A while back when 8Dio was about to reveal pricing for Lacrimosa, they mentioned its intro price would cost less than Requiem. That got me thinking... IMO, for the current state of sampling technology, Requiem is a bit too far behind to merit a $569 price tag. Though 8Dio seems to be doing a new choir line starting with Studio Sopranos, Requiem is their flagship "vanilla" choir at the moment, and it's showing its age a bit.
That being said, have they mentioned any plans for updates? I'm not expecting massive overhauls with completely new samples; even some simple quality-of-life changes would go a long way to boost Requiem's usability and value. Here are the two things I would most like to see from a Requiem Pro update:
1) Re-balancing staccato dynamics. Right now certain syllables are very noticeably louder than others when played at the same dynamic, which is just extra note programming work for composers. Other patches, like Women Vowel Sustain, also have issues with comparative dynamics in different note ranges (higher notes tend to be louder). Though this tendency is somewhat natural, it'd be great to even it out so that the composer gets more control over the sound.
2) Adjusting staccato sample offset. Again, this is something that is very very very extremely noticeable in the staccato patch, but could also apply to things like marcatos. Most staccato syllables do not trigger on the beat. This is understandable, due to the consonant sounds at the beginning of the syllables. However, the syllables also do not trigger in time with each other. This is because certain consonants take longer to say than others, which is also understandable. However, it'd be an absolutely LIFESAVER if an update would adjust the sample offsets of the syllables so that they are all as late as the syllable with the longest attack/consonant. This would make everything line up, and though everything would be late, everything would be late TOGETHER, and that is easily remedied by counter-offsetting within your DAW.
8Dio isn't very well known for updating existing content, but I think these two changes would go a long way for enhancing Requiem's usability, and they don't require any new recording sessions. That's just me though. Let me know what you guys think, and feel free to post suggestions of your own!
That being said, have they mentioned any plans for updates? I'm not expecting massive overhauls with completely new samples; even some simple quality-of-life changes would go a long way to boost Requiem's usability and value. Here are the two things I would most like to see from a Requiem Pro update:
1) Re-balancing staccato dynamics. Right now certain syllables are very noticeably louder than others when played at the same dynamic, which is just extra note programming work for composers. Other patches, like Women Vowel Sustain, also have issues with comparative dynamics in different note ranges (higher notes tend to be louder). Though this tendency is somewhat natural, it'd be great to even it out so that the composer gets more control over the sound.
2) Adjusting staccato sample offset. Again, this is something that is very very very extremely noticeable in the staccato patch, but could also apply to things like marcatos. Most staccato syllables do not trigger on the beat. This is understandable, due to the consonant sounds at the beginning of the syllables. However, the syllables also do not trigger in time with each other. This is because certain consonants take longer to say than others, which is also understandable. However, it'd be an absolutely LIFESAVER if an update would adjust the sample offsets of the syllables so that they are all as late as the syllable with the longest attack/consonant. This would make everything line up, and though everything would be late, everything would be late TOGETHER, and that is easily remedied by counter-offsetting within your DAW.
8Dio isn't very well known for updating existing content, but I think these two changes would go a long way for enhancing Requiem's usability, and they don't require any new recording sessions. That's just me though. Let me know what you guys think, and feel free to post suggestions of your own!