# Spitfire Audio Apex 2021



## MusiquedeReve (Mar 9, 2021)

Just received an email announcing Apex

https://www.spitfireaudio.com/apex/?__s=3br38aqthj6vh73di59e&utm_source=drip&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Apex+is+Coming.+Abbey+Road+One+Offer+Ends+Thursday.


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## Floris (Mar 9, 2021)

Any clues on what library it could be?


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## companyofquail (Mar 9, 2021)

Floris said:


> Any clues on what library it could be?


fortunately we will find out no later than thursday march 11.


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## tritonely (Mar 9, 2021)

Come on Spitfire, let's do BHCT at 90% off (oke oke 50% is fine too)


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## ism (Mar 9, 2021)

Well, you could try extrapolate a pattern from previous years: Tundra -> SCS -> SStS -> ???

Let me know if you crack the code


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## Rory (Mar 9, 2021)

companyofquail said:


> fortunately we will find out no later than thursday march 11.


That would mean that the Apex offer will happen on the same day that the revived Abbey Road One promo price expires.

Where are you getting March 11 from for Apex? My e-mail just says "Coming Soon".


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## doctoremmet (Mar 9, 2021)

Floris said:


> Any clues on what library it could be?


It’s a sale rather, no?


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## muziksculp (Mar 9, 2021)

I think Apex is a sale on one specific library, that's already released.


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## easyrider (Mar 9, 2021)

Apex 2019 was Spitfire Chamber Strings 50% off
Apex 2020 was Studio Strings Core and Pro 50% off


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## Gauss (Mar 9, 2021)

For the last three years Apex was a 50% sale of a library and a competition to win that library.


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## companyofquail (Mar 9, 2021)

Rory said:


> That would mean that the Apex offer will happen on the same day that the revived Abbey Road One promo price expires.
> 
> Where are you getting March 11 from for Apex? My e-mail just says "Coming Soon".


its on their instagram post


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## gh0stwrit3r (Mar 9, 2021)

Looking forward to the Apex! Wonder where Christian will be this time. I guess a lot more closer to home


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## Marsen (Mar 9, 2021)

Rory said:


> Where are you getting March 11 from for Apex? My e-mail just says "Coming Soon".


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## MusiquedeReve (Mar 9, 2021)

I am hoping Eric Whitacre Choir is included


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## Hendrixon (Mar 9, 2021)

easyrider said:


> Apex 2019 was Spitfire Chamber Strings 50% off
> Apex 2020 was Studio Strings Core and Pro 50% off


So it was SCS and then SSC?
Well if deciphering this based on genome scales it means the next Apex sale will be CSS...


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## Rory (Mar 9, 2021)

ChromeCrescendo said:


> I am hoping Eric Whitacre Choir is included


50% off would be US$300. Very tempting


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## AMBi (Mar 9, 2021)

Given the 'pattern' from previous years being string libraries I almost got excited thinking it will be the Symphonic Strings but realized it'd still be around $400 when I'm still recovering from the February highlight and Thunderbolt sale 🤕


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## ridgero (Mar 9, 2021)

My bet: SSO reworked


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## Denkii (Mar 9, 2021)

Scafell Pike.
You heard it here first and I call dibs on this one.


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## LynxUK (Mar 9, 2021)

ridgero said:


> My bet: SSO reworked


Well I already have SSO, so my CC has a big smile on its face if thats the case.


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## Marsen (Mar 9, 2021)

My guess is, it's the t-shirt Paul Thompson was wearing lately:

*"Very excited" - 50% off!

*


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## Mikro93 (Mar 11, 2021)

Today is March, 11th! Big day  Nothing live yet, though


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## mr.vad0614 (Mar 11, 2021)

Mikro93 said:


> Today is March, 11th! Big day  Nothing live yet, though


I have been checking it regularly but nothing as of yet. Looking forward to finding out what the Apex of the year is! 😁


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## Chungus (Mar 11, 2021)

Eric Whitacre Choir is now 50% off.


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## Rory (Mar 11, 2021)




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## companyofquail (Mar 11, 2021)

Chungus said:


> Eric Whitacre Choir is now 50% off.


looks like theres gonna be a lot of happy campers. i love this library and use it quite a bit when i am messing around.


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## easyrider (Mar 11, 2021)

Picked it up as part of the Black Weekend deal . It was actually cheaper then !
My wallet is safe !


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## Rory (Mar 11, 2021)

Abbey Road One until tonight and Whitacre until tomorrow night


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## Tremendouz (Mar 11, 2021)

Phew, money saved. Had it been SSStrings or BBCSO Core I might have bit the bullet.


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## Simon Lee (Mar 11, 2021)

I would have liked to upgraded to BBC Pro.


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## AdamKmusic (Mar 11, 2021)

For the completion, surely he could only be in the U.K. unless it was filmed this time last year before things kicked off?


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## Rory (Mar 11, 2021)

Interesting to see Monogram Studio Console among the prizes. I'd like to see Henson review it, as he did its predecessor, Palette Gear. [EDIT: Turns out he has already, see below.]


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## Sunny Schramm (Mar 11, 2021)

ERIC WHITACRE CHOIR 50% OFF? 🤔


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## reutunes (Mar 11, 2021)

"Where in the world am I?"

Edinburgh. If not you're in big trouble.


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## yiph2 (Mar 11, 2021)

Rory said:


> Interesting to see Monogram Studio Console among the prizes. I'd like to see Henson review it, as he did its predecessor, Palette Gear.



