# Cinematic Strings 2 *Version 2.1 Update Released!*



## Alex W (Mar 2, 2012)

*'New string library combines luscious rich sound with revolutionary new interface'*

Life just became a lot easier for composers and producers alike with the release of Cinematic Strings 2.0. This latest version combines the warm rich tones of concert hall strings with a ground-breaking new GUI that is so easy to use that you will be pumping out pieces in record time. 

We're composers, so we understand the frustration of spending countless hours installing, setting up, tweaking, applying FX and mixing, just to have your strings sounding right. Cinematic Strings 2 frees you from all those hassles by providing a simple installation process, a powerful GUI which allows instant access to all of the features you'd expect in a high end string library, and a professionally balanced mix – right out of the box. 

Assigning Keyswitches and MIDI controllers, adjusting microphone balance, and controlling vibrato intensity are all within a few clicks. You'll have CS2 sitting alongside your other VSTi's in your template within minutes of installation, and since it's powered by the latest Kontakt Player, you wont have to worry about owning the full version of Kontakt. The most pleasant surprise of all is the new price - only $499!

Please check out our video introduction here:



Followed by our tech walkthrough video here:



And finally, here's a fully orchestrated piece I created earlier in the week. It took me a little over half a day to create this piece from scratch:

http://www.cinematicstrings.com/images/mp3/Alex%20Wallbank%20-%20Renewal.mp3

For more information on features, tips and tricks and blog updates, please check out our new website:

http://www.cinematicstrings.com/


Warm regards from Alex Wallbank


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## oxo (Mar 2, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

i love your demo-music (video & audio)!

i miss the following information:

download only, or available as dvd?

library size?


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## Alex W (Mar 2, 2012)

Hi Oxo, thanks for the compliment 

It is a download only library - it is around 21Gb.


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## dcoscina (Mar 2, 2012)

So happy to own this library!


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## Patrick de Caumette (Mar 2, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

what a beautiful sound Alex...


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## shakuman (Mar 2, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Thanks Alex, great work plus no brainer upgrade price, but you missed to add the microtuning option! ~o) 

Shakuman.


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## deniz (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Hi Alex,
Sounds really great.
I like the new Interface.

Alex,How fast is the download?? 21 GB, pretty much.

TX


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## ghostnote (Mar 3, 2012)

simply breathtaking sound alex, this will definetly be my next string library.


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## Andreas Moisa (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Congrats Alex! I am sure I will use CS2 A LOT!!! It's the only string library that makes me happy.  I'm still kind of missing the Monster Staccato Patch, would be great to have that one with the possibility to shorten the notes.


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## FrankT (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Sounds really nice and the GUI seems to facilitate both, easy playability and easy access to most important controls. Congrats!
Questions: what exactly does the runs mode do? Where can I see an overview of the patches? Is there a full strings patch? (this was missing according to the 2010 SOS review).

thanks
Frank


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## Andreas Moisa (Mar 3, 2012)

There are only 5 Patches! Violins 1, Violins 2, Violas, Celli, Basses.


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## DynamicK (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Great sound and features at a great price :D


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## EastWest Lurker (Mar 3, 2012)

Congrats Alex, lovely sound.


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## IFM (Mar 3, 2012)

I have run into a GUI problem. If you load it within VEP it is completely unreadable. Everything is fine when Kontakt is loaded into the DAW directly. 
Chirs


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## ed buller (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

yeah same here. Doesn't work in Vienna Pro 5. Pity

ed


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## Alex W (Mar 3, 2012)

Thanks for the nice comments guys .

As for the Vienna Pro bug - that is a strange problem indeed. I'll ask the Vienna guys if they know what's happening and report back asap.


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## ed buller (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

boy it sounds good. Very easy to play and sound real. Especially short notes. There is obviously a lot of cool number crunching under the hood to make it musical.

Very nice indeed.....top marks

ed


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## synthnut (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

OMG !!!.....This is GREAT NEWS !!......Good things come to those who wait !!.....GREAT JOB ALEX !!......I'll be downloading soon !!..... Sincerely, Jim


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## rayinstirling (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

I don't understand the reports about a problem with VEPro 5, CS2 works fine here.


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## ed buller (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

really 

what are you running. I'm PC windows 7 Cubase 6 Vienna Pro 5 latest

e


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## mech289 (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Alex, I cant find the Ensemble patches you said would be in this update?


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## George Caplan (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

are there going to be any tutorial movies for us amateurs?


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## rayinstirling (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*



ed buller @ Sat Mar 03 said:


> really
> 
> what are you running. I'm PC windows 7 Cubase 6 Vienna Pro 5 latest
> 
> e



PC Windows 7 x64, Cubase 6.5 x64 VEPro 5.0.10068


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## ed buller (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

i'm going to turn it off and on again and light some incense

e


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## Ryan Scully (Mar 3, 2012)

Dragonwind @ Sat Mar 03 said:


> I have run into a GUI problem. If you load it within VEP it is completely unreadable. Everything is fine when Kontakt is loaded into the DAW directly.
> Chirs



Yeah - I just noticed it in VE PRO 5 myself - good to see Alex is already looking into it.

OSX 10.7.3


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## Patrick de Caumette (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

I have quite a few string libraries, but i just got this.

Couldn't resist the sound and ease of use/let's write music now...


