec 19, 2022)

Enc said:


> But I am in doubt if its a beginner library, meaning that I need to buy 7th heaven as well to make it sound smooth and warm or if Studio one stock plugins or Valhalla Vintage Verb will do the thing... poor me.



Of course you can use any reverb you'd like. 7th Heaven is just what you'd use if you want to go with Aizawa-san's sound, which is heavily utilizing a Bricasti M7. You don't _have_ to do the same as him. I'm sure VVV can give TSS a very nice flair, hell, Valhalla Supermassive can do almost anything and it's free!


----------



## Ivan Duch (Dec 19, 2022)

Interesting conversation. I was going to send some examples as well:

1. Full Mix + Berlin Studio
2. Close Mic + Berlin Studio

What do you guys think?

That said, I've been using it without Berlin Studio or in way smaller amounts. I'm loving the detail and tone of the strings. The workflow and flexibility are also crazy good.


----------



## Ivan Duch (Dec 19, 2022)

@Sarah Mancuso, @EvilDragon

I'm loving the lookahead functionality and I'm already using it with Dorico. Also, the Easy Artic is very handy and effective. How do you suggest one switches to tremolos, trills, and harmonics?

I'm thinking of creating an expression map that disables easy artic via cc and triggers the proper key switch because it looks like when easy artic is enabled it doesn't trigger key switches or they're overridden by easy artic.

Is that the way to go?


----------



## Ivan Duch (Dec 19, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> As for mixing, I wouldn't recommend buying a library recorded in a small studio if you want the sound of a big concert hall. Just buy one of the umpteen million string libraries recorded in AIR/Teldex/Zlin/etc. if that's the sound signature you're after.


That said, I'm feeling like the consistency and workflow of this library are so good that if one can approximate a bit of a hall sound when needed it'd be awesome. I've been looking for a library this easy to use as a bread & butter writing tool. And I think this one just nails it in that department as well.

So yes, some people mentioned in the thread that it's a very niche library. So far I'd argue that it's quite flexible and the workflow and consistency are rarely mentioned but they're top-notch.


----------



## Tekkera (Dec 19, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> Clearly you did not, as your thoughts were already covered in the exchange with Sarah.


Am I also not allowed to express my own personalized opinion? This gatekeeping of what I can also reply with is silly. I'm going to move on from this now, but I suggest in the future, maybe don't try to gate keep replies so hard?


----------



## Trash Panda (Dec 19, 2022)

Tekkera said:


> Am I also not allowed to express my own personalized opinion? This gatekeeping of what I can also reply with is silly. I'm going to move on from this now, but I suggest in the future, maybe don't try to gate keep replies so hard?


Maybe don’t lead off with “That sounds bad” if you don’t want a hostile response.


----------



## Petrucci (Dec 19, 2022)

Jumped on TSS today, played for an hour, just comparing it to Opus Strings, since they are pretty dry too - well, I only explored standard articulations without delay compensation and all that stuff - overall I'm very pleased with its sound - actually it's even drier than Opus Strings, sounding liitle bit smaller, but in a good way. I only played first violins so far, so lots of exploring ahead..!)) Legato is very nice, though Opus is little bit more emotional, the shorts are outstanding and I listened to both with a send to SHP or CRP - very nice sound, all in all.


----------



## Jrides (Dec 19, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> Please read the rest of the thread above.
> 
> FYI, these types of responses are why a lot of people don't post examples. It already takes time to put together what gets requested. It's uber annoying having to spend more time explaining everything multiple times afterwards.



my bad. Next time I ask for demos/examples, I will try to do so via PM. I didn’t realize people on the forum, were so rude. I haven’t been here very long.


----------



## Sean (Dec 19, 2022)

Tekkera said:


> Am I also not allowed to express my own personalized opinion? This gatekeeping of what I can also reply with is silly. I'm going to move on from this now, but I suggest in the future, maybe don't try to gate keep replies so hard?


You can express your opinion in a less rude way


----------



## filipjonathan (Dec 19, 2022)

Jrides said:


> my bad. Next time I ask for demos/examples, I will try to do so via PM. I didn’t realize people on the forum, were so rude. I haven’t been here very long.


People are generally not rude, and are very helpful, just like Trash Panda was, but you do have some nuggets occasionally.


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 20, 2022)

I had some time now to play around with it and also incorporate it into a piece/track I am working on. Layered or substitute spitfire studio strings core with TSS.