He did


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## Rory (Mar 11, 2021)

reutunes said:


> "Where in the world am I?"
> 
> Edinburgh. If not you're in big trouble.


Nicola Sturgeon will go after him personally.


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## Rory (Mar 11, 2021)

yiph2 said:


> He did


Thanks. Sure enough...


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## constaneum (Mar 11, 2021)

ridgero said:


> My bet: SSO reworked


i wish. i'm liking the sound of SSO but the brass is the most unusable for me. sad.


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## Evans (Mar 11, 2021)

I picked up EWC at full price last year and don't regret it in the slightest.


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## easyrider (Mar 11, 2021)

Denkii said:


> Scafell Pike.
> You heard it here first and I call dibs on this one.


That’s in Cumbria not Edinburgh


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## audio1 (Mar 11, 2021)

Sounds like it's the beginning of the end.


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## Loïc D (Mar 11, 2021)

Yay, I located a snowflake ! No luck for you guys...


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## Denkii (Mar 11, 2021)

easyrider said:


> That’s in Cumbria not Edinburgh


It was a shot in the dark.
I'm already looking for an alternative but the pine tree is throwing me off.


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## mussnig (Mar 11, 2021)

Best hint I could find is in this picture: https://yt3.ggpht.com/gC9yjohk0mTP5...-NbAwZOeKtrvvp5VPUaEopDeALha4dkknaFQE=s800-nd

There is some lake in the background ...

Edit: there is another version of this picture which I can only obtain if I go to there website on my mobile phone and then activate desktop mode (but strange enough, I cannot find this on my laptop): https://d1t3zg51rvnesz.cloudfront.net/p/images/cms2/1226/product-page-apex-desktop.jpg


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## el-bo (Mar 11, 2021)

It's EW choir, no?


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## Rory (Mar 11, 2021)

I really like the library, but don't have an obvious use for it. Passed at Christmas, good that I have until tomorrow to dither


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## fourier (Mar 11, 2021)

I think my google search was a swing & miss.


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## kilgurt (Mar 11, 2021)

Apex = Ben Nevis?


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## Denkii (Mar 11, 2021)

I mean they all look the same really.
Ben Nevis, Arthur's seat and so on. They all have some body of water in the background.
Then there's some weed, some snow and some rocks. Just pick your favorite I guess.

THE PINE TREE THOUGH!


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## Ruffian Price (Mar 11, 2021)

Did EWC get multi-out support post launch? Didn't see the controls in the mic walkthrough, will have to pass if it's like HZS


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## Loïc D (Mar 11, 2021)

Denkii said:


> I mean they all look the same really.
> Ben Nevis, Arthur's seat and so on. They all have some body of water in the background.
> Then there's some weed, some snow and some rocks. Just pick your favorite I guess.
> 
> THE PINE TREE THOUGH!


Can't agree more...
Even in my neighbourhood, so many options...


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## Rory (Mar 11, 2021)

kilgurt said:


> Apex = Ben Nevis?


Isn't Apex a battle royale game featuring a Spitfire machine gun?


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## Bear Market (Mar 11, 2021)

Ruffian Price said:


> Did EWC get multi-out support post launch? Didn't see the controls in the mic walkthrough, will have to pass if it's like HZS


Pretty sure HZS has multi-out support though, if that is what you meant?


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## jbuhler (Mar 11, 2021)

constaneum said:


> i wish. i'm liking the sound of SSO but the brass is the most unusable for me. sad.


Aside from the a6 patches, I like SSB a lot. I keep trying other libraries and I keep gravitating back to SSB.


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## styledelk (Mar 11, 2021)

I would buy EWC again, especially at 50%. But I'm glad I don't have to and can save my money today.


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## Evans (Mar 11, 2021)

styledelk said:


> I would buy EWC again, especially at 50%. But I'm glad I don't have to and can save my money today.


Well, as an owner of EWC, you should be getting an email for 50% off one of the prior Apex products. I view this as fate, since I have been kicking myself for continually punting on Spitfire Chamber Strings.


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## styledelk (Mar 11, 2021)

Evans said:


> Well, as an owner of EWC, you should be getting an email for 50% off one of the prior Apex products. I view this as fate, since I have been kicking myself for continually punting on Spitfire Chamber Strings.


I took SCS for the holiday sale, of course. Still waiting for the right opportunity to use it.


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## styledelk (Mar 11, 2021)

Evans said:


> Well, as an owner of EWC, you should be getting an email for 50% off one of the prior Apex products. I view this as fate, since I have been kicking myself for continually punting on Spitfire Chamber Strings.


I just got that email. Sadly... have them all. Because I am a fiend.
I suppose I could upgrade to SCS Pro.


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## easyrider (Mar 11, 2021)

styledelk said:


> I just got that email. Sadly... have them all. Because I am a fiend.
> I suppose I could upgrade to SCS Pro.


Is SCS pro worth it? I got the email too...


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## styledelk (Mar 11, 2021)

easyrider said:


> Is SCS pro worth it? I got the email too...


Watching videos now to find out. Having the mixes and mics may come in handy. I have a Mozart-esque piece to do shortly that maybe will benefit.


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## jbuhler (Mar 11, 2021)

styledelk said:


> I just got that email. Sadly... have them all. Because I am a fiend.
> I suppose I could upgrade to SCS Pro.


You and me both, except I also have SCS Pro. So nothing to buy!


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## jbuhler (Mar 11, 2021)

easyrider said:


> Is SCS pro worth it? I got the email too...


The stereo mixes are very convenient, and it's what I use almost all of the time (though the ensemble doesn't have them). Of the other mics available, I use the outriggers the most.


