NEW: **Studio Series** SYNCHRON-ized Solo Strings Walkthrough — Transcript

Full transcript

1. 0:04Hi and welcome!
2. 0:05In this video, we will check out how our incredible SYNCHRON-ized Solo Strings
3. 0:10with more than 150.000 samples have been implemented in our Synchron Player,
4. 0:16and how you can benefit from this transition!
5. 0:19We decided to go with our Full preset and the Close mixer preset,
6. 0:24with each player in the correct position with the orchestra.
7. 0:28Of course, you will find mixer presets with different player positions
8. 0:32and also more choice for solo performances and more intimate settings.
9. 0:38Herb Tucmandl himself has created the examples in this video
10. 0:43and he added a short explanation to each of them.
11. 0:46We'll start with the single notes and the shortest articulations for the Solo Cello 1, the spiccatos.
12. 1:00As soon as you are playing faster, spiccato is the "weapon of choice",
13. 1:04and for the Solo Strings, we have even recorded a "Performance" version
14. 1:08that captures all interval steps an octave downwards and upwards from every note in the range of the instrument.
15. 1:16Just like a legato, but with the incredibly quick playing style,
16. 1:20which gives you authentic transitions when playing those highly artistic spiccato figures.
17. 1:26On top of this, you get a "Fast" variation of the performance spiccato,
18. 1:30where we have extracted half and whole-tone steps from scales,
19. 1:35so those are incredible tools for playing fast scales.
20. 1:39The Auto-Speed mode switches for you between normal and fast performance spiccatos,
21. 1:45depending on your playing speed.
22. 1:57As spiccato playing is naturally limited in terms of volume,
23. 2:01we have recorded some harsh articulations, where our players played as loud and brutal as possible,
24. 2:08without breaking the instrument.
25. 2:16Also, a great tool to emphasize intensity
26. 2:19when you are using those solo instruments as the first players in a section!
27. 2:24Let's switch to the Solo Violin 1.
28. 2:27The classic staccatos are single note samples
29. 2:30and are great to use in passages with a slow to medium tempo.
30. 2:39All detachés are single note samples and are now equipped with our release sample technology
31. 2:46which allows for a more authentic performance with shorter notes
32. 2:50and adds a lot of flexibility for your playing.
33. 3:11And Vibrato XFade allows you to blend between no vibrato and vibrato.
34. 3:16As this is always tricky with solo instruments, it will work best with fast transitions.
35. 3:22The default controller for Vibrato XFade is CC 20.
36. 3:26The "Performance" detachés are designed to let you play a connected detaché legato –
37. 3:32the very important difference to the performance legato
38. 3:36is that the performance detaches were recorded with a bow-change with every interval.
39. 3:51Next up, the long notes, and you can see that you have a great selection to choose from -
40. 3:57incredibly helpful to create authentic performances,
41. 4:00as each of these variations adds a different nuance.
42. 4:24This is what a real-life player will select from automatically when interpreting a musical phrase,
43. 4:30by controlling the level of vibrato
44. 4:33and using different levels of marcato to accentuate different notes.
45. 4:38Our new Stretching Engine is a great tool here,
46. 4:41as you can influence the vibrato speed in real-time, with CC 34.
47. 4:46To get there, activate Stretching in the Edit window (don't activate Host Syncing, we will come to that later)
48. 4:53and control the vibrato speed in realtime with the stretch factor.
49. 4:58The default value of this stretch factor is 64. Low values will result in a slower vibrato,
50. 5:06higher values will speed up the vibrato.
51. 5:21Next in line: Our famous Performance Legatos.
52. 5:25What's new in this SYNCHRON-ized version of Solo Strings
53. 5:28is that you can choose between looped and un-looped versions.
54. 5:32The looped version contains the original legato note transitions
55. 5:36and then fades into the looped sustained notes.
56. 5:39The un-looped version plays the originally recorded target note, which is about 3s long.
57. 5:59So you have more choice here, and you're always safe with the looped version when playing live.