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## ThomasL (Mar 3, 2012)

Dragonwind @ 2012-03-03 said:


> I have run into a GUI problem. If you load it within VEP it is completely unreadable. Everything is fine when Kontakt is loaded into the DAW directly.
> Chirs


Yes, I had that too. Save your setup with the Kontakt-"lanes" closed (minified, the GUI not showing, collapsed, whatever you call it), reload, play something on one MIDI channel, open up and the GUI should be ok.

Those that hasn't noticed this has probably started playing before expanding the GUI of the instance?

[EDITed som excellently bad spelling]


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## ed buller (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

yeah this is now working. 

ed


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## Ryan Scully (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Thanks for the tip Thomas - Working here now as well.




Ryan


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## Cinesamples (Mar 3, 2012)

Congrats Alex! Love your philosophy. I was a fan of the original, so this will be even better.


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## IFM (Mar 3, 2012)

ThomasL @ Sat Mar 03 said:


> Dragonwind @ 2012-03-03 said:
> 
> 
> > I have run into a GUI problem. If you load it within VEP it is completely unreadable. Everything is fine when Kontakt is loaded into the DAW directly.
> ...



Excellent, thanks! It actually seems that you need to connect to the instance then it works.
Chris

Edit: I now have my Mac Mini base with 16gig of ram running nearly my entire template and soon I can move the whole thing over to it. VEP connects in an instant and the DAW is much happier.
Chris


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## jamwerks (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Man that vibrato control is insane. I'd love to see/hear a dedicated video. Does that work with legato as well as sus.

Also wondering about how the "velocity cross fading" works. Can that be controlled via mod wheel like the Cinesamples and Hollywood libraries?


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## adg21 (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

I love that your whole string section is in just 5 patches. If only there was some kind of auto-arranger / or polyphonic legato then this would be the world's fastest string library to use. Great sound! Really impressive


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## jamwerks (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Hi Alex,

I'm wondering if the short note lengths adjustments in the advanced menu can be controlled and automated by cc ?


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## Mahlon (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

In the second demo video when we are hearing the different mic positions, is there any added reverb to this presentation, or is that _only_ the natural decay of the hall?

Mahlon


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## noxtenebrae17 (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Alex,

Congratulations on this wonderful release. I especially appreciate you attention to faster articulated runs. You're "Live" mode is really incredible and really wipes the floor with all the other commercially available libraries. Legato also sounds incredible.

I own the two big string libraries on the market, but I am quite envious of Cinematic Strings 2. The ease of use looks incredible, the sound is spot on, and I *will* be picking it up in the future.

That said, I do hope to see more products and expansions from you in the future. You've got a bright future ahead if you can create something that sounds this good.

Well done.


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## Alex W (Mar 3, 2012)

Thanks very much for all the kind comments!

I'll be working on new libraries for other instruments later in the year - which will follow a very similar design philosophy to CS. A lot of time and energy was spent working on the "under the hood" aspects of CS. These additions will transfer quite easily to new libraries - so in other words, a lot of the hard work has already been done now.

Recording and editing is hard work too, but it's a simpler process than creating a GUI / engine.

Thanks for the support!


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## José Herring (Mar 3, 2012)

Alex. Really beautiful. and your demos are top notch. Kudos. Just got HS, but can't wait to get my hands on these. Also, a very attractive price point.


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## Studio E (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Is the $499 just for an upgrade from the original or is that the whole price for new customers who dont own the original?


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## mk282 (Mar 3, 2012)

It's the price for new customers. The upgrade price is $49.


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## Studio E (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Wow, nice


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## FrankT (Mar 3, 2012)

Alex W @ Sun Mar 04 said:


> Thanks very much for all the kind comments!
> 
> I'll be working on new libraries for other instruments later in the year - which will follow a very similar design philosophy to CS. A lot of time and energy was spent working on the "under the hood" aspects of CS. These additions will transfer quite easily to new libraries - so in other words, a lot of the hard work has already been done now.
> 
> ...



Good to hear that there is more in the product pipeline! But for the moment I am seriously interested in CS2. Could you pls comment on how you see chances of additional patches (monster staccato, full strings...). Or what you recommend to your users of CS2 how to deal with such requirements. Thx!


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## Gabriel Oliveira (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*



adg21 @ Sat Mar 03 said:


> I love that your whole string section is in just 5 patches. If only there was some kind of auto-arranger / or polyphonic legato then this would be the world's fastest string library to use. Great sound! Really impressive



+1

the lack of divisi is the only reason i can't buy CS (LOVE the ABC thing on LASS)


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## Alex W (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Hi Frank and Joseph, on the question of full ensemble patches, it's pretty easy to add that kind of thing to your template. Because of the streamlined nature of CS2, there are just 5 patches (1 for each section) - so you could quite easily highlight all 5 of them in the Kontakt browser and drag them straight in. Then it's just a simple matter of assigning them all to the 1 channel in your sequencer. Done. 

If you're running this in addition to separate patches, it also carries the advantage of not using any extra RAM. I'm planning on creating full ensemble patches in the not too distant future, which will make it easier again, but for now, the technique above will work just fine .

As for Run Mode, that was derived from a technique I created in order to create this demo (which I uploaded to youtube a couple of years ago):



Back then I did it by combining various patches together on separate MIDI tracks. Now, in CS2 this technique comes built into the library, within 1 simple articulation - "Run Mode."

