East West Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra

East West Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra is a spectacular orchestral library, designed for people who are interested in obtaining the largest symphonic orchestra sound imaginable. This library is one of the finest sound library products ever produced and it is without equal in its approach to production and use. EWQLSO is the brainchild of East West owner Doug Rogers, who financed and produced the library. Dougs dream was to create an orchestral library like no other, sparing no expense to achieve his goal. In order to fulfill his dream, he enlisted the help of co-producer Nick Phoenix of Quantum Leap fame, who served as musical director for the project, and the engineering talents of the venerable Keith O. Johnson, multi-Grammy winner and the recipient of countless awards for his 90-plus orchestral recordings. With his team complete, they set about the task of finding a hall that could be booked for the amount of time required to do the detailed recordings. They also had to find musicians to record. An unnamed professional symphonic orchestra was booked for the sessions within their resident performance hall. [Contractual obligations with the orchestra mandates that EW not reveal the name of the orchestra.] The last piece of the puzzle was the format of the library. Initially, Native Instruments Kompakt player was chosen as a self-contained playback engine for the library. The team was complete, the sessions were recorded and after thousands of hours editing samples, assembling presets and beta testing, Symphonic Library was released to much fanfare. For those who have not heard EWQLSO, its sound can be summed up in one wordbig! The qualities of the samples are unique in both their sound and their ability to produce a complete orchestral experience with an extremely realistic hall sound. These are the kinds of samples that youll play with amazement. They are both remarkable and awe-inspiring. After several years of success, EW produced their own playback software called PLAY and now the library is sold only in this configuration. Three Microphone Positions One aspect that separates EWQLSO from other high-end libraries is the manner in which it was recorded. Three different stereo microphone arrays were positioned around the hall and were used to simultaneously record each instrument or section from three vantage points. The close microphones were positioned on the stage very near the instruments. These captured the intimacy and extreme detail of the instruments, providing an up close sound. The full microphones were positioned in the best seat in the house position, and captured the instruments full sound along with an adequate amount of hall sound. The surround microphones were positioned in the rear of the hall and were used to capture the hall character. All articulations for each instrument in the orchestra were recorded in this fashion, resulting in three samples for each articulation, which can be loaded and played back in perfect sync with no phasing or artifacts. This three-bank combination of microphone positions gives the end user the ability not only to produce a perfectly blended score in terms of instrument balance and featured solo instruments but also to achieve a perfect hall sound that is completely natural, resulting from the actual response of the hall to the sounds played in it.

Versions EWQLSO is available in three different versions. The Platinum edition is the full version of the library. Platinum features 24-bit recordings of all instruments presented as banks of samples recorded at each of the three microphone placements. Platinum can be purchased as one complete library or as individual librariesStrings, Brass, Woodwinds and Percussion. Even when purchased as a complete library, the four sections are installed separately and function independently of each other. The Gold edition is a 16-bit stereo version of the library. It provides the majority of the same instruments and articulations as the Platinum edition However, Gold includes only the stage microphone recordings, making it comparable to other high-end string libraries. The Silver edition is designed for the musician on the go and is perfectly suited for laptop use. It too provides 16-bit samples recorded with the stage microphone setup, but it demands less of the computers CPU and hard drive due to the way it was programmed and the smaller amount of source material used within the presets. Silver also includes East Wests Steinway B, a pipe organ from Post Musical Instruments and banks of male and female choirs from Quantum Leaps Voices of the Apocalypse library. Both the Gold and Silver editions are 100% upgradeable to Platinum. The library can function on a Mac or PC in standalone mode or as a plug-in. It supports VST2, DXi2, RTAS, MME, AU and DirectSound formats. Installation The Platinum edition of the library arrives on 20 DVDs. Installation is fairly straightforward, but because of the bulk of material the process is time intensive, so having a fast DVD-R will speed things up. For those who have not worked with the Native Instruments PLAY before, the program is stored on your main hard drive and the library content can be stored in a separate location, preferably on a second drive. Platinum weighs in at 68GB. The Interface The interface is very user friendly and includes a middle area that displays keyswitching controls and what sounds are assigned to them. The left section includes MIDI and controller information as well as envelope controls. The right section includes tuning and panning controls as well as reverb, doubling and microphone controls. One instance of the library is used for each bank of sound. However, each bank can include multiple articulations.

Strings Though the string library ships with fewer articulations than two of its major competitors, most users will be very satisfied with the number and variety provided. EWQLSO provides a variety of articulations for 18 violins, 11 violins, 10 violas, 10 cellos and 9 basses including a number of vibrato and non-vibrato long notes, glissandos and trills, as well as several playing styles including spiccato, martel up and down, short martel up and down, marcato short and long, crescendos, decrescendos, sforzandos, portatos and a number of others. There are also solo violin and solo cello banks, and the harp presets are included in this part of the library. As you would imagine, the string library includes the greatest number of presets of all the four libraries, the 18 violins having 55 presets, the 11 violins 38, the violas 23, the cellos 41, and the basses 34. For easy composite playing, there are also presets for 50-, 60- and 70-member string ensembles in a variety of articulations. I find that the long note presets have a richness and intensity that is not duplicated by any other library available, which is to say that the EWQLSO strings have their own sound. The full mic presets have a perfect balance between tone and the bow noise, which can be enhanced by using the close mic presets or lessened by increasing the level of the surround mics. The string library makes good use of dynamic crossfade banks in where crossfading is controlled by the mod wheel. There is quite a lot of variety amongst these crossfade banks, especially in the 18 violins presets: Some use the modwheel to increase vibrato, some use it to increase volume or an initial accent, others respond by bringing in

tremolo. The emotion crossfade presets are beautiful and great for producing extremely realistic phrasing complete with crescendos and decrescendos. The crossfading is virtually seamless in all of these presets, and these banks are the easiest to obtain a realistic and super expressive line with. Many of the long note banks provide a heavy, intense vibrato that work very well in lines that call for such a style. There are quite a few sustained banks to choose from, some with accents at the front, others with no accent. Use CC11 with all of these banks to further increase the phrasing. There are a number of short note presets. The marcato banks are rich and very responsive and they are presented in a number waysdifferent lengths, alternating up/down, etc. Several of the sections have round robin or alternating patches that automatically switch between different samples of the same articulation as you play. These mimic alternating up and down bowings and also assure that repeated notes or fast sixteenth-note lines can be played without the machine gun effect. Many of the short articulations are also presented in basic auto-alternating up/down bowings. Within each of the string sections there are several keyswitched banks that provide up to seven different articulations within one preset. These are memory-intensive presets, so unless you will be using all of the articulations, it is probably best to not use them in extremely large orchestrations, as you risk running out of memory too soon. However, they are very handy for producing lines that utilize several articulations. The effects banks, though somewhat limited in number, are very effective, providing moving clusters that rise at varying rates and an airy preset containing more ambiance than tonal character. My only real complaint about the string library is that there is only one pizzicato bank in each section, which I feel is a little dark and thin and a little too tight. When compared to the other string banks, the pizzicato samples give the appearance that they dont incorporate the same number of players. The library does not include first and second violin sections per se. However, the 18-violins presets can be used as the firsts and the 11-violin presets can be used as the seconds, which can be enhanced with a bit of panning and perhaps some EQ. Though there is some panning recorded into the source material among all of the instruments, I find that I achieve a much better stereo image by emphasizing the panning a little more. I move the 18-violin presets to about L40 while panning the 11violin presets to L30. I position the violas at R50, cellos tend to work best at about R50 and basses sound great at R34. This spread works wonderfully with the full presets, but I tend to leave the surrounds in their normal centered position. If you like this sound, it is easy to resave all of the newly panned sounds so that you dont have to duplicate your work each time you bring up a bank. The harp presets are beautifully recorded and programmed. They include three pluck presets with different lengths of sustain as well as roll samples and harmonics. Each of the pluck presets has the same beginning to the tonethe differences among them are in the length of the sustain. For exposed playing, the longer presets are perhaps more useful, but in full orchestrations where only the attack portion is heard anyway, you should use the shorter pluck preset since it will decrease the polyphony used (since the notes will be released more quickly). The roll presets were recorded with the player pulling the finger across the string(s) as if playing an arpeggio or rolled chord with the fingers more angled. Consequently, these are more mellow and work not only in this rolled context but

also with regular playing in quieter passages that require more finesse. Using the surround-only version of the harp gives quite a sense of depth; it can be used to give the orchestration a tremendous amount of scope or an introspective feel. I find it most useful for quiet on-screen moments in which a more up-close harp would detract from the moment. The harmonics preset provides two octaves of harp harmonics, which are all very evenly balanced. The solo violin presets are a very nice addition. The ten-variation keyswitch preset, which is very memory-intensive, allows you to play incredibly realistic lines. Sampled solo violin is notoriously synthetic-sounding, yet I find these presets just the opposite, providing a perfect number of articulations for most solo performances. Even on long sustained notes, vibrato starts at slightly different times among the presets, which allows you to really shape the phrase to your liking. And if you hold a note while keyswitching, the current note plays out until you play the next note, which is then played with the new articulation. This gives you seamless variations to the tone and playing techniques and provides wonderful results. I highly suggest that you use CC11 or CC7 to modify the beginnings and ends of phrases with these presetsthis really adds the icing on the cake!

Woodwinds The woodwind library includes unison presets of three flutes, three oboes and three clarinets as well as solo flute, piccolo, alto flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon and contrabassoon. A variety of articulations are provided, including sustained notes with and without vibrato, staccato notes, trills, grace notes, expressive vibrato and many others. Two woodwind ensembles are included for easy composite playing. All of the three-instrument presets provide a nice realism as the players internally tune to one another. As with almost all libraries with unisons like these, I find that I seldom use them, but when I do, this internal tuning is a real plus. The solo winds are very nice. The clarinet presets provide a wide range of tones for use in soft lyrical passages as well as louder articulate passages. The softer presets are delicate and are very useful for expressive solo passages. The C concert flute has a gorgeous tone with a perfect amount of vibrato. At louder dynamics (via increased velocity) many of the presets gain in intensity, just as a real flute performance would. The alto flute is subtle and sensual, rich and lush, especially in its lowest octave. The expressive oboe presets are very poignant, especially the crossfade presets, which exhibit very little phasing between layers. The staccato notes are light and great to use in an articulate line. The English horn presets provide a melancholy sound that can be used in expressive solo playing. The crossfade legato is less stark and is a great preset for legato ensemble playing. In the appropriate phrase, the expressive bassoon with short crescendo makes an excellent solo preset. The flute, oboe and English horn include octave falls that can be useful in specific passages. Since they are played live, the key noise adds to the realism. The full keyswitched presets of most of the solo instruments provide seven articulations that make playing comprehensive lines a breeze. However, as with the other keyswitched programs, these are very large. The two woodwind choirs are actually very effective in both solo and tutti work. The manner in which they are programmed make them sound

fairly natural, though you shouldnt make a habit of using them for long passages since the voicing on each note will become obvious after a while. In order to pan the woodwinds effectively within the Kompakt player, remember that the winds typically sit as follows: first row includes (L to R) piccolo, second flute, first flute, first oboe, second oboe and English horn; second row includes bass clarinet, second clarinet, first clarinet, first bassoon, second bassoon, contrabassoon. Notice that the first chairs are toward the middle of the orchestra. I find that positioning the entire first and second row across a range of L25 to R25 works very well. Consequently, the three chairs on the left will be panned L25, L15, L5 and the three on the right R5, R15 and R25. The differences between the pannings are subtle, but they do create some space and an aural visualization of placement.

Brass The brass library includes unison presets for three Wagner Tubas, four tenor and four bass trombones (together), six horns and four trumpets as well as presets for solo French horn, trumpet, tenor trombone, bass trombone and tuba. A brass ensemble is included for composite playing. Whereas I seldom use the triple woodwind presets, I very often use the unison brass. There are many dynamic crossfade presets, and these increase the high frequency content of the sound as the volume is increased, just as real brass instruments do. Remember that unison brass notes (with the same instrument) are most often used in loud passages for melody or for rhythmic accompaniment. You will find that most of these presets work for either purpose very well, but they should obviously not be used for chordal work. The six-horn presets range from subdued beauty to take your head off intensity. These are among the best horn samples Ive ever used, and they make up the mainstay of a lot of my compositions. In a loud context, they are very powerful. You will find presets for a wide variety of playing styles including legato, staccato, stopped notes, slides, shakes, rips, and many others. There are a number of sustained presets that include accents or sforzandos at the beginning of each note (such as the Sus Adventure preset). These are great for loud passages that require fast, articulate movement, and they dont get lost in the shuffle as many horn samples would. The sustained layered presets with no accent are great for adding a warm unison solo line to strings or other accompaniments. The subtle internal tunings provide incredible realism and add depth to the sound. The four-trombone unisons are very nice, again presenting a range of quiet fullness through loud intensity. There are a variety of basic playing styles including legato staccato, portato, flutter tongue, forte-piano, crescendos, etc. However, it is the way that many of these single articulations are combined and controlled via velocity and/or modwheel that make this bank so good. One of the most useful presets is the Port Sus x-fade, which provides a great portato articulation with an accent followed by a sustained tone. The accent can be lengthened with the modwheel, making this preset extremely playable. Simply varying the modwheel slightly between notes makes each accent slightly different, which can make the phrase very realistic. The trumpets are presented as four-instrument unisons. Several of the presets have an attack superimposed on a long note that sounds somewhat synthetic. I simply avoid these patches. The sustained presets with no attack are much more realistic

to my ears. The solo French horn is magnificent. It is useful in quiet solo lines as well as louder, more majestic phrases. In its quietest form, it takes on the beautiful introspective character that is so typical of the instrument played in a large hall. The highest octave of the instrument is excellent! This is a range that is difficult to control for all but the best players, yet all of these notes are perfectly articulated and held with no struggle. Obviously, there may be some behind the scenes magic going on with editing or pitch manipulation plug-ins, but my gut feeling is that the players are good enough to produce this incredible sound. The solo trumpet presets are excellent, especially the sustained versions. It is very easy to produce lyrical lines with these presets and well as highly articulate lines. The trombone is gutsy and has enough bite to produce powerful lines. There are not many trombone presets, however, and there is only one bank of bass trombone samples (sforzando/crescendo), which I think is a shame. The bass trombones tone is so different from the tenor and not providing both is a shortcoming of the library. Perhaps this will be remedied as an add-on at a future update. The remaining tenor samples are excellent, though I miss having the sforzando presented in the tenor instrument. The tuba is round and full with a tremendous amount of power and depth. The character of the instruments tone is perfect for providing the bottom end to a brass ensemble or as additional power to a full tutti arrangement. Panning for the brass is dependent on the virtual placement you wantthis can be across the rear of the orchestra in front of the percussion section (which gives the largest sound) or in a cluster on the right side of the orchestra behind the violas. I personally prefer the full spread, which gives you a bit more scale and depth. I do like putting the trumpets at about the 1:00-2:00 position and the horns on the left at about 10:00-11:30. In most situations, panning the horns to about L44, the trumpets to R15, the trombones to R54 and the tuba to about R28 seems to give a great spread.

