What's new

Does Spitfire Studio Strings have measured tremolo?

SaintDufus

Active Member
I'm hoping a fellow user of this library can help me: I recently purchased it and I'm trying to figure out how to do a measured tremolo.

I see the articulation listed in one of the string directories, but I haven't figured out how to activate it (pressing a key yields no sound while it's selected).

Please note that I'm not talking about a regular tremolo.

Any help is appreciated!
 
I’m not sure what you are trying to do but if you bring up the decorative techniques for Violin I (8) or under individual techniques you’ll find the measured tremolo for 150 bpm and 180 bpm. They work for me.
 
I’m not sure what you are trying to do but if you bring up the decorative techniques for Violin I (8) or under individual techniques you’ll find the measured tremolo for 150 bpm and 180 bpm. They work for me.

Thank you, jbuhler.

Those two tremolos work for me as well--it's the ones next to those that don't seem to work for me.

I'm basically trying to figure out how to do a measured tremolo at any speed I want (not just 150 or 180).

I'm trying to find a way to simulate the classic rapid-back-and-forth style that violins often due in action music. During, say, a slow build-up, the violins will often be doing dramatic rising 8th-notes or 16th-notes, sawing back and forth "detache" style (probably the wrong word).

Do you know how to simulate that in SSO? I'm still new to the library, so maybe the answer's obvious.

Thanks for your help!
 
Thank you, jbuhler.

Those two tremolos work for me as well--it's the ones next to those that don't seem to work for me.

I'm basically trying to figure out how to do a measured tremolo at any speed I want (not just 150 or 180).

I'm trying to find a way to simulate the classic rapid-back-and-forth style that violins often due in action music. During, say, a slow build-up, the violins will often be doing dramatic rising 8th-notes or 16th-notes, sawing back and forth "detache" style (probably the wrong word).

Do you know how to simulate that in SSO? I'm still new to the library, so maybe the answer's obvious.

Thanks for your help!
There aren't any other measured tremolos than those two speeds. For chug-a-chug action strings, use repeated notes and vary the timing and velocities. Or you can use the SF ostinatum to automate those repetitions. For the measured tremolo of eighths or sixteenths playing the same note twice, it's usually best to hit every other one at a significantly lower velocity. There are also speciality libraries for this sort of thing.
 
There aren't any other measured tremolos than those two speeds. For chug-a-chug action strings, use repeated notes and vary the timing and velocities. Or you can use the SF ostinatum to automate those repetitions. For the measured tremolo of eighths or sixteenths playing the same note twice, it's usually best to hit every other one at a significantly lower velocity. There are also speciality libraries for this sort of thing.
Thanks for the tips!

Do you happen to know any of the specialty libraries offhand?
 
Look for Ostinato libraries. Sonokinetic makes one, 8Dio makes another. There’s Pattern Strings by Ben Osterhouse. OT’s Ark 3 has repetitions. But mostly I find that repeating notes with attention to velocity works well in most cases. You can layer the three small sections (e.g. Violins I (8, 4A, and 4B) in SStS to get a bit more variability.
 
The measured tremolos in studio strings are recorded at those two speeds but will stretch to match your project tempo. Just pick whichever one sounds best for your track.
They don't actually "stretch" though, do they? The violins sound like they're bowing at the same speed even when I slow the project tempo way down.

But even if the tremolos did stretch: changing the tempo of the entire project just to slow down the violin tremolos would seem like too much of a concession for just one instrument articulation. Plus wouldn't you still be locked into one tremolo speed for the whole piece, with no variation possible among the different strings?
 
Look for Ostinato libraries. Sonokinetic makes one, 8Dio makes another. There’s Pattern Strings by Ben Osterhouse. OT’s Ark 3 has repetitions. But mostly I find that repeating notes with attention to velocity works well in most cases. You can layer the three small sections (e.g. Violins I (8, 4A, and 4B) in SStS to get a bit more variability.
Thanks!
 
They don't actually "stretch" though, do they? The violins sound like they're bowing at the same speed even when I slow the project tempo way down.

But even if the tremolos did stretch: changing the tempo of the entire project just to slow down the violin tremolos would seem like too much of a concession for just one instrument articulation. Plus wouldn't you still be locked into one tremolo speed for the whole piece, with no variation possible among the different strings?
No, it'll stretch itself to whatever tempo is currently in use, even if it changes. You don't need to set your project tempo to anything other than what it is. Click the wrench icon and click "Enable TM" (Time Machine) in the measured tremolo patch, if it's not already set. Extreme stretches won't sound right, but within a certain range it's quite usable.
 
No, it'll stretch itself to whatever tempo is currently in use, even if it changes. You don't need to set your project tempo to anything other than what it is. Click the wrench icon and click "Enable TM" (Time Machine) in the measured tremolo patch, if it's not already set. Extreme stretches won't sound right, but within a certain range it's quite usable.
This at least allowed me to change the bowing speed by changing the project tempo--which is an improvement, thanks Sarah.

However, now there's a "clicking" sound on the track when the violin changes notes. And also, this still doesn't let me do different speeds of tremolando in the same piece, does it? Because it's still tied to the overall project tempo.

My objective is to be able to set any string instrument in the project to whatever tremolo tempo I want. If I want one violin playing tremolo at 50bpm, and another at 100bpm, and another at 150bpm, I want the freedom to be able to do that.

Can I do that with this library? Are there other libraries that do it? Would I need a specialty library?

Thanks again for your help guys.
 
This at least allowed me to change the bowing speed by changing the project tempo--which is an improvement, thanks Sarah.

However, now there's a "clicking" sound on the track when the violin changes notes. And also, this still doesn't let me do different speeds of tremolando in the same piece, does it? Because it's still tied to the overall project tempo.