It operates in a similar fashion to Live Mode, but is useful in slightly different situations - more for scalic runs, while Live Mode is useful for quick ostinati and agile phrases. I will do a quick blog post in the coming weeks which will expand on this feature.

Thanks for all the nice comments and feedback guys .


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## FrankT (Mar 4, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*



Alex W @ Sun Mar 04 said:


> Hi Frank and Joseph, on the question of full ensemble patches, it's pretty easy to add that kind of thing to your template. Because of the streamlined nature of CS2, there are just 5 patches (1 for each section) - so you could quite easily highlight all 5 of them in the Kontakt browser and drag them straight in. Then it's just a simple matter of assigning them all to the 1 channel in your sequencer. Done.
> 
> If you're running this in addition to separate patches, it also carries the advantage of not using any extra RAM. I'm planning on creating full ensemble patches in the not too distant future, which will make it easier again, but for now, the technique above will work just fine .
> 
> ...




thanks :D


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## Alex W (Mar 4, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*



Mahlon @ Sun Mar 04 said:


> In the second demo video when we are hearing the different mic positions, is there any added reverb to this presentation, or is that _only_ the natural decay of the hall?
> 
> Mahlon



Yep, I added some VSS3 reverb on top.


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## Christian Marcussen (Mar 4, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Sounds REALLY good. Especially the violins - they sound great and have great space. However the low end sounds a little less defined. I'm really a celli junkie and love when you can almost see/hear the position of the players. I'm not getting that so far. Is there a peices with long celli passages heard? 

Anyway, really great sounds overall and smart pricing. I love your programming philosophy. As I'm not really that much in the need of new strings I'll wait for some more user feedback - but its really tempting.


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## artinro (Mar 4, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*



Christian Marcussen @ Sun Mar 04 said:


> Is there a peices with long celli passages heard?



+1, I'd love to hear some more exposed celli passages with CS 2.0


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## mech289 (Mar 4, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Alex the update was well worth the wait. Thanks for this. Cant wait to see what you have planned for the future. Joseph


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## jamwerks (Mar 4, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*



Alex W @ Sun Mar 04 said:


> Yep, I added some VSS3 reverb on top.



Ouch !! I'd say this library deserves at least VSS4, or maybe even a Bricasti !

Any word on the ability to automate the short note lengths in the advanced menu?

Also it would be cool if you could give some suggestions on (dynamic?)EQ/desser settings for all 4 instruments, to create pseudo "con sordino" sounds.


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## Mahlon (Mar 4, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*



Alex W @ Sun Mar 04 said:


> Mahlon @ Sun Mar 04 said:
> 
> 
> > In the second demo video when we are hearing the different mic positions, is there any added reverb to this presentation, or is that _only_ the natural decay of the hall?
> ...



Well it sounds great, this library. And again, such a nice job on the interface. A lot of my day to day work is dealing in instructional design, and so we're making interfaces for training material all the time. I can appreciate what it took to figure all this out and present it in a sophisticated, sleek, functional and good-looking GUI. It ain't easy.

And you're compositions/demos are beautiful, too. Winner all 'round, I'd say.

Best,
Mahlon


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## Ryan Scully (Mar 4, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

+1


Alex's demos are just OUTSTANDING for 2.0. I've spent quite a bit of time this weekend with the new library and it just has surpassed all of my expectations for this update. 




Ryan :D


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## Patrick de Caumette (Mar 4, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

I'm really loving CS2!
Exactly what i was hoping for sonically.

Two comments: the mod wheel/CC1 curve is a little abrupt. i wish it would be more gentle, over a longer arc.
Would also like some intelligent script a la LASS to allow us to play all sections, or at least 3 legato voices at once.
Your suggestion of playing all instruments under one MIDI channel doesn't rerally work, since this would create a lot of unwanted doublings...

Great job Alex!


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## Gabriel Oliveira (Mar 4, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*



Patrick de Caumette @ Sun Mar 04 said:


> Your suggestion of playing all instruments under one MIDI channel doesn't rerally work, since this would create a lot of unwanted doublings...
> 
> Great job Alex!



one midi track, 5 midi channels in one midi item


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## Patrick de Caumette (Mar 4, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Doesn't work...


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## Frederick Russ (Mar 4, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*



Patrick de Caumette @ Sun Mar 04 said:


> I'm really loving CS2!
> Exactly what i was hoping for sonically.
> 
> Two comments: the mod wheel/CC1 curve is a little abrupt. i wish it would be more gentle, over a longer arc.
> ...



Hi Patrick, did you try deactivating the staccato overlay? (its activated by default but there is a button to turn it off). Doing so will get it from virtually null through most the dynamics.


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## Patrick de Caumette (Mar 4, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*



Frederick Russ @ Sun Mar 04 said:


> Patrick de Caumette @ Sun Mar 04 said:
> 
> 
> > I'm really loving CS2!
> ...



Thanks for the tip Frederick!
That did the trick!


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## George Caplan (Mar 4, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

is there a full articulation list anywhere?


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## lamandolina (Mar 4, 2012)

does it have portamento on legato patch? Do you plan Alex to add more articulations on future? I'm very close to buy it....I use lass and I want a different sound and CS2 locks really wonderful! congrats!


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## germancomponist (Mar 4, 2012)

Alex W @ Sun Mar 04 said:


> Recording and editing is hard work too, but it's a simpler process than creating a GUI / engine.
> 
> Thanks for the support!



Well said, Alex!!! 