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## companyofquail (Mar 11, 2021)

got the email and purchased chamber strings as i had been eyeing it for a few months but could never justify the purchase bc i know i will want pro one day. now that i can do regular for half off then later down the line(during another sale) upgrade to pro if i find that it would be useful to me.


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## gzapper (Mar 11, 2021)

I thought the big question is where could Henson be, to win the big prize.


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## aaron73 (Mar 11, 2021)

I've been interested in EWC since this past year's Black Friday sale. (I got BBCSO Core instead -- no regrets!) Apparently it was (briefly) even cheaper than it is now: https://vi-control.net/community/threads/spitfire-black-friday-sale.101352/page-13#post-4695641 

I was planning to wait till next BF to get it... until I saw today's email. I'm working on a project in BBCSO that could benefit from some vowels-only vocals, which is what EWC is all about.

Two questions: (1) do you think they'll have it for a comparable price again next BF? And (2) the alternative I'm considering is Dominus Choir (Pro or regular). Would waiting for a sale on that be a better value than EWC in your opinion?


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## mussnig (Mar 11, 2021)

aaron73 said:


> Apparently it was (briefly) even cheaper than it is now: https://vi-control.net/community/threads/spitfire-black-friday-sale.101352/page-13#post-4695641



It was part of the BF bundle. So the price in the post you are refering to was the result of this person already having the other products from the bundle - so it was not available to everybody for that price (at least not without buying the other products from the bundle).


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## Rory (Mar 11, 2021)

I saved parts of the 2020 Winter Sale as a web archive. As far as I know, this was the lowest price for Whitacre as a stand-alone library (40% off) until today. Screen captures:


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## companyofquail (Mar 11, 2021)

aaron73 said:


> I've been interested in EWC since this past year's Black Friday sale. (I got BBCSO Core instead -- no regrets!) Apparently it was (briefly) even cheaper than it is now: https://vi-control.net/community/threads/spitfire-black-friday-sale.101352/page-13#post-4695641
> 
> I was planning to wait till next BF to get it... until I saw today's email. I'm working on a project in BBCSO that could benefit from some vowels-only vocals, which is what EWC is all about.
> 
> Two questions: (1) do you think they'll have it for a comparable price again next BF? And (2) the alternative I'm considering is Dominus Choir (Pro or regular). Would waiting for a sale on that be a better value than EWC in your opinion?


the two libraries are very different. i went with ecw because i like the way it sounds more and i would use it in music i make more regularly. 

i dont think ewc will be cheaper than it is now anytime soon unless it is included in a bundle and you already own the other things in the bundle.


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## easyrider (Mar 11, 2021)

mussnig said:


> It was part of the BF bundle. So the price in the post you are refering to was the result of this person already having the other products from the bundle - so it was not available to everybody for that price (at least not without buying the other products from the bundle).


“while https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/the-black-weekend/) (THE BLACK WEEKEND) — comprising ALBION TUNDRA, ERIC WHITACRE CHOIR, and SPITFIRE SOLO STRINGS — is also an attractive proposition at £700.00 GBP”

if you had Tundra and Spitfire solo you EWC price was 55% off...


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## Evans (Mar 11, 2021)

For those considering the upgrade for SCS:


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## Chungus (Mar 11, 2021)

Bear Market said:


> Pretty sure HZS has multi-out support though, if that is what you meant?


I think he means if the plug-in can be run multi timbrally, which I would also like to know. If I recall, the Spitfire plug-in can't do this, but there do seem to be assignable midi channels.


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## easyrider (Mar 11, 2021)

And you got Aperture for free if you spent 299 or more...

EWC for 50% on its own is a no brainier though imho


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## styledelk (Mar 11, 2021)

Chungus said:


> I think he means if the plug-in can be run multi timbrally, which I would also like to know. If I recall, the Spitfire plug-in can't do this, but there do seem to be assignable midi channels.


No, it doesn't. And hopefully never will. In my mind, they take a different approach to multi timbrality. Their plug-in pools resources across instances and optimizes for a track by track workflow. Multi-timbrale players tend to emulate and optimize for technical limitations of the past or at least outdated hardware rack-based thinking.


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## Chungus (Mar 11, 2021)

styledelk said:


> No, it doesn't. And hopefully never will. In my mind, they take a different approach to multi timbrality. Their plug-in pools resources across instances and optimizes for a track by track workflow. Multi-timbrale players tend to emulate and optimize for technical limitations of the past or at least outdated hardware rack-based thinking.


Good to know. That'll be a hard pass from me, then. The multi-timbral approach is my preferred way of doing things.


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## aaron73 (Mar 11, 2021)

mussnig said:


> It was part of the BF bundle. So the price in the post you are refering to was the result of this person already having the other products from the bundle - so it was not available to everybody for that price (at least not without buying the other products from the bundle).


Gotcha. Good to know, for the sake of comparison!


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## aaron73 (Mar 11, 2021)

easyrider said:


> “while https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/the-black-weekend/) (THE BLACK WEEKEND) — comprising ALBION TUNDRA, ERIC WHITACRE CHOIR, and SPITFIRE SOLO STRINGS — is also an attractive proposition at £700.00 GBP”
> 
> if you had Tundra and Spitfire solo you EWC price was 55% off...


Thanks for clarifying. So the 55% was conditional on owning other libraries.


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## yiph2 (Mar 11, 2021)

aaron73 said:


> Thanks for clarifying. So the 55% was conditional on owning other libraries.


