Mark Schmieder
Senior Member
That's an hour I'll never get back, but it is also a time-saver to do this sort of research and get to a level of confidence of what's what. It's just amazing though, how most vendors are extremely sloppy in their labeling and terminology, when it comes to non-western instruments.
Anyway, if you see something labeled Chinese Bamboo Flute, it is usually a Dizi (low pitched is the most common), and rarely a Xiao. A Bamboo Flute with no nationality listed, such as the one in Ethno World, may be from somewhere else (for instance, theirs is from Indonesia).
The Xiao is rarely sampled; the Dizi is a bit more common in the sampling world and treated a bit better when it is. I could tell by the sound alone that both of Andy Findon's are Dizi models, but I could be wrong. Usually the Dizi sounds a bit airy to me compared with the Xiao (in spite of the orientation comparisons to an orchestral flute vs. an end-blown flute from the Middle East).
The tiny Koudi has not been sampled as far as I know, and is rarely played anyway, as it was invented in 1971 by a famous Dizi maker.
The Garritan World instruments have very little going for them, as one would expect, but can serve as an academic reference. Annoyingly, all of their patches are extremely sample-stretched, with no indicators or documentation (within the instrument) on natural range. Perhaps they sampled multiple voicings, but more likely they took one standard instrument and stretched in both directions, based on the sound quality. Very little if any expression available, or articulations.
For the Xiao, Tarilonte did it twice and Silk has one. The latter may have more articulations, but I think the vibrato is fairly baked in. I have a slight preference for Tarilonte's, and maybe even Epic World (which also includes phrases) over Forest Kingdom.
Dizi is a bit more straightforward, as Andy Findon tackled this one and did a superb job. Note that the Dizi usually has a membrane near the mouthpiece hole, so he calls the one in his second volume a Chinese Membrane Flute. Most of Andy's terminology in his libraries is WAY off-base; it took a lot of research to really figured out what he sampled for most of those two collections.
My rankings for both instruments are below, and remember that the one in Ethno World is an Indonesian End-Blown Bamboo Flute, so is left off these lists but is extremely good.
Xiao (Chinese End-Blown Bamboo Flute)
Dizi (Chinese Transverse Bamboo Flute)
I hope this is helpful to somebody.
Anyway, if you see something labeled Chinese Bamboo Flute, it is usually a Dizi (low pitched is the most common), and rarely a Xiao. A Bamboo Flute with no nationality listed, such as the one in Ethno World, may be from somewhere else (for instance, theirs is from Indonesia).
The Xiao is rarely sampled; the Dizi is a bit more common in the sampling world and treated a bit better when it is. I could tell by the sound alone that both of Andy Findon's are Dizi models, but I could be wrong. Usually the Dizi sounds a bit airy to me compared with the Xiao (in spite of the orientation comparisons to an orchestral flute vs. an end-blown flute from the Middle East).
The tiny Koudi has not been sampled as far as I know, and is rarely played anyway, as it was invented in 1971 by a famous Dizi maker.
The Garritan World instruments have very little going for them, as one would expect, but can serve as an academic reference. Annoyingly, all of their patches are extremely sample-stretched, with no indicators or documentation (within the instrument) on natural range. Perhaps they sampled multiple voicings, but more likely they took one standard instrument and stretched in both directions, based on the sound quality. Very little if any expression available, or articulations.
For the Xiao, Tarilonte did it twice and Silk has one. The latter may have more articulations, but I think the vibrato is fairly baked in. I have a slight preference for Tarilonte's, and maybe even Epic World (which also includes phrases) over Forest Kingdom.
Dizi is a bit more straightforward, as Andy Findon tackled this one and did a superb job. Note that the Dizi usually has a membrane near the mouthpiece hole, so he calls the one in his second volume a Chinese Membrane Flute. Most of Andy's terminology in his libraries is WAY off-base; it took a lot of research to really figured out what he sampled for most of those two collections.
My rankings for both instruments are below, and remember that the one in Ethno World is an Indonesian End-Blown Bamboo Flute, so is left off these lists but is extremely good.
Xiao (Chinese End-Blown Bamboo Flute)
- Eduardo Tarilonte's Forest Kingdom: Instruments: Wind: Xiao Flute (Engine)
- Eduardo Tarilonte's Epic World: Instruments: Xiao Long Notes (Engine) — Extended Range
- EW Silk: China: Xiao (Wind) (Play)
- Garritan World Instruments: Winds: China: Xiao (ARIA) — Extended Range
Dizi (Chinese Transverse Bamboo Flute)
- Spitfire Andy Findon Kitbag: Chinese Bamboo Flute (Kontakt) — Low Dizi
- Spitfire Andy Findon Kitbag: Chinese Membrane Flute (Kontakt) — High Dizi
- Eduardo Tarilonte's Epic World: Instruments: Low Dizi (Engine) — Extended Range
- Bela D Media Anthology 2: Spiritual Wind: Dizi (Kontakt) — BC support
- EW Silk: China: Dizi Large (Wind) (Play) — Low Dizi
- EW Silk: China: Dizi Small (Wind) (Play) — High Dizi
- EW Ra: Far East: Wind: Dizi (Play) — High Dizi
- Garritan World Instruments: Winds: China: Di-zi (ARIA) — Extended Range
I hope this is helpful to somebody.
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