My objective is to be able to set any string instrument in the project to whatever tremolo tempo I want. If I want one violin playing tremolo at 50bpm, and another at 100bpm, and another at 150bpm, I want the freedom to be able to do that.

Can I do that with this library? Are there other libraries that do it? Would I need a specialty library?

Thanks again for your help guys.
No that’s not how these are set up. And I don’t know of a library that is set up this way. Some of the ostinato libraries allow you to halve or double the tempo. Or have things set up so you can choose proportions. Ostinato Strings lets you do both.

Sonokinetic Ostinato Strings.png


With respect to the measured tremolo in Studio Strings, I don’t like the sound of time machine stretching at the extremes in any case. I prefer to deal with managing the issues of round robins.

Here is a very rudimentary ostinatum script for doing sixteenth note repetitions (also attached in the ZIP file).

Ostinatum.png
Here the pattern is sixteenth notes, with a pitch change every eighth note if you hold more than one note, with more velocity on the eighth notes than the sixteenths. If you hold down three notes it will play the pattern 11223322 in sixteenths. What counts as the first, second and third note varies depending on the settings in the ostinatum. I think this one works best with a relatively soft velocity played on the keyboard. But really I did this very quickly and made the velocities high so you can easily see them in the Ostinatum. You can tweak the relative velocities in the Ostinatum to mold the pattern to your liking.

ETA: I should add that Sonokinetic Ostinato strings are designed for a somewhat different task from the one I think you want.
 

Attachments

  • measured sixteenths three-note pattern.nka.zip
    777 bytes · Views: 25
Last edited:
Add this script to one of the Sandbox slots in your Spitfire Shorts patch and save it as a NEW INSTRUMENT. Once installed, you can trigger a repeated note by pressing the sustain pedal. You can play it as slow or as fast as you like (hat tip to Aaron Venture and Evil Dragon for help with this):


on init
set_script_title("Release Retrigger")

declare polyphonic $note
declare polyphonic $vel
declare polyphonic $vel_offset


end on

on note
$note := $EVENT_NOTE
$vel := $EVENT_VELOCITY
end on

on release

if (%CC[64] >= 64)

$vel_offset := $vel + random(-16, 4)

if ($vel_offset < 1)
$vel_offset := 1
end if

if ($vel_offset > 127)
$vel_offset := 127
end if

play_note($note, $vel, 0, %NOTE_DURATION [$EVENT_NOTE]/0)

end if
end on
 
In logic there is a note repeater midi plug in. Its a bit rudimentary, but I've used it for this knd of thing inthe past, might be worth a shot with your particular string library to see how it sounds, before buying more libraries ?

Screen Shot 2020-02-19 at 10.27.41 AM.png
 
Chris Hein ensemble strings (and his solo strings as well) have a Repetition feature that works separately from project tempo. And the tempo of the repetitions is controlled by midi control #74 by default, so you can adjust it during performance to speed up or whatever. Here's a quick video.
 
Chris Hein ensemble strings (and his solo strings as well) have a Repetition feature that works separately from project tempo. And the tempo of the repetitions is controlled by midi control #74 by default, so you can adjust it during performance to speed up or whatever. Here's a quick video.

Do you know if those are recorded repetitions or programmed?
 
Do you know if those are recorded repetitions or programmed?
They are recorded performances. They are 33 “notes” long (32 plus one to end on the downbeat) and then they end. Also, since each midi event is a discrete recording, you can play block chords where the start of the notes are staggered and the midi notes will play staggered instead of syncing together. And there are velocity layers.

Here’s a short clip showing the versatility of this single articulation, and one shot of the entire performance of the sample, using the violin section of ensemble strings.

 
Berlin Strings have recorded 16th note and triplet repetitions. Metropolis Ark 3 has recorded repetitions at half note, quarter, triplet quarter, eighth, triplet, sixteenth, and triplet sixteenth, and it has them both as single notes and as clusters.
 
Add this script to one of the Sandbox slots in your Spitfire Shorts patch and save it as a NEW INSTRUMENT. Once installed, you can trigger a repeated note by pressing the sustain pedal. You can play it as slow or as fast as you like (hat tip to Aaron Venture and Evil Dragon for help with this):


on init
set_script_title("Release Retrigger")

declare polyphonic $note
declare polyphonic $vel
declare polyphonic $vel_offset


end on

on note
$note := $EVENT_NOTE
$vel := $EVENT_VELOCITY
end on

on release

if (%CC[64] >= 64)

$vel_offset := $vel + random(-16, 4)

if ($vel_offset < 1)
$vel_offset := 1
end if

if ($vel_offset > 127)
$vel_offset := 127
end if

play_note($note, $vel, 0, %NOTE_DURATION [$EVENT_NOTE]/0)

end if
end on
I have no idea what any of this stuff means, but thanks.
 
I have no idea what any of this stuff means, but thanks.
Open one of the SStS short patches, e.g., spiccato. Go into the wrench. Choose the script editor if it is not already selected. There will be a series of tabs near the top: sandbox, polyphonic legato, instrument, sandbox, sandbox. Select one of them. (I choose polyphonic legato for this.) On the left side, choose preset>factory>empty. The tab should now say "empty." Press the edit tab somewhat below the preset button. Paste the script Rob posted into the script editor. Press "apply." If you want to save this script to use again, save it as a preset. Close the wrench. Now every time you play a note and have the sustain pedal down, it will play the note again with a somewhat different velocity when you lift your finger from the key (that is on "note off"). If you want to save the instrument with the script, do so, but I recommend saving it as a new instrument.
 
Top Bottom