And: Congratulations! You did a very good job!


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## zvenx (Mar 5, 2012)

Bought, downloaded and installed. What I would love is a pdf of the quick guide.
thanks
rsp


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## Ian Dorsch (Mar 5, 2012)

I had a chance to mess with it briefly, and I think there are some very nice improvements over 1.5. In particular, the 'mix' of all mic positions is everything I hoped it would be, and I can immediately see how useful the addition of stacc/staccatissimo is gong to be. I admit to being a little disappointed that there's no longer a dedicated key switch for low and high position vibrato--I understand why the choice was made, but for writing expressive legato lines the two positions are a huge advantage that CS has over other string libraries, and I've used them heavily with 1.5. I've mapped the high/low switch to a CC, and in practice I'm sure it will be just as easy as the old way, but I got quite used to the old way.


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## Graham Keitch (Mar 6, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

The original CS allowed me to use a controller of my choice to change articulations and other tasks such as switching chord-mode on and off for divisi purposes. This is an essential feature for notation users and thankfully, CS2 preserves this capability. But I can't fathom out how to get it to work! I've found the keyswitch tool that allows me to assign velocity x-fade to cc1 and that works ok. How do I assign an unused controller to say switch leg on and off or to switch from low to high vib position? I've tried assigning key switch to cc15 and assigning the values for each requirement which I assume are the values and ranges given in the user manual. For arco, I see there is a range of values which I don't quite understand. Also, if I click on the legato on / off selector, I see an option for 'midi learn'. Is that relevant at all? Loving the sound of the samples but a little confused over the redesigned use of controllers. Can anyone help please?

On a different topic, my vote for the next lib from these guys is woodwinds. They are badly neglected in the sample world and I think Alex, David et al would make a good job of this. The ability to change techniques via the method described above would be great! 

Regards,
Graham


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## Alex W (Mar 6, 2012)

Ian Dorsch @ Tue Mar 06 said:


> I admit to being a little disappointed that there's no longer a dedicated key switch for low and high position vibrato--I understand why the choice was made, but for writing expressive legato lines the two positions are a huge advantage that CS has over other string libraries, and I've used them heavily with 1.5. I've mapped the high/low switch to a CC, and in practice I'm sure it will be just as easy as the old way, but I got quite used to the old way.



Hey Ian, glad you're enjoying the update! Just a quick note - you can in fact still choose high or low position via Keyswitch. In this case we got a bit more fancy and made the arco keyswitch a velocity dependant keyswitch.

So in other words, you assign it to whatever key you want as per normal. After that, pressing it with a low velocity (0-64) will activate low position vibrato, while pressing it with a high velocity (65-127) will activate high position vibrato.


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## Alex W (Mar 6, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*



Graham Keitch @ Tue Mar 06 said:


> The original CS allowed me to use a controller of my choice to change articulations and other tasks such as switching chord-mode on and off for divisi purposes. This is an essential feature for notation users and thankfully, CS2 preserves this capability. But I can't fathom out how to get it to work! I've found the keyswitch tool that allows me to assign velocity x-fade to cc1 and that works ok. How do I assign an unused controller to say switch leg on and off or to switch from low to high vib position? I've tried assigning key switch to cc15 and assigning the values for each requirement which I assume are the values and ranges given in the user manual. For arco, I see there is a range of values which I don't quite understand. Also, if I click on the legato on / off selector, I see an option for 'midi learn'. Is that relevant at all? Loving the sound of the samples but a little confused over the redesigned use of controllers. Can anyone help please?
> 
> On a different topic, my vote for the next lib from these guys is woodwinds. They are badly neglected in the sample world and I think Alex, David et al would make a good job of this. The ability to change techniques via the method described above would be great!
> 
> ...




Hi Graham, right clicking on various controls within CS (and Kontakt in general) causes "MIDI learn" to pop up. At that point, whichever MIDI controller you move will then be assigned to that function. So for example, if you assign CC5 to Legato On/Off in this way, you can switch it on or off by moving it to <65 for off, or >64 for on.

The other way to do things is to assign the function "Key Switch" to your preferred CC. This function can be found and assigned via the dropdown box in the "Advanced" menu. After having done this, you can access every function in the library from that 1 CC.

Find out which CC value corresponds with each function via the "Selectin Articulations" section of the manual on our website:
http://www.cinematicstrings.com/index.php/userguide/quickstart-guide

Hope that helps 

There's a few more queries on this thread that I'll try and get to in the morning. l8rs!


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## Garlu (Mar 6, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Alex, the demo videos are outstanding!

Got the library... but I am having problems trying to register it. Kontakt doesn´t seem to "see" the library on the library tab. Got this message "not library found". 

I already contacted the support section on the website...

I´d appreciate your response!

Thanks!

Vanessa G.
"Garlu"


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## Justus (Mar 6, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*



Garlu @ Tue Mar 06 said:


> Alex, the demo videos are outstanding!
> 
> Got the library... but I am having problems trying to register it. Kontakt doesn´t seem to "see" the library on the library tab. Got this message "not library found".
> 
> ...




I had this issue with Cinematic Guitars. Solved it by installing Kontakt 5 Player and adding the library there. (Could work for you if you are using Kontakt 4.)


