# Introducing Total Performance Solo Cello! - Spitfire Solo Strings Update



## Spitfire Team (Oct 17, 2019)

Introducing Total Performance Solo Cello!

Our latest Spitfire Solo Strings update includes Total Performance Solo Cello - our most detailed and complete solo cello to date, performed by world-renowned concert cellist Richard Harwood.

In this video, Paul Thomson takes us through the instrument, which is available on its own or as part of Spitfire Solo Strings.




Learn more: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/spitfire-solo-strings/#totalperformance


----------



## artomatic (Oct 17, 2019)

Thank you Spitfire team! This is a welcome update.


----------



## pfmusic (Oct 17, 2019)

artomatic said:


> Thank you Spitfire team! This is a welcome update.



Agree, fantastic update!


----------



## BezO (Oct 17, 2019)

Damn!!!!!! I didn't use a now expired promo code to purchase the solo string lib because legato is only available as a separate patch. Total performance remedies that to some degree. SF said they would be adding that patch for the remaining instruments at some point in the future, and I didn't bite.

Great update! Looking forward to Total Performance Viola & Bass.

The hunt for NKS solo strings continues.


----------



## christianhenson (Oct 17, 2019)

It’s I currently 30% off?


----------



## BezO (Oct 17, 2019)

christianhenson said:


> It’s I currently 30% off?


If this is directed at me, you all were allowing stacking the promo onto the sale.

Either way, the lib is currently not very useful to me outside of the total performance patches. I don't do the articulation per track thing. Without the additional price deduction, I'd be waiting for the other 2 instruments to get the TP treatment.

Ultimately, I wish you all would reconsider allowing all articulations to be keyswitched to.


----------



## sostenuto (Oct 17, 2019)

BezO said:


> Damn!!!!!! I didn't use a now expired promo code to purchase the solo string lib because legato is only available as a separate patch. Total performance remedies that to some degree. SF said they would be adding that patch for the remaining instruments at some point in the future, and I didn't bite.
> 
> Great update! Looking forward to Total Performance Viola & Bass.
> 
> The hunt for NKS solo strings continues.



Yes .... SCORE Code helped notably ! Really disappointed now to have purchased Solo Violin instead of Solo Strings !!!  Any chance for switching ???


----------



## pfmusic (Oct 17, 2019)

sostenuto said:


> Yes .... SCORE Code helped notably ! Really disappointed now to have purchased Solo Violin instead of Solo Strings !!!  Any chance for switching ???



You will now be able to get an additional discount when buying Solo strings, now that you have the solo violin and 30% off at the moment

I would advise you to follow that route as I'm sure, solo viola, 2nd solo violin and solo bass performance patches may happen in the foreseeable future.


----------



## AndyP (Oct 17, 2019)

Jack in the box is by far the best VI performance I have ever heard. It meets my taste stylistically exactly and the sound is incredibly realistic. Wow.


----------



## sostenuto (Oct 17, 2019)

pfmusic said:


> You will now be able to get an additional discount when buying Solo strings, now that you have the solo violin and 30% off at the moment
> 
> I would advise you to follow that route as I'm sure, solo viola, 2nd solo violin and solo bass performance patches may happen in the foreseeable future.



Yep. Just had Chat with SFA and no way to backtrack. Adding Solo Strings now almost $100. _more_ now that 'SCORE' Code gone. Understand your Viola /Bass /2nd Violin point. Maybe add Solo Cello now and see what transpires .... 

(edit) to clarify …. Solo Strings (my cost now) $223. now + $66. for Solo Violin _ ~$289. Would have been ~ $187. with 'score' code. Penalty for poor choice ~ $100.


----------



## AndyP (Oct 17, 2019)

sostenuto said:


> Yep. Just had Chat with SFA and no way to backtrack. Adding Solo Strings now almost $100. _more_ now that 'SCORE' Code gone. Understand your Viola /Bass /2nd Violin point. Maybe add Solo Cello now and see what transpires ....


Nothing. Full price. So I have the Solo Strings on my wish list.


----------



## jamwerks (Oct 17, 2019)

Great work by SF on these patches. Love the direction you're headed !! Also a very high quality video walk-through, perfectly written, filmed, played, excellent job !!