58. 6:05There are many more options available, like legato with progressive vibrato:
59. 6:23And a "Sulla corda" legato, where every possible note is played on the deepest string of the instrument.
60. 6:38We call these articulations "Performance" articulations,
61. 6:41as all note transitions from the minor second to the octave -
62. 6:45upwards and downwards from every starting note in the range of each instrument -
63. 6:50have been recorded, and now you can authentically perform those note transitions.
64. 6:56And these transitions have always been performed without a bow-change.
65. 7:00Very useful as well: The fast legatos, in different variations.
66. 7:11We produced those by recording short scales instead of "only" one interval transition
67. 7:17and extracted the half-tone and whole-tone steps to create authentic fast transitions.
68. 7:23The Auto-Speed option reacts to your playing speed
69. 7:27and switches between regular and fast legatos for you!
70. 7:42Coming to the "Performance trills", which are incredibly useful to play trills, runs
71. 7:46and any fast figures that are repeating the same notes and transitions often.
72. 7:52To capture the material we need to create such a performance,
73. 7:56we recorded round robins of 6 interval repetitions, from a minor second to a fourth.
74. 8:10And of course, there's an Auto-Speed mode available here as well.
75. 8:33You also get 2 portamento options: A regular portamento
76. 8:37and “Zigane” with an even more intense expression.
77. 8:58Now this is a good opportunity to show some more possibilities
78. 9:01that are available with our real-time Time Stretching feature.
79. 9:05With portamento, you can now manipulate the portamento in real-time.
80. 9:10The default CC for this stretch factor is 34.
81. 9:14In most cases, you will not want to affect the vibrato intensity of the target note,
82. 9:19so you will want to use the Stretch Factor for the transition only.
83. 9:31Performance Marcato patches were recorded just like the legato,
84. 9:35but with an expressive bow-change, so you get a clear accentuation on the given target note.
85. 9:52And the fast marcatos are a great additional option to perform scale runs.
86. 10:04And you will like the Auto Speed that takes care of the articulation switching for you.
87. 10:19We're coming to the recorded "Dynamics", with the first available category
88. 10:23focusing on the volume change at the start of each note, the "Accents":
89. 10:28Fortepiano, sforzando, sforzatissimo.
90. 10:48"Soft dynamics" are crescendos and diminuendos that have been recorded in two velocities, in different lengths.
91. 10:55So you can either play a crescendo from pp to mp or from me to ff.
92. 11:02"Strong dynamics" will play through the whole range, from pp to ff, again - in different lengths.
93. 11:28These are definitely very expressive articulations,
94. 11:31and with the Synchron Player you have quite a few advantages over the VI Version:
95. 11:37We have implemented all available release samples,
96. 11:40so you play with those natural dynamics any way you like.
97. 11:43The right release sample makes sure that your note always has a perfect ending.
98. 11:49So you could create a very "careful", super-fragile portato playing
99. 11:54when you're only using the start of a crescendo.
100. 11:57And of course the same system works with the diminuendos,
101. 12:00both in a melody and of course at the end a phrase.
102. 12:20Our "Soft dynamics" come with and without vibrato and also with a Vibrato XFade option,
103. 12:26and of course, there is our Piano-fortepiano articulation, with a crescendo swell that turns into a diminuendo.
104. 12:47Time Stretching also helps to adapt the recorded length of those dynamics
105. 12:52to exactly the right length you need in your arrangement.
106. 12:56Use CC 34 for real-time control, or adjust the bpm value until the length is fine for you.
107. 13:04Let's get to the various pizzicato articulations: The normal pizzicato,
108. 13:09a "Secco" variation, where the player dampens the string right after the note has been played,
109. 13:15a "Snap" or "Bartok" pizzicato – the loudest pizzicato possible,
110. 13:20as the string is intended to hit the fingerboard for a maximum effect.
111. 13:24And, as a guest, "Col legno" - where the short notes are played with the bow that hits the string.
112. 13:46For the harmonics, the decision is between fingered and natural harmonics.
113. 13:51“Fingered” means that the strings is made shorter with one finger,
114. 13:55while the other finger triggers the harmonic of the given note – sounding 2 octaves higher!
