patrick
07-17-1999, 09:10 AM
Since alot of posts are asking about Advanced orchestra strings, I\'ll throw out my first impressions about the CD I just got a couple of days ago. (Another great experience with East/West. It got here overnight from my Web purchase, no problems!)
To save space, I\'ll just say that Holger has been stating the truth in all his posts. He\'s done a very nice job programming these to take advantage of GS.
For example, you can load the violin section bank into GS channel 1. This actually contains all the various articulations such as ff legato, pp legato, tremulo, pizz, ...
You switch from one articulation to another by striking one of the lower keys in the 1st octave (since they\'re not in the violin\'s range and open for use). This is a GREAT feature and much easier that inserting program/patch changes into the cakewalk file.
My question is how do I aviod having that trigger note show up in my track if I import the MIDI file to Finale to print a score? I guess I can have a separate track for trigger notes.
I haven\'t had time to change any of the compositions from the Vitous to AO strings, but my first impression is that Holger is correct. The AO strings give you alot to work with at a great price.
I own the \'MINI\' looped version of Vitous. This is a looped version that has much less than the full $1500 version of his strings, but easy to work with. The strings have a rich, warm sound that you would hear in a nice concert hall.
My problem is that I also need to compose pieces that will be played in a small theater or by a smaller classical period orchestra (i.e., Mozart, Haydn feel.)
The AO strings are exactly what I needed. The sound is closer up with less reverb, but still very pretty. The solo violin actually compares well with Vitous, which has a gorgeous solo violin. Of course, you can always add reverb to AO to warm the sound up as much as Vitous.
As far as Ultimate strings goes, I\'ve been using the Violins banks that came with GS. I go back and forth on them. Sometimes I think they sound no better than my Roland warm strings synth patch, but when I mix the lower range of the violins in with Vitous for legato passages, they really add a nice realistic texture to the sound.
My recommendation is to pick up the entire set of AO if you need a full orchestra to start with (get the GS version). It\'s a bargain. When your budget increases, be sure to add the entire Vitous library as well.
Happy sampling,
-Patrick
To save space, I\'ll just say that Holger has been stating the truth in all his posts. He\'s done a very nice job programming these to take advantage of GS.
For example, you can load the violin section bank into GS channel 1. This actually contains all the various articulations such as ff legato, pp legato, tremulo, pizz, ...
You switch from one articulation to another by striking one of the lower keys in the 1st octave (since they\'re not in the violin\'s range and open for use). This is a GREAT feature and much easier that inserting program/patch changes into the cakewalk file.
My question is how do I aviod having that trigger note show up in my track if I import the MIDI file to Finale to print a score? I guess I can have a separate track for trigger notes.
I haven\'t had time to change any of the compositions from the Vitous to AO strings, but my first impression is that Holger is correct. The AO strings give you alot to work with at a great price.
I own the \'MINI\' looped version of Vitous. This is a looped version that has much less than the full $1500 version of his strings, but easy to work with. The strings have a rich, warm sound that you would hear in a nice concert hall.
My problem is that I also need to compose pieces that will be played in a small theater or by a smaller classical period orchestra (i.e., Mozart, Haydn feel.)
The AO strings are exactly what I needed. The sound is closer up with less reverb, but still very pretty. The solo violin actually compares well with Vitous, which has a gorgeous solo violin. Of course, you can always add reverb to AO to warm the sound up as much as Vitous.
As far as Ultimate strings goes, I\'ve been using the Violins banks that came with GS. I go back and forth on them. Sometimes I think they sound no better than my Roland warm strings synth patch, but when I mix the lower range of the violins in with Vitous for legato passages, they really add a nice realistic texture to the sound.
My recommendation is to pick up the entire set of AO if you need a full orchestra to start with (get the GS version). It\'s a bargain. When your budget increases, be sure to add the entire Vitous library as well.
Happy sampling,
-Patrick