Brass walktrough is online again.Listening through the videos once more, it sure sounds like the number of velocity layers is on the low side throughout. Timbrally the strings go from piano to forte, but not above or below. That is audible not only in the legato demo, but in the spiccato demo as well I am afraid. In the brass video, it was the same. Some very beautiful sounds in the piano range that will be great to have. But the lowest and the highest dynamics seemed to be missing. To my ears the cuivré articulation didn’t help, as it, curiously, didn’t go above forte either. I can’t double check until the video is re-uploaded though.
So far, I am most taken by the bits of the woodwinds that we heard, and the timpani as well. These sounded fantastic. Some of the brass was beautiful. So, it looks to me like there will be plenty of gorgeous material in this library. However, going by the walkthroughs, they did not capture enough dynamic layers and short articulations for me personally. Mind you, the amount that is included is still stunning, especially considering the price. What’s there sounds top notch too. However, if it was the only library I had, I feel that its limitations would be frustrating to me.
If the woodwinds and percussion are all that they promise to be by the bits I heard so far, I might get the library just for those sections, plus some of the brass.
BBCSO Pro?Listening through the videos once more, it sure sounds like the number of velocity layers is on the low side throughout. Timbrally the strings go from piano to forte, but not above or below. That is audible not only in the legato demo, but in the spiccato demo as well I am afraid. In the brass video, it was the same. Some very beautiful sounds in the piano range that will be great to have. But the lowest and the highest dynamics seemed to be missing. To my ears the cuivré articulation didn’t help, as it, curiously, didn’t go above forte either. I can’t double check until the video is re-uploaded though.
So far, I am most taken by the bits of the woodwinds that we heard, and the timpani as well. These sounded fantastic. Some of the brass was beautiful. So, it looks to me like there will be plenty of gorgeous material in this library. However, going by the walkthroughs, they did not capture enough dynamic layers and short articulations for me personally. Mind you, the amount that is included is still stunning, especially considering the price. What’s there sounds top notch too. However, if it was the only library I had, I feel that its limitations would be frustrating to me.
If the woodwinds and percussion are all that they promise to be by the bits I heard so far, I might get the library just for those sections, plus some of the brass.
Brass walktrough is online again.
When I say 13 layers, I'm being facetious - hopefully that was clear.For me the absence of FF would be significant, it's not a dynamic which is rarely used and it has nothing to do with modern scores either. And the lack of it would - to me - defeat the purpose of the library as a "universal starting point". If BBCSO averages around 3 layers, we would hardly need 8 (or 13) layers to get FF, Alex. No one is asking for that. Imagine telling a composer you can't write for very loud. Albion should hardly be the measure here, I doubt Albion is popular precisely because it has a tough time doing loud stuff.
Obviously, but let us be honest here, it is one extra dynamic they would need. Just one! I'd rather have a few less articulations (to hell with the bartok pizz or the sul tastos) and better dynamics. The whole cuivre articulation as a separate patch is also weird.When I say 13 layers, I'm being facetious - hopefully that was clear.
I'm still getting it as it sounds great, but at this day and age not having ff in a modern library would be a sin as far as I am concerned. Covering all the most-used dynamics is a necessity. Owning BBCSO should not make me need to use other libraries! Wasn't that the whole point? I'm guessing this is also the reason the SFA guys are sidestepping the issue of clearing up which dynamics were recorded.I don't wish to start pin-pointing what BBCSO can (or can't do) - I haven't listened deeply enough to the videos to know either way. The wider point I'm trying to make is that the library probably won't cover every dynamic base and articulation by design. As always, it's up to the user to decide if his or her bases are covered. I'm sure VI control is ready and waiting to pick apart all the details.
I'm still getting it as it sounds great, but at this day and age not having ff in a modern library would be a sin as far as I am concerned.
I guess that would depends on a lot of things we don't know (such as the nature of the agreement with the BBC and costs). And it also depends on how you spread time and budget. As I wrote just a moment ago, I'd rather have a more accurate representation of dynamics. Not more articulations which are rarely used. And you don't need Synchron level of detail to include ff.Given the amount of content here (essentially 6 libraries), for 750 euros, it's just not possible to do 4-5 velocity layers. If BBCSO doesn't do it for you, Synchron strings has 5-8 dynamic layers, but costs about 5 times as much.
It does occur from time to time. 4xRR for longer marcatos is fairly common, Spitfire's Alternative Solo Strings has 2xRR for the longs, 8dio Adagio introduced recorded legato roundrobin and Embertone's woodwinds do borrowed round robin for legatos (using transposed samples for the same interval transition between neighboring notes). What it comes down to for the most part is maintaining a balance between your target mockup realism (where the machine gun effect isn't usually much of an issue outside of short articulations) and the library cost and system requirements.Well. Why don't any developers make round robins for sustain, legato patches and other long articulations? Why only for short ones? Can anyone answer?
"Owning BBCSO should not make me need to use other libraries!"Obviously, but let us be honest here, it is one extra dynamic they would need. Just one! I'd rather have a few less articulations (to hell with the bartok pizz or the sul tastos) and better dynamics. The whole cuivre articulation as a separate patch is also weird.
I'm still getting it as it sounds great, but at this day and age not having ff in a modern library would be a sin as far as I am concerned. Covering all the most-used dynamics is a necessity. Owning BBCSO should not make me need to use other libraries! Wasn't that the whole point? I'm guessing this is also the reason the SFA guys are sidestepping the issue of clearing up which dynamics were recorded.