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## Ian Dorsch (Mar 6, 2012)

Alex W @ Tue Mar 06 said:


> Hey Ian, glad you're enjoying the update! Just a quick note - you can in fact still choose high or low position via Keyswitch. In this case we got a bit more fancy and made the arco keyswitch a velocity dependant keyswitch.
> 
> So in other words, you assign it to whatever key you want as per normal. After that, pressing it with a low velocity (0-64) will activate low position vibrato, while pressing it with a high velocity (65-127) will activate high position vibrato.



Thanks for the reply, Alex. That is a really clever way of handling the high/low keyswitch. Thanks very much for letting us know how it works! o-[][]-o


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## Patrick de Caumette (Mar 6, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Did i said i LOVE those strings already? o=? 

Other wish:
please consider assigning the basses 8vb, so that they play AND appear on the MIDI grid as they sound.
A lot of us like to tweak voicings from the MIDI graphic interface, and having the basses up an octave, as i understand they are written when transposed, is a major inconvenience...

thanks!


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## Gusfmm (Mar 6, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*



Garlu @ Tue Mar 06 said:


> Got the library... but I am having problems trying to register it. Kontakt doesn´t seem to "see" the library on the library tab. Got this message "not library found".
> 
> Vanessa G.
> "Garlu"



Garlu-
Once you fully install the library, you should have a main CS folder, and two sub-folders, one for the samples and one for the instruments. Make sure you click on the main CS folder for Kontakt to recognize it, and not one of the sub-folders. Make sure you download and use the Kontakt 5 player (or full version for that matter), not a previous version.


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## ThomasL (Mar 6, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Alex, is there a way to turn the off reverb engine in Kontakt completely? Is it off in the lowest position or is it only on it's lowest level?

No biggie, just curious and conservative of my CPU-cycles


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## germancomponist (Mar 6, 2012)

Thomas, du you not have the Kontakt full version? If yes, it`s very easy to check this out, and if it is not turned off (what I don`t think), then you can turn it off quickly... .


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## ThomasL (Mar 6, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

No I'm only at K4. Running CS2 in player, haven't had the need to upgrade, yet...


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## George Caplan (Mar 6, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

link to full articulation list?


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## mixolydian (Mar 6, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*



George Caplan @ Tue Mar 06 said:


> link to full articulation list?


As far as I understood the Introduction video shows everything you get with it. Nothing else to assign or to be loaded.


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## Graham Keitch (Mar 7, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*



Alex W @ Tue Mar 06 said:


> Graham Keitch @ Tue Mar 06 said:
> 
> 
> > The original CS allowed me to use a controller of my choice to change articulations and other tasks such as switching chord-mode on and off for divisi purposes. This is an essential feature for notation users and thankfully, CS2 preserves this capability. But I can't fathom out how to get it to work! I've found the keyswitch tool that allows me to assign velocity x-fade to cc1 and that works ok. How do I assign an unused controller to say switch leg on and off or to switch from low to high vib position? I've tried assigning key switch to cc15 and assigning the values for each requirement which I assume are the values and ranges given in the user manual. For arco, I see there is a range of values which I don't quite understand. Also, if I click on the legato on / off selector, I see an option for 'midi learn'. Is that relevant at all? Loving the sound of the samples but a little confused over the redesigned use of controllers. Can anyone help please?
> ...



Thanks Alex, that's very much as I understood it.

I'd left a hidden expression in my Finale score that was being used to switch chord mode on and off in the previous version of CS. The value assigned was in the range now used to trigger low vib so this was screwing things up! I mention this in case any other notation users are encountering odd behaviour while migrating to v2. 

Regards, Graham


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## Alex W (Apr 15, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*

Hi all, I just uploaded the first tips n tricks video blog, including a tutorial MIDI file!

This video touches on EQ and tempo automation, I'd love to know your thoughts on these topics. Feel free to leave a comment - let me know what other aspects you'd like to see covered in future videos.

The next planned video includes measured tremolo, so stay tuned... 



-Alex


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## dog1978 (Apr 15, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released! *New video blog posted - EQ and Tempo**

That's really nice. Waiting for the next vids  And you heared the wish of a lot of users to get the MIDI files. Perfect!


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## oxo (Apr 16, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - EQ and Tempo**

thanks for the video and the midi file. i love your compositions so much. where i can hear music even more of you?


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## dedersen (Apr 16, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - EQ and Tempo**

Alex, this is exemplary customer service. Much appreciated.


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## Maestro77 (Apr 16, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - EQ and Tempo**

Really nice little video, looking forward to more. Alex, are there any plans to add port and gliss to CS2? I think if you did that, CS would seriously have it all. I hate having to switch to LASS just to get those two things. Such an outstanding library, thanks!


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## Alex W (Apr 16, 2012)

Thanks a lot, glad you guys liked it ,

Oxo - Thanks very much - I don't have much music online, I'll try to get around to uploading some at some stage. 

Maestro - we'll be working on other libraries first before we come back to more strings stuff, but it'll happen at some point.

Cheers


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## FrankT (Apr 16, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2.0 released!*



Alex W @ Mon Apr 16 said:


> Hi all, I just uploaded the first tips n tricks video blog, including a tutorial MIDI file!
> 
> This video touches on EQ and tempo automation, I'd love to know your thoughts on these topics. Feel free to leave a comment - let me know what other aspects you'd like to see covered in future videos.
> 
> ...



