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Spitfire - Hans Zimmer Strings 24 Hours Left! ENDING Tuesday 5th June 23:59 BST

Thanks... That explains it
Not every state in the union has sales tax, like 5 or 6. And we have no national sales tax like the VAT. Who could enforce such a process? If you live in Washington state, you can cross to Oregon which has no sales tax. Can the EU/UK require the US/states to collect VAT on their behalf, and could the US require the UK/EU to collect states taxes on their behalf? If so, I suspect Spitfire may be trying to figure out 45 jurisdictions instead of VAT in Europe. My suggestion: every American purchaser acquire an address in a state tax-free state, right "Mom"!. :)
 
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Preordered. It was the perfect excuse of getting rid of my last traditional hard drive which I replaced with 500gb SSD. I'm ready for this :) So glad to see that high quality SSDs are reasonably priced finally!
 
"147 techniques" is misleading. To me it implies unique articulations, but that's not so. It counts, e.g., Short Tight left-hand-side and center as two different techniques. 20 Violas Short Tight is now a third technique. Really, I would think of that as a single technique "Short Tight".

The unique articulations:

  1. FX1 (Cluster Slides): 24 Basses
  2. FX2 (Chatter): 24 Basses
  3. FX: 60 Violins, 20 Violins RHS, 20 Violas CTR, 60 Cellos, 20 Cellos RHS
  4. Legato: 60 Violins, 20 Violins LHS, 20 Violins RHS, 20 Violas WIDE, 60 Cellos, 20 Cellos RHS, 20 Cellos LHS, 24 Basses
  5. Long CS: 20 Violins LHS, 20 Violins CTR, 20 Violins RHS, Violins Galleries, 20 Violas CTR, 20 Violas WIDE, 20 Cellos RHS, 20 Cellos LHS, Cellos Galleries
  6. Long Col Legno Tratto: 60 Violins, 20 Violins CTR, 20 Violins RHS, Violins Galleries, 20 Violas CTR, 60 Cellos, 20 Cellos RHS, 24 Basses
  7. Long Harmonics: 20 Violins CTR, 20 Violins RHS, 20 Violas WIDE, 20 Cellos RHS, 20 Cellos LHS, 20 Cellos CTR, 24 Basses
  8. Long Soft CS: 60 Violins, 60 Cellos
  9. Long Sul Pont: 20 Violins CTR, Violins Galleries, 20 Cellos LHS, 20 Cellos CTR, Cellos Galleries, 24 Basses
  10. Long Sul Tasto: 20 Violins LHS, 20 Violins CTR
  11. Long Super Flautando: 60 Violins, 20 Violins LHS, 20 Violins CTR, 20 Violins RHS, Violins Galleries, 20 Violas CTR, 20 Violas WIDE, 60 Cellos, 20 Cellos RHS, 20 Cellos LHS, 20 Cellos CTR, Cellos Galleries, 24 Basses
  12. Long Super Sul Pont: 60 Violins, 20 Violins LHS, 20 Violins CTR, 20 Violins RHS, 20 Violas WIDE, 60 Cellos, 20 Cellos RHS, 20 Cellos LHS, 20 Cellos CTR, 24 Basses
  13. Long Super Sul Tasto: 24 Basses
  14. Long Tremolo Harmonic Waves: 20 Violins RHS
  15. Long: 60 Violins, 20 Violins LHS, 20 Violins CTR, 20 Violins RHS, Violins Galleries, 20 Violas CTR, 20 Violas WIDE, 60 Cellos, 20 Cellos RHS, 20 Cellos LHS, 20 Cellos CTR, Cellos Galleries, 24 Basses
  16. Short Col Legno: 20 Violins LHS, 20 Violins CTR, 20 Violins RHS, Violins Galleries, 20 Violas WIDE, 20 Cellos RHS, 20 Cellos LHS, Cellos Galleries, 24 Basses
  17. Short Pizzicato Bartok: 60 Violins, 20 Violins RHS, Violins Galleries, 20 Violas WIDE, 60 Cellos, 20 Cellos RHS, 20 Cellos LHS, Cellos Galleries, 24 Basses
  18. Short Pizzicato: 20 Violins LHS, Violins Galleries, 20 Violas WIDE, 20 Cellos LHS, Cellos Galleries, 24 Basses
  19. Short Soft Col Legno: 60 Violins, 60 Cellos
  20. Short Strummed Pizzicato: 20 Violins CTR, 20 Violins RHS, 20 Violas CTR
  21. Short Tight: 20 Violins LHS, 20 Violins CTR, 20 Violas CTR
  22. Short: 60 Violins, 20 Violas WIDE, 60 Cellos, 20 Cellos RHS, 20 Cellos LHS, 24 Basses
  23. Tremolo CS Pont Waves: 60 Cellos, 20 Cellos RHS, 20 Cellos CTR, 24 Basses
  24. Tremolo CS Sul Pont: 20 Cellos RHS
  25. Tremolo CS: 20 Violins CTR, 20 Violins RHS, Violins Galleries, 20 Cellos RHS, 20 Cellos LHS, Cellos Galleries
  26. Tremolo Harmonic Waves: 20 Violas WIDE, 20 Cellos RHS
  27. Tremolo Harmonics: 20 Violins CTR, 20 Violins RHS, 20 Violas WIDE
  28. Tremolo Sul Pont: 20 Cellos RHS
  29. Tremolo: 20 Violins CTR, 20 Violas WIDE, 20 Cellos LHS, 24 Basses