Percussion The Percussion library includes a variety of instruments11 cymbals (with paired hits and suspended hits of 12" band, 16" German, 18" Viennese, 19" and 20" French and 20" and 22" unnamed cymbals), 23", 28", 48" and 60" gongs, concert toms with left and right hits, anvil hits, concert bass drum, Wagner oversized bass drum, crotales, field drum, glockenspiel, orchestral chimes, eight banks of timpani, xylophone, vibraphone and two banks of auxiliary percussion instruments including bell tree, mark tree, triangles, castanets, blocks, toys, etc. The choices of cymbals give you just about any sound you would require for your orchestrations. The suspended cymbal presets have several different crescendo rolls and hits, while the paired cymbals provide a sustained hit as well as a hit with damping. The larger cymbals are all appropriate for the size of orchestra this library is capable of producing. Strangely, I find little or no difference between the tone of the German and Viennese 18" varieties, but both of the large French pairs are full and bright. Unfortunately, the programming does not mute the sustained sample when you use the damped hit. The three snares are all presented with various right- and left-hand hits, rolls and crescendo rolls of different lengths. The sound is crisp and clear. No flams or other playing styles are included. There is also a bank of modwheel-controlled rolls that crescendo and decrescendo with the modwheels position. I find that by engaging the filter and

reducing the cutoff slightly, I can sometimes get the snare to sit within the orchestration better. The filter also gives you the ability to produce snares with different tones. Field drum ensemble, funeral drum and small and large snare ensembles are presented in separate banks with left/right hits and rolls. These work very well for pieces that call for a larger group of similar instruments playing in unison. The hits are tight, and I find that adding a snare and field drum to the snare ensembles and modifying the start times of each slightly (moving them forward or backward by 4-10 ticks) gives a thicker, imperfect sound that is more characteristic of group playing. The four gongs feature a variety of standard playing styles including hits, crescendo rolls, stick scrapes and stick rolls. These are captured with a depth that is often difficult to record. The surround bank can be used by itself to provide a huge sense of ambience and scope to the mix. Bringing in the full preset on top of the surround provides more depth and tonal character. Each of the gongs has a different timbre and can be used for various sizes of orchestration. There are five concert toms (tuned 1, 3, 5, 6, 8) with left and right hits. Their sound is full and powerful but not at all muddy. The bass drums are presented as various sized crescendo rolls and hits. The Wagner bass drum is immense in its sound, with a heavy low end thats perfect for huge orchestrations. Two full octaves of crotales are included. Their sound is complex and intricate. The glockenspiel is presented in two presetsa full-blown aggressive set for loud orchestrations and a mellower preset for quieter ones. The standard two octaves of orchestral chimes are presented in the preset; this is an example of an instrument that works perfectly well using only the surround preset. The lower fifth of the instrument has too much lower midrange in the tone for my taste, but the remaining octave and a half is very clear. Triangle is presented in consonant and dissonant hits, but unfortunately with no rolls. Timpani are presented in nine presets with hits, rolls and crescendo rolls, so you only have to load the articulations you need. An octave and a sixth are keymapped with left and right hand hits separated by two octaves. The tone of the timpani is full but not overly thick. This will work well for most orchestrations, but there will be times when you wish the tone were a little larger. A little EQ can help enhance the presets in these situations. About the only standard percussion instrument missing from the library is a celeste, and though its not necessary for all orchestrations, it would have been nice to see it included. The percussion library is excellent and enhances the remaining size and scope of the other library modules.

Loading Instruments In order to load the appropriate preset into the sampler, you use the browser control located in the upper right hand corner. You simply browse to the appropriate folder and preset and load it.

Using the library The library can be used in a number of ways. The three microphone positions and the manner in which you mix these together allow for a tremendous amount of flexibility in tone, volume and ambience. However, to use the library in its totality, you must either have a powerful multi-computer setup or you must render instruments to audio files in some fashion or use your DAWs freeze

function. The results of this latter approach will be three audio files or stems, one for the close mics, one for the full mics, and one for the surround mics. The workhorses of the library are the full versions of the presets. These provide the fullness of the orchestras sound, giving it a large character with just the right amount of depth. These are the presets best used for writing and normally the first ones I go to when I use the library. Once the composition is completed, I render these to a stereo audio track. I then generally turn to the surround microphone presets to provide the remaining ambience to the sound. This is accomplished by reloading all of the same articulations and presets, but in their surround versions. Because the samples are all phaseaccurate, doing this results in a perfect sound with no phasing or artifacts. I typically leave my volume levels (and any automation) exactly the same and render a stereo audio track. Once this is done, I then ascertain whether or not I need to apply any accent or solo mic presets to the composition. With accent miking, you should only strive for the clarity that comes from the increase in high frequency content in the timbre and perhaps some intimacy that occurs from having the microphones close enough to hear key clicks, saliva gurgles, etc. Using the library in this manner really provides an entryway to easily creating the Hollywood sound. Once Ive decided which tracks need a little sparkle or clarity, I simply load the appropriate close presets and render these to a stereo track. These tracks often need a little finessing in terms of volume. Youre really not looking for a louder sound as much as you are a clearer sound. Consequently, depending on the timbre of the instrument, subtle volume adjustments may or may not be necessary. In order to maintain the positional relationship of the accent instruments to the remaining orchestra, Keith Johnson suggests that you modify the close stem by adding a slight high-frequency boost using a shelf or rising EQ, while simultaneously cutting the low mids. This will help keep the player in place on the stage while allowing for more clarity. For a classical hall approach, I find it unnecessary to use the close microphone presets at all. The surround presets are what really give the library its depth and huge sound. By layering the surround versions of all presets on top of the full presets, you will achieve a tremendous sense of space and grandeur that sounds natural and consistent throughout the library. It is virtually unnecessary to use reverb with this library since the hall ambience is included within the surround presets. By keeping the mix moves consistent between both the full and surround instruments, the resultant stems will also be consistent. It then becomes only a matter of deciding upon the correct overall level of the surround stem to provide a balance that enhances the full stem without overpowering it. Start with the full stem only and slowly bring in the surround stem until you feel the level is correct. Listen to all variations in tempo and dynamics within the composition. Typically, I find that no surround level adjustment is needed within a phrase that is consistent in both tempo and dynamics. However, faster and more articulate passages may require a slight reduction in the surround stem, while slower and softer passages may benefit from a slight increase in the surround level.

Number of Voices This is a library that requires a lot of power, and the reason is complicated. Yes, the library streams from disc (if you choose to use that mode) and that can be finicky, dependent on your system. Also, it

is typically being used on a host machine, which means that there might be other audio tracks being played back as well as some native processing occurring simultaneously. However, the real issue that limits the number of lines that can be played at one time is the number of voices used by the presets. For instance, by playing a solo line within a single preset with release tails, you might assume that you would be triggering 2 to 4 voices at any one time. However, this is not always the case. In fact, in the majority of presets, the hall release trigger will ring for some time; and if you are playing a layered sound where two or more samples are playing (whether you are hearing them or not due to dynamic crossfading), you might actually be using up to 20 or 30 voicesand thats for only one line. This means that a speedy system is not only an asset for this library, its actually a requirement. PLAY was specifically designed to be used with a 64-bit Windows OS, which allows you to take advantage of extended RAM usage. This is a very important pointin order to use this library in all its glory, you need to max out your RAM (at least 8 GB). Overall, PLAY does a very good job of managing memory and with a hefty machine, you can play single microphone full orchestrations with little problem. However, when you use multiple microphone placements in full and dense orchestrations, the computer becomes very challenged. If this is the case, the best approach to solve this dilemma is to render individual microphone placements one at a time and then mix them together as audio files.

Conclusions EWQLSO is primarily a library to be used when a large and full orchestral sound is needed. This library is perfectly suited for action adventure, sci-fi and horror film work. It is also very appropriate for use in classical music emulations. For a smaller, more intimate sound, there are libraries that are better suited, but for a large sound, this is one of the best available. Using EWQLSO along with the techniques described within this text will give you a large and sophisticated sound. While it is not the library for every situation, those who routinely need a large, epic sound would be hard pressed to find anything that would work as well. EWQLSO is a must-have product for the professional orchestral composer.

Garritan Personal Orchestra (GPO)

Garritan Orchestral Libraries Garritan Orchestral Strings placed Gary Garritan squarely in the front and center of the orchestral library world, as he took orchestral sampling to the next level. His approach to library production and continued support has earned him the respect of fellow developers and end users alike, so it was with great anticipation that the world waited for Garritans next library release. To most peoples surprise, the next library was not really a follow-up to GOS at all. Instead it is a completely new product that will probably have the same global impact as GOS, but for totally different reasons. Garritan Personal Orchestra is an orchestral library that features Garritans own ARIA self-contained playback engine.

The library is geared primarily for three groups of people. The first group consists of individuals interested in learning about orchestration and/or MIDI orchestration who need an avenue to explore these paths without spending thousands of dollars to start the journey. It is also a great tool for more experienced orchestrators who need an easy way to render their orchestrations without a lot of fuss. With the recent plethora of plus-$1,000 orchestral library releases (including Garys own GOS), the financial outlook for the beginning MIDI composer was beginning to look rather bleak. GPO makes the journey not only affordable, but also very accessible. This group of people might also include individuals who are not only new to the whole concept of MIDI orchestration but also new to MIDI itself. Consequently, GPO wisely includes not only the library itself but also a scaled down sequencing program, a notation program and a very respectable reverb plug-in. The second group of musicians that can benefit from GPO are professionals, semi-professionals and even hobbyists who want to compose on the go. Using EWQLSO, VSL or really any other library made up of larger files makes on the go orchestral music composition more difficult, since a laptop cannot easily reproduce full orchestrations using any of these libraries without external hard drives and several third-party programs and plug-ins. GPO sits nicely on a laptop and in most situations can be run in multiple instances to obtain the number of voices required for the orchestra size you are emulating. The third group of people are those who write music with notation programs. In the past, it has not been easy to use notation programs with sample libraries. GPO addresses these difficulties with GPO Studio, a bundled VSTi host application, which allows popular notation programs such as Overture, Finale and Sibelius to play GPO sounds directly from a score. The notation program uses GPO Studio virtual MIDI ports for output and the GPO Studio application plays the sounds. This is a real benefit to colleges and universities as well as professionals who write their music with notation programs and want to hear accurate playback. For any of these groups of musicians, GPO can be used to render the final composition, it can be used only as a writing tool (leaving the rendering for more advanced libraries) or it can be used to supplement other libraries.

The Sounds The samples included with Garritan Personal Orchestra provide all of the bread-and-butter orchestral sounds in a number of articulations and dynamics. The instrumentation list is as follows: Strings -12-player first violin section -10-player second violin section -10-player viola section -8-player cello section -7-player bass section

Each section includes the following articulations and patcheslush, lush mutes, pizzicato, sustained with and without mutes, short bows with and without mutes, tremolo, trills (half- and whole-step, not included in the basses) and a keyswitched program consisting of tremolo, both trills and pizzicatos (no trills in the bass program).

Solo Strings Three different selections of each solo instrument (violin, viola, cello and bass) are included in order to form up to a nine-player ensemble. Long and short bowings and pizzicato banks are included for each instrument. Brass

-2 different bass trombones -contratuba -first chair French horn with and without mute -second chair French horn -6 different associate French horns for building ensembles -2 different French horn overlays (single horn playing forte and fortissimo) -first chair tenor trombone with and without mute -3 different associate trombones for building ensembles -3 different associate trombones with mutes for building ensembles -trombone overlay -first chair trumpet with and without mute -second chair trumpet -trumpet overlay -6 different associate trumpets for building ensembles -3 different associate trumpets with mutes for building ensembles -piccolo trumpet (with and without vibrato) -2 different tubas -tuba overlay

Woodswinds -piccolo (with and without vibrato, fluttertongue) -flute (solo with and without vibrato, fluttertongue, 3 associate instruments used to form ensembles) -alto flute (solo and 3 associate instruments used to form ensembles) -bass flute (solo with and without vibrato, 3 associate instruments used to form ensembles) -oboe (5 different solo instruments and 3 associate instruments used to form ensembles)

 -English horn (2 different solo instruments and 3 associate instruments used to form ensembles) -Bb clarinet (solo and 3 associate instruments used to form ensembles) -Eb clarinet (solo) -bass clarinet (solo and 3 associate instruments used to form ensembles) -contrabass clarinet (solo) -bassoon (2 solo instruments and 3 associate instruments used to form ensembles) -contrabassoon (2 solo instruments) Percussion -snare drum (left and right hits, roll) -bass drum (hit and roll) -timpani (sampled with left and right hits) -crotales -cymbals (Piatti, crash, choke bell, rolls) -gong and tam-tam -glass harmonica (emulated) -glockenspiel -marimba, tubular bells, hand bells, vibraphone Keyboards, harp and choir -2 harps (sampled chromatically, glissando harps, harmonics) -celesta -harpsichord (keyswitched with 8', 8'+4', and buff stops) -Steinway concert grand (full and lite versions) -Steinway concert grand for dual piano playing (use totally different samples for each instrument) -pipe organ (featuring 13 different typically Baroque stops ) -lite choir As you can see, the instrumentation included is sufficient to handle much of what we need as MIDI orchestrators, at least in the compositional phase of our work. In order to use these instruments, they must be loaded into the computers RAM using the self-contained ARIA player (this technique is described in detail in my book). Heres an important distinction between this and other more recent orchestral libraries: GPO does not rely on streaming. The reason behind Garritans decision to use RAM based sampling instead of streaming technology seems to be twofold. First, streaming is much more dependent on system setup and configuration than RAM-based sample playback, especially when using the Native Instrument products Kontakt and Kompakt. Second, the most probable installation location for GPO is a laptop and these typically have 4,200-5,400 RPM drives, which are not fast enough for streaming applications. Though this approach puts the limitation of the number of voices and samples that can be used squarely on your systems RAM, Garritan thought the tradeoff was worth it. He has put together samples that are appropriate for this approach, using shorter length material with fewer velocity layers than would have been used in a streaming approach, while still

preserving as much quality as possible. Since one of the potential users of this library is the beginning orchestral MIDI composer, it was anticipated by Garritans team that RAM-based playback would be simpler and more in keeping with their possible system configurations, which were anticipated to be less powerful than those of professional musicians. You will also note that instruments are provided in a much simpler form with fewer articulations than in GOS and other full orchestral libraries such as QLSO and VSL primarily because the library is intended for composition and not necessarily for full score production. That being said, I will tell you whole-heartedly that the majority of these sounds and articulations are certainly good enough for many of the pieces that I record. The choices of articulations and dynamics are simply fewer in number. The quality of the sounds ranges from very good to excellent. Remember this is a $169, library not a $1,000-plus one! So it is not fair to compare the overall quality of sounds to more expensive libraries. Even so, most are quite good and few leave you feeling as though you want for more in the compositional phase of your work. The strings have the ability to produce beautiful and lyrical lines (especially using the lush samples) as well as powerful and forceful articulations. The pizzicatos change effectively with varying velocities to produce a nice range of attacks. The tremolos and trills are programmed such that a harder velocity triggers an attack on each note before the tremolo or trill begins. Lower velocities produce no attack. For quick arranging or compositional playing, where you simply need access to a full keyboard of sounds very quickly, I find it very effective to load the lush articulations for each of the strings (violin I, violin II, viola, cello and bass), assign all five parts to the same MIDI channel and then limit the keyrange and number of notes for each so that there is little or no overlap cellos and basses limited to their bottom octave, violas limited to a major sixth, second violins limited to a major sixth and first violins starting a major sixth up on the E4). Though you will certainly not produce lines with accurate voice leading, it is still very effective, producing a beautiful full sound that picks up the varying timbres of the sections, resulting in a natural, non-synthetic sound. The librarys solo strings are well presented with several variations of each solo instrument. Though these can be played as solo instruments, the main reason for their inclusion is to help assemble ensembles as described below. As such, the vibrato begins a little quicker than it would if a solo player were using vibrato. The brass instruments are programmed so that mod-wheel volume control also opens and closes a lowpass filter, in order to mimic the natural timbre changes that occur in brass instruments. This works very effectively. The solo horns are beautiful for use in both solo and section applications. But when used in sections, the interaction between the instruments produces a very full and lifelike sound. The trumpets can sound intense or somewhat passive, depending on the velocity and the mod wheel position. It is extremely easy and realistic to produce very complex, articulate trumpet lines in a variety of styles. The trombones (bass and tenor) have nice attacks on the tones, and when theyre used with the overlay patches, the result is powerful and heroic. can sound warm or metallic, again dependent on the playing style and controller positions. The tuba banks, though for the most part very round and