I think there was a mistake where everyone got that discount IIRC


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## MusiquedeReve (Mar 11, 2021)

ChromeCrescendo said:


> I am hoping Eric Whitacre Choir is included


YES! YES! YES!

Just purchased!!!


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## mussnig (Mar 11, 2021)

yiph2 said:


> I think there was a mistake where everyone got that discount IIRC



There was a mistake but if I remember correctly it was a bit different: during the first day (or the first couple of hours) of the BF sale, the discount on the bundle was bigger than intended. The discount on the individual items of the bundle was not effected by this (with the exception of owning the other products from the bundle, of course).


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## aaron73 (Mar 11, 2021)

companyofquail said:


> the two libraries are very different. i went with ecw because i like the way it sounds more and i would use it in music i make more regularly.
> 
> i dont think ewc will be cheaper than it is now anytime soon unless it is included in a bundle and you already own the other things in the bundle.


Thanks for the perspective. I'm a big fan of Eric Whitacre himself (as well as Spitfire) so I'll probably opt for EWC over Dominus as well. However, the Dominus demos here impressed me: https://vi-control.net/community/threads/classical-childrens-choir-sound-comparison.104455/


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## Ruffian Price (Mar 11, 2021)

Chungus said:


> I think he means if the plug-in can be run multi timbrally, which I would also like to know. If I recall, the Spitfire plug-in can't do this, but there do seem to be assignable midi channels.


Nah, multi-out as in routing the different mics to different audio outputs for surround/objects. And yeah, the HZS page says it was added with the 20-player ensemble update, I must have messed something up. Can't check now as the updater's crapping out on me again 😩
At least I'm _expecting_ the option to be on the mic page like in BBCSO, it's not there in the EWC walkthrough and didn't see it in the FAQ


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## styledelk (Mar 11, 2021)

Ruffian Price said:


> Nah, multi-out as in routing the different mics to different audio outputs for surround/objects. And yeah, the HZS page says it was added with the 20-player ensemble update, I must have messed something up. Can't check now as the updater's crapping out on me again 😩
> At least I'm _expecting_ the option to be on the mic page like in BBCSO, it's not there in the EWC walkthrough and didn't see it in the FAQ


One sec and I can check real quick.


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## FireGS (Mar 11, 2021)

ChromeCrescendo said:


> YES! YES! YES!
> 
> Just purchased!!!


Same, I feel like a whore.






#rip


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## MusiquedeReve (Mar 11, 2021)

FireGS said:


> Same, I feel like a whore.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I prefer the term "escort"

Also, is there an "Optimise" feature on this library?


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## styledelk (Mar 11, 2021)

Ruffian Price said:


> Nah, multi-out as in routing the different mics to different audio outputs for surround/objects. And yeah, the HZS page says it was added with the 20-player ensemble update, I must have messed something up. Can't check now as the updater's crapping out on me again 😩
> At least I'm _expecting_ the option to be on the mic page like in BBCSO, it's not there in the EWC walkthrough and didn't see it in the FAQ


Yes


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## Ruffian Price (Mar 11, 2021)

Fantastic, thank you!


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## MusiquedeReve (Mar 11, 2021)

ChromeCrescendo said:


> I prefer the term "escort"
> 
> Also, is there an "Optimise" feature on this library?


I answered my own question - yes, there is an "Optimise" feature


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## muziksculp (Mar 11, 2021)

I have no interest in this Choir library.

So PASS on this deal, and Very Good news for my wallet.


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## AMBi (Mar 11, 2021)

Been wanting a new choir library and once I saw this I thought this would be perfect, but it being almost 200GBs and not being in Kontakt steer me away a bit sadly. 

...It sounds too beautiful to pass up tho so hopefully I can decide by tomorrow


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## MusiquedeReve (Mar 11, 2021)

Anyone else having volume issues with EWC?


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## ALittleNightMusic (Mar 11, 2021)

Ran across a live stream the other day and heard EWC and was totally blown away by how amazing it sounds: 



I have Strezov and Hollywood Choirs, but nothing sounds this damn good.

This was such a well-timed Apex sale for me.


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## aaron73 (Mar 11, 2021)

Just bought it. Did a little happy dance around the room! 

Any tips for making it sound good with BBCSO? Will it just sound great out of the box like BBCSO did? I know it was recorded in Air Studios vs. BBC's Maida Vale. I'm a complete noob at mixing so any tips/tricks/templates are appreciated.


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## Marsen (Mar 11, 2021)

As I (mostly) don't like choral music, i'm chilled to pass on this one.
I'm quiet happy with my choir libraries, including Strezov.


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## Rex282 (Mar 11, 2021)

mussnig said:


> There was a mistake but if I remember correctly it was a bit different: during the first day (or the first couple of hours) of the BF sale, the discount on the bundle was bigger than intended. The discount on the individual items of the bundle was not effected by this (with the exception of owning the other products from the bundle, of course).


Yes this is correct.The mistake was available for a small window and those of us that were fortunate enough to snag it got it around 60% off...and yes it’s well worth it at any discount IMO.....very unique sounding choir.


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## shropshirelad (Mar 11, 2021)

I've been moving house and only just seen this deal. I bought the library a few months ago and was wondering if the rhythmic patches had been fixed yet?


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## constaneum (Mar 11, 2021)

jbuhler said:


> Aside from the a6 patches, I like SSB a lot. I keep trying other libraries and I keep gravitating back to SSB.


Yes. The a6. So sad... A2 for horns not powerful sounding enough.