I think this is a very useful list...Tundra has most of these arts or reasonable facsimiles of them. That said the sound is quite thicker in Zimmer. For most people who have Tundra the arts there will work well and well enough. Zimmer though adds lushness that you won't get anywhere else so it's not just about the arts.
 
Hi Spitfire,
Will you be releasing a demo version as it's a VST instrument?
$599 is too much for me not to pay and not test it first.
Cheers!
 
Hi Spitfire,
Will you be releasing a demo version as it's a VST instrument?
$599 is too much for me not to pay and not test it first.
Cheers!
Good idea... but, can you imagine 190 GO to download for a demo, you'll tell me, only a small part of the lib ? Maybe, but in that case difficult to really appreciate the "beast"... The best thing, is probably to wait for independent testers.
 
Good idea... but, can you imagine 190 GO to download for a demo, you'll tell me, only a small part of the lib ? Maybe, but in that case difficult to really appreciate the "beast"... The best thing, is probably to wait for independent testers.

Obviously it would have to be a cut down demo, like other reputable companies offer when its such a huge product.
 
I'm very satisfied with what I've heard so far. Can't wait to start using HZS on my upcoming projects.... But I wouldn't mind a demo featuring more legato arts.
 
Pre-ordering this seemed like an easy decision.

The harder part I didn't expect was trying to upgrade some of my outdated win7 studio to support this. I've spent the best part of the last week overwhelmed in a tsunami of choice, unsupported Asian knock offs, dodgey reviews and endless wrong information trying to buy what I thought was going to be a simple computer. Have so far managed to shortlist down to about 14....

(Head spinning)
 
I regret buying the Zimmer piano for the price and abundance of practically unusable mic positions to beef up the "size" of the library... fearing the same on this.
If they are going to use his name, wouldn't it be nice to hear him composing a demo? putting your name on something should matter right?
If we are going to stop using our ears and be 'fanboys' ... not asking for a demo... not creating your own IR that reproduces the space... well, how many Hans Zimmer wannabes does this world need?
 
I regret buying the Zimmer piano for the price and abundance of practically unusable mic positions to beef up the "size" of the library... fearing the same on this.
If they are going to use his name, wouldn't it be nice to hear him composing a demo? putting your name on something should matter right?
If we are going to stop using our ears and be 'fanboys' ... not asking for a demo... not creating your own IR that reproduces the space... well, how many Hans Zimmer wannabes does this world need?

To answer a bit of that: The whole Zimmer Branding makes at least for me total sense as his music is popular and approachable and the learning curve to feature a couple of typical Zimmer idiomatics is much easier for beginners to learn and having a good feel and succes with. It creates a kind of self security because a film composer these days needs not to be the studying papers locked room guy anymore.

You don´t have to spent years studying filmscores of Korngold, Silvestri, Williams and transcribe a shitload of their music in order to write a half-descent tune in their style. So of course there is a business behind that because also rookies who start of can have some good quick results.

I see that with a closer friend who just starts of and he told me the other day: "Oh well,Alex, that is not that difficult as I thought." You cannot say the same of Korngold / williams music therefore there is (apart from the success of Hans Zimmer) no big market because to write idiomatic Williams will scare away most people, because it is not really approachable for beginners to just start with.

So of course those HZ Piano, Strings and probably the brass & Choirs will come one day too I think. It is an excellent showcase how perfect marketing is done these days because this is the times.

And again: No disrespect towards the library or HZ (I already mentioned it sounds cool), it is just the way how things make sense to me, just my opinion of course. And this name branding is nothing new of course, it is an old marketing strategy, but it is still very effective and therefore HZ Strings is a prime example of how its perfectly done.
 
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I regret buying the Zimmer piano for the price and abundance of practically unusable mic positions to beef up the "size" of the library... fearing the same on this.
If they are going to use his name, wouldn't it be nice to hear him composing a demo? putting your name on something should matter right?
If we are going to stop using our ears and be 'fanboys' ... not asking for a demo... not creating your own IR that reproduces the space... well, how many Hans Zimmer wannabes does this world need?