I encountered things I don’t understand:

1.The swell on velocity trigger is a great addition and it seem to work with look ahead. But what does the ms attack time knob do? When I ply back the same passage with it set to max or lowest I hear no difference?

2. Is it possible to make the portamento longer? My ideal situation is to have it function like a rubato or ritardando effect when the strings lands “heavy” on the targeted note. SStS is what I refer to or adachi, where the portsmento has a longer duration. I saw some knobs on the bottom that i tried to tweak but to no success.


----------



## NoamL (Dec 20, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> Here you go. Only processing applied is a limiter to normalize the volume. All instances are TSS Close Mics only for the source signal.
> 
> I'd personally add some EQ on each mic within the plugin to reduce some muddy buildup and shorten the tail length some.
> 
> ...


Thank you for doing these experiments. I think they demonstrate if one buys TSS it should be because they love the sound the library does out of the box... the Aizawa mix sounded the most natural to my ears. You definitely don't get a scoring stage sound, it's a small room sound. If someone wants that this library fills that niche.


----------



## jason3.14 (Dec 21, 2022)

Hope that someone finds the following a positive representation... Sorry also if some came across these already on the main TSS thread, I thought there may not have been much crossover (and the fact that that thread is 100 pages now lol).

Octopath Traveler Battle Theme I cover (full mix, TSS only for strings):
View attachment Octopath Traveler Battle Theme I (full mix).mp3


Octopath Traveler Battle Theme I cover (TSS naked):
View attachment Octopath Traveler Battle Theme I (naked).mp3


Genshin Impact Medley (TSS, and possibly a homeopathic level of Jaeger, I forget) - kind of a rush job to enter my first ever competition... but I did get a Popularity Award hahaa.


Sure, it's anime/VGM music but oh well. Hope to post one more track before year end as well!


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 21, 2022)

jason3.14 said:


> Hope that someone finds the following a positive representation... Sorry also if some came across these already on the main TSS thread, I thought there may not have been much crossover (and the fact that that thread is 100 pages now lol).
> 
> Octopath Traveler Battle Theme I cover (full mix, TSS only for strings):
> View attachment Octopath Traveler Battle Theme I (full mix).mp3
> ...



Your work on these is so good! I am super impressed by Battle Theme and how TSS capture that heroic yet stressful action feeling! Hoping for the Runs feature to come early next year  That is the only thing I hear as a weakness. But those schords on the strings with short articulations and topline is delicious!

@jason3.14 how did you do this? Is it Lookahead mode or Standard mode? Currently experimenting with both, I have found I get better results with Lookahead when doing legato lines but shorts in standard to me is no diffrent and I actually prefer playing my stuff in.

Picked up TSS a bout a week ago, Really like the timbre, though I need to cut out a bit around 1k hz like I do with all strings. Still trying to find that perfect workflow for my own writing style. The shorts on the Modwheel is a nice way to set it up. I am about 80% finished with my current track Where I have blended in TSS with SStS. Will upload here when I am done but probably wll get it done after Xmas!


----------



## Enc (Dec 22, 2022)

jason3.14 said:


> Hope that someone finds the following a positive representation... Sorry also if some came across these already on the main TSS thread, I thought there may not have been much crossover (and the fact that that thread is 100 pages now lol).
> 
> Octopath Traveler Battle Theme I cover (full mix, TSS only for strings):
> View attachment Octopath Traveler Battle Theme I (full mix).mp3
> ...



Very well executed. I can hear almost no difference to the Octopath original. Bravo!


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 22, 2022)

@EvilDragon I encountered haning notes and a total collaps of Lookahead mode :O. I Was making a quick mockup of J-W Starwars with TSS when all of a sudden eveything went banans. Now Lookahead seems like it does not work at all for me unless I remove that kontakt instance and reinsert it. Also Violin 1 line is silent. I did not touch anything else except I rendered it in reaper. Before the rendering the violin 1 also went silent so I reseted it. I attach here all the project, midi and mp3 if you want to take a look at it? Or should I email ISW supprt? At around 23s into the Mp3 it hangs a note and then it starts to build up.

View attachment untitled.mp3


----------



## Sarah Mancuso (Dec 22, 2022)

I'm sorry you're experiencing issues with Lookahead mode. Thank you for the report, we will look into it.

In the meantime, you can work around it by clicking the ! button in the upper right corner of Kontakt's interface to refresh the instrument. This is obviously still not ideal, but is less disruptive than needing to completely unload and reload the instrument.


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 22, 2022)

Sarah Mancuso said:


> I'm sorry you're experiencing issues with Lookahead mode. Thank you for the report, we will look into it.
> 
> In the meantime, you can work around it by clicking the ! button in the upper right corner of Kontakt's interface to refresh the instrument. This is obviously still not ideal, but is less disruptive than needing to completely unload and reload the instrument.


Thank you for your help! Good to know there is a panic button! I made a ticket to ISW also.

When I went into standard mode the issue still persisted. Which I why I needed to reset it


----------



## Sean (Dec 22, 2022)

jason3.14 said:


> Hope that someone finds the following a positive representation... Sorry also if some came across these already on the main TSS thread, I thought there may not have been much crossover (and the fact that that thread is 100 pages now lol).
> 
> Octopath Traveler Battle Theme I cover (full mix, TSS only for strings):
> View attachment Octopath Traveler Battle Theme I (full mix).mp3
> ...



This is awesome! I'm currently trying to mock up Battle Theme II with TSS, it sounds so good and matches the Octopath sound so well.


----------



## AceAudioHQ (Dec 22, 2022)

Ricgus3 said:


> I have tried player 7 once. Really disliked the new interface and the browser. Found it harder to find my libraries. But I guess I will try it again since TSS GUI is too big for my screen


You can make k7 look exactly like k6


----------



## galactic orange (Dec 22, 2022)

AceAudioHQ said:


> You can make k7 look exactly like k6


You can, but it’s like pulling on a combination of books in the correct order on a bookshelf that opens to a secret passage.


----------



## AceAudioHQ (Dec 22, 2022)

galactic orange said:


> You can, but it’s like pulling on a combination of books in the correct order on a bookshelf that opens to a secret passage.


It did feel a bit that way when I tried to do it :>


----------



## Daren Audio (Dec 22, 2022)

galactic orange said:


> You can, but it’s like pulling on a combination of books in the correct order on a bookshelf that opens to a secret passage.


This is SO true. 
Nowadays, I have to create "infographics how-to's" with all the sample library players so I don't get frustrated when maneuvering/using so many different ones.


----------



## RyanRhea (Dec 22, 2022)

Ricgus3 said:


> @EvilDragon I encountered haning notes and a total collaps of Lookahead mode :O. I Was making a quick mockup of J-W Starwars with TSS when all of a sudden eveything went banans. Now Lookahead seems like it does not work at all for me unless I remove that kontakt instance and reinsert it. Also Violin 1 line is silent. I did not touch anything else except I rendered it in reaper. Before the rendering the violin 1 also went silent so I reseted it. I attach here all the project, midi and mp3 if you want to take a look at it? Or should I email ISW supprt? At around 23s into the Mp3 it hangs a note and then it starts to build up.
> 
> View attachment untitled.mp3


I can confirm similar issues. 👍
But absolutely loving this library! Holy $&!+ what a beautiful sound and so alive when playing in. ❤️


----------



## jason3.14 (Dec 22, 2022)

Ricgus3 said:


> Your work on these is so good! I am super impressed by Battle Theme and how TSS capture that heroic yet stressful action feeling! Hoping for the Runs feature to come early next year  That is the only thing I hear as a weakness. But those schords on the strings with short articulations and topline is delicious!
> 
> @jason3.14 how did you do this? Is it Lookahead mode or Standard mode? Currently experimenting with both, I have found I get better results with Lookahead when doing legato lines but shorts in standard to me is no diffrent and I actually prefer playing my stuff in.
> 
> Picked up TSS a bout a week ago, Really like the timbre, though I need to cut out a bit around 1k hz like I do with all strings. Still trying to find that perfect workflow for my own writing style. The shorts on the Modwheel is a nice way to set it up. I am about 80% finished with my current track Where I have blended in TSS with SStS. Will upload here when I am done but probably wll get it done after Xmas!


I'm glad you liked it! Well I guess since you already picked up TSS no need for me to post tracks, lol (jk).