warm, have the occasional out of tune note, especially in the lowest range in the attack portion of the sound. The flutes are very well recorded, with a good balance between enough air and enough tone. The concert flutes are particularly nice, with a tone that is appropriate for lyrical music. The piccolos have an intense sound without being harsh or shrill. The alto and bass flutes are fairly open and woody and work very well in flute ensemble work. The number of different oboes available really allows you to home in on the exact sound youre looking for. The classical oboe and the three modern oboes all have different sounds. One has a more pronounced vibrato, which is my favorite. The English horns are beautiful, particularly the 2 Solo, which seems to have just the right amount of vibrato for the melancholy passages for which the instrument is so wonderfully suited. The bassoons have a nice tone, though without a huge amount of variation in the attack. It is somewhat difficult to play aggressive lines convincingly with these samples. In contrast, the contrabassoons have a great growl, but like the tubas, they are a little out of tune in places, especially in their attacks. The percussion battery includes a surprising number of instruments and articulations. The bread-andbutter instruments are all very well presented. The bass drum program includes a fundamental control, which increases the loudness of the low frequencies associated with the drum. Increasing this can rattle the windows, so be careful! This approach is absolutely perfect for fine-tuning the sound of the drum to your individual composition. The cymbals and gongs have a great sound with the G#4 gong packing a tremendous punch. Though the actual tone of the snare drum is perfectly fine, I wish the bank had a few more articulations or velocity layers. I feel it lacks enough variation between the two (left and right hand) hits with the snare engaged. Dont get me wrongyou can produce realistic lines using the articulations provided. Having a few more hit variations would simply make it that much better. A nice addition to the percussion arsenal is the handbells bank. They are programmed so that a note of short duration triggers a muted bell hit (a note where the bell is muted against the players chest) while long notes feature the sustained tone. This makes producing extremely life-like handbell performances a breeze. As an adjunct to huge orchestral scores, a handbell choir treated with an appropriate amount of hall ambience can really add an unusual and infrequently heard timbre. In addition, for church music composers who often use handbell choirs as an accompaniment to their works, the banks inclusion is a big plus. As has become the custom among percussion libraries, the timpani samples are presented with the left and right hits separated by two octaves. This allows for realistic repeated notes and even rolls to be played easily. The glockenspiel bank is beautifully recorded, though perhaps somewhat sedate for louder compositions, and the tubular bells have a nice depth and clarity. The marimba, xylophone and vibraphone all have a wonderful character to their sounds, making the assemblage of complex multi-mallet parts extremely effective. Having only one of either the marimba or xylophone banks would have been perfectly fine for this price point, but having all three included is a real plus! The keyboard instruments are particularly good and frankly probably worth the cost of the library by themselves. The celesta is beautiful, with just the right amount of balance between the hit and sustain portions of the tone, allowing it to be used in either intimate or larger scope compositions. The

harpsichord with its three choices of stops is also a welcome addition, especially for those individuals who often work in the Baroque medium. The only thing missing are the release samples as the key is released. The Steinway samples are beautifully recorded, with a full tone that can work in either solo concerto or more modern film type work. The pipe organ is another surprise that is presented with a great number of stops. The organ is of the German Baroque style and can be used very effectively for Baroque and classical pieces. However, Ive always liked the way pipe organ and a huge, Romantic style orchestra sound together and the Full Organ stop makes for a very effective addition to appropriate pieces. As you would expect from harpist Garritan, the harp banks are of excellent quality and very usable. Included in the library are samples of a Venus harp, which has a more mellow sound with less highfrequency content, and a Wurlitzer harp, whose tone has more high frequencies and less prominent mids. The chromatic programs are programmed in a piano approach, so that you can play any combination of notes on the harps by pressing the appropriate key on the keyboard controller. These are appropriate for most non-glissando playing. Glissando banks of each harp are also included. These limit the sample mapping to the white keys of the controller. By running your finger up and down the white keys, you can easily simulate glissandi. In order to simulate the pedal action, the library includes MIDI data packets, which automatically changes the pitches of all appropriate notes up or down one half-step. They are used placing the appropriate key packet within a secondary MIDI track assigned to the harp part at the position where the harmonic change should be made (a few ticks before the necessary change are usually adequate, but this is dependent on tempo). When the sequence plays the packet, notes are changed appropriately to allow the glissando to follow the harmonic changes. Assembling ensembles One of the most powerful features of GPO is its ensemble assembly functionality. By combining individual solo versions of the same instruments (on different MIDI channels or the same channel, dependent on your arrangement needs), you can create ensembles made of specific numbers of instruments. For instance, if you want only a violin section made up of four violins, then you can assemble this by using four individual violin solo instruments. Do you need three distinct oboes for a large Romantic orchestra emulation? Simply use three of the seven oboes included in the library. This concept works for the string, brass and woodwind sections and should not be taken lightly. As far as I know, GPO is the only library that offers this type of flexibility and control, allowing you to assemble ensembles of virtually any sizefrom duos, trios, quartets, quintets, and chamber groups to large orchestras. Because each of the variations in each instrument type has a slightly different timbre and approach to vibrato and pitch, the result of combining instruments is extremely realistic and solves the problem of having to implement variations in timbre after the fact in the manner I describe elsewhere in the text. Ambience Reverb

The Ambience reverb plug-in, a great-sounding reverb by SmartElectronix is included with the library. Several reverb presets have been put together just for GPO. The halls and spaces included in the presets are all excellently programmed, providing very smooth tails with very little graininess. In addition to its use with GPO, Ambience can also be used as a traditional plug-in with your DAW. When used in this manner, Ambience is fairly CPU-intensive. Performance Controls As with all MIDI orchestration emulations, your work with GPO should include judicious use of volume/filter control using the modwheel. I find it extremely easy to obtain great performances in GPO by doing so. In addition, several of the banks include a functionality using the sustain pedal that provides a switch between legato and non-legato modes. When you play legato phrases with the sustain pedal down, the notes are automatically connected, providing no accent between them. Releasing the sustain pedal restores the next notes normal attack. By putting together phrases that use both types of notes, the realism is increased tremendously. These banks use mono mode, which essentially simply limits the solo instrument banks to one note. This makes creating realistic lines as well as trills and other ornaments much easier.

Conclusions GPO is without a doubt one of if not the best value I have seen in the world of MIDI orchestration libraries. As is his pattern with GOS, Gary has already planned future add-on instruments and articulations for registered users. Berklee College has required the product for many of its music students and I can only assume that other schools around the world will follow suit very quickly. Bravo to Gary for another well thought-out, well-executed product. (For more information on using GPO with Finale, please visit Amazon.com and purchase my Finale Tutorial)

London Orchestral Percussion

Big Fish Audio Giga, Akai Kontakt London Orchestral Percussion (LOP) is a four-CD library released by Big Fish Audio. This is the first of a planned series of London releases that will include solo strings, solo brass and section strings. Producers Donnie Christian and Sean Lane, formerly of DS Soundware, have been responsible for recording and releasing exceptional percussion libraries. Now, teamed with the Big Fish Audio production staff, they have produced London Orchestral Percussion, which is their best library to date. It continues where DS Soundwares Ultimate Orchestral Percussion left off, providing all the breadand-butter orchestral percussion instruments with an astounding number of performance and articulation options. But LOP takes things up a notch, improving on the earlier library. This is perhaps

due to the wisdom they gained in producing Ultimate. LOP is virtually perfect, providing easy-to-use, well-recorded instruments that will enhance many MIDI orchestrations. Donnie and Sean are percussionists and they know how to record percussion instruments so as to achieve wonderfully rich and accurate sounds. LOP includes 2.7GB of percussion samples and more than 80 GigaStudio Instruments. The help file, which is read with a Web browser, includes photographs of the instruments, descriptions of sounds, listings of articulations and potential uses. The samples are well recorded with some ambience but with virtually no extraneous noise. They have an openness to them with little of the compressive quality that haunts lesser-quality libraries. Donnie explained that the goal with the London series is to provide libraries with the traditional Hollywood soundlarge-sounding orchestral instrumentation that would be appropriate for film soundtracks. I believe that this first volume sends them squarely down this path. LOP is conveniently grouped into six categories: (1) Chromatic (chimes, crotales and glockenspiel), (2) Cymbals (crash and suspended), (3) Auxiliary (Latin percussion, wood blocks, sticks, triangles, tambourines, etc.), (4) Snares, (5) Timpani and (6) Bass Drums and Toms.

Chromatic Instruments Two sets of chimes are included: the Deagan Chrome and the Musser Brass. The Deagan Chrome set is the brighter of the two, while the Musser chimes are slightly thinner and sound as though they were recorded from a slightly greater distance. The same articulations are presented for both sets, with the exception that the Musser set does not include the staccato articulation. As a bonus, however, there is a bank in which the Musser chimes are played with a xylophone mallet. This is an unusual sound that gives you one more element to use in your orchestrations. The Deagan samples are mapped from C4 to C5 and sampled at C#3, D#3, F#3, A#3, C#4, D#4, F#4, A#4 and F#4 in three velocities (p, mf and f). The Musser samples are mapped from C3 to C5 but they are only sampled at C3, F3, C4, F4 in two velocities (mp and f). This makes the Mussers sample split points more obvious. For each set, there are two banks, each based on the type of mallets that were used rawhide or soft. The rawhide mallet programs are bright and cut very well through a loud orchestration. The soft mallet programs are less bright and provide a warm sound for softer passages. Each bank contains six instruments for each mallet type: (1) a composite instrument made up of three velocity dynamics, (p, mf and f for the Deagan and mp and f for the Musser), (2) an instrument containing both pedal up and pedal down samples that can be selected with the controllers sustain pedal, (3) a staccato program in which the chime is muted after sounding and (4-6) three instruments with each containing only one dynamic (p, mf and f). There are two glockenspiels. Both have a range of F3 to C6 and are sampled in minor thirds. The Deagan bells are presented as separate banks sampled with four different mallets: (1) medium plastic mallets (two velocities), which have a full, round and dark tone, (2) aluminum mallets (one velocity), which have a bright but slightly thin sound, (3) brass mallets (one velocity), which sound slightly fuller

than the aluminum mallets bank, and (4) bright mallets (two velocities), which are brighter and fuller still. There is also a bank of glissandos in one velocity. The Deagans work very well when a nonintrusive sound is needed. The Fall Creek bells are sampled with four mallets as well: (1) brass mallets (four velocities: p, mp, mf and f), which are extremely bright and will easily cut through just about any fff orchestra, (2) medium plastic mallets (four velocities), which sound less bright and less focused, (3) hard plastic mallets (four velocities), which are brighter, yet richer and thicker-sounding and (4) medium rubber mallets (three velocities), which as you would expect are less focused and provide very little metallic attack. There is also a glissando bank. The Fall Creek bells work well when the music calls for bells that are brighter with more attack. The Zildjian crotales are presented in two octaves banks (C3-C5) sampled at C#3, D#3, F#3, A3, B3, D4, E4, F#4, A4 and B4. Each bank contains two mallet types: (1) aluminum mallets, which are the brighter of the two, and (2) medium plastic, which are fuller and more rounded. These are greatsounding crotales with a lot of sustain. Its especially nice to have both mallet types available. The aluminum mallets give more of a metallic sound, and because of the interplay within the overtones, it is somewhat more difficult to tell the exact pitch that is sounding, especially in larger orchestrations. This is no fault of the sample, but simply a product of the mallet type, which produces certain overtones more intensely. The aluminum mallets also produce a thinner tone than is produced with the plastic mallets. Because of the metal-against-metal strike, this bank is better used in louder passages and in music that requires the distinct bell sounds to cut through. The plastic mallets produce a rounder, less focused sound whose pitch is easily distinguished. These would be more applicable for an atmospheric treatment or a softer setting. The xylophones are sampled from F3 to C7 in four velocities. The Adams Synthetic Xylophone has a thinner and brighter sound and is sampled in minor thirds. Two mallet types are presented(1) blues mallets, which produce a warmer tone and (2) hard mallets, which produce a brighter tone. The Deagan xylophone is an instrument made of rosewood, which gives it the classic xylophone sound needed for traditional orchestral music. It is sampled in whole tones and is presented with four mallet types: (1) blues mallets, which produce a bright and focused sound, (2) bright mallets, which produce a brighter yet thinner tone compared to the blues mallets, (3) heavy mallets, which produce a fuller sound, and (4) medium rubber mallets, which produce the most rounded tone. There is also a glissando bank that includes various up and down runs and glisses. Both xylophones have their place in MIDI orchestration, and the inclusion of both here is a real plus. The Adams is better suited when the music calls for a tone that is bright and accented. Compare it to a high-quality version of the xylophone typically heard in a GM module. The Deagan possesses the tone that is most characteristic of orchestral music and the one that I find more appealing. Consequently, it can be used in virtually any traditional sense.

Gongs

There are three sizes of gongs. The 21" Paiste gong is the smallest and the lightest in tone. It is presented as a mallet hit (three velocities), rakes (two velocities), soft mallet rolls (two velocities with release trigger samples), a stick hit (one velocity), a rake roll (one velocity with release trigger sample) and four crescendo rolls (two medium length at mp and f and two short length at mp and f.). The 28" Zildjian tam-tam has fewer overtones and a more focused tone. The size and sound of this gong is the most popular and it can be easily used in most orchestral settings calling for a gong. Articulations include a mallet hit (three velocities), a roll (two velocities), a stick hit (two velocities) and four crescendo rolls (two long length at mp and f and two short length at mp and f). The 40" Sabian gong is the largest and fullest sounding of the group. It should be used for large orchestral settings, especially those in loud dynamics. This is a massive-sounding instrument, and the samples capture its magnitude. It is presented as a mallet hit (three velocities), a roll (two velocities with release triggers), a stick hit (two velocities) and four crescendo rolls (two long length at ff and mp and two short length at ff and mp).

Cymbals The cymbal samples are excellent. Donnie and Sean include a large number of choices in all the typical orchestral playing styles with both crash cymbals (cymbal-on-cymbal hits) and suspended cymbals. The crash cymbals feature a pair of 20" Zildjian Symphonic Germanic Cymbals. Their tone is dark and powerful. Germanic cymbals typically feature slow responses (builds, long sustains) and a heavy tone. They are typically used when a thick, heavy sound is needed. The 18" Sabian HH (handhammered) Germanic pair are higher pitched and slightly brighter than the Zildjian pair. They also produce more overtones than the 20". Two Viennese pairs are included. These cymbals have a fullbodied tone with good sustain. The 17" Zildjian Symphonic Viennese pair has the more delicate sound of the two. The 18" Sabian HH Viennese pair is darker and produces more overtones in the low end. The tone of 19" Zildjian Classic Orchestral Cymbals is lighter than the others, but they are still full sounding and can be used in a great number of situations. All five of these pairs are sampled and mapped identically. They are presented as sustained crashes in six velocities, choked crashes in six velocities, sizzle crashes in four velocities and a scrape. Programming allows the modulation wheel to control the releases of the samples, from about 1.5 seconds to about 8 seconds. In addition to the cymbals listed above, there are also two other pairs that include the same articulations as above, minus the sizzle crashes. The first is a 21" Sabian HH French. They have a large full sound and a rather quick decay. The second is a pair of 16" Zildjian K. Though they are the smallest of all the crash cymbals, they still produce a full sound. The suspended cymbals are equally diverse and utilitarian. There are three sizes of Zildjian K Constantinople Cymbals: a 20", 18" and 16". The 20" is a full-sounding, low-pitched instrument with a very smooth decay. It is presented as three speeds of crescendo rolls in two velocities (mp and ff) a sustained roll in three velocities, stick hits in four velocities, mallet hits in four velocities, hits on the bell of the instrument in four velocities and brush hits in three velocities. This is a great cymbal to use for large sustained rolls and dramatic crescendos. The 18" Zildjian K Constantinople is the more

useful and typical size. It is a utility cymbal and is useful in virtually every situation. Its tone is dark and warm with beautiful overtones. In addition to the performances included with the 20", the 18" also has a single-velocity brush roll and a dual-velocity scrape. The 16" instrument is the smallest of the three, but to my ear, it is slightly lower pitched than the 18". It still retains the darkness and warmth characteristic of all three of these cymbals. The same performances and articulations are presented as with the 18" instrument. The modulation wheel controls the lengths of the releases of all these banks. In addition to the Constantinople cymbals, there are two Zildjian K Dark cymbals: a 14" and a 18". These instruments are dark and beautiful, with a rich warm tone. The 14" is brighter but still dark for its size. It has a nice high end that comes through at louder volumes. The 18" is slightly darker with a longer decay. You will probably use this cymbal more than any of the other suspended cymbals in the set. The final suspended cymbal is the 17" Paiste Signature. It has an unusual tone, almost lacking the fundamental with emphasis on overtones. I would find it hard to come up with an orchestral setting in which I could not use at least one of these pairs of excellent-sounding cymbals.

Snares This is an extremely comprehensive collection of snare drums with six different drums included! Ive included the performance keymap below. The articulations include left and right hits on the head and rim, a variety of rolls, ruffs and rim shots. Even as a non-drummer, it is incredible how realistically I can play using these snare samples. When I first received the library, I recorded several passes of snare performances along with some tracks of a live orchestra and then brought in a few colleagues to listen to the performance. None of them had a clue that the snare was sampledeven when I soloed the track! I think these snares are worth the price of admission by themselves. All of the drums can be loaded as full instruments or as single components (basics, rolls or light versions). The Gladstone 7" x 14" is a very military-sounding drum. It is dark and cuts well through a large orchestral setting. The Ludwig Bronze 6" x 14" has a crisper sound and is more generic. The pitch is slightly higher than that of the Gladstone snare. The Robinson Septembre 6" x 14" is similar in sound to the Ludwig but with a slightly higher pitchstill very crisp and dry. The Ludwig Black Beauty 4" x 14" has a longer decay to its sound and therefore is a great choice if the other snares sound too brittle or produce too much of a machine-gun sound. The Slingerland Radio King 5" x 14" is a vintage drum with a military sound similar to that of the Gladstone. It is higher pitched than the Gladstone and has a little more complexity in its overtones. The Pearl 50th Anniversary 5" x 14" is sampled with no snares. It has a full, rich tone that is beautifully recorded. In addition to these drums there is a Ludwig 10" x 14" field drum that has a deeper fundamental tone and a longer decay and wetter sound. There are also two banks of section snares presented with left and right hits (eight velocities), three-stroke and ruffs (four velocities) and rolls (four velocities). These are really added bonuses! It is difficult if not impossible to reproduce a snare section using only single snare samples. For military film work, this is an excellent bank.

Ancillary Instruments LOP provides a great number of ancillary percussion instruments. Six anvils are included, with a variety of hits and metallic effects. Two sets of castanets provide hits, flams, rolls and patterns. Thirtytwo samples and two release samples keymapped over five keys (some with as many as 16 velocity layers) make this bank anything but your same old tired castanets! Thick and thin sets of finger cymbals with two velocity layers (mp and f) are included, along with rubs and a few other articulations. Guiro, maracas and cabasa shakes and rolls are provided, but I find them a little difficult to make fluid patterns with. Good sounds, but I wish that there were more positions sampled. A number of other incidental instruments are presented including ratchet (three samples), claves (three samples), stick clicks (one sample), slap stick (five samples), sleigh bells (eight samples), slide whistle (up, down, up/down1, up/down2, and two random performances), and vibraslap (two samples). Large and medium thunder sheets complete the auxiliary instruments. They are each sampled with two velocities (mp and f) and include release samplesperfect for interjecting that miscellaneous storm into your music. A set of five temple blocks with right and left hand hits and rolls is included. It is recorded with two mallets (hard and soft). The left-hand hits are keymapped F, G, A, C and D and the right-hand hits are mapped F#, G#, A#, C# and D# which makes it very easy to play fast repeated notes. These are great-sounding blocks with a warm, hollow and open sound. In addition to the temple blocks, there are five Vaughncraft wood blocks (Walnut Piccolo, Walnut, Hard Maple, Cherry and Mahogany) presented as hits, rolls and accelerations in both soft and hard hits. Each block program comprises 62 samples! The wood blocks are darker in tone and have characteristically less sustain. Until you really listen to these samples, it is difficult to appreciate how varied and intricate the tones of wood blocks really are. The Grover German Silver, Bronze, Single Row Nickel, Silver Bronze Combination and Vaughncraft Secco tambourines include stick hits, head hits, shell hits, knee hits, fist hits, thumb rolls, shake rolls and three performances each of crescendo and decrescendo rolls. The five instruments vary in timbre from dark and dry to very bright and sustained. The differences in tone are subtle and you might find yourself choosing one only after trying all of them in a particular passage. As mentioned earlier in the book, placement of the tambourine in the mix is critical for success; however, these five instruments make it easy to position the tambourine without it sounding out of context or overbearing. After using these instruments, you will find yourself a real critic when you hear pop tambourines used in MIDI orchestration! Four triangles are presented: an Alan Abel 4" and 6" and a Grover 6" and 9". Each is sampled in all relevant articulationsconsonant hits, chokes and mutes in four velocities (p, mp, mf and f), dissonant hits, chokes and mutes in four velocities (p, mp, mf and f), sustained rolls and three different lengths of crescendo rolls. The subtleties between the dissonant and consonant hits are wonderfully captured. The Abel 4" has the highest pitched and lightest sound. It is the least complex in terms of overtones and is perfect for music needing a delicate touch. The Abel 6" has more sustain and is slightly lower in

pitch. Both Grover instruments are more complex in terms of overtones and are deeper and richer instruments. With this set of four instruments, you can easily find the perfect tonefrom big and bold to light and airy. Four sets of wind chimes are presented. All four include fast up, fast down, slow up, slow down and random strikes in two velocities (p and f) with release samples. The Treeworks medium and small chimes are the quietest and most transparent. Use these for delicate treatments. They work great in non-orchestral music as well. The LP double-row and single-row sets are fuller sounding and are more complex in tone, possessing more dissonant overtones. They will cut through a larger mix with greater ease.

Timpani LOP contains three banks of timpani sounds. The first two use a set of Adams Symphonic Timpani recorded with general and hard mallets, and the third uses Walter Light Metropolitan Timpani recorded only with general mallets. The Adams set has more complexity to its sound, with more overtones but a slightly thinner sound. The Walter set sounds rounder with fewer overtones. The general mallets produce a warm, rounded tone. The hard mallets produce a more focused tone with more attack and overtones. Each of the three banks includes individual instruments for each performance style: hits, rolls, hand muffles, three-stoke patterns and crescendos. Because of this, there is not a composite instrument available. (Christian explained to me that having a complete composite timpani available would eat up too much memory. Therefore, I have used his programming as a starting point and have made a composite banks that will give me access to my most used articulationshits, hand muffles and rolls. If I need a swell, Ill load it on the spot.) The drums are sampled at F2, A2, C3 and D#3 for all articulations. Hits are layered with four velocities and mapped across the keyboard as left-hand hit samples (D2 to G3) and right hand hit samples (D4 to G5, but sounding D2 to G3). This makes it very easy to record MIDI performances using one hand in each octave. The tone and volume level of the hits are very consistent in all velocities making rolls easy to play and crescendo or decrescendo changes easy to implement. The rolls are also presented in four velocities and are approximately 7" long. By quickly retriggering the note, you can get a seamless continuous roll if needed. However, because the rolls have a release trigger associated with them, if you hold the key until the end of the roll (into silence), the release sample is heard as the key is lifted. (This release issue has been fixed in the new version of GigaStudio.) The three-stroke ruffs are layered in four velocities, but due to the fact that the samples used in rhythmic performances are spread over a range, there are noticeable differences in speed across the samples keyrange. The muffled hits (a hit in which the player stops the tone with his hand immediately after playing the note) are layered in eight velocities, which allows for exceptional realism by virtue of not using the same hit over and over again. As with the cymbals, the length of the hit decay is controllable by the mod wheel, allowing you to fully tailor the notes so that they dont ring too long. The crescendo banks contain a fast swell (approximately 2 seconds) and a slow swell (approximately 6 seconds), which are keyswitched using C4 and C#4. The timpani banks are some of the best Ive ever used. They make

achieving a realistic performance much easier than ever before, providing great depth and realism to your orchestration.

Bass Drums and Concert Toms A Ludwig Concert Bass Drum and a Yamaha Concert Bass Drum are included, with an extensive array of articulations and playing techniques as shown by the keymap schematic below. The Ludwig contains the most articulations. The three large cannon hits are huge-sounding and move more air than any other bass drum samples Ive ever heard. The ff flam and three-stroke hits round out the louder samples. The unusual thumb rolls are great to add a special effect to your music. Chamoismuffled hits and muffled hits are presented in four velocities and are the most useful for traditional playing. The quietest of these groups are perfect for softer pieces that need the feel of a bass drum hit without it being too conspicuous. The excellent looped rolls (four velocities) provide incredible power and low-end for music that requires a long sustained note. Also included are three crescendo rolls in two dynamics (mp and f). The rolls are short (1.5"), medium (2" to 2.5") and long (5.5") and are very evenly played. The Yamaha drum contains less performance options but the most useful articulations are available. This drum is higher pitched and contains less of the low-end power available from the Ludwig. The Yamaha is probably a better drum for smaller ensemble work and for usage that requires less intensity. The Ludwig toms are some of my favorite samples from this library. These fill a conspicuous void that exists in many orchestral percussion libraries. The LOP toms are recorded in a manner that captures the deep richness and some ambience associated with the Hollywood sound. Four drums are sampled with left and right hits in eight velocity layers for hits and four for rolls. This equates to 48 samples per drum (24 for stick samples and 24 for mallet samples), giving you great control and uncanny realism. When put into a mix with a moderate amount of hall reverb, these toms will rival just about anything on major soundtracks! The rolls are 7 long and unlooped. However, I found that I could achieve as good a roll by playing them live with the left and right samples. When doing so, I limit the amount of velocity sensitivity on my controller so that I dont trigger the full range of eight velocity layers. This makes the sound much more even. Conclusions Big Fish Audio and Donnie Christian and Sean Lane have done an outstanding job on this release. It is an excellent library and should be considered a must-have for any serious MIDI orchestrator.

Project SAM Orchestral Brass Classic Edition

Kontakt

Those of you who are familiar with MIDI orchestration probably know the name Maarten Spruijt. Maarten is an extremely gifted young composer from the Netherlands. His compositions have inspired many who have heard them, and it is fair to say that he writes much more wisely than his years. He and a group of three others formed Project SAM. The company has routinely assembled great sounding, easy to use libraries that have gotten more sophisticated through time. The four guys started out somewhat informally as they sought to record banks of samples for use in their own compositions. Out of this grew Project SAM. After offering several free test banks for GigaStudio users, the team put together their first commercial library, entitled Project SAM Horns. This phenomenally successful library gained the respect of professional and amateur composers alike. It filled a definite need and was offered at a great price. Based on the success of the first library, Project SAM released two others librariesSAM Trombones and SAM Trumpets. After several years, the company compiled all three libraries into one classic library, which is still available and still excellent. The library uses Kontakt as its playback engine.

Project Sam Horns SAM Horns was the first Project SAM library to be developed. There is a near-miked and far-miked set of samples, which contain the same articulations and two Effects bank files (also a near-miked and far-miked set, again with the same articulations in both sets). The far microphone placement lends more hall ambience to the far set, while the near-microphone placement provides the near set with a more intimate and focused sound. All samples use two or more horns playing in unison, and each preset uses three velocity layers. The sound quality of this library is excellent with no noise or unwanted ambient sounds to speak of. The team has captured all of the nuances of the instrument without harshness or any other negative characteristics. The Main bank contains the most common articulationslegato, sustains, staccato, etc. The presets in this bank are sorted into two categoriesindividual sample presets and presets with enhanced user control. The Effects bank contains less common articulations and effects (rips, clusters, glissandi, etc). These presets are intended to be used more sparingly and are much more specialized.

Main Bank Individual Sample Presets The individual sample presets include sustain, portato, three variations of marcato, four variations of staccato, stopped, two types of glissandos, swells/crescendos and three variations of recorded interval presets. The main articulations span from D2 to D5 and are built with three dynamic layers. The sustain preset consists of individual samples that are about six seconds in length. (The Project SAM website offers registered users a looped version that can be downloaded.) The attack is somewhat subdued, making it a good choice for legato lines. The portato articulation offers a very expressive crescendo and decrescendo. It is an excellent choice for lines that are slow and very

expressive. The powerful marcato presets offer three articulationsslow (A), medium (B) and fast (C). The description refers to the length of the build and release. They could have just as correctly been called long, medium and short (describing the length of the note). They show the true power and color of the instrument and are perfect for heroic melodies in the double forte dynamic. Choosing which of the three versions to use is mostly dependent on the tempo of the music. Slower tempos will use the slow and medium versions. Faster tempos can use the medium and fast versions. The staccato presets offer four different variations of the articulation. The length of each is virtually the same but the four range from tightest and loudest to loosest and warmest. What this allows you to do is to play fast repeated notes with great realism and without the machine gun effect creeping in. It is with the far-miked versions of these articulations that the sound of the hall ambience is most apparent. The decay is smooth and clear. The stopped preset includes sustained notes that were recorded using the stopped technique. The tone is very accurately captured with a nasal tone, consisting of complex mid and upper overtones with less fundamental and fewer low-frequency overtones. Two glissandos are included. The first contains an octave glissando where the last note is accented and released, while in the second version the last note is accented and sustained. Because it requires quite a bit of air to produce this effect, the resulting performance is always loud, making the use of these glissandi presets only appropriate in louder passages. The swell preset contains two versions of a two- to four-second pp to ff crescendo and release. The first version is a normal crescendo with clear tone. The second version has more growl and edge to the tone. The final preset is the interval bank, which consists of three keyswitched two-note performances incorporating upward jumps between the primary note and a major 3rd, perfect 5th and octave. This is a great preset to intersperse here and there to provide extra realism. These are a little tricky to use, but I found that the following technique works pretty well: Simply record the articulation in the approximate location. Then move the two-note performance to the appropriate location so that the second note of the interval is positioned correctly. If you are working at tempo of around 65 BPM, you have a quarter-note performance. At mm=130 you have half-notes. The important concept is that the first note of the phrase must obviously play in its entirety to get to the second note. Consequently, it might mandate that you fade into the first note if it is too long.

Main bank Enhanced User Control Presets As good as the individual sample presets are, the real fun and creativity begins with the usercontrollable presets. These utilize the individual sample presets but add more user control such as keyswitching, layered articulations, modwheel crossfades, additional layers and release samples. There are seven different keyswitched presets that trigger different articulations, layers or performance styles. The set includes the following programs and their keyswitched banks: -Basic A: sustain, marcato A, marcato C, staccato A -Basic B: sustain, portato, marcato A, marcato B

-Basic C: portato, marcato A, marcato B, staccato C -Basic D: sustain, portato, marcato A, stopped -Special: glissando A, glissando B, swell A, swell B -Staccatos: all four of the staccato alternatives -Intervals: switch between all three of the two-note interval performances

The three Special Velocities presets include two-velocity layers that contain different articulations instead of different dynamics. Choices include a marcato/marcato preset, a marcato/staccato preset and a staccato/staccato preset. The MW or modwheel presets are some of my favorites in the library. They use the modwheel to crossfade between different dynamic layers or different articulations and are extremely realistic when played correctly. One preset crossfades between sustains, another crossfades between three dynamics of sustain and a sustained marcato, and still uses the modwheel to switch between the four staccato articulations. The crossfading is very smooth and displays little obvious phasing between layers. The layered presets consist of two full presets layered together. Each layer is active at all times (unless turned off with GigaStudios port control) creating a larger and more complex sound than just the individual parts. There are eight layer presets that include layered combinations of sustains, portatos, marcatos, swells and interval performances. As you would expect, the release trigger presets trigger a release sample as the note is released. The release sustain and release stopped presets add the ending of the note when you release the key. Like all release sample presets, these demand more polyphony. The volume levels of the release samples are very accurately matched to the volume levels of the sustain notes. This results in extremely lifelike lines that really show off the ambience of the hall.