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## jbuhler (Mar 11, 2021)

constaneum said:


> Yes. The a6. So sad... A2 for horns not powerful sounding enough.


I like the a2 horns quite a lot as an a2 and if I was going to grump it would be about the solo horn. I don't dislike the solo horn but there are too many instances when I want a different approach. I adore the solo trumpet, though the playing is often quirky (one of the things I like about it).


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## Thundercat (Mar 11, 2021)

I already had EWC, but they offered me a 50% discount on SCS pro...maybe they use your wishlist?

Also I've never had this happen: after purchase, the library I bought does not show up in the app. That's hours after I got an email saying the download was ready. So I haven't been able to download it yet.

I also tried submitting a ticket to their help system but got a "500 INTERNAL SERVER ERROR" a few times...Anyone experience any of this before?


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## MusiquedeReve (Mar 11, 2021)

Thundercat said:


> I already had EWC, but they offered me a 50% discount on SCS pro...maybe they use your wishlist?
> 
> Also I've never had this happen: after purchase, the library I bought does not show up in the app. That's hours after I got an email saying the download was ready. So I haven't been able to download it yet.
> 
> I also tried submitting a ticket to their help system but got a "500 INTERNAL SERVER ERROR" a few times...Anyone experience any of this before?


Oh wow - that is not good - it usually shows up within a few minutes
Perhaps SA is having issues with their server(s) due to everyone buying EWC?


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## Robo Rivard (Mar 11, 2021)

Since I already own EWC library (a no brainer at that price!), Spitfire gives my a 50% rebate on Albion Tundra (I don't need the other libraries)... Should I go for it?


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## dunamisstudio (Mar 11, 2021)

I already have VOXOS. Would this be good get too or pass for now?


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## ism (Mar 11, 2021)

Robo Rivard said:


> Since I already own EWC library (a no brainer at that price!), Spitfire gives my a 50% rebate on Albion Tundra (I don't need the other libraries)... Should I go for it?


You should always buy Tundra (is my completely predictable, entirely kneejerk, and utterly universal answer to this questions every time it comes up). 

ps. see also:





Albion v tundra at the edge of silence - worth $199?


It is a godsend for quirkiness, imperfections, subtlety and texture. At this price, I'd buy it just for the extended woodwind & brass palette. The bends, multiphonics, overblown, air, etc. artics are what I've been missing. The strings and other instruments are just a bonus. edit: and...




vi-control.net


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## emilio_n (Mar 11, 2021)

I have a lot of great choirs libraries and I think I really can do anything without EWC, but sound so inspiring and the 50% off is so tempting that I am downloading right now.


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## ALittleNightMusic (Mar 11, 2021)

4 hours of downloading later and this library is out of this world good. Completely unmatched tone. I think it'll pair wonderfully with Hollywood Choirs - EWC for more general stuff and HC if I need specific "lyrics" in a phrase. HC is known for poor legatos while EWC's legatos are breathtaking. The evo grid is inspiring per usual.


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## Robo Rivard (Mar 11, 2021)

ism said:


> You should always buy Tundra (is my completely predictable, entirely kneejerk, and utterly universal answer to this questions every time it comes up).


OK, just bought it. I admit it corresponds to the kind of music I want to make at the moment...


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## BassClef (Mar 11, 2021)

I'm likely to pick this up at the discounted price. I have very few choirs... Lacrimoasa, and the Met Ark 1 & 2 choirs. And since I am doing more softer and more subtle works now, this looks to fit me well.


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## lp59burst (Mar 11, 2021)

I already own EWC and everything else they offered me as an alternative so I bought nothing... 

That being said these are great deals on some of their best products so  to SFA on the offers...


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## nogills (Mar 11, 2021)

emilio_n said:


> I have a lot of great choirs libraries and I think I really can do anything without EWC, but sound so inspiring and the 50% off is so tempting that I am downloading right now.


Same! I've had my eye on it for a while, just bought it a few minutes ago. This will actually be my first non-Kontakt Spitfire library. Can't wait to play with it


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## Jotto (Mar 11, 2021)

Gauss said:


> For the last three years Apex was a 50% sale of a library and a competition to win that library.


A Spitfire competiton. Tempting


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## Justin L. Franks (Mar 12, 2021)

Is the upgrade to Chamber Strings Pro for $150 worth it? It's just extra mics, correct?


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## Justin L. Franks (Mar 12, 2021)

easyrider said:


> “while https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/the-black-weekend/) (THE BLACK WEEKEND) — comprising ALBION TUNDRA, ERIC WHITACRE CHOIR, and SPITFIRE SOLO STRINGS — is also an attractive proposition at £700.00 GBP”
> 
> if you had Tundra and Spitfire solo you EWC price was 55% off...


Yup, I picked it up for $274 during that sale, since I already had Tundra and Solo Strings. The 2020 Black Weekend sale was really a killer deal for me. EWC, Ricotti Mallets, Orchestral Swarm, Originals Intimate Strings (to bring it up over $349), and Aperture Orchestra for $375.76.

The pricing was an error though. BBCSO and The Black Weekend bundle had an extra 15% discount applied to it on top of the "regular" sale prices. Because that extra discount was applied to the sale price (45% off), it ended up being around an additional 10% discount from the full price. This error was corrected pretty quickly, so only the earliest buyers were able to take advantage of it. The full Black Weekend bundle dropped down to $662 instead of $779, with EWC alone dropping to $274 from $329.


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## Rory (Mar 12, 2021)

Justin L. Franks said:


> The pricing was an error... The full Black Weekend bundle dropped down to $662 instead of $779, with EWC alone dropping to $274 from $329.


