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Orchestral Tools: Glory Days - Big Band Horns

Started taking a crack at learning my way around Glory Days. Here's a very short 13-second snippet with three instruments. So far, at least I'm liking what I'm hearing. This is with the default mics, out of the box:



I've had some challenges with getting some of the dynamic layers in some of the mics to transition well... still trying to discern if this is my error or scripting problems on OT's part. Will update when I know more.

My first impression, honestly, was that I had made a colossal mistake in shelling out $500+ for this library (I'd been saving up for ProjectSam's Swing!/Swing! More bundle). This was due to the issues I was experiencing testing some of the patches. But the more I spend time with it, and understand how to navigate writing with the articulations / keyswitches, the more I'm liking it.

Not so happy about having to create my own sections, if I want sections... that's one of the benefits of ProjectSam's package. Is this as simple as loading multiple patches into an instance of Kontakt and then saving the patch? (Never done this before.)

Also was quite surprised that this is not a Kontakt Player library. Not a big deal, just surprising.
 
So here's something I put together over the last couple of days to put Glory Days Horns through it's paces. It's a ballad called 'North Rays' that I wrote in the style of Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn inspired by their tune 'Isfahan'. I felt this would be a challenge for the library to really live in the quiet layers and also explore it's dynamic range and ability to blend.

I have a lot of thoughts about this library that I might outline in another post but ultimately at the end of the day after living with the library and learning it's ins and outs I'm very pleased. Just check out the full ensemble 'shout chorus' in the Bridge.

No added reverb or EQ on the horns. All horns are from GDH and only using the Close 1 mic. Theres a splash of UAD SSL G bus compressor on the mix bus and a touch of the UAD Studer for a little saturation.

[AUDIOPLUS=https://vi-control.net/community/attachments/north-rays-11-30-18-mp3.16811/][/AUDIOPLUS]
 

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  • North Rays [11.30.18].mp3
    4.1 MB · Views: 508
So here's something I put together over the last couple of days to put Glory Days Horns through it's paces. It's a ballad called 'North Rays' that I wrote in the style of Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn inspired by their tune 'Isfahan'. I felt this would be a challenge for the library to really live in the quiet layers and also explore it's dynamic range and ability to blend.

I have a lot of thoughts about this library that I might outline in another post but ultimately at the end of the day after living with the library and learning it's ins and outs I'm very pleased. Just check out the full ensemble 'shout chorus' in the Bridge.

No added reverb or EQ on the horns. All horns are from GDH and only using the Close 1 mic. Theres a splash of UAD SSL G bus compressor on the mix bus and a touch of the UAD Studer for a little saturation.

[AUDIOPLUS=https://vi-control.net/community/attachments/north-rays-11-30-18-mp3.16811/][/AUDIOPLUS]
I like this track. A great showcase of the smooth, quieter side of these horns. And yes, that bridge sounds very good. Thanks for posting!
 
The sectional stuff sounds half way there, but any parts where the instruments are exposed/played solo, it sounds no better than my 1990s Yamaha keyboard! Sorry, but they are still miles off anything resembling an authentic big band/jazz sound.
 
The sectional stuff sounds half way there, but any parts where the instruments are exposed/played solo, it sounds no better than my 1990s Yamaha keyboard! Sorry, but they are still miles off anything resembling an authentic big band/jazz sound.
Wow, I wish I had THAT keyboard in the 90's! My Roland had nothing on that.
 
Can these instruments be played using a breath controller?

Yes, I played in most of my parts on this track using a breath controller. You're at the mercy of their programming of dynamic layers though. The saxophones and trumpets are pretty good but the trombones are a challenge. Especially trombone 3.

Here is a version of the track I posted that is close mic 1 now with some tree mic (for those interested). Slightly different mix now with a bit of EMT 140 on the horns.