Effects Bank The Effects presets include a number of unusual horn effects that could be useful in avant-garde, game and film music. Included in this bank are textures, which are multi-line atonal polyrhythmic phrases in no particular time signature. These are excellent for adding a sense of hysteria to a scene. The cluster sustains and swells use a non-changing group of notes. The sustains do not change dynamics at all, while the swells crescendo throughout the sustain to a loud dynamic. On a similar note, the glissandi preset is produced as the musicians play an atonal cluster of notes and then use lip pressure to produce a glissando or rip. These are extremely dramatic effects and should be used in a loud context, since that is the dynamic required for the players to produce the effect. There is a wholetone trill preset, a half-tone trill preset and a preset that assembles both of these into one.

SAM Trombones The second library developed by Project SAM was SAM Trombones. The power and depth of this library is extraordinary. Three tenor trombones were recorded playing together. These collectively

form the ensemble presets, which make up the bulk of the library. In addition, a solo bass trombone was sampled. These samples are included in the library in separate bass trombone presets. By using both the ensemble and the bass trombone presets, the user can assemble parts using two separate linestenor trombone unisons with an additional bass trombone. In addition to the most common articulations and effects, SAM Trombones also provides several bonus banks that give the library additional value. Main Bank The Main bank includes sustains (looped and unlooped), diminuendos, three marcatos, three staccatos, three short staccatos, muted notes, three types of crescendos, glissandos and performance intervals. These articulations are arranged within the Main patch by the type of programming featured in the presets. The velocity crossfade presets include two velocity layers controlled by velocity and a lowpass filter, which is assigned to the modwheel and used to introduce the timbre change that occurs at higher volumes. These presets suffer somewhat from a phasing artifact in some regions. Two of the presets use a dual-mapping feature that incorporates two complete sets of samples mapped in separate regions of the keyboard. One preset uses two staccato sets and the other uses two staccatissimo sets. This allows for very fast staccato playing without the machine gun effect. The five keyswitched presets utilize four keyswitches to choose among various combinations of sustains, staccatos and marcatos, multiple staccatos, swells and slides and an intervals (major and minor 3rd, perfect 4th and perfect 5th). These are very useful combinations, but I have reprogrammed them by putting together two presets that use my favorite articulations. There are four modwheel crossfade presets (looped and unlooped both with and without release triggers). Each preset uses four velocity layers, which produces very smooth crossfades. I find it very easy to play dynamic crescendos and decrescendos using these presets. The lowest dynamic levels sound somber and restrained while the loudest dynamics are bright and powerful. The Release Trigger group includes two sustains (looped/unlooped), a diminuendo (marcato with a decrescendo), two marcatos and one mute preset. All of these use four layers plus the release samples. All of the volume levels of the release samples are matched very well with the master samples. This is a particularly good group to use in louder, more articulate lines that are the focus of the passage. The Layers presets use four velocity layers and include various layered combinations of sustain, diminuendo, marcato, swell and staccato articulations. Lower velocities trigger only one layer, while higher ones trigger both. In higher velocities, these combinations allow you to produce what sounds like multiple instruments playing the same note, but with different articulations. These seem to work best in louder and more powerful phrases. The Individual Basic group includes all of the single presets used throughout the Main set in the most elemental form while the Individual Special group includes swells, glissandos and intervals used throughout the set.

FX Set The FX set includes single-layer presets that feature some unusual playing techniques. All of these presets are useful in more avant-garde music or in specialized film or game music where atonal phrases are called for. There are five different cluster presets using combinations of sustains, staccatos, swells and flutter-tongueing. The static sustains are extremely effective for use in textures while the staccatos can be used for accents and hits. There is also a preset where the musicians use the slide valve and lip pressure to accomplish long upward multi-line glissandos lasting up to four seconds. The final preset features clusters with a moving texture by way of multiple entrances, swells and decrescendos rather than the static approach used in the clusters preset.

Solo Bass Trombone Set These presets utilize two velocity layers. The larger and more robust character of the bass trombone is captured in all of the samples, giving the user the ability to add a great deal of depth to the overall ensemble sound. There is a keyswitched preset which includes an unlooped sustain, two different marcatos and a staccato articulation. The release preset features unlooped sustain samples that are approximately three seconds long combined with a release sample. There is also a bank that layers the marcato and staccato articulations together. As in the ensemble presets, the active layer is controlled by velocity. Basic instrument presets are also included and feature the basic patches used in all of the solo presets. For such an important instrument, I wish that Project SAM had made these four-layered presets. The differences in timbre between the softer dynamic layer and the louder one are very abrupt, making lines that fall at a forte level more difficult to play convincingly. However, using the bass trombone under the trombone ensembles and within the context of a full orchestra hides this problem. The louder and more articulate samples are very good and can be used to add a lot of power and accent to phrases.

Spheres and FX Set This set is more like a library within a library. It adds tremendous value to an already great library, though it has little in common with the original trombone recordings. Spheres and FX includes presets that have been morphed and processed with outboard gear and plug-ins to produce some of the most interesting textures I have ever heard. The end result can be beautiful, haunting, mysterious, intricate, powerful, accenting or which is why I consider it another library entirely. The textures move, spin and grow in ways that still seem to have an organic and natural feel to them. There are also some particularly strange sounds that are definitely designed more for effects applications than musical ones. Many of the sphere presets can be used as beds for further composition, as sound design material, or as an adjunct texture for pop or orchestral pieces. I find that many of these sounds are useful to stimulate musical ideas in a number of genres.

The FX portion of the set using long swells and slides. The set is also available in a lite version that includes about a third as many presets.

Ambient Bass Piano The final set of the library includes presets of staccato notes played on a concert grand piano. There are four presets: The first two utilize only the piano and the second two add bass trombone staccatos. All of them use a single layer of samples. Two of the presets (one for piano solo and one using the bass trombone) feature about three octaves of staccatos, using single notes. The other two presets feature octaves (in the piano) for much of the range and are mapped to almost four octaves. These presets make an excellent source for use in highly articulate ostinato phrases or for doubling tuba or low strings in full tutti phrases. The piano presets are percussive and powerful and the trombone doubles are phenomenal, with just the right balance between piano and trombone volume levels. Though the presets were an afterthought (Maarten says that the piano was sitting in the hall during the trombone sessions and he thought, Why not use it for something?), they provide a wonderful addition to the library. If you are like me, once you understand the sound these presets can provide, you will find yourself writing phrases in which they can be used.

Sam Trumpets SAM Trumpets is the third and final brass ensemble library currently available from Project SAM. This is the most mature library of the three, benefiting from the knowledge and experience gained from the development of the two previous libraries in terms of the recording process, the number of articulations and the approach to programming. SAM Trumpets is the largest of the three libraries, incorporating over 4GB of samples when installed. There are over 30 trumpet articulations, well over twice the amount of material included in the horns library. SAM Trumpets features three trumpet ensembles and a solo trumpet bank, all recorded in the same hall as the previous two libraries. The recordings are first-class and the manner in which they are programmed makes them extremely easy to use.

Microphone Placement Sam Trumpets was recorded in the same hall as the other two libraries, meaning not only that the samples sound great, but also that they fit perfectly with the horns and trombones. By providing three sets of microphone placements, they give you even greater control over the timbre of the instruments and the amount of ambience included within the sample. The close microphone samples are brighter than the other two and feature the least amount of hall ambience. These samples require that a

substantial amount of reverb be added to the signal to produce the required hall effect. However, they are probably the best of the three to use with other libraries such as VSL that also require ambience. The stage samples are fuller-sounding, with more body and roundness to the tone. More hall ambience is captured in the samples. The far samples incorporate the most hall sound and have the least amount of focus. These presets work well in creating the Hollywood sound and are my usual starting point when working with the library. These far samples work very well for use with libraries recorded with ambience, such as EWQLSO.

Main Bank The Main ensemble bank includes eight groups of presets. The first group is called the Style Set. It includes six presets and uses the dual mapping feature described in the SAM Trombone library review, above. Each is designed with a particular style of music in mind. The Fanfare and the Soaring Theme presets feature two velocity layers and have a powerful ensemble sound that is appropriate for majestic phrases and commanding melodies. The attack of the Fanfare preset can be tightened or loosened via the modwheel and the dual-function keymapping provides a sustain and a staccato articulation. The Choral Movement preset incorporates four layers that are crossfaded via the modwheel. This preset works well for both accompaniments and melodies in a variety of styles. It is very easy to control, since keyboard velocity is totally ignored, the dynamic level depending instead on the position of the modwheel to select the active layer. Sustains are presented in the top keymap and long marcatos approximately three seconds long are included in the bottom keymap. I am able to produce lines ranging from quiet introspection to bold and majestic using only this one preset. The Short Motif preset includes a sforzando with a long crescendo in the top keymap and a staccato bank in the lower range. Releasing the key after the sforzando but before the crescendo effectively removes the crescendo, which allows you to use the sforzando by itself. The Staccato Phrases preset includes short/long staccato notes in the lower keymap (switchable via the modwheel) and triplet eighth-notes (176 BPM) in the top. However, these are virtually impossible to use unless your music is at this tempo (or at 88 BPM). The Big Band preset incorporates Harmon mute sustains in the upper keymap (with attack tightness variable via the modwheel) and staccatos in the lower keymap. The second group is the Release Triggers presets. There are 13 presets including a number of sustains with release samples, expressive sustains (sforzando with a crescendo), marcato attacks and muted sustains using both a Harmon and a straight mute. Most of these presets feature four velocity layers, and the transitions between the layers are very smooth. Each volume level is consistent throughout the entire range. I find myself using the middle layers more than any other. The sound in these layers is full and warm and appropriate for most melodies and accompaniments. The loudest dynamic (fortissimo) is powerful and easily cuts through a thick orchestral texture without any harshness or distortion. The ModWheel Xfade group includes eight sustains with and without release triggers of varying lengths, three mute presets and an expressive preset. These are some of the most musical of all of

the presets and like the Choral Movement preset, they are extremely easy to play. For the most part, the samples used in the Release bank are also used in these presets. These are under modwheel control instead of velocity. Using crossfading is very realistic with these presets, since they provide a volume and a timbre change over time that is extremely smooth and lifelike. The Keyswitch group features seven presets, each with four keyswitched articulations. Four of the presets are programmed for a specific style of playing. For instance, the Basic A (slow playing) preset features a sustain, marcato and two lengths of staccatos, all of which are best used within a slower phrase. There are also fast playing, dynamic playing and short playing presets that are programmed in a similar manner. The dynamic playing preset includes a sustain, a sforzando with decrescendo and two lengths of crescendos. The Harmon and straight mute banks include a sustain, two staccatos and a crescendo. There is also a Special Instrument preset that includes two lengths of crescendo, a decrescendo and an octave fall. The falls are very impressive and are certainly a testimonial of the talent and scope of the players used to record the source material. However, they are best suited for music written in a jazz context. The Dual group includes dual-mapped sustain/staccato and sustain/marcato presets as well as staccato presets using two variations of lengths. These are played unmuted, with Harmon mute and with a straight mute. The short presets are particularly good for playing double-tongued repeated notes. Alternating between the two variations avoids the machine gun effect. The Modwheel group includes switchable presets with marcato/staccato, long staccato (two variations) and short staccato (two variations). The final bank is made up of the individual presets that make up all of the composite banks as well as a few others including keyswitched repeated notes at 112 and 176 BPM tempos. These banks require the least amount of memory to load and because most utilize only single layers, the polyphony requirements are kept to a minimum. When sequencing, there are number of ways to use these libraries. The first is to assign different banks to different MIDI channels, use the techniques discussed in the book to record a generic line and then assign various notes to different MIDI tracks different articulations. The second is to load several presets and use program changes within your DAW to switch between the different presets/articulations. The third is to use the keyswitch banks to play live lines using the set of articulations included within the preset. You can use more than one of these if a single preset does not include the number of articulations that your piece requires. A fourth approach is to layer a number of the banks within your sampler and play them as a composite sound. This can provide some depth and complexity to the sound since you will hear the virtual musicians using more than one articulation. Be careful using this approach, since your virtual section will grow in number each time you play more than one note within a section. You can also assemble trumpet sections by using the solo trumpet presets and French horn ensembles by using two or more horn banks playing simultaneously. Record each trumpet part (and horn part)

separately and apply expression control to each line separately. This will yield the most realism.

Interval Bank The Intervals bank consists of 13 presets in which the musicians play an interval with the first note representing a quarter-note (at 84 BPM) and the second note sustaining for about two seconds. Each preset represents a different intervalunison, minor second, major second, etc. through an octave. The modwheel allows you to choose whether the interval will be played upward or downward. This is a good bank to use throughout your normal multisample performances since the performances capture the in between the notes stuff that is impossible to obtain playing single samples. This is especially true from about the fifth to the octave, where a small glissando to the final note occurs. The interval performances work best when used in the appropriate tempo (84, 168 BPM). I have also found them to work well using the techniques described in the SAM Horns information, by crossfading into the first note of the interval from the same note in a line using the other banks. Clusters and Effects Bank The Clusters and Effects bank provides a number of clusters that are much more useful than many other avant-garde presets Ive used. They incorporate major and minor seconds rather than tritones or larger intervals, which makes them more easily used without conflicting with the harmonic texture of most music. These clusters are presented as five-second static sustains, swells, single staccatos and dual-mapped staccatos. There are also several presets of single repeated notes that start out slow and accelerate into a flutter-tongue. These presets are great for adding tension to a phrase. The final preset, named Wild Takes, lives up to its name, providing hectic-sounding performances as the players use fast changes of lip pressure and valve sequencing to obtain fast-moving texture of scales, linear and non-linear phrases and haphazard varying entrances and exits of the different instruments. Overall, this bank can be very useful to produce sounds that would be rather difficult if not impossible to obtain using the multisamples by themselves.

Solo Trumpet Bank The final bank contains the solo trumpet presets presented with release triggers, modwheel crossfading, keyswitching and basic programming. These solo samples are beautifully recorded and feature the same basic approach and programming as the ensemble banks. These presets have a lot of depth, and I believe that they are some of the best trumpet samples currently on the market. While other libraries have a hard time providing solo presets that really work in an orchestral context, these rise to the task, lending power to soaring melodies or subtlety to quiet accompaniments. Several different presets can be used together to produce a composite ensemble, or a single instance can augment the ensemble banks. I suggest that you use slightly different presets when putting together a composite section so that you are not duplicating samples.

SAMKarma As a bonus, SAM Trumpets includes a bank of processed trumpet samples called SAMKarma. Like the added banks in the trombone library, these really have little to do with trumpet but are interesting nonetheless. Unlike the Sphere presets, however, most of these samples sound very industrial and are better used as sounds effects rather than musical ideas or textures. For my music, I dont find these particularly useful; but for game effects and sound design applications (and perhaps for use in industrial or trance music), they can be very effective.

Conclusions With their first attempt, Maarten Spruijt, Vincent Beijer and Marco Deegenaars produced a wellthought out, beautiful-sounding, easy-to-use library. I consider the French horn samples to be one of the best sets ever assembled and at a price that makes it a great value. I continue to use these samples by themselves as well as in adjunct to the horn sections in other libraries. Spruijt and the Project SAM team have produced a library that captured the essence of the French horn ensemble sound and have programmed it in such a way as to make it easy for the composer to harness the true essence of this beautiful instrument.