----------



## pfmusic (Oct 17, 2019)

sostenuto said:


> Yep. Just had Chat with SFA and no way to backtrack. Adding Solo Strings now almost $100. _more_ now that 'SCORE' Code gone. Understand your Viola /Bass /2nd Violin point. Maybe add Solo Cello now and see what transpires ....



$100 is a good price, think your making a mistake adding just cello but up to you


----------



## jononotbono (Oct 17, 2019)

Literally bought SSSS yesterday and it’s amazing! Can’t wait to try this update out! Love the performance patches in SCS and SSS so I’m totally loving this library. Sounds so great with the SSO libraries!


----------



## fixxer49 (Oct 17, 2019)

jamwerks said:


> Great work by SF on these patches. Love the direction you're headed !! Also a very high quality video walk-through, perfectly written, filmed, played, excellent job !!


agreed - really liking the way this patch is set up w/ the cc21 moving thru the articulations. (and_ just_ discovered that the violin performance patch has the tremolo activated the same way. has this always been the case?)


----------



## LamaRose (Oct 17, 2019)

Great to see SF breaking out this library for some individual purchases - with the current sale, I'd definitely go for the whole enchilada. Hope to see more of this with other libraries and developers... for now, GOOD on SF!


----------



## Mornats (Oct 17, 2019)

I have the original Spitfire Solo Strings and also have the Joshua Bell Violin. I've been wanting a cello of the same calibre as JB and maybe this is it. 

At the moment I can get the entire solo strings for £219 but I only really want the cello. The violin virtuoso might be nice also in which case the £219 is a no brainer. But to be sensible, £99 is more like the max I want to spend. I'm trying to cap my spending ya see... Shame my crossgrade discount doesn't apply to the two virtuoso libraries


----------



## synkrotron (Oct 17, 2019)

Hi @christianhenson , @paulthomson 

Any chance at all of considering adding the Pizzicato articulation to the Violin Total Performance patch, the same as it now works for the Cello Total Performance patch?


----------



## sostenuto (Oct 17, 2019)

Mornats said:


> I have the original Spitfire Solo Strings and also have the Joshua Bell Violin. I've been wanting a cello of the same calibre as JB and maybe this is it.
> 
> At the moment I can get the entire solo strings for £219 but I only really want the cello. The violin virtuoso might be nice also in which case the £219 is a no brainer. But to be sensible, £99 is more like the max I want to spend. I'm trying to cap my spending ya see... Shame my crossgrade discount doesn't apply to the two virtuoso libraries




Cool to be able to just add separate Solo Cello at $99. ! 
_If_ I missed early announcement details for new Solo Strings, then 'my bad', but I had no clue that a full range of Performance Patch Updates were planned. Surely Mktg Mgmt would have highlighted this strong benefit most clearly. Was this truly made clear at new Solo Strings promo ?


----------



## VVEremita (Oct 17, 2019)

Mornats said:


> I have the original Spitfire Solo Strings and also have the Joshua Bell Violin. I've been wanting a cello of the same calibre as JB and maybe this is it.
> 
> At the moment I can get the entire solo strings for £219 but I only really want the cello. The violin virtuoso might be nice also in which case the £219 is a no brainer. But to be sensible, £99 is more like the max I want to spend. I'm trying to cap my spending ya see... Shame my crossgrade discount doesn't apply to the two virtuoso libraries



The full library offers a lot more than 4 simple patches. There are are 3 violins. Especially the progressive violin has beautiful articulations that can be used for neo-classical writing. Super Sul Tasto, Flautando, tremolo whispers, Col Legno Tratto, non-vib longs, raw and rich sul pont...some so lively, almost evo-like. A wealth of articulations and a lovely tone.

There is a sound and sonority to the whole library that made it interesting even before the total performance patches were introduced.

Edit: If you are looking for instruments like JB and not a wide array of longs, maybe it's not as interesting to you. I just wanted to point out that these two single instruments do by far not represent half of the library


----------



## Mornats (Oct 17, 2019)

It's the tonal quality of the JB violin that I love and it sounds like solo strings has that in spades from your description. There's no rush to buy for me so maybe a Christmas wish list or BF deal will seal it for me.


----------



## AlegorieMusic (Oct 21, 2019)

I love Paul's presentations, he's like a modern day Whispering Bob Harris...
The vibrato feels a little like it goes from nothing to full with not much in the way of steps in between. For me Tina Guo still has it for the rich solo cello, despite its limitations with short articulations. I love hearing a long note introduce the vibrato as slow and deliberate then build inertia into the finger.

