# Soundiron releases the Olympus Micro Choir - now with a major 2.0 upgrade!



## kriztofo (May 16, 2012)

We've just released a major upgrade to our small but powerful Olympus Micro Choir for Kontakt. We've more than doubled the size of the instrument to give a better taste of the kinds of features and sound you'll find in our full 44GB Olympus Symphonic Choral Collection, while making it a more playable and effective tool for those that just need a very basic but great-sounding choir sound. 

Some of the expanded features in the new 140 Sample/207 MB version include a classic "Ah" forte vowel sustain to go with the original pp "Oo" sustain, plus short Ah and Oo staccatos and a fast Russian Polysustain ("Raduisya") to go along with the original Latin "Dominum" slow poly. It also features fully independent dual layer/divisi controls with a brand new GUI, newly integrated reverb/fx, eq and newly enhanced simulated polyphonic legato features, bonus FX presets and more. The samples are also easily accessible, so they can be imported into any other sampler or audio environment that can use wavs. 

Here's a new walkthrough video by Brad Halverson that describes how to use the new user interface, features and added content.


http://s3.amazonaws.com/soundiron_docs/soundiron_olympus_micro_choir_user_guide_2.0.pdf (Check out the pdf with full specs here).



http://soundcloud.com/soundiron/sets/olympus-micro
[flash width=640 height=220 loop=false]http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F1993540&amp;show_comments=true&amp;auto_play=false&amp;show_playcount=true&amp;show_artwork=true&amp;color=8c0005[/flash]

Now priced at $19.99, Olympus Micro is still an extraordinary value. And if you buy Olympus Micro and then later decide to upgrade to the full collection later on, you'll be able to take $20 off. Existing Olympus Collection owners can request a free copy of Olympus Micro. Just drop us a line if you have any questions. 

A few important Notes - The full retail version of Native Instruments Kontakt 4.2.4 or later is required to use the K4 .nki instrument presets. Kontakt 5.0.3 or later is required to use the K5 tempo-synching presets. The free Kontakt “Player” does not support this library.


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## TuomasP (May 16, 2012)

*Re: SoundIron Releases Olympus Micro Choir for $9.99 - Demo Premium Mars & Venus Content*

Awesome! Lovin' this concept


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## oxo (May 16, 2012)

*Re: SoundIron Releases Olympus Micro Choir for $9.99 - Demo Premium Mars & Venus Content*

great idea!


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## Peaslee (May 16, 2012)

*Re: SoundIron Releases Olympus Micro Choir for $9.99 - Demo Premium Mars & Venus Content*

There are couple of tricks that people have asked us about for getting the most out of Olympus Micro:

The BPM for the polysustains are 100 (Dominum) and 140 (Raduisya) naturally, but if you're using the K5 presets, they'll stretch to your host's project tempo.

In addition to the standard articulations it comes set up with, you can also simulate other staccato syllables with the different integrated syllables, especially with a little extra wetness from one of the halls included in the Reverb panel. Just use the attack and offset knobs creatively and turn the release volume knob off. Then just tap the notes instead of holding them down. It can actually sound pretty natural if you use the cathedral preset to give them a proper tail. 

For example, a 'Doh' staccato can be made with the following settings an attack value of 0 and offset of 0.
'Oh' can be made with an offset of 14. 
'Ee' can be made with an offset of 50.
'You' can be made with an offset of 74.
'Oo' can be made with an offset of 100.

If you bring the releases back into it and turn release volume all the way up, a clean sounding 'Oom' staccato can be made with an offset of 127. You can get several more staccato variants pretty easily that way.
'Dom' can be made with an offset of 0 and release volume .
'Yoom' can be made with an offset of 72.

You can also morph from one polysustain to another and create useful combinations by combining different Offset and Blend slider adjustments over time.


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## wst3 (May 16, 2012)

I was going to drop you a note, but I was too busy playing with Olympus Micro!

I think this is a great idea! While I've certainly proven to myself that I don't blink before purchasing your smaller libraries, I do blink before plunking down $500. 