[AUDIOPLUS=https://vi-control.net/community/attachments/north-rays-12-01-18-mp3.16818/][/AUDIOPLUS]
 

Attachments

  • North Rays [12.01.18].mp3
    4.4 MB · Views: 234
Not so happy about having to create my own sections, if I want sections... that's one of the benefits of ProjectSam's package

ProjectSam Swing has sections, but if I recall, it also has an automated chord builder. Features like those come in handy for a lot of people, but if you prefer writing out each individual horn part, they won't do you any good. My take on Glory Days is that it is a serious tool for traditional composers -- ones who might think of sampled sections and their corresponding .nki files as "bloatware" rather than a convenience.

Since writing for big band involves parts frequently moving in and out of unison, for a lot of composers, sampled sections would not necessarily be easier to integrate into a composition than playing the individual horn parts. If your compositions have mostly unison parts, then I can see how sampled sections would aid in workflow, but my personal thought is that Glory Days is not intended so much as a sketchpad, but rather it's more like having 13 individual instruments/musicians at your fingertips. Besides, slightly varying the timing, pitch, and duration of individual instruments in a section will do a lot for keeping things real.


Is this as simple as loading multiple patches into an instance of Kontakt and then saving the patch? (Never done this before.)

Yes, you can save your sections as multis. And there are key benefits to this vs. sampled sections:

* You can customize sections as required by your composition, and it won't require any additional samples.

* If you can randomize round robins, then you can take advantage of all the round robins of each individual instrument, which will cumulatively add to the realism of your sections.


Also was quite surprised that this is not a Kontakt Player library. Not a big deal, just surprising.

My guess is that it's a niche product which will not enjoy the same sales numbers as an orchestra/epic VI, and most of the composers who will buy it are the meticulous kind who probably own the full version of Kontakt anyway.
 
A question:

I'm stuck with not knowing how to switch between the "Romantic" and "Without" styles of playing apart from clicking on the two buttons with my mouse (Say on a Trumpet 1 Legato patch). I can't find any way to automate this. Right clicking on the button or label just opens Quick Load. In a video, OT says that it is switchable using a CC, but I can't figure out how to assign a controller to this at all.

What am I missing?
 
Should be Alt+Clic :)
Not in front of my computer at the moment, but I'm pretty sure that vibrato switcher is responding to CC3 in all OT libraries by default.
 
The vibrato is on cc3 you can change its settings in the configuration panel (the grid icon under the wrench)
i suggest you watch the CAPSULE tutorial video to understand hot customize it to your workflow
 
I can adjust the vibrato within the "Romantic" setting, yes. But even with vibrato at 0 on the "Romantic" setting, there's still vibrato. That's what the "Without" setting seems to be for.

It seems like there should be a way to choose (select either or) between these two options on the interface.

I'll keep trying...
 
That is surprising because in every OT instrument I have, CC3 only switches between the different vibrato style availables (without, romantic, etc). Exactly what you want to do.

But I don't think you can adjust the vibrato within a style, as the vibrato is printed into the samples. It's not a progressive slider like in some Spitfire libraries, it's just on or off.

If you have, let's say 2 vibrato styles, like Without and Romantic, you would select one with any CC3 value between 0 and 64, and the other one with every value between 65 and 127.
 
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Well, it seems like I'm missing something obvious on the single patch. Again, I'll keep trying to figure it out. It looks like I am stuck with figuring out how CAPSULE works, as it seems to be beguiling me in a way that other developer's instruments don't.

Positively, on the multi patches, they have the vibrato patches split into two separate key-switchable patches, so I can use this to accomplish what I'm after in the meantime.
 
has anyone had an issue with the legato+doits/falls being set on by default for every single note? i cannot figure out how to deactivate the falls. right now the legato patches are basically useless because every note triggers a fall or doit.
 
has anyone had an issue with the legato+doits/falls being set on by default for every single note? i cannot figure out how to deactivate the falls. right now the legato patches are basically useless because every note triggers a fall or doit.
Are you using a multi patch? If so, I've noticed that sometimes an articulation will get locked up in the multi so that you have to de-select it manually on the UI to debug it.
 
Are you using a multi patch? If so, I've noticed that sometimes an articulation will get locked up in the multi so that you have to de-select it manually on the UI to debug it.

its the multis and the single articulations. I'm trying a batch resave right now to see if maybe there's some issue with samples its triggering.
 
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