The tempo track example is very illustrative! Also, nice to see what one can achieve with the onboard Kontakt EQ. There is some elegance in the CS2 sound that I don't hear with other libraries! It is definitely on my wishlist. Reading that you are working on other libraries...is there nonetheless a chance that you will offer a couple more CS2 patches, e.g. an ensemble patch?

many thanks
Frank


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## Alex W (Apr 17, 2012)

Thanks Frank 

Yes, some more patches will come out in the coming months. More news soon .


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## Maestro77 (Apr 17, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - EQ and Tempo**

Thanks Alex! If your upcoming work is close to the same simplicity and excellent sound as CS2, you've got my money! As I've previously written in this forum, I LOVE having all my basic strings in 5 simple patches with keyswitches for the arts.


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## MaestroRage (Apr 17, 2012)

The sheer awesome support and attitude of CS and it's devs is what just got me to purchase your incredible library. Cheers and thanks for the midi/tips.


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## Mahlon (Apr 17, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - EQ and Tempo**

I love the tone of your strings. The EQ cuts/boost sound great. Thanks for tutorial.

Mahlon


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## Aer Gui Ta (Apr 18, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - EQ and Tempo**

In addition to a very attractive product you have once again reminded us of just how professional your general approach is; most other developers could learn a awful lot from you.


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## Alex W (Apr 19, 2012)

Glad you guys find it helpful 

Thanks a lot for your very kind words 

Maestro77: The winds / brass will follow a very similar layout to CS.


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## lamandolina (May 1, 2012)

Alex could you share with us some c6 project? I'd like to know how you mix the strings, the levels (close/stage/Room) of your demos, they sound really good!
Did you use some extra reverb in the master?
I can't gent CS sound as you did in the demos, is there something else?


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## Consona (May 1, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - EQ and Tempo**

Alex, could you please make a video to show sound of different mic positions without using reverb?


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## Tatu (May 2, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - EQ and Tempo**

Great tutorial! This library is just plain awesome.

One question though: On the default set up, how I do control whether to use Low or High position and for the shorts: Staccato or Staccatissimo?

Easy to get in to, but could use some more detailed documentation.


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## Rob Elliott (May 4, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - EQ and Tempo**

Sounds really good Alex. I am waiting on some more demos from a competing strings library release to make my decision of which one to pick up this week - but I must say I am hearing things you are doing I cannot currently do with any of the major strings libraries (and I have most if not all) - short of a LOT of programming AND engineering.

I'll keep my eyes on this one.


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## Ed (May 4, 2012)

Hey Rob, I plan on getting Adagio but I already have CS2, I strongly reccomend it even if you are getting Adagio. Its just got the right sound for all sections and I can see that it will still be very useful for violins even if I have Adagio (going from the demos). Just a thought. And of course CS2 isnt that much more than Adagio is (and will be more expensive than CS2 when pre-order ends) I really would buy both. It is the lush film score sound.


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## Rob Elliott (May 5, 2012)

Ed @ Fri May 04 said:


> Hey Rob, I plan on getting Adagio but I already have CS2, I strongly reccomend it even if you are getting Adagio. Its just got the right sound for all sections and I can see that it will still be very useful for violins even if I have Adagio (going from the demos). Just a thought. And of course CS2 isnt that much more than Adagio is (and will be more expensive than CS2 when pre-order ends) I really would buy both. It is the lush film score sound.




Thanks Ed - I picked up CS 2.0 and couldn't be happier. Great sound and the 'under the hood' stuff allowing me to get it done MUCH faster is so appreciated. Wonderful library Alex.


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## Alex W (Jul 6, 2012)

Hi everyone, I just uploaded a new tips n tricks blog post.  This one covers fast passages, fast arpeggios and measured tremolo. And of course, I've included links to the tutorial MIDI files so you can see how I did everything in the video - check it out!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Cheers,
Alex


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## mark812 (Jul 6, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**

So useful! Thanks, Alex.

Is that Full ensemble patch available?


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## Alex W (Jul 6, 2012)

Hey Mark, no probs! Full ensemble patch is on its way...


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## oxo (Jul 6, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**

thank you for your videos and for the midi-files! this is not a matter of course. i wish other developers would be so helpful as you.


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## marcotronic (Jul 6, 2012)

Thanks a lot for your videos (and the midi files!) Really appreciate that! Very helpful to see the patches used in "real world scenarios"!

Marco


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## José Herring (Jul 6, 2012)

Very helpful Alex. Thanks!


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## Jimbo 88 (Jul 6, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**

Just want to chime in and say CS 2.0 is just fantastic.

I also want to chime in and say Alex helped me solve issues I was having with CS in Sonar. Great product, great support.

I hope Alex is becoming a wealthy man...he deserves it.

When someone does something right ya just gotta say.


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## Rob Elliott (Jul 6, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**

Thanks Alex - the vid is very helpful. Did I miss the link to the midi files. :oops:


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## lamandolina (Jul 6, 2012)

Gracias!


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## oxo (Jul 6, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**



Rob Elliott @ Fri Jul 06 said:


> ... Did I miss the link to the midi files. :oops:



take a look at youtube.


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## germancomponist (Jul 6, 2012)

Alex, I like the sound of your lib very much!


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## Rob Elliott (Jul 6, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**



oxo @ Fri Jul 06 said:


> Rob Elliott @ Fri Jul 06 said:
> 
> 
> > ... Did I miss the link to the midi files. :oops:
> ...



Oh yea - thanks.


