Yes, i have experimented. I have one cubase project where I am testing to mix the ensemble sound from time to time. It is great fun to play in this project - there are 18 Audio Modeling Violin instances and I have it setup to be able to easily record tutti or {A,B} or {A,B,C,D} Divisi (apart from being able to play individual solo violins).@widekeys
Hi, and Thanks for your helpful feedback on this thread. I really like the way AM Solo Strings sound.
Have you experimented with using multiple instances of AM Strings to form string sections ?
Cheers,
Muziksculp
Tight in terms of performance? This may be due to only 4 recording takes for all 18 violins. I am not aware of an easy randomize function in cubase, that "smoothly" randomizes CC, velocity and note on/duration. As a workaround I just delayed each midi track a few milliseconds.@widekeys
Hi, and Thanks for the feedback, and audio demo showing AM violin made into an ensemble.
They sound a bit too tight, or focused sound wise compared to how an 18 violin ensemble would sound, this is what my ears tell me right away. but the performance sounds very convincing.
Yes it would be great if AM delivers their ensemble strings versions in the near future. Although, I'm not sure if they will be released this year.
Cheers,
Muziksculp
Tight in terms of performance? This may be due to only 4 recording takes for all 18 violins. I am not aware of an easy randomize function in cubase, that "smoothly" randomizes CC, velocity and note on/duration. As a workaround I just delayed each midi track a few milliseconds.
Got it. Well, an easy fix could be spreading the stereo field a little (attached file) and cutting off some high end to simulate dampening (second attached). I'll listen more carefully to live orchestra recordings, thanks for your opinion!No, not in terms of performance, but in terms of the sound characteristic of an 18 violin ensemble, your demo sounds like a smaller violin ensemble is performing, rather than 18 players. imho. an 18 violin ensemble will have a lusher, more diffused sound, rather than a more narrow-focused sound of a smaller ensemble.
Got it. Well, an easy fix could be spreading the stereo field a little (attached file). I'll listen more carefully to live orchestra recordings, thanks for your opinion!
Well, their approaches are likely top secret, but the way I understand it, Sample Modeling uses recorded samples as the basis of the sound and manipulates them via sound modeling techniques.Sorry for maybe hijacking this thread but can anybody explain to me the difference between Samplemodeling's and Audiomodeling's approach? I still keep them mixed up and I am also very interested in their strings. And: do I need a breath controller for perfoming them?
It's a mystery to me, other than they must be programming geniuses.So, how do they incorporate, or integrate this into Kontakt is kind of a mystery to me. Anyone here know what's really happening under the hood ? how can they do this in Kontakt ?
To be clear, AM uses a small number of samples in their woodwinds, but the strings use only "waveguide synthesis" (hence the "plasticky" buzzy tone?..)
Apparently their future brass will be built without samples, as well.
In the back to back impro, I found SM fast runs more convicing (as a string player!)
Thank you for contributing to the demos! The VSL Solo was overall the most convincing of the three libraries, at least to my ears. Still, to me the AM Violin has the cleanest blend between the different articulations and dynamics (which seems obvious since there really is just one playable "articulation" that is continuously morphed using CCs).I needed a day off and ended up getting myself drunk... In any case, I love this type of posts, they are my favourite! So I thought I would contribute to this comparison with a bit of VSL solo, 1st chair Dimensions and Chris Hein's...
Oh and by the way, I am a totally converted SM (or even AM) devotee...! (although I don't have either..)
Yeah I agree, however... Living with a violinist has tempered my judgement and find AM to be too "keyboardy" or as you say "clean blend of articulations and dynamics", so much so that it just doesn't sound 100% real, more like 85-90. The real violin has tons of artefacts and imperfections that I think SM gets closer...Thank you for contributing to the demos! The VSL Solo was overall the most convincing of the three libraries, at least to my ears. Still, to me the AM Violin has the cleanest blend between the different articulations and dynamics (which seems obvious since there really is just one playable "articulation" that is continuously morphed using CCs).
Hi Lychee! Yeah, there's nothing quite like listening to the same musical extracts played with different libraries... Really shows the virtues and flaws!@Bollen you made this thread resurface and like you the subject interests me.
I would like to add a challenger to these comparisons, but come back to the physical modeling side with Reason Friktion.
I've talked a lot about this instrument lately, and I often compare it to Audio Modeling strings, I'd like to see if Friktion can rise to the ranks of the other 2 tenors.
Can someone give me the midi file to rework it for this plugin?
For my part I own the Sample Modeling S&E Strings, and I admit being a little disappointed.
I was hoping to be able to replace my other two libraries (Embertone Intimate strings, Chris eh Ensemble Strings), but I couldn't beat these two in terms of sound with SM (especially in an ensemble).
After seeing the demos that some do, it's still a powerful plugin, but as far as I'm concerned, I don't know how to tame it.
In comparison, With Friktion the sound immediately explodes in my ears, I have the impression of being a volonist with the possibility of playing with all the aspects that make up my instrument.
It is more complex to master because it is a synthesizer whose base are the strings, and can easily leave the register of traditional strings.
Besides, we can create other equally realistic instruments.
In addition this instrument works under Reason Rack, so you can use the modular rack interface to create an ensemble for example.
I combine several strings in a rack, with different effects to humanize everything, I would miss more than a midi modude for divisi inside the rack and that would be perfect, but unfortunately this module does not exist.
Here is an example of my cooking on a midi file without any CC, just a placement in space and a reverb with Eareverb:
@Bollen you made this thread resurface and like you the subject interests me.
I would like to add a challenger to these comparisons, but come back to the physical modeling side with Reason Friktion.
I've talked a lot about this instrument lately, and I often compare it to Audio Modeling strings, I'd like to see if Friktion can rise to the ranks of the other 2 tenors.
Can someone give me the midi file to rework it for this plugin?
For my part I own the Sample Modeling S&E Strings, and I admit being a little disappointed.
I was hoping to be able to replace my other two libraries (Embertone Intimate strings, Chris eh Ensemble Strings), but I couldn't beat these two in terms of sound with SM (especially in an ensemble).
After seeing the demos that some do, it's still a powerful plugin, but as far as I'm concerned, I don't know how to tame it.
In comparison, With Friktion the sound immediately explodes in my ears, I have the impression of being a volonist with the possibility of playing with all the aspects that make up my instrument.
It is more complex to master because it is a synthesizer whose base are the strings, and can easily leave the register of traditional strings.
Besides, we can create other equally realistic instruments.
In addition this instrument works under Reason Rack, so you can use the modular rack interface to create an ensemble for example.
I combine several strings in a rack, with different effects to humanize everything, I would miss more than a midi modude for divisi inside the rack and that would be perfect, but unfortunately this module does not exist.
Here is an example of my cooking on a midi file without any CC, just a placement in space and a reverb with Eareverb: