# Realistic String Sounds from Kontakt Libraries (Symphobia/Session Strings)



## arxpit (Jun 27, 2013)

So I have heard a lot about using the automation to make your stirngs sound realistic.

I mostly do pop music for Indian films/regional films in India. However, the main issue is that te four bar loops that i end up using sounds monotnous and not so fluid even with some automation on volume and attack/release.

I use session strings/albion/symphobia and cant seem to get the right sound out of them.

Any tips? Any suggestions?

Here is some of my work:

https://soundcloud.com/arpitgandhi/sets ... d-scores-1


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## arxpit (Jul 1, 2013)

Bump?


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## Hannes_F (Jul 1, 2013)

Hi Arpit,

first welcome to this forum!
I listened to your examples and tried to find out what you really want or need.

Technical explanation: Automation with strings usually means changing the so called "midi control change" values (in this forum we mostly speak of "midi cc" or "cc"). For many libraries either cc01 or cc11 will change the volume of the instruments. However this is not a simple volume slider but usually the instruments change the timbre of their sound from going from soft to loud. CC01 is usually linked to the modulation wheel on a keyboard. There can be other CC values that are important, too, for steering the transition between two notes or other features. Usually those cc values are recorded into the music software (like Logic or Cubase) either by really recording (wiggling the modulation wheel while the record button is pressed) or drawed in per mouse.

Now to the musical stuff: This automation is mostly valid for medium-long notes that are playing a sort of melody or motif (this is not scientifically exact but trying to give an idea). Very short notes (that usually are labeled like "stacc" or "spicc" etc. are often simply steered by the velocity of the key when pressed down. The other side of the spectrum are extremely long notes that are just sitting there. We call them pedal notes or drones, and they are often not changing very much (although even then it is good to change them a bit).

The use of *your *strings (in your examples) seems to be either very short rhythmic impulses or those long pedal notes or drones. If I think of your music being played by a band you either use the strings as a sort of percussion instrument / rhythm guitar or as the bass pedal of an electronic organ. I did not hear the strings taking the role of a singer or the trumpet/saxophone - playing a melody (or a very short melody which we call a motif). This would be then the place where automation is really needed.

Makes sense?
HTH
Hannes


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## arxpit (Jul 3, 2013)

Thanks!

I am looking to use more strings as a lead instrument. Will give it a try. My main issue was that my chords were sounding too static and not flowy if you knwo what i mean. I will try and do that also do some manual moving of notes so its not so quantized.

A


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