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## bwherry (Jul 6, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**



Jimbo 88 @ Fri Jul 06 said:


> Just want to chime in and say CS 2.0 is just fantastic.
> 
> I also want to chime in and say Alex helped me solve issues I was having with CS in Sonar. Great product, great support.
> 
> ...



BIG +1 on everything above!

Brian


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## radec (Jul 6, 2012)

every day im so damn glad i bought cs2. great video, great support and great library, one of those ones i dont regret buying at all. its made my life a heck of a lot easier and my workflow much more efficient


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## toomanynotes (Jul 9, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**

sounds great, looking at the videos, i can't help but see a serious RAM consumption!!
How much ram is needed to get by??

Thanks


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## Aer Gui Ta (Jul 9, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**

Thanks, another great video!


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## Alex W (Jul 9, 2012)

Thanks everyone, glad you like the video! 

toomanynotes: thanks for the question . All sections and articulations loaded while using the mix position comes in at 2.14Gb. If you just want legato sustains, it drops down to 1.39Gb. Loading all 3 mics separately combined with all articulations simultaneously across all sections will require 5.38Gb. Hope this helps!


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## Vision (Jul 9, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**

Hey Alex, your video got me curious.. started playing with CS2 a bit more in depth last weekend. 

Run mode is great. But, I found that I actually prefer to use the spiccato/ live mode combination to do my measured tremolos. 

I tend to play my passages in real time at slower tempo, and then do (massive) editing as needed in logic. Probably a bit more time consuming, but I personally think it gives measured trems a little more variation.

I admit I slept on Cs2 a little bit.. The sound is very inspiring to me.  Anyway, here are some of the results I got with experimenting with the spiccato patches.. 

http://soundcloud.com/peterbrinkley/sun-tzu-tactics


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## Ed (Jul 9, 2012)

Vision that sounds really good!


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## Alex W (Jul 9, 2012)

That's a great cue, Peter. I love the harmonies you've created, very enjoyable. Thanks a lot for sharing 

Yes, you're right - I use the staccatissimo / Live mode for measured tremolo. Run mode is used for more scalic runs.

Glad you're digging CS2! 

Cheers!


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## Vision (Jul 9, 2012)

Ed @ Mon Jul 09 said:


> Vision that sounds really good!



Thanks man.


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## Vision (Jul 9, 2012)

Alex W @ Mon Jul 09 said:


> That's a great cue, Peter. I love the harmonies you've created, very enjoyable. Thanks a lot for sharing
> 
> Yes, you're right - I use the staccatissimo / Live mode for measured tremolo. Run mode is used for more scalic runs.
> 
> ...



Hey, thanks for making the video.. Motivated me get off my A$$ and write something.


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## Marius Masalar (Jul 9, 2012)

Just wanted to chime in as another voice of praise for CS2.

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing it, and I'll leave a link to the review for anyone who's still considering the purchase and wants an in-depth analysis with audio examples, a music example, and what I hope is a comprehensive look at the library:

http://marius.fm/OzVt39 (http://composerfocus.com/reviews/cinematic-strings-2/)

As these tutorial videos demonstrate, CS2 is deceptively deep, with many tricks and magical abilities on offer. Luckily it's really easy to become a power user 

Thanks for another great video, Alex!


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## ThomasL (Jul 9, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**

Alex, a question...

In CS 1 I could get the close, stage and room sound out on three different stereo channels. Now I'm scratching my head and thinking this is not doable anymore?

It was nice to have "that" control inside the DAW (CS being hosted on another computer in VE Pro) and yes it works well with MIDI-latched controls but having the different mikes on different channels meant that I could sculpt the sound a bit more, depending on the needs for the current song/composition. For example, on the close mikes I would add a very "tight" room ER and sculpt with an EQ to get a very "raw" sound and still have the stage/room mikes unaltered.

Would I need to load three "players" with the different mikes (one for close, one for stage and one for room)?


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## Alex W (Jul 10, 2012)

Marius: Thanks a lot for your great review! 

Thomas: Thanks for the feedback, it's certainly possible, I'll look at adding it in the next update.

Cheers.


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## ThomasL (Jul 10, 2012)

Alex W @ 2012-07-10 said:


> Marius: Thanks a lot for your great review!
> 
> Thomas: Thanks for the feedback, it's certainly possible, I'll look at adding it in the next update.
> 
> Cheers.


That would be lovely!


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## Marius Masalar (Jul 10, 2012)

My pleasure, Alex


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## lastudio405 (Oct 24, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**

/_


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## ThomasL (Oct 24, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**



lastudio405 @ 2012-10-25 said:


> Unfortunately useless in it's current state.


I beg to differ.

Sorry if it's not working for you but I've been running it since the release inside VE Pro with zero problems.


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## Ed (Oct 24, 2012)

Whoa what? You talking about CS2? 

The programming is great, and yet you say its "useless???" Talk about exaggeration , you must not use a lot of VI's since CS2 is one of the best programmed libraries Ive ever used. Your review is laughable.


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## lastudio405 (Oct 24, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**

Don't take it personal mate and chill. It's a fact.


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## Ed (Oct 24, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**



lastudio405 @ Wed Oct 24 said:


> Don't take it personal mate and chill. It's a fact.



Im not Alex so why would I take it personally? Im just laughing at your absurd review especially as its your first post in this forum.

I use CS2 "professionally" every day and have done for many months now. The first version was quite difficult to use, I wouldnt have described it as "useless" either, but at least I'd have understood the frustration a little more. 