115. 14:13"Natural harmonics" follow the harmonic series, so: Octave, Fifth, Fourth and so on...
116. 14:19and that's also the reason why the fingered harmonics are available as a chromatic scale,
117. 14:24while the natural harmonics are mapped as they are triggered on the string.
118. 14:48What both playing techniques have in common:
119. 14:50They are showing the highest registers of the instrument!
120. 14:55"Multi shorts" - a new term, but it's our old friends: the Repetitions.
121. 15:00We followed one simple principle when recording all those variations:
122. 15:05The musician didn't play single notes but repeated notes of the same pitch,
123. 15:10with a certain technique, like staccato or spiccato, in a certain tempo.
124. 15:16We have sliced those repetitions up and now, in the Synchron Player added release samples to each of them,
125. 15:22so now you can play them like our new single notes, but with the authentic note connection –
126. 15:28MORE variation, MORE authenticity,
127. 15:31and the Synchron Player switches through those round robin variations for you!
128. 15:36Why is this so important?
129. 15:37Because a repeated note on a swinging string has quite a different attack from a "normal" single note.
130. 15:44The logic behind all this has also been improved with the "Regular" repetitions.
131. 15:49In general, we decide whether a note is a starting note or if it's part of a phrase or sequence.
132. 15:57Previously, this logic was restricted to one pitch,
133. 16:01making the repetition samples "only" interesting for note repetitions of the same note.
134. 16:06But now you can combine different notes and use these different variations in all possible combinations.
135. 16:25So those multi shorts are a great universal musical tool now,
136. 16:29especially with mid-tempo and fast passages!
137. 16:34The "Dynamic" category comes with recorded crescendo and diminuendo repetitions.
138. 16:39Just like in the regular repetitions, the slower repetitions, legato and portato,
139. 16:44come with 5 dynamic steps, the faster ones come with 9 dynamic steps.
140. 16:50This category works with the "old logic", so you will play through all available dynamic steps –
141. 16:56AND back, if you stay on one note.
142. 17:07If you switch to another note, the dynamic progression will start again.
143. 17:12Great for dynamic “waves” of notes with the same pitch.
144. 17:16Crescendo starts with pp, diminuendo with ff.
145. 17:21"Dynamic layers" will be great for everyone who's interested in more flexibility for dynamic repetitions.
146. 17:27YOU can choose which dynamic stage you want to trigger,
147. 17:31so this is a great patch to work with the finest dynamic nuances in volume,
148. 17:36with the most available velocity levels –
149. 17:38up to 9 for the short repetitions!
150. 17:57The default dynamic control is with CC 01, your modulation wheel,
151. 18:02but of course, you can easily change that to velocity or key switches.
152. 18:07One small reminder: If you repeat the same note at the same dynamic level,
153. 18:11you will trigger the exact same sample – no round robins in this case.
154. 18:17All of these repetitions were played with a bow change,
155. 18:20but of course you also have repetitions without bow change available.
156. 18:24Some musicians also call this technique "bow vibrato".
157. 18:28So what hear is a stopped bow to create a repetition, and for the next "repetition",
158. 18:34the player starts to move the bow into the same direction as before.
159. 18:48The first category of the "Phrases" is tremolo, where you can choose from three variations.
160. 18:54The "Fast attack" variation has an optimized attack that lets you play a phrase conveniently,
161. 19:00as the player stays in the "tremolo flow".
162. 19:03The "Cut release" variation is great to use for fast phrases,
163. 19:07as there is no release sample in the way between the notes, so you don't have any overlaps there!
164. 19:13It's a good idea to switch to switch to the fast attack patch at the end of a phrase,
165. 19:17to get a natural ending of the tremolo, with our release samples.
166. 19:34And Time Stretching is of course also a great tool to influence the tremolo intensity,
167. 19:39again - with CC 34 in real-time!
168. 19:54"Fast repetitions" are exactly what the name implies: High-speed repetitions at a fixed tempo.
