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BBO: L & M goes strings!

Don't worry, like I said we will see what can be done. The sale is lasting for this entire month, so no need to rush anything :)

(please keep in mind that we have to monitor our download infrastructure, and our paying customers should get the best experience possible, including decend download speeds)

I totally understand giving priority to the experience of paying customers.

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Off-Topic: imo most of the issues were solved with the updates for SY Strings I, especially the Cantabile update with new articulations and reworked legatos. So if you initially did not like them, you should re-visit them imo.
I’m sorry to be that guy again, but I obviously strongly disagree. Your posting this also makes it rather clear that we won’t see any improvement to Synchron Strings I soon, which is too bad and eventually detrimental to the Synchron line.

The cantabile update is a welcomed addition but this library is still not where it should be in my opinion. I’m waiting for these updates:

Proper sforzato
Proper portamento
Proper crescendo/diminuendo
Agile “cantabile” legato
Loose pizzicato, staccato, spiccato

In short, new recordings that bring Synchron Strings I closer to the organic tone and feel of their Synchron FX Strings counterparts, which really sound lovely.
 
@Salorom 1. Wrong thread, 2. we still don't talk about future plans, so I will not comment this. ;)
1. True, I only replied to something you wrote, though. The release of a strings library that was recorded on the Synchron stage and sounds so different from a previous installment is bound to trigger comments.

2. Right ;)

Yes, you can use them together. They blend perfectly imo (just tried it out ;) ).
May I also respond to this, as I respectfully disagree and I think it's an important one. I do not own Lyra or Musca, but given their tone and spatial characteristics, I have strong doubts about this, not in a practical scenario. For layering sure why not, it all comes down to personal tastes. But using them both separately in the same project and make it so that none stands out? I'm eager to hear a piece where I can't 100% tell what's what, because their general features, perspective and sound are so unalike. I would bet they actually blend perfectly with Synchron FX Strings, though.

And that is a major concern: VSL to me is usually synonym of consistency. That's why I love this company. Synchron Strings I definitely does not feel consistent with regards to other strings installments of the same Synchron family. So you'd have to choose one colour/library over the other(s), which is a shame given the fact they all come from the same soundstage.

Say the rest of the Synchron strings development eventually heads towards the general (very pleasing) sound of Lyra, Musca and Synchron FX Strings, what good will Synchron Strings I be in my palette if every time I use it, it screams 'not from around here'?

Enough with the off-topic rant, I do wish VSL all the best with their Synchron endeavour. Pretty please, just make it right.
 
These sound great! I've never bought a VSL product before, a couple of questions:

Do I understand correctly that if I wanted to use these on my laptop and desktop I'd need to buy two copies of each library and two dongles from you? And there's no way of avoiding a dongle and just having the license on my machine like with iLok?

On the website it says these are 'Starter Editions' - sorry if I missed it somewhere, but what exactly does that mean?
 
Do I understand correctly that if I wanted to use these on my laptop and desktop I'd need to buy two copies of each library and two dongles from you?
If you want to use them at the exact same time yes. If you just switch between machines simply unplug the eLicenser and plug it in the other machine and you are good to go. You can install these products on all your machines, but it will only work on the machine where the eLicenser is currently plugged in.

And there's no way of avoiding a dongle and just having the license on my machine like with iLok?
No. And we don't support iLok. You need an eLicenser USB key from Steinberg (Arturia and our ViennaKey are exactly the same). Feel free to get the one that is the cheapest / eassiest to get for you. Or if you own Cubase/Nuendo you probably already have one of these.

On the website it says these are 'Starter Editions' - sorry if I missed it somewhere, but what exactly does that mean?
I've looked it up, and this seems to be a labeling mistake in the price box. (the free BBO was initially in the "Starter Editions" section, but with the release of the next BBO installments we created a new product category.)
 
Thanks for the clarification Ben, I was hoping I'd misunderstood on the first point. One more dongle is fine :)
 
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Ben, can you please clear up what exactly this translates to in terms of what the violins 1 & 2 and violas are doing in reference to one another?

" 14 first violins, 12 second violins, 8 violas playing in unison and octaves ".

Is it basically Violins 1 playing the highest note, Violins 2 an octave lower than Violins 1 and then Violas an octave lower than Violins 2?

Thanks,

M
 
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Ben, can you please clear up what exactly this translates to in terms of what the violins 1 & 2 and violas are doing in reference to one another?

" 14 first violins, 12 second violins, 8 violas playing in unison and octaves ".

Is it basically Violins 1 playing the highest note, Violins 2 an octave lower than Violins 1 and then Violas an octave lower than Violins 2?

Thanks,

M
There are overlaps if I understood correctly also. There are points where the strings do overlap, so you will get vin 1,2 AND viola...depending on what notes. @Ben , what I would love to see for a future update is the ability to adjust volume between the ensemble and also sect note range so that we can limit the overlap when not needed. :) Look forward to the demo license though. it really does help seal the deal.
 
I am very pleased with the strings. The sound is really very very good.
The low shorts could be a bit crisper, aggressive, harsh for my taste! But the low longs are a real feast for the ears.

The strings were the missing element and now BBO makes more sense for me.
At the moment I'm using all my VSL libraries together and the Synchron I strings fit very well. Sustains and shorts for layering or for the quieter parts.
It all complements each other perfectly.

A little bit of Medusa (and Dorido of course) percussion and the whole thing sounds great.
I like it altogether better than another library that also has BB... in the name.
The dynamic range and the transitions are perfect.

I also rarely used the VSL choirs (... those from the Synchron-ized Library), today they rocked. Great sound.

The low memory consumption is worth mentioning so that it is a real pleasure to work with it on my MacBook.
Now I'm curious about the Woodwinds, although I have to say that the synchronized Woodwinds are enough.

Well done VSL, let the games begin.
 
Are we expecting video walkthrough from Paul?
I'll ask Paul.
But please have a little patience. We are currently swamped in work, especially testing the next updates for our players and VEP, in parallel to preparations for future products :)
 
@Ben , what I would love to see for a future update is the ability to adjust volume between the ensemble and also sect note range so that we can limit the overlap when not needed. :)
Not 100% sure, but I did all kinds of crazy stuff with these libraries now, and I'm pretty sure it's always Vio1 + Vio 2 unison + Via one octave lower. You'll get 3 octaves + a second with the high strings, and 3.5 octaves with the low strings.
These strings were recorded in this configuration, so it is not possible to change this. But this is also the reason why these strings are so easy to use without much tweaking, as well as the lush sound.
 
So, like I already mentioned I spend quite some time with these strings this weekend, and because of your questions I've especially looked into combining SY Strings I with BBO L+M.
I have created a custom mix for each section of the Synchron Strings that will blend with the sound of the BBOs, and imo it works perfectly (not only for layering, which already works great).

If you are interested I can share this preset with you. Just keep in mind this is nothing official and until now I've just created a matching mix for the "Surround to Stereo Classic Room Mix", my personal favorite (Full Library of SY Strings I required). But it should not be that hard to adapt the mix to other presets or for Standard Library only.
 
@Ben , next question :) Between these new ones and SY 1, why the change in approach? Are they different players, mics, techniques? Since the stage is the same I would assume that the string sound themselves would be the same. Also, was this BBO string library ONLY recorded this way or did they also record full separate articulations so as to create SY 2 from the same recordings/sound?
 
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