CS2 is far from useless and frankly your exaggerated opinions makes you sound like an amateur that isnt used to using sample libraries. It is one of the best GUI's for a complex product I've ever used and its simple and easy. I also havent had any major programming issues at all, unlike many other libraries.Smooth is how I'd describe it and a pleasure to use. I really have no idea why you have so much of a problem with it.


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## NYC Composer (Oct 24, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**

Other than the very occasional stuck note (I understand that issue has been resolved), CS 2 is a joy to use and completely trouble free on my Mac Pro, in VEP and in Kontakt alone. How do the issues you mention manifest themselves in the day to day operation of the product?


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## Jimbo 88 (Oct 24, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**



lastudio405 @ Wed Oct 24 said:


> It's a really nice sounding library. Unfortunately useless in it's current state. The programming is an absolute mess. I will not work properly in VEP.
> 
> I would suggest creating a more simple GUI that actually works. Some of the bugs:
> 
> ...






TOTAL NONSENSE!


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## Rob Elliott (Oct 24, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**

Perfect, trouble free (update fixed stuck notes). Nuendo (W7) - VEPRO5 (latest build). The 'under the hood' stuff couldn't be better here. Sorry to hear about your troubles. Alex is a great guy - I am sure he can get this resolved for ya. Good luck.

(I know it's frustrating when you are having major issues when it seems no one else is. It has happened to me with other software - can be maddening.)


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## Alex W (Oct 24, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**

Hi Ron, since I already dealt with all of your points via email, I'm not sure why you felt the need to create a VI account for this purpose. I'm sorry you felt our support was unresponsive. I noticed that one email went without a reply for 1.5 days, and I apologise for that, but I replied to your other five emails within hours (which is no small feat given the time difference).

The first email I received from you arrived three weeks ago, long before any of the current 2.1-update-related-issues, and was titled "Irrational x-fade programming." I understand you don't like it that our patches go to zero volume when the modwheel is at 0, but that doesn't make the programming "irrational" - it's a design choice we made based on a lot of feedback and careful consideration. The end result is actually quite powerful, as it means you don't need an additional controller just to fade out to zero volume. Because you felt that this function didn’t align 100% with your current workflow, I offered to create a custom set of patches for you that don't go to zero volume, as soon as the 2.1 update was released. This offer of course still stands.

As for the other issues you mentioned - as I said via email - we had a slight hiccup with our 2.1 update release last week, due to a mistake at our end, compounded by a mixup at NI's end. This is the first incremental software update we've ever released via Native Instruments' Service Centre program and we’ve learned a thing or two from the experience. I’m sorry you’ve been inconvenienced; we've been working hard all week to make sure everything will be rock solid when we re-release the 2.1 update shortly.

Hopefully we’ll be able to work together to resolve any difficulties you’re having.

All the best,

Alex


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## NYC Composer (Oct 24, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**

Alex, you're a gem.

Btw, did anyone else receive a "ban vote" from this thread?? I'm wondering who was provoked by my rather mild reply. I didn't even realize there was such a thing!


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## Jimbo 88 (Oct 24, 2012)

Just a FYI...If you don't like the mod wheel CC1 retuning to zero, just select CC11 instead. It will no longer return to zero.

I realize that returning the mod CC1 to zero can take some getting use to, but it ends up making the string programing a lot more realistic.

Instead of blasting away at a great product why not come here and ask for help? You might come away much better off.


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## Alex W (Nov 13, 2012)

*Re: Cinematic Strings 2 *New Youtube tutorial - Fast passages and Measured Tremolo**

Hi all, we just re-released the fixed version 2.1 update, thanks for being patient! 

The update features the new Full Ensemble patches, which are ideal for sketching ideas or quickly filling out a track. We also made a few other tweaks and minor technical improvements, making the occasional hung note a thing of the past. 

Customers should have received an instructional email about it in the last hour or so; basically you need to download the update via the Service Centre, or manually via the Native Instruments online update manager here:

http://www.native-instruments.com/en/support/downloads/updates/

Be sure to also check out the latest video if you haven't already; it demonstrates the new Full Ensemble patches in action:



Kind regards,
Alex


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## muziksculp (Nov 14, 2012)

Hi Alex,

Thanks for the wonderful sounding update !

I also like the very useful envelope control you added. Very handy to have. I wish more NI-based string libraries offered this handy control on their GUI. 

Looking forward to more great features in future updates for CS2 o/~ 

All The Best & Happy Keyboard Bowing to all,

Muziksculp


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## Stiltzkin (Nov 14, 2012)

Hey Alex, thanks for the update it's such a gorgeous sounding library and I always love hearing your new demos  I also generally find that staccatissimo is better for fast run passages with live mode enabled (rather than run mode). Although I'm wondering if anyone knows how to make it so I can put it to staccatissimo rather than staccato when using a midi switch from like arco > staccato etc?


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## ThomasL (Nov 14, 2012)

Something to try, when using run mode let some of the notes overlap, makes a big difference. I believe that there is some scripted 'magic' that alternates between staccato, tremolo and trills. Makes the runs a bit more 'live'.


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## ZeroZero (Jan 12, 2021)

Just rediscovering this library. What exquisite sounds and ease of use!


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## Michael Antrum (Jan 12, 2021)

You're not wring. This was the first dedicated string library I ever bought, and it's still up there.....


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