I use Lookahead mode since I'm still programming everything using mouse and keyboard, even though I play piano. I've gravitated to just using it with Pure Attack on - I don't use it for Easy Articulation, preferring to just use keyswitches. I forget if I used Lookahead Legato Speed for Octopath, but nowadays I keep it off and use velocity to control Legato Speed. So really I use Lookahead mode to align notes to grid, which is already great in itself.

I still prefer to use at least two instances of TSS per section - one generally for Long articulations (usually sits on Arco/Legato) on midi channel 1, and one generally for Short articulations on midi channel 2.

I like doing it this way so I can layer shorts with legato, as I did often on the Octopath track, e.g. usually with spiccato secco but often with one of the sforzandos as well. This helped account for the aggressive/energetic feeling you mentioned I believe (besides automation).

The midi on 1 and 2 basically starts out duplicated, and then I modify/mute notes on respective tracks from there. There is a built in shorts overlay, but I just prefer doing it this way. Also, having it set up this way helps me do things like blend legato from midi channel 1 to tremolo on midi channel 2 when applicable. Happy to provide a video clip to demonstrate if that was confusing! 

Also, yea seems understandable to EQ to get the tone you want, which I suck at haha.


----------



## jason3.14 (Dec 22, 2022)

Enc said:


> Very well executed. I can hear almost no difference to the Octopath original. Bravo!


Thanks so much! For something even more true to original Octopath sound, you may enjoy this Tressa theme made by @william81723

Post in thread 'Tokyo Scoring Strings: Patch 1.0.5 available (fixed sample offsets)' https://vi-control.net/community/th...able-fixed-sample-offsets.108670/post-5053612


----------



## jason3.14 (Dec 22, 2022)

timbit2006 said:


> I've always found the best results mixing a solid dry library like TSS with a nice wet emotional library. I definitely thank @Leandro Gardini for some of his videos that really pushed my skills with that mixing for emotion concept in particular. Another winning combo is TSS+Majestica or 8W. I absolutely love that sound; a few Japanese composers have talked about using Majestica in particular as a layering library.


This sounds like a great idea to me!


----------



## Sarah Mancuso (Dec 22, 2022)

Okay, I've been able to replicate the Lookahead stuck-notes bug on my end and get an error log, so we are currently investigating what's happening there. We may have run up against an arcane Kontakt limit yet again. We'll figure out a workaround.


----------



## jason3.14 (Dec 22, 2022)

Ivan Duch said:


> Interesting conversation. I was going to send some examples as well:
> 
> 1. Full Mix + Berlin Studio
> 2. Close Mic + Berlin Studio
> ...


Sounds great to me! I think I like #2 since sounds cleaner to me (?)


----------



## jason3.14 (Dec 22, 2022)

Enc said:


> Ok. Thing is...as a non educated 100 % hobbyist I already own too many stuff and I really need to look at my budget now. The deep sampling and the players really caught me though. But I am in doubt if its a beginner library, meaning that I need to buy 7th heaven as well to make it sound smooth and warm or if Studio one stock plugins or Valhalla Vintage Verb will do the thing... poor me.


Yea I feel that, I'm a 100% hobbyist too. I probably haven't invested in that many libraries relative to some others, but instead just decided to invest my time/money/energy into TSS. I figure it's how it works with most libraries, to get the most out of what you have, whether TSS or other.  

Not sure if beginner library is the right term, but on the other hand I do think TSS makes life a lot easier with Lookahead - it was so painful beforehand trying to think about either notes or their associated CC automations not being aligned to grid, and so hard to think about going back.


----------



## jason3.14 (Dec 22, 2022)

Sean said:


> This is awesome! I'm currently trying to mock up Battle Theme II with TSS, it sounds so good and matches the Octopath sound so well.


Looking forward to hearing it! I think Octopath music is just amazing. 


Also sorry to everyone, since I realized my consecutive posts may seem spammy. Was catching up on the thread, hopefully it was reasonable.


----------



## ender7 (Dec 26, 2022)

EvilDragon said:


> Interesting comment. What would be a better UI for you considering the involved featureset?


Well since you asked...

First to be clear I *really like* parts of the aesthetic itself, like the big dynamics and vibrato circles.

That said the UI seems to me to be a slightly awkward mix between minimalist and deeply functional. One one hand you have the minimalist whitespace, flat buttons and lines, but then also it kinda feels like there are buttons, knobs and sliders all over the place and not always consistent. 