Sounds amazing though, but all Spitfire stuff does!


----------



## Spitfire Team (Oct 22, 2019)

In case you missed it, listen to Andy Blaney's Total Performance Solo Cello demo here:


----------



## reimerpdx (Oct 31, 2019)

The update for the Solo Strings library worked and the Cello Total Performance patch is available in Kontakt. At what point will the NKS patch be available in Komplete Kontrol?


----------



## Nicola74 (Nov 1, 2019)

Spitfire Team said:


> In case you missed it, listen to Andy Blaney's Total Performance Solo Cello demo here:



Brilliant!! 
Which orchestra did he use?


----------



## synkrotron (Nov 1, 2019)

Nicola74 said:


> Brilliant!!
> Which orchestra did he use?



From the SoundCloud page:-

This demo also features:
Symphonic Strings
Symphonic Woodwinds


----------



## Nicola74 (Nov 1, 2019)

synkrotron said:


> From the SoundCloud page:-
> 
> This demo also features:
> Symphonic Strings
> Symphonic Woodwinds


Thanks, but there are also brass and percussioni...probably he is using the whole Symphonic Orchestra 🤔


----------



## star.keys (Nov 1, 2019)

the scratchy / sharp / harsh tone and whatever definition of legato you have applied to this library still doesn’t cut it for me and every time I come across any posts related to this library, it makes me sad and prompts me to make a resolution to not to invest in your products at impulse... but in the end, I’m now happy because I have saved a LOT of money since this last purchase of Spitfire products that I own 😀


----------



## synkrotron (Nov 1, 2019)

Nicola74 said:


> Thanks, but there are also brass and percussioni...probably he is using the whole Symphonic Orchestra 🤔



Yeah, I see what you mean... Definitely more than just strings and woodwinds... I hadn't listened to it all the way through.


----------



## YaniDee (Oct 12, 2020)

Spitfire Team said:


> In case you missed it, listen to Andy Blaney's Total Performance Solo Cello demo here:


Sounds great..I wish I could get my copy to sound like that. I've tried various combinations of mics, etc. I find the overall volume quite low, I have to push the Kontakt volume almost to the max to get a bit of "beef". And I find there's a bit of a harsh attack at the beginning of every note..Could be my keyboard skills..


----------



## christianhenson (Oct 12, 2020)

Are you using expression, vibrato and modulation controls?


----------



## Aceituna (Oct 13, 2020)

Thanks Spitfire.
Just given a really good experience with Spitfire Audio.
And thanks for making so inspiring tools for us.
And with LABS, Originals and Pianobook, so affordable.


----------



## YaniDee (Oct 13, 2020)

christianhenson said:


> Are you using expression, vibrato and modulation controls?


I set it at the outset, but not in "real time"..I'll keep trying!


----------



## ism (Oct 13, 2020)

YaniDee said:


> Sounds great..I wish I could get my copy to sound like that. I've tried various combinations of mics, etc. I find the overall volume quite low, I have to push the Kontakt volume almost to the max to get a bit of "beef". And I find there's a bit of a harsh attack at the beginning of every note..Could be my keyboard skills..



Might this be helpful?


----------



## JonS (Oct 13, 2020)

christianhenson said:


> Are you using expression, vibrato and modulation controls?


Hi Christian, is there a way to adjust the attack inside Kontakt for this instrument?


----------



## ism (Oct 13, 2020)

JonS said:


> Hi Christian, is there a way to adjust the attack inside Kontakt for this instrument?



My approach (which you can see in the above video) is to use the dynamics of the arc to craft the attack. Which I find works very well.


----------



## JonS (Oct 13, 2020)

ism said:


> My approach (which you can see in the above video) is to use the dynamics of the arc to craft the attack. Which I find works very well.


Not exactly what I am looking to accomplish as I want a much slower attack at times and lowering the dynamics all the way cannot achieve this, but thanks.


----------



## YaniDee (Oct 13, 2020)

ism said:


> Might this be helpful?


Thanks..I will have to experiment more with the controllers. And you certainly got a "beefy sound" out of it! I think the chiff in the attack, maybe partly because of the "live mode" function of the staccato vs legato articulations (?)..As mentioned above, it would be nice to have a "bulit-in" attack control for legato..


----------