Just want to point out that the Black Friday price for Whitacre as a stand-alone library was higher, US$359 if I recall. That was also the price during December's Winter Sale. The Apex price, at $300, is the lowest that it has ever been.


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## Scalms (Mar 12, 2021)

Justin L. Franks said:


> Is the upgrade to Chamber Strings Pro for $150 worth it? It's just extra mics, correct?


I just purchased the upgrade. But I won't be able to give a summary in time since the sale ends soon.

My understanding is it's just the extra mics.

Here's my thoughts on the mics and why I decided to purchase:

Close Ribbon: sounds nice but subtle change from original close, probably not worth the extra$

Close Stereo: sounds awesome. It's so hard to find close stereo mics for orchestra, most close mics
don't sound that good to me, so to have something even more up front than the Tree
and in stereo was a deal breaker

Gallery: probably not needed, can be achieved with good reverb

Outriggers: Another great investment. Ability to achieve that wider cinematic sound. I'm a big
fan of widening orchestras (So let me add that disclaimer), and I tend to not get great results with a stereo widener. This mic does the hard work for me. Def worth it.

Jake Jackson stereo mixes: I've heard great things about these, so these alone may be worth the
the upgrade.


Anyway, these are my 3 cents!


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## pawelmorytko (Mar 12, 2021)

reutunes said:


> "Where in the world am I?"
> 
> Edinburgh. If not you're in big trouble.


That's what i was thinking haha! Weirdly enough as someone who lives in Edinburgh myself, i really can't tell whether or not that's Arthur's Seat, or maybe some of the other local hills, because the shots in the video are really vague. We did have a loooot of snow recently (about a month ago i think) so the weather in the video could make sense.


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## jbuhler (Mar 12, 2021)

Justin L. Franks said:


> Is the upgrade to Chamber Strings Pro for $150 worth it? It's just extra mics, correct?


I really like the stereo mixes, and back in the day of more limited RAM, the smaller memory footprint from them was very welcome. I also very much like having the outrigger. The other additional mics I haven’t used much.


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## Tonezou (Mar 12, 2021)

Guys, do you think EWC is one of the best for Two Steps From Hell style of writing? EWC sounds really great and ethereal to me and I'm so close to buying it, but I also know I will need to get the Komplete 13 bundle in a few months and that will be so tough!


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## Wunderhorn (Mar 12, 2021)

Tonezou said:


> Guys, do you think EWC is one of the best for Two Steps From Hell style of writing? EWC sounds really great and ethereal to me and I'm so close to buying it, but I also know I will need to get the Komplete 13 bundle in a few months and that will be so tough!


EWC and Two Steps from Hell are diametrically opposed.


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## Evans (Mar 12, 2021)

Tonezou said:


> Guys, do you think EWC is one of the best for Two Steps From Hell style of writing? EWC sounds really great and ethereal to me and I'm so close to buying it, but I also know I will need to get the Komplete 13 bundle in a few months and that will be so tough!


Listen to the demos on the Spitfire Audio site. EWC can do exactly that and nothing more.


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## ism (Mar 12, 2021)

Evans said:


> Listen to the demos on the Spitfire Audio site. EWC can do exactly that and nothing more.


EWC is almost unique in SF in that I really don't much care for the official demos. They're very pretty, of course, but very media-composer-centric. But I hear something else. I have only the vaguest idea what it actually is, but probably closer to Eric Whitacre himself.

I love all the ethereal textures of course, and this is a killer "ethereal choir" library ... But in the absence of more classical (?) lines and the attendant counterpuntal textures which provide a groundedness (or something), all the etherial demos somehow seem to drift away from the library's capacity at it's core, of an embodied loveliness of a real choir with real people with real voices in a real space. Of course its good for music set in outer space too (as per Eric's demo, or the SF competition using NASA videos.). And nothing against that kind of media / ambient / new age / outer space / etherial music of course - I aspire to use elements of it quite substantially myself. But I really think the library has another side that, with the possible exception of the mock up Eric himself shows in his video (even though it's in outer space), I'm not sure that it's really showcased in the marketing. 

This is normal. Lots of libraries transcend their marketing. Time Macro marketing, for instance, really leans on how great it is for time travel science fiction. 

This video (shared above - thanks for that btw) shows that it can stretch into an at least somewhat more classical space that the official demo (I'm not sure the legatos are quite for this something quite this classical either, but all the same I really enjoyed this):





I'll add that there are user demos on the other thread that show there that that there's really quite a lot it can do.


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## Rory (Mar 12, 2021)

ism said:


> I'll add that there are user demos on the other thread that show there that that there's really quite a lot it can do.


Which other thread are you talking about?


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## Evans (Mar 12, 2021)

ism said:


> EWC is almost unique in SF in that I really don't much care for the official demos.



I will clarify that my "listen to the demos" comment is more meant to indicate that EWC doesn't have any hidden dynamic extremes, no syllables ("nanana" doesn't count), no heavy vibrato, and so on. The demos don't hide any faults, as they're quite exposed. I say "listen to the demos" because 1) they sold me on the library and 2) they tell the truth on the available patches. There's no trickery.


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## Rory (Mar 12, 2021)

I still have a couple of hours to decide whether to purchase this. Of the choir libraries around, I easily like this musically the best, but the demos all remind me of a very well-mannered High Anglican Church service. Can this library sound a little less highfalutin' and maybe a bit naughty?