Sometimes the button-looking boxes are on/off buttons, sometimes they are tab/page selections.
On the longs page it takes a little acclimation to how the main buttons/rectangles do not all behave the same (out of the box), even though they all look the same.

It all makes sense once you get used to it though...

Also it seems the desire for minimalism means some common parameters don't have a UI control/display, such as expression (compared to UIs from others that do show that), but at the same time there are many advanced parameters always shown by default that probably won't be used by most people at first.

I guess I would prefer either a stronger commitment to minimalism at the expense of efficiency, going all in on beautiful, or otherwise a fully consistent and deeply functional UI.

Finally sometimes I explore changing some of the knobs like ADSR or Transition timings, then try to cmd+click to reset to the default. But it just resets to 0. I have to reload the patch to get back to default (not sure if that's a kontakt issue).

And since/if I have your attention something I've been a bit unsure about is whether turning off the short articulations (spic., stac., etc) impact the long overlays. Like do I need to keep Spiccato enabled to get that overlay on Arco?

...and none of these things should persuade anyone against the library, for sure. just sharing my personal opinions. It's a great library with a great sound!


----------



## Sean (Dec 26, 2022)

While the subject of the UI is up, I do wish there was like a more compact version as there is a lot of wasted space, and makes it alot more difficult to use sometimes when I am on a smaller screen. I have no clue if its possible to have a compact version of the UI or not in kontakt, but just voicing my 2 cents as well as a front end software engineer.

For whats it worth I do think the UI is very nice other than that minor gripe!


----------



## Jacobmb_Music (Dec 30, 2022)

Sarah Mancuso said:


> I'm sorry you're experiencing issues with Lookahead mode. Thank you for the report, we will look into it.
> 
> In the meantime, you can work around it by clicking the ! button in the upper right corner of Kontakt's interface to refresh the instrument. This is obviously still not ideal, but is less disruptive than needing to completely unload and reload the instrument.


I can confirm I've had similar issues when using Lookahead as well. Usually, issues occur for after TSS has been used to play back many MIDI items or the same MIDI item in repetition. I have keyboard shortcuts to bring FX offline and online for any given track, so this is typically a very quick fix for the issue but I will try the other fix you recommend next time.


----------



## jason3.14 (Dec 30, 2022)

Been working on this Genshin medley WIP for months. Fluid Shorts are layered for a lot of the spiccatos/ostinatos, but otherwise the rest is TSS, in epic/adventure (?) context. 

View attachment Genshin Impact Medley 2.mp3


It feels a bit long to me, and I think the final version may cut some uninspired parts, but again hope it reflects positively on TSS prior to end of the current sale.

Ah, also appreciate your thoughts! Haha.


----------



## galactic orange (Dec 30, 2022)

jason3.14 said:


> Been working on this Genshin medley WIP for months. Fluid Shorts are layered for a lot of the spiccatos/ostinatos, but otherwise the rest is TSS, in epic/adventure (?) context.
> 
> View attachment Genshin Impact Medley 2.mp3
> 
> ...


I think your medley sounds top notch. There's a lot going on with choir and such, but it doesn't get muddy. I've never heard the original, but it's time that I check it out because I like the sound. Very inspiring and your medley piques my curiosity about the rest of the soundtrack. Thank you for posting it. (Now I really should work on something with TSS).


----------



## jason3.14 (Dec 30, 2022)

galactic orange said:


> I think your medley sounds top notch. There's a lot going on with choir and such, but it doesn't get muddy. I've never heard the original, but it's time that I check it out because I like the sound. Very inspiring and your medley piques my curiosity about the rest of the soundtrack. Thank you for posting it. (Now I really should work on something with TSS).


Thanks very much! Glad it doesn't sound too muddy to you. I'm continuing to work on it as we speak (*post).

I'm a bit worried about showing you the source, since you'll see how superior it is, haha... but here it is!

Tsubaki in Thawing Snow / Kitsune's Mask
His Resolution
Genshin Impact Main Theme


----------



## Ricgus3 (Dec 30, 2022)

jason3.14 said:


> Been working on this Genshin medley WIP for months. Fluid Shorts are layered for a lot of the spiccatos/ostinatos, but otherwise the rest is TSS, in epic/adventure (?) context.
> 
> View attachment Genshin Impact Medley 2.mp3
> 
> ...


Sounds Amazing @jason3.14 ! Mind sharing some TSS only moments here one can listen to? Do you process/eq the TSS any thing?