...there is a demo called “Dunkirk” that uses the Celli and Basses. I hope AIR will never let anyone do a IR of their space. The sound of their room is their livelihood.
The mic’s on the piano (or any other library I’ve done with Geoff Foster) are not there to “beef up” the size of the library. It’s to give you a choice. You just have to know how to use it. ...And even then it might not be what you are looking for. It’s a damn subjective and elusive thing, that music. Same with the percussion library. It was interesting - since I wanted to see how versatile the Same room and musicians can be - to have my favorite engineers specify their microphone choices and do their own mixes. (They all had different mic choices and where quite opinionated about them). But if you think that’s a pointless exercise, just do your own experiments and samples. I agree with you. The world doesn’t need any more HZ wannabes. Even I try to do something different on each project to re-invent myself. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t.
 
Pre-ordering this seemed like an easy decision.

The harder part I didn't expect was trying to upgrade some of my outdated win7 studio to support this. I've spent the best part of the last week overwhelmed in a tsunami of choice, unsupported Asian knock offs, dodgey reviews and endless wrong information trying to buy what I thought was going to be a simple computer. Have so far managed to shortlist down to about 14....

(Head spinning)

Hi WW. We are working on Win7 compatibility if that's the only thing making you upgrade. I'd hate for us to force you into an upgrade if you ultimately didn't need to do it... Ben
 
Maybe someone at Bleeding Fingers should weigh in on how often they get notes from Hans?
I think Jacob and Dave Fleming had enough notes from me to last them a life-time... i try not to interrupt anyone at BF unless it’s an emergency. And I certainly don’t want to influence their style.
...and kais0038, why don’t you ask me yourself?
 
To answer a bit of that: The whole Zimmer Branding makes at least for me total sense as his music is popular and approachable and the learning curve to feature a couple of typical Zimmer idiomatics is much easier for beginners to learn and having a good feel and succes with. It creates a kind of self security because a film composer these days needs not to be the studying papers locked room guy anymore.

You don´t have to spent years studying filmscores of Korngold, Silvestri, Williams and transcribe a shitload of their music in order to write a half-descent tune in their style. So of course there is a business behind that because also rookies who start of can have some good quick results.

I see that with a closer friend who just starts of and he told me the other day: "Oh well,Alex, that is not that difficult as I thought." You cannot say the same of Korngold / williams music therefore there is (apart from the success of Hans Zimmer) no big market because to write idiomatic Williams will scare away most people, because it is not really approachable for beginners to just start with.

So of course those HZ Piano, Strings and probably the brass & Choirs will come one day too I think. It is an excellent showcase how perfect marketing is done these days because this is the times.

And again: No disrespect towards the library or HZ (I already mentioned it sounds cool), it is just the way how things make sense to me, just my opinion of course. And this name branding is nothing new of course, it is an old marketing strategy, but it is still very effective and therefore HZ Strings is a prime example of how its perfectly done.

I can understand where you are coming from, but the sounds from the sample library don’t make it easier to recreate Zimmer in a compositional sense.
Yes Williams ripped off Korngold, but who’s going to be looking for a Williams or Zimmer now? There are so many people that can easily reproduce both (yes Williams is more difficult but I know at least 2 professionals that can compose, write counter point and orchestrate on the same level and there isn’t enough work for them).

Instead, try to reproduce a Carter Burrell score or Jon Brion if you don’t have your own voice,,, if your friend just wants to get into the industry you’d be doing him a favor to let him know that it’s oversaturated as opposed to recommending overpriced libraries.

Even Zimmer complains about the lack of creativity in the composition competitions he judges in interviews.
You could view this as “the times” but Zimmer-posers are overpopulated and none of them have anything close to his talent... most of them are just ripping off ‘Inception’ etc.
The marketing is not your friend- do you think the libraries with the Zimmer name are somehow better?
They are overwrought and you’d be better off using the other Spitfire libraries if you have a hard-on for Spifire.

Zimmer defined an era of creativity and he deserves the praise. But if you feel like you need to compose like him, just contact an Eastern European composer to do it for you because they can do it better and faster.

Are we artists here?
Or are we craftsmen that can emulate Zimmer and Williams?
I realize the ‘craftsmen’ quote is popular, but I just see it as an excuse to create quantity over quality.
If you need that crutch of sounding like an iconic film composer, I think you are part of the problem with film composition in this day and age. Huge respect to the composers out there that think for themselves!!

Your choice in libraries can make your voice unique - don’t follow name endorsements.
 
I think Jacob and Dave Fleming had enough notes from me to last them a life-time... i try not to interrupt anyone at BF unless it’s an emergency. And I certainly don’t want to influence their style.
...and kais0038, why don’t you ask me yourself?
I don’t religiously follow this forum - but are you saying you get direct notes from Hans?
BF is just another library that falls under what some people might consider the “remote control” philosophy. I know several people that work and/or have worked for Hans over the years. Please tell me your role and I’d be more than happy to ask you instead of calling BF.
 
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