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## Tonezou (Mar 12, 2021)

Wunderhorn said:


> EWC and Two Steps from Hell are diametrically opposed.


Yeah, sorry, my bad. I know it's not an epic choir, somehow one of my favourites took over my mind for a second. 😆 I meant for atmospheric and calm fantasy though.


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## ism (Mar 12, 2021)

Rory said:


> Which other thread are you talking about?


Sorry, thought I'd quoted it above, but that was on still another thread:






Eric Whitacre Choir


https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/promotions/eric-whitacre-choir/ $449 Intro Price until November 8th, $599 thereafter.




vi-control.net


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## 667 (Mar 12, 2021)

I just barely missed the $274 price during BF so this is very tempting: EWC is literally the only sample library I want these days, having finally picked up AO's Scoring Synths. But I did spend.... quite a bit of money on some new compressors as well. I'm looking over my retirement portfolio trying to find something that went up $300 so I can say I can afford this LOL.


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## Rory (Mar 12, 2021)

ism said:


> Sorry, thought I'd quoted it above, but that was on still another thread:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks, unfortunately I don't think that I can read and absorb a 21 page thread in the next 90 minutes or so


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## ism (Mar 12, 2021)

Rory said:


> Thanks, unfortunately I don't think that I can read a 21 page thread in the next 90 minutes or so


Option 2: just buy it!


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## BassClef (Mar 12, 2021)

BassClef said:


> I'm likely to pick this up at the discounted price. I have very few choirs... Lacrimoasa, and the Met Ark 1 & 2 choirs. And since I am doing more softer and more subtle works now, this looks to fit me well.


Yes... did it... downloading now!


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## Justin L. Franks (Mar 12, 2021)

Scalms said:


> I just purchased the upgrade. But I won't be able to give a summary in time since the sale ends soon.
> 
> My understanding is it's just the extra mics.
> 
> ...


Awesome, thanks so much for the info. This is definitely something I want, but I decided to hold off on it for now. During a 40% off sale, the upgrade from the regular Chamber Strings is $180, so there was only a $30 difference. And I want to have a few fairly inexpensive things "available" to add during this year's Black Friday sale, in case I need something to go over the threshold for the free library.


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## Justin L. Franks (Mar 12, 2021)

Rory said:


> Just want to point out that the Black Friday price for Whitacre as a stand-alone library was higher, US$359 if I recall. That was also the price during December's Winter Sale. The Apex price, at $300, is the lowest that it has ever been.


Yes, you're right. I should had clarified that when I said "by itself" I was referring to the price if you already owned Tundra and Solo Strings, and purchased the special bundle.


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## Justin L. Franks (Mar 12, 2021)

Rory said:


> Thanks, unfortunately I don't think that I can read and absorb a 21 page thread in the next 90 minutes or so


Their sales tend to run several hours past their advertised end time. It's still available right now, even though the sale "expired" almost 6 hours ago.


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## Justin L. Franks (Mar 14, 2021)

What is the deal with the contest? All of the "clues" are just close-ups of a snowy hill or mountain, some evergreen bushes, and some rocks. How is anybody supposed to figure this out to within 2 meters, unless they just happened to have been to the exact place and remember it?

Or am I missing something? I don't think so, because apparently, nobody has even gotten it yet.


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## 667 (Mar 14, 2021)

I didn't even bother entering; might as well throw a dart at a map, and where's the fun in that?


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## mussnig (Mar 14, 2021)

Justin L. Franks said:


> What is the deal with the contest? All of the "clues" are just close-ups of a snowy hill or mountain, some evergreen bushes, and some rocks. How is anybody supposed to figure this out to within 2 meters, unless they just happened to have been to the exact place and remember it?
> 
> Or am I missing something? I don't think so, because apparently, nobody has even gotten it yet.




The first shot in this video is actually helpful (you can find a 360° picture taken from more or less the same perspective on Google Earth). This means he must be somewhere in that area but finding his exact location is still near impossible (there are not enough hints on his exact location, in my opinion).


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## FireGS (Mar 15, 2021)

Now with the competition closed, I'm pretty sure it's around here. But 2m makes this an anybody's guess.


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## Justin L. Franks (Mar 15, 2021)

FireGS said:


> Now with the competition closed, I'm pretty sure it's around here. But 2m makes this an anybody's guess.


I put mine right on Arthur's Seat, since that is the highest point in Edinburgh. In at least one of the "clue" videos, the camera moves quite a bit more than 2 meters, so I figured the highest point (the apex) was what they wanted.

It's still a complete guess, I have no idea if it even is in that area. I was switching back and forth between it and Ben Nevis (the highest point in the UK).


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## mussnig (Mar 15, 2021)

Look at around 55°56'34''N, 3°09'30''W - gettint the precise position was still not easy though (because there were not really shots showing his immediate vicinity).


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## companyofquail (Mar 15, 2021)

as soon as i discovered it was within 2 meters(6 feet)of his location i didnt look at it at all. i know how obsessive i can get and i do not have hours to spend on a contest with odds that far stacked against me.


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## Loïc D (Mar 15, 2021)

Missed the closing date.
Missed the spot too.
*shrug*


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## mussnig (Mar 15, 2021)

Loïc D said:


> Missed the closing date.
> Missed the spot too.
> *shrug*


I probably missed the exact spot as well (by a couple of meters - just enough to not be withing the 2m radius) judging by the new preview picture of the location reveal video on YouTube. But in the videos you bascially just saw him once in the background of some bushes (so I moved from the location above a bit to the nearest bushes so that a shot like that seemed plausible) ...