Sonivox Symphonic Brass Collection

Following the critical success of their String Collection, Sonic Implants has released Symphonic Brass Collection (SBC), an incredible brass library currently available only for GigaStudio. Like many of the major developers, Sonic Implants seems intent on producing a library for each section of the orchestra. As such, SBC was developed to integrate seamlessly with the String Collection as well as to be a successful standalone product. SI has accomplished these goals with flying colors. The product was produced and engineered by the same group of individuals who worked on the String Collection, and it was recorded at the same facility using similar microphones and equipment and with members of the same orchestras, the Boston Pops and the Boston Ballet Orchestra. The result is a library that is sonically and musically almost identical to the string library, with samples and performances of the highest quality. The library comes in the same album box as the string library, and has similar excellent documentationa booklet with an overview of the library, the philosophy behind it, the production and the organizational structure and a booklet containing a list of all of the files, folders and presets. The

presets are typically chromatic and use three to five layers. Most presets are presented as two versionswith and without release samples. The 3 DVDs install as 10 GB on a hard drive. The installation procedure uses .exe files. The first file you run queries you for the serial number for the product and your name, address and other user information. After this file installs, you are not asked for this information again. The process is very quick, averaging five minutes per DVD. A separate folder is created for each instrument typeFrench horns, trumpets, trombones and tuba and one for ensembles. Within each of these folders are the Giga-Instrument files representing various articulations and section sizes, and within each of these are the individual presets. SI made the decision early on to record multiple section sizes to give you a great deal of flexibility when emulating an orchestra. As Ive discussed many times in the book, ensemble libraries typically contain multiple-instrument unisons, such as four French horns or three trumpets. The problem with this approach is that the moment you add more than one note to the equation for any one section, you have in effect doubled your virtual section size, resulting in perhaps eight French horns or six trumpets. SIs approach was to provide articulations in several section sizes starting with solo instruments and then adding another instrument and then another. This results in the following instruments and ensembles: -solo trumpet, two trumpets, three trumpets -solo French horn, two horns, three horns, four horns, six horns -solo bass trombone*, two tenor trombones, three trombones (two tenors and one bass) -solo tuba -*A mistake in the documentation states that this instrument is a baritone trombone. This is wrongit is a bass trombone Unfortunately, due to some technical issues, solo tenor trombone was not recorded. Currently, the range of the current bass trombone is G1 to E4. An update for GS3.0 will extend the range to G0. As you would expect from the nature of the instruments, there are fewer types of articulations with this library than with the string library. Nevertheless, SI has captured the most important ones: -legatoSustained tones intended for legato phrases at any dynamic. These include four velocity layers with release samples. -marcato legatoSustained tones with an initial attack that fades into a softer tone. Four layers with release samples. -melodic legatoAvailable for solo trumpet only, this articulation has an appropriate amount of vibrato for melodies. The presets include four velocity layers and release samples. -muted legatoSimilar to the legato presets, these samples were captured with the musicians using a straight mute. These include two velocity layers with release samples. -bells up legatoAvailable only for the French horns, this one-velocity layer with release samples was captured as the players raised their instruments so that the bell was up, facing the audience. Intended for use in loud dramatic phrases.

 -stopped (muted) legatoSimilar to the muted legato, these presets were recorded using the stopped technique and are found only in the horns. They include two velocity layers with release samples. -staccatoShort accented notes intended for use in articulated passages. These four-velocity-layer presets utilize up to three variations (alternate takes) per note. Access to the variations is controlled by the modwheel and keyswitches. They are intended to provide variation for short repeated notes that would result in a machine-gun effect had they not been included. -muted staccatoIdentical to the staccato presets but recorded with a straight mute in the bell. These include four velocity layers with no release samples. -double-tongue ta and kaShort tones captured as the player double-tongued a series of repeated notes. These phrases have been dissected and presented as the individual notes, where adjacent keys trigger ta and ka. Three variations (takes) are included as different keymaps with different sets of samples. These presets use three velocity layers. -trillsThese three-velocity-layer presets with release samples feature semitone and whole-tone trills, played by the trumpets only. -flutter-tongueSustained tones played in the flutter-tongue style. They feature two velocity layers and release samples. -muted flutter-tongueAvailable only for the trumpets, these presets are identical to the flutter-tongue presets, but were recorded with a straight mute in the bell. -sforzandoThese presets are available as three different presets, all featuring the accented attack. The hit only presets feature only the sforzando attack and release. The soft hold presets feature the attack and then a 4" sustain in a p dynamic (resulting in a sfzp note). The modwheel crescendo versions feature the attack and then a looped sustain where the modwheel can be used to create a crescendo by modifying the lowpass filter and volume simultaneously. They feature a single velocity layer with release samples. -muted sforzandoSame as the sforzando presets but recorded with a straight mute. -fallsThese presets are basically sforzando articulations but with a fast pitch fall that occurs immediately after the initial attack. They feature one velocity layer with release samples. -muted fallsSame as the falls presets but recorded with straight mutes. They feature two velocity layers in the trumpets and one in the trombones. -glissandoThese presets feature octave up/down performances in the horns and tritone (flat fifth) performances in the trombones. -rips and muted ripsAvailable as one velocity and only in the trombones, these are upward slides of a minor third ending on the note played on the MIDI keyboard. The following articulations are included for each of the instrument groups.

The organization of files for the Brass Collection In addition, there are banks of solo horn legato and staccato presets, a solo melodic legato trumpet and a legato bass trombone. Within each .gig file are a number of presets that provide several different options for articulations and control features. For banks that include release samples, identical presets are also included that do not use release samples. For multilayer instruments, most of the banks also include presets that utilize fewer layers, to preserve polyphony or to be used to limit the dynamic. For instance the fourvelocity horns utilize p, mf, f and ff, while the two-layer horns feature only the p and mf layers and the three-layer presets add the f layer. Most banks also feature individual layers that make up the composite presets. For instance, in the legato horn example, the p, mf, f and ff layers are all presented separately as individual presets. The library features three controllers used to modify the presets in four waysthe modwheel (CC#1) used as a switch where values 0-64 point to instrument 1 and values 65-127 point to instrument 2; the modwheel used for crossfading between layers; CC#16 (GPC1 in GigaStudios preset MIDI controller area) used to control envelope attack time; and keyswitching technology used to change between articulations or layers. Several of the staccato .gig files include presets that use different sets of alternate samples as well as presets that use keyswitching or the modwheel to choose between the various sets. The legato presets seem to work best for slow melodies or for long sustained notes. The marcato presets work well for melodies that move faster and where less length to the note is required. The double-tongued presets are an interesting concept. They work well for fast, highly articulated lines since they are produced using individual notes from a double-tongued repeated note passage. These parts are separated out and keymapped so that the ta and ka alternate up the keyboard. For the highly creative, you can use the modwheel version which selects between the ta and ka as well as a spit attack (a note where the initial ta or ka is removed). By assigning three soft switches to control modwheel values, you can quickly alternate between the various articulations. I found this to be especially effective when used with repeated notes. By using different sets for the solo instruments (i.e., first trumpet, second trumpet), you obtain more realism since you are not duplicating samples for each. The crossfades are beautifully programmed with little if any chorusing and a very nice timbre change that occurs throughout the fade. The trill presets are well executed and though not at the top of the most used articulation list, they provide the real thing when it is needed. The sounds of the instruments are extraordinary. These are some of the best-recorded and wellproduced brass samples I have ever heard. No extraneous sounds can be heard in the samples and the loops are very good. With the exception of the solo trumpet, all samples were recorded with no vibrato. Each of the instruments and ensembles features a huge dynamic range that can produce anything from quiet, subtle phrases through loud thunderous power! The French horns have been beautifully captured from F2 to F5. The solo horn presets provide the full expressive range of the instrument, especially capturing the introspective feel so often associated with

its use in solo melodic passages. The two-horn ensembles are rich and the four- and six-horn ensembles are even richer. Melodies played with these presets in louder dynamics are heroic and powerful, while the softer layers have a quiet but rich character. Intonation is perfect for all of the presets. The attacks, releases and volume levels between layers and between presets are very consistent. The bells up presets are brassy and exciting and are the perfect presets for loud double or triple forte passages. The trumpets are sampled from E3 to E6. Their sound varies from subtle to powerful. I find that they can be used in just about any phrase. The two- and three-trumpet presets are incredibly intense in their loudest layers, with dead-on intonation throughout the entire range. The fff marcato presets make producing highly articulate fanfare-type lines very easy. The tone of these presets thins appropriately while the high-frequency content increases. The solo trumpet presets are spectacular, with just the right amount of vibrato included. They are extremely playable and obtaining realistic lines is very easy. The trombones are excellent. The tenor is sampled from C2 to E5, while the baritone is sampled from G1 to E4. The manual refers to this instrument as a baritone trombone, which I have never heard of. I researched this in books and with music professors and orchestral trombone players with no luck. The bottom line is that no one has ever heard of a baritone trombone. I asked David Fox about this and he informed me that he too questioned the term but verified it with the players several times and was told that it was correct. I suspect it is actually a bass trombone, a different tenor or perhaps a tenor played with a different mouthpiece. If it is a bass trombone, the range is off, extending down only to G1 instead of C1. Regardless, I hope that SI will provide an actual bass trombone as an upgrade in the future. For the time being, what is included is excellent. The presets are dead-on accurate in terms of tone and intonation, and have a deep and robust character. They can produce melodies with a beautiful solitude when used in the quietest layers; but their power is undeniable in the loudest layer, which is brassy and vibrant and absolutely perfect for aggressive and highly articulated trombone parts. There are fewer presets presented for the tuba than for the other instruments, but what is provided is superb. Two tubas are includedthe C and E-flatboth ranging from C1 to E4. The tones are warm, fat and round. The subtle timbre changes that occur in the tuba as the dynamic gets louder are perfectly captured, especially in the crossfade presets. The C tuba is somewhat fuller and has more depth to its sound than the E-flat. This makes it the perfect instrument for most tuba needs. The E-flat is only presented in marcato and sforzando presets, making it more of a specialized instrument that is especially good for the occasional tuba solo. Completing the collection are six ensemble files representing the most common brass articulations. These presets are put together using layered samples from the other instruments. These use velocity three layers and are very good presets to use for composing. They can also be used in live performances. Sonic Implants has produced yet another excellent library. For those of you who use SIs String Collection, I suspect that its quality will encourage you to purchase the Brass Collection, and you

should, since it makes an excellent companion library. For those who dont own the string library, the Brass Collection can be used with many other libraries very successfully. It provides a full array of articulations and timbres, representing the full range of an orchestral brass section. SIs high production standards and the librarys remarkable playability make it one of the best choices for MIDI orchestrators.

Sonivox Symphonic Strings Collection

Sonic Implants String Collection is a 20-CD library originally developed for GigaStudio, which is the version that I have reviewed here. The library was produced by Sonic Implants Jennifer Hruska, who spent nine years at Kurzweil and was responsible for many of their most memorable sounds and products. It is an elegant library that provides the user with a fresh new sound, different from any of the existing string libraries. The source material was recorded in July and August of 2001 using musicians from the Boston Pops and Boston Ballet Orchestras. The sessions were recorded at Sonic Temple studio in Roslindale, Massachusetts. Sonic Temple studio is an esthetically and acoustically beautiful room with flooring made of wide pine planks. Its high ceilings and great acoustics made this room an obvious choice for the project. The sessions were engineered RIAA award-winning engineer John Bono and Emmy-winning engineer Antonio Oliart. They helped craft each element of the recording process into the cohesive and unified foundation upon which the library is built. The sessions yielded over 100 hours of source material recorded with the musicians in their normal orchestral seating positions. Consequently, all samples are placed in a correct left to right position. In addition, some of the rooms ambience and the front to back placement has been captured via the overhead microphones. After a year of work, SI released an impressive library that is suitable for use in many orchestral settings. The library arrives in a 12" x 12" box that is reminiscent of an album box that would enclose your favorite multi-LP recording. The package is complete with a registration card, a 32-page overview and installation manual, and an instrument list manual that also outlines which controllers are implemented with each program. The install process is quite easy, coming in at just over an hour on my system. Each of the five sections occupies three discs, with the exception of the basses, which are contained on two. The first disc for each section contains an installer program that guides you through the install procedure. The library is installed into seven folders as five sections (first and second violins, violas, celli and basses) and two ensembles. Each folder contains from ten to 13 different .gig files, each representing a different articulation or playing style. Within these .gig files are over 900 individuals GigaStudio instrument files. With only a couple of exceptions, all of the sections are represented with similar .gig and instrument files. You will find most common articulations and performance styles, including legato, espressivo, con sordino, tremolos (ordinaire and sul ponticello), trills (whole and half step), harmonics (natural and artificial), staccato, spiccato, pizzicato, col legno and various effects. The two ensemble folders actually contain one ensembles material split into two .gig files. These include the same articulations found in the violins and violas sans the effects bank.

As mentioned in the beginning of this review, the string sound captured in this library is quite beautiful, though somewhat different from that of other major libraries. The word intimate comes to mind. The sound can still be warm and full but there is a delicacy or intimacy about it. Oliart and Bono succeeded in capturing a great string sound while allowing it to be enhanced by the character of the studio in just the right way. It is obvious that extreme care was taken with all aspects of the process. The results sound very natural and are also incredibly easy to play. For the most part, chromatic keymapping is used when possible. However, exploring the GigaInstruments with the GS editor shows that there are some situations when samples are stretched to adjacent semitones. There was probably recorded material for these notes, but the programmers must have used what they thought made for the best sound. Sample ranges are as follows: violins G3 to C7, violas C3 to C6, celli C2 to G5 and basses C1 to G4. The complement of musicians used is somewhat smaller when compared to other string libraries, weighing in with eight first violins, six seconds, six violas, five celli and four double basses. Lets explore the sounds. The legato banks are presented as 30 Instrument files (15 Instruments in both release and no-release versions). Most have three-velocity layers, though there are some with four. All of the Instruments are distinguished as up-bow, down-bow articulations or up-and-down-bow articulations. Like all of the sustained long note banks, these are flawlessly looped. The tone is warm and beautiful in the first velocity layer and increasingly bright and vibrant through the third layer. Comparing the first and second violins, I found that the tones are very compatible, with subtle but effective differences in panning positions and timbre. The violas are very dark and rich in their lowest octave. The cellos are captured beautifully, with tones that allow great tenderness or more aggressive lines, while the basses are full and dark. The con sordino banks are exquisite, yet somber. They are some of the best muted string sounds Ive heard. The layered crossfade Instruments are virtually seamless, allowing for wonderful swells and tapered lines. Using the lowest velocity layer, you can achieve superb introspective phrases. As you increase the velocity, the lines become more intense and poignant. The cello is especially expressive its highest rangesomething that is sometimes not accurately captured in library recordings. When compared to the other sections, the cellos low C has a more aggressive attack that makes it slightly more difficult to control. Using a little overlap when approaching the note blends it just fine. The espressivo banks are very expressive, with a much deeper and broader vibrato than the legato banks, especially in the third velocity layer. The attacks are slower (and can further slowed by using CC16), resulting in Instruments that work well for slower ultra-expressive phrases. There is a doubled Instrument in the violins and viola section that yields a larger sound. Again, the intensity of the high cello samples is dead-on accurate. Because of the longer sustain that sounds after the release of a key, take care not to use too much key overlap with these Instruments, since this can result in a very synthetic sound. There are two short bow banks. The spiccato banks have great air in their releases. This makes them ideal for use in light and fast phrases. Up- and down-bowed presets are included, as are Instruments

using up-/down-bowings alternated on each semitone. With the exception of the legato banks, the staccato banks will probably get the most use in your compositions. These are four velocity-layered programs with the fourth layer consisting of a marcato sample played with the frog of the bow. These Instruments have great consistency in terms of the length of each sample, but subtle variations add to the realism. Alternate between the second and third layers for maximum realism, especially for repeated notes. Also, try interspersing a few notes from a spiccato bank within a phrase performed mostly with a staccato bank. The pizzicato presets use four-velocity layers and are switchable (via the modwheel) between two distinct sets, the first being a tight controlled pizzicato and the second a looser style. Alternating between the two in a pizzicato phrase adds variation that ensures more realism. Also included are Instruments whose fourth layer is a snap Bartk pizzicato. Alternative keymappings are included as well. The pizzicato Instruments are very lively and fun to play. Because of the natural pannings recorded in the samples, it is very effective to play phrases that hand off the pizzicatos from section to section, allowing them to move around the orchestra. The col legno banks are the smallest in size, made up of only one velocity layer. They possess a good balance between wood strike and note sound, making them very playable in a number of applications. Typically this performance style is used in louder passages, so the forte representation here is adequate. However, it would have been nice to have a louder and softer layer as well. The remaining four banks are more specialized. The trills banks contain whole-step and half-step trills that are modwheel-switchable. They are looped and available with and without release-triggered samples. The Instruments are looped and use three velocity layers. The first layer is very delicate and soft, useful for a number of quieter and more delicate settings. The second and third layers get progressively louder and more intense. The layered Instruments allow you to crossfade between velocities and are very effective for crescendo/decrescendo phrases. The speed of the trills is very consistent among all notes and all Instruments. The tremolo banks contain three velocity-layered sets of regular tremolos (ordinaire) and sul ponticello versions (played near the bridge of the instrument). These are programmed in a number of versions, allowing them to be crossfaded or modwheel-switched. Released and non-released versions are included. Crossfading between the two gives the impression that the players are moving the bows closer to or further from the bridge as they play. The harmonics banks contain both natural and artificial harmonics. They use a single velocity layer that has a perfect balance between bow noise and glassy tone, making them very haunting but beautiful. The cello artificial harmonics contain the most bow noise and are somewhat unusable, but the natural harmonics are nice and very effective. The bass Instrument includes only the natural harmonics. I assume this is due to the difficulty in achieving effective artificial harmonics. Celli and basses are also presented with pizzicato harmonics, which are produced by plucking the string while fingering the harmonic.