One of the things that makes these larger purchases difficult is the inability to really test drive them. Now I can test drive Olympus, and that's invaluable!

To be fair, I have around 30 of your libraries, and a bunch that ended up at 8Dio, and I have yet to buy one I could not use immediately. (OK, almost all those purchases were made with a specific task in mind - but that's not important<G>)

I'm sure it was a fair effort to assemble Olympus Micro, but might I humbly suggest micro versions of some of your bigger libraries? Requiem Lite, while already lite, would be a candidate, as would Apocolypse.

I wish more developers would provide really cut down versions of larger libraries. Cinematic Strings did so with their Monster Staccatos way back when... although that was more a demo of the sound rather than features.

Anyway, kudos on a very cool idea, and a very cool little library! And I think you went seriously over the top with your last post!!!


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## jleckie (May 16, 2012)

Plus 1 to Bills post! Streamlined micro libraries are a great idea!


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## zvenx (May 16, 2012)

I think this is a fantastic idea as I have said elsewhere....it gives me an idea of what the library will sound like in my studio in my hands...

thanks for this
rsp


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## spacegaier (May 17, 2012)

*Re: SoundIron Releases Olympus Micro Choir for $9.99 - Demo Premium Mars & Venus Content*

I can only second what the others already said: Really great idea! Looking forward to see more of those micros!


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## Peaslee (May 17, 2012)

*Re: SoundIron Releases Olympus Micro Choir for $9.99 - Demo Premium Mars & Venus Content*

Michael Reukauff has translated the new Olympus Micro Choir product manual to German for us, for those that prefer it. 

http://s3.amazonaws.com/soundiron_docs/german/soundiron_olympus_mikrochor_handbuch.pdf (http://s3.amazonaws.com/soundiron_docs/ ... ndbuch.pdf)

Thanks for the feedback guys. We're glad you're enjoying it. We do really like making our larger instruments more accessible to those that like to kick the tires a bit harder than others before they commit to buying, so we'll definitely consider doing similar sorts of micro/demo kits like this in the future.


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## Niah (May 17, 2012)

*Re: SoundIron Releases Olympus Micro Choir for $9.99 - Demo Premium Mars & Venus Content*



oxo @ Wed May 16 said:


> great idea!



Indeed


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## playz123 (May 17, 2012)

*Re: SoundIron Releases Olympus Micro Choir for $9.99 - Demo Premium Mars & Venus Content*

This is a wonderful way to get just a tiny taste of what owners of Mars and Venus have been raving about since Venus was released. The combined patches give a clear indication of how warm and harmonious the sound of these choirs really are. Can't wait for the release of combined patches for the full versions some day. "Dominum"...Amen!


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## jleckie (May 17, 2012)

I am very curious about getting htis but I noticed in several of the demos there is one phrase used quite predominately. I will most likely be picking up the full versions and I know Im sounding cheap but if theres not much to choose from on the 9.99 version Id rather apply that money towards the full libraries. 

Can anyone comment on the single/individual notes that are on this sampler?

ty.


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## Peaslee (May 17, 2012)

jleckie @ Thu May 17 said:


> I am very curious about getting htis but I noticed in several of the demos there is one phrase used quite predominately. I will most likely be picking up the full versions and I know Im sounding cheap but if theres not much to choose from on the 9.99 version Id rather apply that money towards the full libraries.
> 
> Can anyone comment on the single/individual notes that are on this sampler?
> 
> ty.



The fundamental phrase is dominum, which can be tempo synched in Kontakt 5. The offset control also allows you to isolate the pure Oo vowel sustain. You can also use the offset control to basically rearrange the syllables and create staccatos that provide all sorts of combinations. 

You also get to use the full price of Olympus Micro ($20) toward a copy of the full version of Olympus, so nothing is wasted if you decide to upgrade later. It's a win-win. 

