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Something is Coming - Spitfire Thunderbolt

The alternative sound of Alternative strings is awesome, but could patches like the normal spiccatos and performance legatos be used more traditionally to play fast clean passages like from a classical quartet playing Vivaldi or something? In the walkthrough video at 5:30 Paul Thompson plays a quick legato phrase that sort of sounds traditional. Is this possible with the library? Or are the round robins of even the spiccato patches too unique and different to be used for long consistent phrases?


The caveat is that I don’t think any sampled solo string can really do Vivaldi or Beethoven quartets remotely convincingly - Sacconi is probably your best bet for that style. If innovation in solo sting sampling continues as spectacularly as we’be seen in the last few year, then maybe in 10-20 years a convincing Vivaldi mock up will be possible.

That said, AltSS is a beautiful library, but note that the legato is very limited. Check the Andy Blakey demos, which I think show its strengths very nicely, but I think also push the legato as far as it can be pushed. In practice, I tend to think of this as more of a texture library. The legato (Vl And Vc only) is nice to have, but I’ve never found it useful except in context of doubling or something. If classical expressive range in the legatos is what you’re most looking for I’d seriously look to something like Sacconi.

And yes, all the vibrato is baked in progressive vibrato.

Spitfire’s main solo strings, in comparison, have much more sophisticated legatos in comparison - though still not really geared towards full on classical string quartets. But it’s probably 2 generations of legato technology ahead of the AltSS, with a fantastic expressive range in what you can do with the legatos. But with the exception of the Vl, still not in the league of Sacconi for Vivaldi-esque expressiveness - though far ahead of Sacconi (and everything else I know of) within the range of the kind of expressiveness it does do well.

That said, for what it does - crazily beautiful solo string textures, AltSS is completely unbeatable.
 
I've used the Alternative cello legato in a fairly lyrical role a few times. No, it's not what it's primarily intended for, but I think it holds up really well. Soft velocities get you a progressive vibrato, higher velocities are a more immediate one.
 
You'll have to skip around a little bit, but Alternative Solo Strings is the only strings lib I used in this:

I'm new to this world, and still getting used to the library, so take it with a grain of salt.


That is one wonderful, rambling piece! Really quite inventive. It answers the question: what the heck can you do with a bunch of oddball strings? That sound would brighten up ensembles of any kind, I think. Now I have to pick it up, Spitfire owes you one. Sorry to drift OT, but just had to say congratulations!

(ASS and Woodwinds, all in the same week...ouch!)
 
I didn't see anything in there I absolutely need. I would consider their orchestral percussion but already have OT Berlin Percussion. But a few of the pieces in Berlin are pretty bad (Celeste has truly terrible noise and some weird sample behavior as well as no spot or close mic, for example).

Had HZ Perc Pro been in there I would have been in more trouble. I should probably just wait and get Cineperc next time there's a big sale.
 
Hi,

BDT at $119. is a bit tempting now. I wasn't sure I will use this library a lot when it was first released, but I'm re-evaluating it, especially at this price.

Any BDT users feedback on how useful it has been, or any other comments about it would be cool, and helpful.

Thanks,
Muziksculp
 
Wondering similar thing re. Joby Burgess Percussion … now using LADD & NI_Symphony Essentials Perc.

Non-percussionst and always interested in libs to help me create / improve.

Just a few salient features may well be worth $239.
 
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British Drama seems like another version of Swarm, ie for long textures not melodies? Seems like it would layer up with Swarm comfortably.

Apart from the walkthrough highlighting the extent to which British Drama doesn’t handle legato lines, thus making its strong velocity layer sound incongruent, can anyone comment on British Drama (alongside Swarm or otherwise)?
 
Debating about alternative solo strings, LCOS, and symphonic evolutions, mostly the former.
If I had to choose between LCOS and ASS, it would be ASS every time! (Don't get me wrong here). Alternative will probably become my most used string library, since it offers most of the standard patches in fairly "normal" and very playable form...but with an attitude! LCOS has mostly far more "specialized" patches that are best used in pieces that are overtly bleeding edge, and perhaps not too consonant.
 
I do not need these libraries, but the demo tracks of ASS really move me. Christian, Homay and Oliver sure makes that library sound great!
I was very surprised how good this package sounds! Been tripping out for the last 1/2 hour just playing all the sections ensemble style. Terrific sound, incredibly expressive! Nothing sterile about it, it's the genuine thing, that's how it feels. Very organic. Sounds like I'm there in a smallish space with the players. This would be the goto instrument for many types of closeup, dramatic cues.
 
Completed the Thunderbolt bundle with 50% off the percussion library - thanks Spitfire! And in the past I've whined about slow Spitfire download speeds. I was pleasantly surprised today to get a reasonably fast download - very much appreciated.
 
British Drama seems like another version of Swarm, ie for long textures not melodies? Seems like it would layer up with Swarm comfortably.

Apart from the walkthrough highlighting the extent to which British Drama doesn’t handle legato lines, thus making its strong velocity layer sound incongruent, can anyone comment on British Drama (alongside Swarm or otherwise)?
BDT is reserved, maybe somewhat distant, and best used for underscore that never heats up very much. It's a rather dispassionate, objective observer of the story. ASS is in-your-face, highly emotional, dramatic, almost rudely personal, and...the list goes on. It demands attention. It's wonderful. Swarm is in a different space altogether, I don't think of it as optional or especially complementray to either ASS of BDT.
 
I was very surprised how good this package sounds! Been tripping out for the last 1/2 hour just playing all the sections ensemble style. Terrific sound, incredibly expressive! Nothing sterile about it, it's the genuine thing, that's how it feels. Very organic. Sounds like I'm there in a smallish space with the players. This would be the goto instrument for many types of closeup, dramatic cues.

Good to hear. May be a budget buster, with Studio WW /Orchestra this Thurs.
Trusting AltSS will still be a solid add now …… :cautious:
 
I was very surprised how good this package sounds! Been tripping out for the last 1/2 hour just playing all the sections ensemble style. Terrific sound, incredibly expressive! Nothing sterile about it, it's the genuine thing, that's how it feels. Very organic. Sounds like I'm there in a smallish space with the players. This would be the goto instrument for many types of closeup, dramatic cues.

Can you post some quick examples?
 
BDT is reserved, maybe somewhat distant, and best used for underscore that never heats up very much. It's a rather dispassionate, objective observer of the story. ASS is in-your-face, highly emotional, dramatic, almost rudely personal, and...the list goes on. It demands attention. It's wonderful. Swarm is in a different space altogether, I don't think of it as optional or especially complementray to either ASS of BDT.

Reserved, distant and cold - sounds like the British to me! I have Swarm and Alternative Scoring Strings too - I think they’re all recorded in the same dry studio. I’m going to add BDT to the line up and find a way to make them fit (just like the British).
 
I was very surprised how good this package sounds! Been tripping out for the last 1/2 hour just playing all the sections ensemble style. Terrific sound, incredibly expressive! Nothing sterile about it, it's the genuine thing, that's how it feels. Very organic. Sounds like I'm there in a smallish space with the players. This would be the goto instrument for many types of closeup, dramatic cues.

Aha... Now you just gave me a good dose of GAS for ASS :)

Seriously, I'm now very interested, and most likely will buy it at $179.

UPDATE : Purchased

Thanks,
Muziksculp
 
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How good are timpani in Joby Burgess Percussion? Dynamics, consistency, etc. I can hear that close mic has the instruments all over the place. Are timpani in Herrmann toolkit better?
 
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