The effects banks are performances that use scratches, tremolo scratches, multi-toned glissando harmonics phrases (looped and non-looped) and tones that are bowed on and behind the bridge. The scratches and tremolo scratches are transposed and keymapped over an extended range from their unity note, which makes the tempo and pitch of the scratches changes dramatically over the range. In the extreme ranges, they become unusable, even for effects. The ensemble banks are composites of all five sections presented in several different articulations. All of the articulations included in the individual sections are also presented in the ensembles except for the effects articulations. These banks employ fewer samples (more sharing) and fewer velocity layers. They are programmed to allow a very smooth transition from section to section. Obviously there is overlap between stringed instruments, so these Instruments are best for use: -As a writing pad, to gain access to all of the instruments quicklythese are great for use as the composite layer that I discuss in the writing chapters. -In live performancesif you need a great-sounding string orchestra that you can play live, this should be among the top contenders. -In compositions where you dont have the time to record separate section lines. -In demos, where you are trying to show the overall idea, but without using multiple articulations in each section. The majority of the long note programs include both release sample and no release sample versions. These are identified with an R or NR in the patch name and are conveniently segregated into the two categories under each .gig file. (Because of a flaw within GS, the files are included in reverse order on some systems. This means that the programs under the No Release Versions are actually the release programs. Updates to the GS system software will prevent this.) By using the release versions of the programs, you hear the recorded release inserted on the ends of the notes. These are excellently programmed and are virtually seamless and extremely realistic. However, along with this realism comes an impact on your polyphony. If you use a four-layer crossfade version of a program, you have four notes playing simultaneously, even though youre only hearing one layer at a time. If you use the release sample version of the program, you then add four more notes to the equation. Consequently, even with single lines, you are using eight notes. Add a slight overlap to the notes during recording and youre up to 16 notes. Doing this in all five sections will soon eat up most if not all of your polyphony, so youll need a fast and robust machine dedicated to this library if you want to work in this way. Most of the articulations within the library were captured in both up- and down-bowings. This means you can access up-bow Instruments, down-bow Instruments or combined Instruments that use both up- and down-bow samples. These are available as Instruments that crossfade between bowings or as banks that switch between them. There are also Instruments that assign alternating up- and downbow samples to every semitone. For the most part, the up-bow samples start with a more vibrant and thinner tone, while the down-bows start with a fuller and slightly warmer sound. I highly recommend using the switchable up/down Instruments and editing the bank to change the switch control from modwheel to footswitch. This allows you to quickly and intuitively change bowing directions.

Preset controls for most of the Instruments are: 1) -CC#1, which is used for crossfading layered programs and switching between two articulations and is usually assigned to the modwheel on most controllers; 2) -CC#16, which controls envelope attack and release time and is usually assigned to GPC1 within GS; 3) -CC#17, which controls Release Envelope (GPC2 within GS) and 4) -CC#80, which gains access to open strings and is typically assigned to GPC5 within GS. The Rev 1.1 update that is available online is necessary to implement this last function. I find it difficult to use the pre-assigned modwheel (CC1) controller with this library. I dont like to use a wheel as a switch. I find it much easier to simply assign two buttons on my controller as CC#1-value 0 and CC#1-value 127 and save it as a new preset. Then I can easily make the change with the touch of a button. I spoke to SIs David Fox about their decision to implement the modwheel control instead of keyswitching. He informed me that they queried many composers who use GS about their preferences with control function. They told him that they often were unhappy using the keyswitching function since it became part of the notated score. Also, as Ive mentioned elsewhere in this book, DAW programs do not chase keyswitching and this can cause many headaches. Consequently, because CCs are chased, this is a way around these limitations. If you find that working with the footswitch is easier, simply apply it as the switch controller. For situations where a slightly larger sound is called for, you can combine two similar Instruments. For instance, for larger first violin lines, try layering the legato and con sordino Instruments together. You can also layer Instruments from the first and second banks together, especially with the legato, con sordino and espressivo banks. This library works exceedingly well for huge unison, octave or double octave melodies, where the violins, violas and celli are all playing the same line, though perhaps in different octaves. This yields a powerful voice for large tutti orchestrations. For lines that need the attack and articulation of the staccato banks, but also call for a longer sustain, layering Instruments from the legato and staccato banks is very useful. In order to facilitate use of multiple articulations in each instrument, it is probably worth the effort to reprogram the library to implement controller switching in lieu of the modwheel and some alternate layerings. Consider using the Instruments listed below as your main workforce: -Up-bow legato with MW three-layer crossfading, -Down-bow legato with MW three-layer crossfading, -Up-bow staccato/down-bow staccato with CC switching and -Up-bow spiccato/down-bow spiccato with CC switching. In regards to the sound and playability of the library, when compared to GOS, EWQLSO, VSL and some of the other string libraries, because of the size of the group recorded, the overall tone of this library is more intimate and warm. The sound is more like that of a soundtrack such as A River Runs Through It, as opposed to, say, a large scale sci-fi or epic sound. This intimacy is a great asset for the library since there are many situations that would benefit from the smaller size and warmth of the

library. If youve ever been in a situation where another library overshadows what is on the screen or seems out of scope, youll really appreciate this library. Please note, however, that by layering different Instruments together, it is possible to obtain a large, epic sound. Second, this is a collection that has fewer articulations and fewer ready-to-use performance controls. As such, it requires some extra programming work on your part if you want to add functionality and control. Once you become familiar with the library, adding functionality is really quite easy. Probably the only thing missing that I would have liked to see included would be a no vibrato bank, especially in the legato long notes. This is a commonly used style in film writing and it would have been much used. Sure, you could always use more of the esoteric articulations that are included in GOS and some of the other libraries, but what is presented here is more than adequate for a great result. Also, it would be nice for SI to offer some downloads of pre-built Instruments containing multi-articulations. Frankly, the limitations of GS 2.x are somewhat responsible for their not being included. Perhaps when GS 3.0 arrives, it will be possible to better organize the single articulations into switchable layers that are chased and instantly accessible. The final thing I find very useful about this library is that it can easily be layered with other libraries to change the sound and overall timbre. Ive used it with GOS, VSL and EWQLSO among others, and the outcome is always an enhanced and useful sound. Depending on which articulations you use with what other library, it can be used to thicken, soften, warm, accentuate or make the overall character or articulations more subtle. SI offers a EXS24 version of the library as well. In talking with Sonic Implants David Fox, I was told that there are only minor differences between the EXS24 and Giga versions of the library. Obviously, the EXS24 version uses 24-bit samples instead of the 16-bit samples used with the 2.x version of GigaStudio. Additionally, there are release samples included on the CDs but they are not implemented into the programming because of the current issue with EXS24s handling of release triggers. When Emagic addresses this functionality, SI will offer the appropriate updates for the library to add the release triggers to the patches. David also said there are some slight differences in the programming because of the differences in each samplers architecture and functionality, but because we did not review the EXS24 version, I cannot comment further on these differences. For those interested in obtaining this version of the library, I suggest that you use the detailed Giga 2.x review as a reference and contact SI directly with specific questions. A cross-grade to the EXS24 version is available by contacting Sonic Implants directly. Finally, SI also offers a mini version of this library, which contains many fewer articulations but at a reduced price. Included in the mini library are sets of pre-built banks of articulations (which is possible due to the limited number of samples used). Check SIs website for more details.

Vienna Symphonic Library (VSL)

Since the time when serious orchestral library production began, there have been three library products that have caused significant paradigm shifts in the way composers work. The first was the

Vitous library; then came Gary Garritans work on GOS; and finally the Vienna Symphonic Library. VSL was born out of the dreams of Herb Tucmandl, an Austrian Renaissance man whose life had already allowed him a turn at film scoring, classical music composition, film directing and playing cello with the Vienna Philharmonic. Herbs VSL journey began in 1995 when he realized the limitations put upon him by the orchestral libraries available at the time. He dreamed of creating a sample library of the highest caliber imaginable, where it would be possible to fool just about anyone into thinking that music written with the samples was actually made with real orchestra. He put together thousands of cello samples to demonstrate his ideas and after assembling the proper team and financing, he began the production of VSL. As his project has matured, so too has the technology necessary to achieve it. Streaming sampling has made VSL a reality along with the very methodical approach taken by Tucmandl and the entire VSL team. Because Herb knew that the librarys source material would be the crucial element for success, it was decided early on that a recording facility would need to be built for recording the VSL musicians. The Silent Stage is the result of this decision. It is a virtually soundproof room (in the strictest and most literal sense) providing up to 90dB of isolation from the sounds of the outside world. The studio was designed especially for reproducing and recording classical instruments. It allows 24-hour access to the facilitya necessity for the number of man-hours needed to record the source material. It also ensures acoustic consistency of the library by allowing the team to position the players in the same positions day after day while providing constant microphone distances and settings. The stage was completed in 2001 and the task of recording the source material began. As all of this implies, VSL is captured with little or no reverb, although there are early reflections present in the samples. This allows you to position the orchestra in a virtual space of your choosing, preferably a convolution reverb. As a result of the stage, the technology and the numbers of musicians recorded, the presets are collectively full and warm and representative of a large orchestral sound. Depending on the reverb that you use, you can easily achieve sounds ranging from moderately intimate to large and symphonic. However, the number of players used is more indicative of a large orchestra that would typically be housed and recorded in a large facility, so hall reverbs will give the best result. The Vienna Symphonic Library is the most ambitious orchestral sample library ever produced. Created by a team of over 40 talented producers and engineers as well as several dozen of Viennas orchestral players, VSL is an extraordinary library in terms of quality and of size (1,139,000 samples and counting). Because it is constantly updated and expanded, it will probably always be the prevailing product in terms of size. The library is available as several versions and in several volumes. The library uses VSLs player which is very easy to use once you become familiar with it. Each player is meant to load and playback a single instrument. VSL is an extremely comprehensive library, providing just about every articulation imaginable within the main orchestral instruments. The sound produced by VSL is simply stunning. The quality of the samples is excellent, with absolutely no noise. These are the quietest samples Ive ever heard. The Silent Stage certainly does its job. Many of the samples are pianissimo or quieter, which would certainly show the inclusion of any noise. Even increasing the volume level of these extremely quiet

samples demonstrates no noise. In terms of volume levels, the dynamic levels of each instrument are very evenly matched, which greatly speeds up both the composition and the final mix process. The intonation of the samples is perfect and the attacks and releases throughout each articulation are consistent. Most of the presets are sampled chromatically and use four dynamic layers.

Documentation VSL comes with excellent documentation in the form of printed manuals. PDF files of the manuals are available to registered users on the VSL website. The manuals are well thought out and very well written. Each manual provides a listing of the instruments included, an introduction to the project, installation instructions, and an overview of the file architecture and mappings. The remaining pages are dedicated to descriptions of the individual instruments used to record the source material, the instruments sonic characteristics and comprehensive information on the .gig files and presets, including mapping and range information, the number of samples used, the amount of RAM used, the manner in which the presets should be used and much more. The string manual is the smallest at 251 pages; the other manuals are all over 500 pages.

Organization A library of this size must have a strong organizational base. Luckily for us, VSL was well thought out in advance. Each of the libraries is structured in a similar way. There is a folder for each instrument group (e.g., in the String library there are violins, violas, cellos, basses, string ensembles folders). Within these folders, instruments are presented as various groups of articulations, dependent upon the instrument type. A number of articulations are included for each library. Finally, within each of these subdivided groups are categories based on preset types (presets are also listed in the tables). Not all of the presets are available for each articulations group. The Strings The Strings volume includes samples recorded with the appropriate number of players within each section so as to create a balanced sound14 violins, 10 violas, 8 cellos and 6 double basses. There is also a composite string ensemble bank intended primarily for use in composing. VSL does not include separate first and second violin presets, mandating that the composer utilize the techniques described within this text to create a second violin section from the single section included. The levels between presets are matched perfectly for all layers and all instruments. This makes composing a joy. Pull up a bank and playno need for volume changes for initial balances. The string articulations cover most of the bread-and-butter needs and a few others as well. There are long notes, staccatos, dtachs and trills. The pizzicatos are presented with and without vibrato and in tight and loose formats. A Bartk pizz is also included in all sections. Youll also find octave runs in both legato and spiccato styles for all major and minor keys and octave and two-octave chromatic scales. These are presented at 140 and 200 BPM in f and p dynamics. You can also remove the start note using a

keyswitch. In many presets, the modwheel controls the direction of the run (up or down). There are also banks of muted articulations as well as tremolo sul ponticello performances. There are grace note banks that provide half- and whole-tone up or down slurred grace notes. Long notes are presented with and without vibrato. As is the norm with live performances, the vibrato incorporated into the strings is more intense and faster in louder dynamics and faster attacked notes. The violin sound is very clear and pristine but also rich and warm. In the event that you want a more intense sound, there are ff espressivo presets that include a deeper and wider vibrato. The character of the sounds changes dependent on the dynamic and articulation. The quiet samples provide a beautiful hushed quality while still preserving the sweetness of the sound with just the right balance between bow noise and tone. The mf layers can be used to produce gorgeous melodies and the louder layers are strong and intense and are perfect for loud, articulate phrases. All vibrato presets display a medium amount of vibrato, making them appropriate for just about any type of music. They can be used to produce extremely emotional lines quite easily. As the dynamics increase, the tone gets larger and more intense. The sound is bright but not overly bright. The long notes are perfectly looped with little to no loop artifacts noticeable. The loudest ff espressivo layers are extremely intense, making them perfect candidates for use in large tutti melodies. There is only one bank of violins, meaning that there is not a separate one for second violins.

As with the violins, all of the strings, winds and brass include variable dynamics presets. This is something that the Vitous library implemented with varying success. However, VSL has perfected the technique and these presets enhance the realism dramatically. The timbre of virtually all instruments changes as the instrument gets louder or softer. This occurs most in the brass instruments and least in the winds. This change can be emulated via filters, but it is most effective to utilize actual recordings of the dynamic change. VSL includes presets utilizing crescendo and diminuendo in three intensities (light, medium and strong), with presets made up of up to four dynamic layers and with several different durations. Some are played with vibrato and some not. The result of this work is that we are able to pick and choose very effectively the type of dynamic change that works best for the phrase in question. This adds the potential for a new technique for the MIDI orchestrator. Instead of only implementing CC#7/CC#11 or crossfade changes to address dynamic changes, you can now choose specific presets that have the appropriate changes recorded into the source material. Certainly, this will add a little work, but the results can be stunning and well worth the extra effort.