----------



## jason3.14 (Dec 30, 2022)

Ricgus3 said:


> Sounds Amazing @jason3.14 ! Mind sharing some TSS only moments here one can listen to? Do you process/eq the TSS any thing?


Thanks Ricgus! Sure, here's the last third with TSS only - currenly my TSS bus just has a multiband compressor (maybe that's a no-no? 😅) followed by fresh air, not sure if it is helpful or detrimental lol, and I'm experimenting with my master FX atm. As a preemptive comment, I think understandably the following could sound weird out of context. E.g. at 0:07 the attack will sound strangely aggressive, but in the mix I think it made sense to layer spiccato there as such; or, at 0:24-1:01 I barely automated the modwheel at all, since I noticed in that rock context it wasn't beneficial to do so.

On the other hand, I think I was more deliberate in a different way when the TSS lines were more exposed (e.g. the last 25 seconds of the demo).

It's a little different than my previous Octopath cover, since for that one I think I wrote the whole TSS parts first as if it was a stand-alone track, prior to adding any other instruments - so I think that 'TSS only' demo could sound more polished for good reason. Hope it's helpful!

View attachment Genshin Impact Medley 2 excerpt (TSS only).mp3


----------



## Juulu (Dec 30, 2022)

jason3.14 said:


> Been working on this Genshin medley WIP for months. Fluid Shorts are layered for a lot of the spiccatos/ostinatos, but otherwise the rest is TSS, in epic/adventure (?) context.
> 
> View attachment Genshin Impact Medley 2.mp3
> 
> ...


Wow this is really great. Genshin Impact has one of my favorite OST. Btw, what is that vocal thing you're using at around 1:23?

Edit# It actually sounds like it might be Rhodope?


----------



## jason3.14 (Dec 30, 2022)

Juulu said:


> Wow this is really great. Genshin Impact has one of my favorite OST. Btw, what is that vocal thing you're using at around 1:23?
> 
> Edit# It actually sounds like it might be Rhodope?


Thanks Juulu! Yea, Genshin OST is amazing! Ah glad you asked - that one specific part is actually Vocalisa - I actually think Rhodope isn't able to do that specific technique (not sure what it's called), as far as I'm aware.


----------



## galactic orange (Dec 30, 2022)

Do you mind sharing what the solo vocals are from near the beginning?


----------



## filipjonathan (Dec 30, 2022)

jason3.14 said:


> Thanks Juulu! Yea, Genshin OST is amazing! Ah glad you asked - that one specific part is actually Vocalisa - I actually think Rhodope isn't able to do that specific technique (not sure what it's called), as far as I'm aware.


In classical notation that's a turn but in the Balkan traditional singing we just call it a 'trill'.


----------



## jason3.14 (Dec 30, 2022)

galactic orange said:


> Do you mind sharing what the solo vocals are from near the beginning?


Sure! It's the vocals from Audio Imperia Jaeger, which sampled Merethe Soltvedt. I think it used to be purchasable separately (Jaeger Hangar 4), but not sure it is anymore.... I used it at multiple times in the track, both as a soloist, and mock chorus with the benefit of polyphonic legato. 👊


----------



## jason3.14 (Dec 30, 2022)

filipjonathan said:


> In classical notation that's a turn but in the Balkan traditional singing we just call it a 'trill'.


In retrospect, that makes sense. Thx! 😅


----------



## galactic orange (Dec 30, 2022)

jason3.14 said:


> Sure! It's the vocals from Audio Imperia Jaeger, which sampled Merethe Soltvedt. I think it used to be purchasable separately (Jaeger Hangar 4), but not sure it is anymore.... I used it at multiple times in the track, both as a soloist, and mock chorus with the benefit of polyphonic legato. 👊


It suits the track well. Nicely done!


----------



## jason3.14 (Jan 1, 2023)

jason3.14 said:


> Been working on this Genshin medley WIP for months. Fluid Shorts are layered for a lot of the spiccatos/ostinatos, but otherwise the rest is TSS, in epic/adventure (?) context.
> 
> View attachment Genshin Impact Medley 2.mp3
> 
> ...


After polishing more in a few small places, Here's the finished version!


----------



## Lord Daknight (Jan 4, 2023)

I watched this movie twice in cinemas already and I think I'll do it again next paycheck honestly


----------

