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Samplemodeling Solo & Ensemble Strings Released

I think there is to much putting down of this Library and not giving it a chance, from what i am hearing on this thread is the S M website demos are bad so its like dont get the library then on the other hand @Saxer demo was fantastic and it was such a short demo from Saxer, so that is very confusing and mixed messages.

To me its quite clear that there is a skill factor involved here and as always what we are hearing is a good representation of the Library and a bad one and we all know that bad demos if you call it bad, they do not do the library justice.

So lets stop talking the library down because we all understand where the problem is coming from, and lets wait for better demos instead.

I would suggest who ever does any demos to just relax and take your time and do it as you would in your every day muck ups using what ever plugins you always use.

I think this is the type of library we all have been waiting for so lets embrace it and encourage S M

But i am not sure whats going on with the pricing 399 euro but in UK £459 what gives i may need to travel to France to purchase because pricing seems a tad unfair

I think that's the VAT added? And it seems like no conversion to gbp either. That's a hell of a lot more expensive than it initially seemed.

Also, I have a feeling that in the coming weeks and months we're going to get some really good demos from this. In the same way that some people have turned out sheer gold with SM Brass, I imagine that there will be skilled people who will make the strings sound really good. This is the kind of library that from initial user demos etc, won't usually sound as good as it can because of the learning that must go into it.

Definitely keeping an eye on this.
 
Also, I have a feeling that in the coming weeks and months we're going to get some really good demos from this. In the same way that some people have turned out sheer gold with SM Brass, I imagine that there will be skilled people who will make the strings sound really good. This is the kind of library that from initial user demos etc, won't usually sound as good as it can because of the learning that must go into it.

I agree. My feeling is that demos for these sorts of modeled/hybrid instruments are never going to be as good as what users do with them a couple years after release, because so much of using these instruments is trial and error and figuring out what works best for you. Anyone using the instruments on release, or God forbid, in beta, is at a disadvantage because they have to learn the instrument cold with no crowd-sourced knowledge from the broader community about what works well and what doesn't.

I've felt this way about various instrument demos from both Samplemodeling and Audio Modeling, but I've always been extremely impressed by the instruments once I've actually had the opportunity to use them for myself.
 
I'm looking forward to hearing more demos. My primary interest is in a lyrical, solo context. I heard a bit of that in the Meditation demo at 1:38, and I really like what I hear there.

The Tchaikovsky example also has a solo string line, but has got a "fuzzy" tone - probably because of the reverb and placement in the room.

I hear some solo cello on the Schumann demo, but in context it's hard to tell how detailed the cello sound is.

The string ensemble sound is lovely and sweet, but to my ears there's something "wrong" about it. It has the timbre of a string section, but when it's in motion, it fails to convince my ear that it's being created by a group of instruments.

That said, I was originally unimpressed by the AM strings, but I eventually took the chance with the cello, and the cello convinced me to buy most of the rest of their strings.

I have difficulty imagining that the SM strings aren't at least on par with the AM strings. I just need to make sure that the difference make this library worth buying.

So I'm still hoping to be convinced to buy this library. I suspect it'll happen when - as others have suggested - a more detailed walkthrough shows off the sounds of the individual instruments.
 
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By the way, does anybody know the level of divisi control possible with this library? The manual just says you can change the size of the ensemble, but not from what to what... 14 violins down to 2 for example?
 
I noticed that if I use envelopes (I'm using Reaper) to control parameters with ensemble instruments they doesn't work due to the synchronize process, so I cannot modify parameters. This is really a downside for me, could you please take in account some solution for this?
 
I noticed that if I use envelopes (I'm using Reaper) to control parameters with ensemble instruments they doesn't work due to the synchronize process, so I cannot modify parameters. This is really a downside for me, could you please take in account some solution for this?
I don't actually have the library (yet?) so I'm making some assumptions here. The problem is that it only controls properly if you send it MIDI CC values, but not if you directly automate the Kontakt controls, right?

I think this is fixable -- add ReaControlMIDI directly before Kontakt, enable ReaControlMIDI's Control Change section, and set the control types to match what the library needs for input. Then automate the control sliders in ReaControlMIDI with envelopes instead of the Kontakt controls, and ReaControlMIDI will send the appropriate CC data to Kontakt.
 
I noticed that if I use envelopes (I'm using Reaper) to control parameters with ensemble instruments they doesn't work due to the synchronize process, so I cannot modify parameters. This is really a downside for me, could you please take in account some solution for this?

This is not the way they are intended to work: you must create your envelopes with CC, and not with Kontakt automation: there is no need of automating a knob, that is just the "handle" for a MIDI CC. Send the MIDI CC and all the ensemble will react in parallel, no need of synchronization at all.
(The synchronization function is only for sending to slaves the manual adjustment you make on master knobs).
 
By the way, does anybody know the level of divisi control possible with this library? The manual just says you can change the size of the ensemble, but not from what to what... 14 violins down to 2 for example?

The ensemble size is a midi CC (#95): at =0 it simulates round 5 players and at =127 more than 20.
So if you need less than 5, you have to engage the solos, because the minimum size is not going so far.
 