It's designed as both a sound test for those considering the full collection and a simple tutorial to get the hang of some of the core features, like how to use the legato system effectively through overlaps, swell shaping and speed adjustments. Even though Olympus Micro doesn't include true legato interval samples, the concept and functionality is the same. You'd be able to apply everything you learn from using Olympus Micro in the full version.

It also works as a basic choir pad ("Oo" and "Ah") and staccato set for those who just need something simple. All the other features we've built in simply make it all the more powerful for everyday users.

My first post earlier in the thread has a few tips on how to get the most out of Olympus Micro, but there are plenty more things you can do once you get the hang of the controls and hack it a bit. 

Also, the ambiences we included are pretty cool. When used with the choir itself, you can get a really fat wall of sound.


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## kriztofo (May 17, 2012)

*Re: SoundIron Releases Olympus Micro Choir for $9.99 - Demo Premium Mars & Venus Content*



> I am very curious about getting htis but I noticed in several of the demos there is one phrase used quite predominately. I will most likely be picking up the full versions and I know Im sounding cheap but if theres not much to choose from on the 9.99 version Id rather apply that money towards the full libraries.
> 
> Can anyone comment on the single/individual notes that are on this sampler?
> 
> ty.



Hi Jay.

Olympus Micro features the 100 bpm "Dominum" poly-sustain and the 140 bpm Raduisya poly-sustain. They automatically synch to host tempo in the Kontakt 5 versions of the presets using TM Pro. The vowel sustains use the dfd engine and have round-robin behavior built-in. You can select from any of the four sustain options (Ah, Oo, Dominum, Raduisya) for each layer independently using the layer drop-down selector and cross-fade between them smoothly in realtime. While this might appear a little limiting on the surface we wanted to demonstrate how much mileage you can get out of just a couple of poly-sustains and vowels. The new version also adds basic Ah and Oo staccatos. The overall interval of the presets generally defaults to a 4 octave choir range, though you can use the key-range settings for each layer/divisi section to extend the ranges for FX purposes.

I don't think being concerned about the depth of content is being cheap; all products should be worth the asking price, and I don't mean a premium for name recognition or hype, but really the content of a library, no matter how small. This is why anyone who purchases Olympus Micro automatically gets a personal discount coupon for the asking price of Micro ($20) that can be used toward the purchase of the full Olympus Choir Bundle.

We really wanted to be able to give everyone a taste of what our Mars and Venus Choirs have to offer. We realize Olympus is a significant investment, both in terms of money and time, so the aim of Olympus Micro was to present as much of a win-win scenario for our customers as possible.

--Chris


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## wst3 (May 17, 2012)

Mike and Chris....

you hit it out of the park! At least you did for me.

I was able to hack around a bit and find some of the sounds, which was enough to convince me that this is a choir library I can get some use from. So mission accomplished.

Allow me to repeat myself - I think it is a great idea, these are not purchases that can be made on the fly, the cost in dollars, and time is significant, and I wish more major libraries offered the same sort of demo.

I had no issue with the $9.99 price tag, it was a great way to test drive the library.

The fact that you'll credit that towards the full price of the full library is icing on the cake.

And the post that offered tips was more than I would have expected, even from you guys!

Thanks!!!


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## jleckie (May 17, 2012)

Thanks you very much of rthe detailed replies. Im sold. And getting to apply the money towards the full is very generous.


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## damstraversaz (May 18, 2012)

that's a fantastic idea, and a fantastic sound. I was very interested by venus, but as a requiem light user, did not think to buy it without testing. Now I'm seriously interested by the full version !
congratulations !


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## greggg (May 24, 2012)

*Re: SoundIron Releases Olympus Micro Choir for $9.99 - Demo Premium Mars & Venus Content*

Check out this new tutorial of Olympus Micro Choir by Blake Ewing. He walks you through the process of creating his demo "Ascension" demonstating many of the features of the library, including tips and techniques for getting the most out of it.

[flash width=560 height=315 loop=false]http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/ViNMiO5YhPk?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0&amp;hd=1[/flash]

Thanks Blake!