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## easyrider (Mar 15, 2021)

Crow hill...I was going to pick that but changed my mind....


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## mussnig (Mar 15, 2021)

In one of the videos there was a shot of him in the background of some bushes - that was obviously not done at the same spot. But of course, he speaks about the highest point (so it's probably the highest point within the nearer surroundings of all the shots).


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## davidson (Mar 15, 2021)

If any one of you managed to work out where Christian was within 2 meters, I'd like to add you to my 'people I never want to meet in real life' list.


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## Serge Pavkin (Mar 15, 2021)

I didn’t take part this time. Last year I spent 2 full days looking for a location and found a stone (!) on which Christian was standing, but I did not win. Maybe I pointed it out too late. This time I decided that non-participation would be better than wasted time and disappointment. But this is just my opinion and I wish good luck to the winners)


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## Jeremy Spencer (Mar 15, 2021)

Judging by the video, it looks like Christian is standing where Hell froze over. Maybe he's outside EW studios? Was OPUS released??


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## Justin L. Franks (Mar 16, 2021)

mussnig said:


> In one of the videos there was a shot of him in the background of some bushes - that was obviously not done at the same spot. But of course, he speaks about the highest point (so it's probably the highest point within the nearer surroundings of all the shots).


I recognized the area from Christian's social media posts and videos (Crow Hill). However, in the first "clues" video, he is shown walking in the area, and the camera also moves several feet without him in frame. Christian then says "I am at Apex, the highest possible point".

I read that as he is at the highest point in that area, which is Arthur's Seat, right next to Crow Hill. Both are even the same mountain (Crow Hill is just a lower peak "connected to" the summit / Arthur's Seat).

So Arthur's Seat was my entry.

To make matters worse, if someone picked the highest point of Crow Hill, they still were at the wrong spot. I checked the UK Ordnance Survey topographic map of the area, and the "correct" spot was several meters away from the highest point on Crow Hill.

Yes, the "winning" spot wasn't even at the highest point of Crow Hill.

This is *really* frustrating. These things are supposed to be fun. I figured out the clues to determine the general area, and accepted Christian's own words describing where he was ("I am at Apex, the highest possible point") as being factual.

But no, that's not it. Anybody who picked Arthur's Seat or the highest point of Crow Hill should definitely be put in the drawing. We picked the spot where Christian *said* he was.


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## mussnig (Mar 16, 2021)

Justin L. Franks said:


> I recognized the area from Christian's social media posts and videos (Crow Hill). However, in the first "clues" video, he is shown walking in the area, and the camera also moves several feet without him in frame. Christian then says "I am at Apex, the highest possible point".
> 
> I read that as he is at the highest point in that area, which is Arthur's Seat, right next to Crow Hill. Both are even the same mountain (Crow Hill is just a lower peak "connected to" the summit / Arthur's Seat).
> 
> ...



There was some discrepancy regarding his location in the video. The What3Words matched his location in the drone shot (and it was more or less the highest point of Crow Hill) but the GPS coordinates were off/wrong.


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## Gauss (Mar 16, 2021)

I've seen a lot of people were complaining about last years Tombola. Now people are complaining about Apex competition. Please stop whining! Because if the feedback will be so negative, Spitfire might stop those kind of competitions. And then we all will lose...
Have fun, take part. If you're lucky you might win. If you don't win, then have no bad feelings.


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## Leslie Fuller (Mar 16, 2021)

I picked Crow Hill straight away, as that was the obvious place @christianhenson should be. As for being within 2 metres of the exact spot, that’s another matter!


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## Loïc D (Mar 16, 2021)

Gauss said:


> I've seen a lot of people were complaining about last years Tombola. Now people are complaining about Apex competition. Please stop whining! Because if the feedback will be so negative, Spitfire might stop those kind of competitions. And then we all will lose...
> Have fun, take part. If you're lucky you might win. If you don't win, then have no bad feelings.


Yes, for some users, Spitfire is a neverending bingo game of complaints 
- APEX location
- silly marketing
- went away from Kontakt with their bulky/ugly player
- tombola (twice a year)
- they don't have <insert product> on their special sale
- pointless LABS merch
- there's really nothing about feeling "very excited"
- WestWorld winner
- WestWorld competition poor management. And winner.
- they never update product (without checking the Spitfire app beforehand of course)

Did I mention Westworld winner ?


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## ism (Mar 16, 2021)

Loïc D said:


> Yes, for some users, Spitfire is a neverending bingo game of complaints
> - APEX location
> - silly marketing
> - went away from Kontakt with their bulky/ugly player
> ...


You forgot to mention the first Solo Strings thread, half of which was dominated by bitter, bitter complaints that the non-legato patches didn't seem to have legato transitions.


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## yiph2 (Mar 16, 2021)

ism said:


> You forgot to mention the first Solo Strings thread, half of which was dominated by bitter, bitter complaints that the non-legato patches didn't seem to have legato transitions.


That... actually exists?


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## ism (Mar 16, 2021)

yiph2 said:


> That... actually exists?


Yep.


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## doctoremmet (Mar 16, 2021)

yiph2 said:


> That... actually exists?


I also remember a very bitter thread where the OP was disappointed by the Solo Strings rebowing behaviour, that dragged on for days.


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## yiph2 (Mar 16, 2021)

doctoremmet said:


> I also remember a very bitter thread where the OP was disappointed by the Solo Strings rebowing behaviour, that dragged on for days.


Yea I think I remember that


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## companyofquail (Mar 16, 2021)

And now we have been blessed with the abbey road one thread.


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