I bought it because of how integral SM Brass has become to my workflow. So far, I'm extremely impressed, although I have only really been using the ensemble strings so far. Not saying that the solo strings aren't good - I haven't tried them yet because the ensemble strings have been so much fun.

I can actually see myself replacing some of my Dimension Strings with this, time will tell.
 
I bought it because of how integral SM Brass has become to my workflow. So far, I'm extremely impressed, although I have only really been using the ensemble strings so far. Not saying that the solo strings aren't good - I haven't tried them yet because the ensemble strings have been so much fun.

I can actually see myself replacing some of my Dimension Strings with this, time will tell.

Great to hear! Any opinions on what you've tried and what aspects of it you're liking? Based on what you said about replacing Dimensions, I'm assuming you're impressed by the tone as well.
 
I don't actually have the library (yet?) so I'm making some assumptions here. The problem is that it only controls properly if you send it MIDI CC values, but not if you directly automate the Kontakt controls, right?

I think this is fixable -- add ReaControlMIDI directly before Kontakt, enable ReaControlMIDI's Control Change section, and set the control types to match what the library needs for input. Then automate the control sliders in ReaControlMIDI with envelopes instead of the Kontakt controls, and ReaControlMIDI will send the appropriate CC data to Kontakt.

This is not the way they are intended to work: you must create your envelopes with CC, and not with Kontakt automation: there is no need of automating a knob, that is just the "handle" for a MIDI CC. Send the MIDI CC and all the ensemble will react in parallel, no need of synchronization at all.
(The synchronization function is only for sending to slaves the manual adjustment you make on master knobs).

You are right!! I usually use ReaControlMIDI for pretty much every instrument I have in my template, I did only a fast try and I tried to automate Kontakt CC directly, this is the same thing of moving the knobs on the GUI clearly.

Anyway, everything is ok now. Thank you.
 
The ensemble size is a midi CC (#95): at =0 it simulates round 5 players and at =127 more than 20.
So if you need less than 5, you have to engage the solos, because the minimum size is not going so far.
5??? Nice... I can't imagine needing larger divisi very often. Do these numbers also apply to violins 2?
How about making a 14 piece from the solos, is it possible without too much phasing issues?
 
Would sure love to hear more user demos.
Something doesn't sound right. Lifeless and dull (IMHO).
I do like some articulations...
Perhaps a walkthrough as well will make the decision for me...
 
5??? Nice... I can't imagine needing larger divisi very often. Do these numbers also apply to violins 2?
How about making a 14 piece from the solos, is it possible without too much phasing issues?
Nope, actually solos are intended for... solos :) but you may use them as first chair as well, or for divisi of very small ensemble. ( e.g I’m programming a piece for very small ensemble and when violins 1 are divisi , I’m using 3 solos). Yes same numbers apply to Violins 2
 
I will get my fingers on this library, because I think it is worth it. I remember the hundrets of comments when SM Brass came out, and now all my befriended composers tell me, that the SM Brass is the best brass library in the sampling world .... . Huh .....`:)
 
Is there someone that could help me doing this (measured tremolo at 1:35) with this library?



Thank you.
 
Is there someone that could help me doing this (measured tremolo at 1:35) with this library?

Thank you.

Hi @DANIELE , misured tremolo is possible in 2 different ways:
- using controller CC19 to change the speed of automatic tremolo to the requested speed, when precise tempo is not difficult to find and if the requested speed is into the range of the cc19 variations of course.

- if a very precise tempo synchronization and accents are requested, then it can be written in plain notation as a repetition, and the right sound can be fine tuned with several refinements (velocity and expression first, but attack speed and release time as well).

In this example I would try with written tremolo, mid velocity, low expression, mid-low attack and release CC. A very little bit of attack detuning CC can help to give more life if it sounds a bit too mechanic
(e.g. sometime you can't change the velocity too much or unwanted accents pop up, and then you may play with other attack variations like CC26 for attack and attack detuning little amounts, as =5 to 10)
 
Hi @DANIELE , misured tremolo is possible in 2 different ways:
- using controller CC19 to change the speed of automatic tremolo to the requested speed, when precise tempo is not difficult to find and if the requested speed is into the range of the cc19 variations of course.

- if a very precise tempo synchronization and accents are requested, then it can be written in plain notation as a repetition, and the right sound can be fine tuned with several refinements (velocity and expression first, but attack speed and release time as well).

In this example I would try with written tremolo, mid velocity, low expression, mid-low attack and release CC. A very little bit of attack detuning CC can help to give more life if it sounds a bit too mechanic
(e.g. sometime you can't change the velocity too much or unwanted accents pop up, and then you may play with other attack variations like CC26 for attack and attack detuning little amounts, as =5 to 10)

Ok, I'll try with the second one and maybe I'll post my results.

For the future I think that it will be great if you could do a midi file with all the articulations playable with the library to give users some kind of "instructions" on how to do the job.
 
I will get my fingers on this library, because I think it is worth it. I remember the hundrets of comments when SM Brass came out, and now all my befriended composers tell me, that the SM Brass is the best brass library in the sampling world .... . Huh .....`:)
I second that ! Well said 😊
 
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