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## MA-Simon (May 24, 2012)

*Re: SoundIron Releases Olympus Micro Choir for $9.99 - Demo Premium Mars & Venus Content*

While I love the concept of smaller things (I bought the micro pack, mostly for me beeing interested in a playfull kid sort of way etc. Also the awesomeness of the moment.), it kind of creeps me out, having actually paid for a product demo. 
I know it may not be intended as a demo, since it is marketed as a micro pack. But there is "Come on, buy Mars and Venus" written to it all over the place.

Would really love of you guys to consider http://www.try-sound.com/ for full library previews. I´m shure Dominum is great, but its not the thing i´m looking into when considering to purchase something like a choir library, i have other choirs. I want to be able to test legato and stacc stuff and all the other features such huge libraries come with.


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## Peaslee (May 24, 2012)

*Re: SoundIron Releases Olympus Micro Choir for $9.99 - Demo Premium Mars & Venus Content*

We sorta hear where you're coming from, but built-in self marketing toward an upgrade is just the way it always works for any sort of tiered product of this kind, in any line of business. 

More importantly, Olympus Micro works perfectly well as a basic choir instrument for those who don't need all that much horsepower. There's just simply too much included in it - both in terms of content and programming time - to really be able to give away for free. And the fact that we credit you the full purchase price on Micro toward the bundle means it works out either way. 

Try-sound is something we're probably going to explore more fully down the road, since Mars is currently already carried by Best Service, but it's not all that simple to sign on for as a developer.


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## playz123 (May 24, 2012)

*Re: SoundIron Releases Olympus Micro Choir for $9.99 - Demo Premium Mars & Venus Content*



MA-Simon @ Thu May 24 said:


> I know it may not be intended as a demo, since it is marketed as a micro pack. But there is "Come on, buy Mars and Venus" written to it all over the place.


 
Sure Soundiron would like to sell more copies of M&V; Economics 101...and what's wrong with that?  But, as an end user of both Mars and Venus, _personally_ I see nothing wrong with the concept of Olympus Micro, and I suggest that many musicians who do invest a little time and the paltry sum of ca. $10 in it are going to quickly realize what fabulous products M&V are and want to buy them without any further urging from anyone including Soundiron. At Try Sounds, in the end one ends up with nothing but opinions and conclusions, which may be sufficient, but with Olympus Micro you still have the download to actually use ....at your convenience. This is more than a demo one receives; it's also useable as the demos indicate. In conclusion, I can only suggest that I think Soundiron should be congratulated for offering this little package at a very reasonable price, and I hope it does encourage many more folks to buy M&V. I understand that someone might wish to try out all the features of a program, but I also suggest Soundiron's approach has also been highly praised. For more on legatos, for example, one could watch Oliver Codd's demo on this page:
http://www.vi-control.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=25817

PS: BTW, IMHO, Venus is probably the best choir library available anywhere, bar none, and I have and have used all the other major ones. I suspect others will come to that conclusion as well. Cheers.


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## jleckie (May 24, 2012)

Venus sounds AMAZING in the demo version from what I can hear. Very realistic.


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## kriztofo (Feb 28, 2013)

We at Soundiron have just released a major upgrade to Olympus Micro that gives an even fuller taste of what the full version of Olympus can offer. We doubled the size of the library, adding a forte Slavonic polysustain -- Raduisya -- along with a new user interface that allows for easy access to the "Oo" and "Ah" vowels possible with the polysustains.

All pertinent information as been added to the original topic post, including new demos and a walkthrough video by Brad Halverson that takes us through many of the new features and content.


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## Peaslee (Feb 28, 2013)

We've just released the 2.0 upgrade and added a new walk-through video with Brad Halverson that shows off some of the new GUI features and content:

http://youtu.be/51wj2guehfg


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## zvenx (Feb 28, 2013)

Huge Kudos from me to you guys, for still updating/upgrading your older libraries and not just reeling out new libraries and leaving the old ones in the graveyard.......huge kudos.
thanks for this
rsp


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