The violas are beautifully recorded with a warmth and intensity incorporated in the sound. The performances provide quiet attacks with broad vibrato. They have the same delicate, breathy sound in their softer dynamics, but their sound is characteristically fuller and more meaty in the lowest octave.

The intensity of the ff layers is again perfect for melodies, and since violas often double the violins at the octave in melodies in tutti passages, the viola blends very well with the same layers of the violins. These are incredibly playable presets that you will find unique among string libraries. I find that the sound in the lowest octave is particularly beautifulopen and hollow; the depth that these sounds will give your orchestrations is uncanny. The col legno presets are standouts, with the increased resonance of the viola producing a large, fat sound. The cello presets are beautiful, with warmth and power in the low range and more intensity and vibrato in the highest range. For even more intensity, the sffz presets are excellent for very expressive performances, especially in the highest range. The pizzicatos and col legno banks are excellent, capable of delicate or powerful performances. The crossfaded four-layer long notes are phenomenal. The swells and fades and subtle phrasing that these presets allow make them among the most valuable in the library. The double basses are full and powerful. The long notes are extremely full and complex in overtones, making them prizes for film composers who use a lot of bass drones in their music. The shorter articulations use four layers. Producing notes that are played exactly together is harder on the bass than on the other strings, but attention to detail here has paid off. Even in the higher ranges, these samples retain their depth and fullness. Harp presets are included in the string library. The instrument is presented in a single .gig file as single plucks, muted plucks, harmonics, prs de la table (played near the body of the instrument) and bisbigliando. Release samples are included for the presets. The prs de la table presets include more attack and have a sharper sound with less sustain. The bisbigliando preset uses a tremolo techniquethe term actually means whispering. The result is a sustained roll that can be used in melody or in simple two- or three-voice accompaniments. In addition, there are seven glissando .gig filesmajor, minor, major seventh, minor seventh, diminished seventh and pentatonic. These include presets that feature fifteen samples of different lengths. Each preset contains slow, medium and fast glissandi that can be used individually or by combining them together (from the same tempo category or from different categories) to produce performances. These samples are gorgeous. They were recorded from far enough away so as to obtain a perfect orchestral harp soundnot too full and not too thin. These harp presets are among the best that are currently available.

The Brass and Woodwinds The brass and woodwinds are presented as solo instruments as well as trumpet, French horn, and trombone ensembles. All of the solo instruments feature a fairly narrow stereo field, which helps tremendously when placing the instruments into the orchestral mix. A multitude of playing techniques and articulations is presented, including three variations of crescendo and decrescendo, combinations of crescendo/decrescendo, flutter-tonguing, glissandos, three types of attacks (soft, normal and hard), half- and whole-tone trills, tremolos, staccatos, portatos, sforzandos, sustains, four types of vibrato (light, medium, strong and none) and more. The instruments are beautifully recorded with excellent

tuning and consistent levels. The variations in attacks and vibrato give you a tremendous amount of flexibility. By interspersing samples with different attacks and vibrato amounts throughout your lines, you can take your MIDI orchestrations to the next level. There are also a large number of note lengths included! The trumpet ensembles and solo presets are captured with four vibrato variations. This is particularly important since the amount of vibrato used is dependent on playing style, repertoire and whether the instrument is playing solo or in ensemble. The dynamics of the instrument are well represented with quiet and subtle sounds in the lower layer and intense power in the loudest. The ensemble presets are perfect for melodies in huge tutti orchestral settings. Internal tunings in the sustains are subtle but present. The piccolo trumpet is powerful, while its articulations provide the means to produce very light and agile performances. Even in the highest register, the player performed the notes flawlessly, with no cracks or struggling attacks. The bass trumpet is an instrument that I was unfamiliar with. The sound of the instrument is more mellow than the trumpet and it extends down to C2. Though it wont be used every day, it is a great adjunct to the normal trumpet arsenal. The French horns were recorded with Vieneese horns instead of the more common double French horn. As such, the sound is somewhat different from what most Western ears are used to hearing. They are fuller sounding with less of a metallic sound in their ff dynamic. They are almost reminiscent of a baritone, but with a French horn character still present. Because horns are such an important part of the orchestral fabric, the missing double horns have been one of the most disappointing aspects to the library for me and for countless others. In fact, most individuals I know use the horns from another library with VSL. So it was a great joy when VSL announced that double horns are being released in the Horizon Series Epic Horns library. The trombones are well represented with three solo instruments and an ensemble. Use two tenor presets along with a bass preset for maximum effectiveness. The gruff and bombastic nature of the instrument when played in a loud fashion with powerful attacks is perfectly captured. These presets are perfect for John Williams types of accompaniments. The solo instruments have a lot of depth to them, even in quieter dynamics. The contrabass trombone was a great surprise for me. It is a much fuller-sounding instrument than the bass trombone and it extends the range to A#0! Very low indeed. The timbre of the instrument changes dramatically throughout the three dynamic layers from warm and full to thin and intense. The tubas are outstanding, each with a slightly different tone. Most of your needs will be met with the basic tuba presets. However, the contrabass tuba has a fuller and more powerful sound, though it is not as agile. The Wagner tuba presets include fewer articulations, but this instruments interesting sound makes it a great adjunct. It is pitched higher than the C tuba, and it sounds like a cross between a French horn and a tuba. For orchestrations that require a huge low end, try layering the C tuba and the contrabass tuba together, or you can use them in parallel as if two tubas are playing at once. The cimbasso is beautifully recorded, showcasing its mellow and full sound throughout its entire dynamic and melodic range. The cimbasso does not exhibit the same brassiness as other brass instruments, which makes it a great instrument for melody as well as background sustains and pads.

The woodwinds are well represented in VSL, with virtually every major orchestral wind candidate being included. The articulations included in the winds provide the MIDI orchestrator with excellent choices that will leave few looking for more. The flute choices include piccolo, two different flutes and an alto flute. Each of these instruments provides multiple attacks and vibratos. Using the legato tool with these instruments results in incredibly realistic lines. The piccolo is vibrant and intense and the short note presets can produce highly articulate phrases. The flutes soar in the higher ranges while sounding sultry in the lower octave. The addition of the second concert flute allows you to make first and second chair flute parts with no sample duplication in many situations. The vibrato incorporated into the flutes seems to be perfect for all types of playing. The warm and velvety alto flute is a particularly nice adjunct to the library. The runs (major, minor and special) are beautifully executed, clean and perfectly played. When you depress a note, the run begins. By not waiting until the run ends but instead triggering another run(s), you can produce complex runs that are very realistic-sounding. The oboe included within VSL is not the typical instrument that most Americans are used to hearing. This is a Viennese oboe, which is the standard instrument played in Vienna. Americans are more apt to hear the French instrument or sometimes the English/American instrument. The tone of the Viennese instrument is a little thicker overall. The original oboe samples did not include vibrato, which limited their usefulness at best. However, vibrato samples were included in the first major update. (I personally like the sound of the VSL oboe and have used it in several productions. However, there are many times that I yearned for the French oboe sound, so I was thrilled to hear about VSLs new Horizon series, which includes a French oboe library.) The English horn presets are very good, but no vibrato was recorded in much of the source material including the legato performance samples. The clarinet presets capture the wonderful open character that the lower range produces. These presets are among the most expressive in the wind library. It is possible to produce very poignant lines as well as fast articulate ones. The softest dynamics produce delicate notes that are very expressive. The bass clarinet is a joy to play as well. I would like to see a little more vibrato in some of the long note banks, but what is included is very good. The bassoons and contrabassoons are remarkablevery playable in any style of music. The vibrato samples include just the right amount of vibrato for just about any melodic line.

The Percussion The percussion library is full-featured, with all the basic orchestral instruments represented plus hordes of others. The snare presets feature four velocity layers and include alternating hits (open and muted), rolls of varying lengths, rimshots and rim clicks, all played with sticks and brushes. An additional tremolo or rolls preset includes a large number of rollsstatic, crescendo, decrescendo and crescendo/decrescendo. An upbeat bank includes flams, drags and ruffs. Each of these banks is included for the snare, piccolo snare and field drum. There are also several snare ensemble presets that were recorded with four players. These produce a large sound that is very appropriate for militaristic scores.

The bass drum features the same three banks with a more limited number of variations. Open and muted hits as well as rim clicks are included, as are a number of rolls with the same treatment as the snares. Several sizes of cymbals (11 to 22 inches) are included11" Chinese, 13", 15", 20" and 22" Zildjian Avedis, 16" Avedis K1 and K2, 18" Istanbul Janissary and 20" Istanbul Symphonic. These are presented as crashes with open and muted (two variations) hits. Several also feature scrapes. There are also several cymbals featured with various hits and playing styleshits played on the rim and in the middle;normal, hard, soft, short and long muted; and hits played with a timpani mallet, a wooden stick, a brush and a bow. These cymbals include 22" Chinese, 16" crash, a 22" ride and a 12" splash. There are also a number of rolls presented on three different cymbals (unspecified) using metal mallets, wool mallets, wooden mallets and brushes. There are static rolls, hits (open and muted), and crescendo and decrescendo rolls of varying lengths. Three different tambourines are included (low, medium and high) and all include a main preset as well as an upbeat preset. The main preset contains single hits, sforzando hits, three types of thumb rolls and four types of shaken rolls. There is a full set of gongs and tam-tams including Chinese and Peking Opera styles played with felt mallets, metal and wood beaters and bows. The mallet instruments include celesta, vibes, glockenspiel, marimba and xylophone. They are presented as hits, rolls and an extensive number of glissandi. Several mallet types were used to record the source material. Each instrument is well balanced in terms of volumes and velocity layers. The bell folder includes a variety of beautifully recorded instruments that you will probably find yourself using often. The tubular bells (Deagen and Philharmonic) and the church bells presets have a tremendous depth and power. Interestingly, the church bells can create a great distant ambiance when treated with a generous amount of reverb to simulate an outdoor sound. The inclusion of two types of tubular bells was a nice touch, allowing you to further mold your orchestral sound to suit the piece. The percussion library contains many more auxiliary instruments but there are several that I feel are standouts. The crotales are fabulous. They are recorded played with a triangle beater, a metal rod and a violin bow. The struck sounds are rich and full and the bowed preset is hauntingly beautiful and perfect for melodies that would benefit from this unique sound. The Japanese Singing Bowls are stunning, with clear singing tones. Open and muted single-note hits are played with rubber and wooden mallets. These presets can be used for melody, melodic reinforcement, ostinatos, downbeat accents and many other applications. The waterphone presets are a welcome addition to the library. Though some individuals might suggest that the instrument is somewhat overused in todays film scores, it is an incredibly effective instrument in many situations and when needed, there is little if anything that can produce its type of sound. The presets feature the standard playing stylesbowed and plucked techniques of single notes (with and without modulation), arpeggios and repetitions. The timpani are presented as -single hits (six velocity layers) in which the notes are allowed to ring, muted just after the note is played and damped with a piece of cloth or felt; -1" and 4" rolls (four velocity layers),

-1", 2" and 4" medium and strong crescendos and diminuendos -1" and 2" rolled glissandi (including a minor second to a perfect fourth) -single hit glissandi (including a minor second to a perfect fourth) -single hits with 1, 2, 3 or 4 grace notes before them

Several mallet variations are utilized including medium, medium hard and hard wood and felt types. There is even a set of presets played with the fingers. The timpani are full and deep with a nice even balance between the attack and sustain portions of the sound. They are miked in such a way so as to complement the remaining VSL library. The instruments respond to high-quality reverb very well and they can be positioned in a mix with little effort. In addition to the individual percussion presets, there are two percussion collections that incorporate several instruments into a unified preset. The first set includes the following bread-and-butter instruments and playing techniques: -tam-tamsoft felt mallet played on two drums, mapped E1 to F1 -bass drumsingle hits (left and right), 4" rolls with release sample and muted hits -snare drumsingle hits (left and right), 4" rolls with release samples, muted left and right hits, slow and fast rebounds -crash cymbals(22" Zildjian Avedis, 18" Istanbul Janissary) crashes played ringing and muted -suspended cymbalssingle hits (open and muted) played with wool mallets and 8 rolls -tambourinesingle hits and shakes -trianglesingle hits, rolls and mutes The second set includes the following auxiliary instruments: -jingle bellssingle hits -jingle ringsingle hits -bamboo shakersingle hits -wood guiroup and down strokes played with no accented attack -metal wind chimesplayed up/down with a slow motion -thundersheetloud and soft hits -high and low caxixisingle hits and upbeats -railsingle hits (left and right hands) -clavessingle hits -rainmakerslow and fast sustains -bells played with metal malletssingle hits These sets provide a nice approach to ensemble programming and serve as good starting points for those who wish to build their own presets. Remember that the library is constantly expanding (check the website for the latest number of samples used!), so use the information Ive included here as an overview and not a definitive listing of current instruments, samples or features. Also, please see description in the book of VSLs MIR and other interface information.

Conclusions While providing such a tremendous amount of material, VSL is still surprisingly easy to use. This is the result of the methodical approach that the team has used on each and every instrument and preset. It is hard to imagine many improvements that could be incorporated to make this library better suited for advanced MIDI orchestrations.

LA Scoring Strings
One of the more recent libraries to come onto the scene is LA Scoring Strings (LASS) from audiobro. It is the result of film composer Andrew Keresztes frustration with the current libraries. It is comprises of nearly 40 GB of 16- and 24-bit samples (6 DVDs) for Kontakt 3.5 or later. This is an incredibly realistic sounding library that really shines and fills in the holes left by other libraries. In particular, its approach to rhythmical lines is extremely clevermore on this in a bit. The samples are recorded with the players in their proper seating and with no reverb (other than typical early reflections). However, you can pan the samples anywhere youd like within Kontakt. The library incorporates a good variety of articulations including legato, staccato, pizzicato, spiccato, tremolo, sustain (looped), muted, major and minor trills, portamento and glissando and muted. One of the fist things that makes this library different from other high-end libraries is that it features true divisi instrumentation. LASS calls this AUTO ARRANGER. Using this script means that when you play one note in the violins, all players with play that note. However, if you play two notes, (which would be notated in real scoring as a divisi), LASS will assign smaller sections to each note. LASS includes the full 16-player section, an 8-player section, two 4-player sections and a first chair section leader. Using advanced scripting within Kontakt, this becomes a totally behind the scene process, but it adds incredible realism by removing the organ-like quality of sound that occurs when playing multiple notes in one section within other libraries (if they allow you to trigger and play more than one note at a time).

LASSs approach to legato phrasing is very realistic. By holding down the sustain pedal (when using legato patches), you enable Real Legato script within Kontakt, which loads and plays back the appropriate legato samples (but does not cause the overlapped notes to play simultaneously). These samples include the slight portamento and glissando that occurs within the change of notes. Many other libraries have attempted a similar approach, but Andrew nailed it here. This technique produces extremely realistic legato playing.

Before LASS was released, Andrew put up a few demos on his website. Without question, it was his incredibly realistic fast passages that caught my ear. LASS uses ART (auto Rhythm Tool) to produce these incredibly realistic passages. When short articulations are loaded , pressing the sustain pedal initiates the ART script. There are 10 groups of thythmic patterns to choose from and you can create your own very easily. Essentially, you choose from eighth-note, eighth-note triplets and sixteenth-note rhythms and then you modify the loudness (velocity) of the various notes to create different accents. LASS uses round robin and random choices to produce a result that is incredibly realistic. One of my favorite parts of LASS is its full fledged harmonic banks (rather than the slim pickings found in many other high-end libraries). I love to use harmonics in scoring and these are very playable and pleasing to the ear. Also, the muted strings are gorgeous.