169. 20:01And of course, you can fine-tune these options with Time Stretching, if you like –
170. 20:05and don't forget that you can even manipulate the repetition speed in real-time with CC 34.
171. 20:11The "Note release" option provides a release sample as you leave the key.
172. 20:16“Cut release” is the same system as with the tremolos.
173. 20:19It's easier to connect different notes without a release sample in the middle.
174. 20:24Additionally, we are providing dynamic progressions with these fast repetition.
175. 20:39The "Ricochet" technique is a very special technique: Instead of changing the bow-direction,
176. 20:45the bow is being "thrown" on the string to produce the repetitions,
177. 20:50which produces the lively, "bouncy" sound.
178. 21:01The pre-recorded half- and whole-tone trills come as "Regular" and "Dynamic" variations,
179. 21:06and even with "Accelerando" trills, where the trill frequency is increased.
180. 21:26So you have quite a few options for trills now.
181. 21:29And of course, real-time Time Stretching is a great tool in this case as well.
182. 21:40You can either choose from the available pre-recorded trills
183. 21:44and manipulate them with Time Stretching and Velocity XFade,
184. 21:47or you can perform the trills as you like,
185. 21:50with the "Performance trills" that are available with our legatos.
186. 21:55Next to the octave glissandos in two tempos, you will find performance glissandos
187. 22:00that work just like the performance legato and portamento.
188. 22:04And there's a specific patch for each string of the instrument.
189. 22:15And of course, the Synchron Player Stretch Engine now offers the possibility
190. 22:19to close the gap between slow and fast glissandos,
191. 22:23as you can slow down or accelerate all available options as you like.
192. 22:35An outstanding example for "musical patches" are the grace notes.
193. 22:40You can hear interval steps in half-tones and whole-tones,
194. 22:43performed in "Zigane" style to the major third.
195. 22:47Upwards and downwards, always in the direction to the target note.
196. 22:52You get a good idea of the player's personality from the interpretation of these "musical building blocks",
197. 22:59and you can actually get impressive and playful results using only these articulations.
198. 23:23This takes us to the "Scale runs"!
199. 23:26Our Solo Violin I contains a great selection of scale runs,
200. 23:30great for everybody who cannot play such fast runs on the keyboard.
201. 23:34And of course an authentic performance of our musician
202. 23:38will add to the realism of your arrangement.
203. 23:41You will find major and minor scales, as well as chromatic and whole-tone scales,
204. 23:46both in legato and spiccato playing techniques.
205. 23:49With this kind of patches, the Time Stretch Engine of our Synchron Player "knows" the tempo
206. 23:55and you can, therefore, sync the tempo of the run with the tempo of your sequencer.
207. 24:00Usually, those runs were recorded at a tempo of 100 bpm with 32th notes.
208. 24:06So, depending on the tempo of your piece, you can set the tempo as it is,
209. 24:10kor interpret it as halftime or double-time.
210. 24:14This way, you can perform virtuoso scales in a very easy way.
211. 24:34Those runs are of course mapped on the keys of the corresponding scale,
212. 24:38and the Synchron Player keyboard will show which keys are "active".
213. 24:43A0 and B0 lets you switch between upward runs and downward runs.
214. 24:49A little tip here: If you are working with Velocity XFade,
215. 24:53you can change the dimension controller from key switch to Velocity.
216. 24:57So now low velocities on the keyboard will trigger an upwards run,
217. 25:01while higher velocities will trigger a downwards run.
218. 25:07The terms "tasto" and "ponticello" tell the player to player closer to the fretboard (tasto),
219. 25:14or closer to the bridge (ponticello).
220. 25:17Tasto is usually used a lot for very quiet passages,
221. 25:21and ponticello for a harsher sound that's rich in harmonics.
222. 25:26And we are offering the most important articulations for these specific playing techniques
223. 25:31and have even added legato patches.
224. 25:34And now, our Synchron Player even allows us to blend between tasto, regular and ponticello articulations
225. 25:42in our factory preset assigned to CC1.
226. 26:11I hope you enjoyed this little walkthrough - see you next time!