Lord Of The Rings Violin Solo

[KirkHunter]

Someone asked me to try to do a mockup of the LOTR violin solo, so I gave it a quick try. This is straight out of the gigastudio with its NFX verb.

I\'m actually glad to do a demo of this particular cue because it shows how you can do repeated notes that are legato, without getting that robotic feel.

http://www.kirkhunterstudios.com/solodemos.html (\"http://www.kirkhunterstudios.com/solodemos.html\")

Best,
Kirk

[handz]

Hi Kirk,
The LOTR sounds very nice!
Can I ask you where do you found notes/midi for that track?

[Alexcremers]

Handz,


Use your Ears, Luke!

The Ears will be with you, always.

[Owel]

Kirk, that\'s a great sale for the combo pack. I think I\'ll be taking advantage of that. Thanks.

[KirkHunter]

Originally posted by handz:
Hi Kirk,
The LOTR sounds very nice!
Can I ask you where do you found notes/midi for that track? <font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">Hello handz,

The guy just sent me an mp3 snip of what he wanted to hear, and I just used my ears....very easy to pick out on this particular snip.

Best,
Kirk Hunter
www.kirkhunterstudios.com (\"http://www.kirkhunterstudios.com\")

[handz]

Kirk, oh, of course I could be able to compose it by ears...but Im looking for complete score ;-)

[T Parks]

I\'ve just visited the site. The virtuoso violin demo is very impressive (don\'t tell my wife - she\'s a professional fiddler!). Very expressive and just right for that passionate russian sound. Great price too!.

[MarcDerell]

Hey, that cue sounds damn cool, Kirk... a pity that it\'s that short. now I have to search for my LOTR score...aaargh, tomorrow... finally. Uhm, off-topic.

However, it really shows lots of playability.

[JonFairhurst]

Nice job Kirk. I especially like the ornamentation on the second phrase. It\'s those little things that help blur the line between craft and reality.

[Joanne Babunovic]

Very nice. The violin does have that eastern european sound to it.

[KirkHunter]

I added 2 other styles by simply popping in different articulations. One is a bit Celtic/Old Irish, and the other one is more \"Gypsy\". I just wanted to demonstrate that you\'re not stuck with only ONE style in this library.

www.kirkhunterstudios.com/solodemos.html (\"http://www.kirkhunterstudios.com/solodemos.html\")

Best,
Kirk Hunter

[Thomas_J]

Sounds nice, Kirk

Perhaps it would be a good idea to take away that live Violin Virtouso snippet since it could be misguiding for people wanting to listen to the actual samples images/icons/smile.gif


Thomas

[J. Whaley]

Kirk, I\'m a tad confused on Solo Strings - I bought it several months ago and recieved a stack of CDs in the mail. My understanding was there would one day be a more finished version but you had wanted to get it out. Then i read on the website that most files have 8-16 layers, but some may have more after completion. But I wrote you a few weeks ago and asked if there was an update and you said it\'s complete. So I\'m just wondering if there IS or IS NOT more coming with the collection?

Also I\'ve started working with Kontakt and I\'m about to start converting my giga libs - or at least some of them. I\'m wondering which way is the best in your mind for that translation. I have Chicken Sys, or I could do the Kontakt method. I\'ve haven\'t dug into Kontakt enough yet to know all the ins and outs, but I\'m sure it can\'t be too difficult images/icons/smile.gif

J-

[T Parks]

Originally posted by chocothrax:
</font><blockquote><font size=\"1\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">quote:</font><hr /><font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\"> Perhaps it would be a good idea to take away that live Violin Virtouso snippet since it could be misguiding for people wanting to listen to the actual samples
<font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">images/icons/grin.gif images/icons/shocked.gif images/icons/shocked.gif images/icons/shocked.gif images/icons/shocked.gif images/icons/grin.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">images/icons/confused.gif

[Simon Ravn]

I agree. The \"virtuoso\" demo sounds totally real. That can\'t be samples.

[T Parks]

I was so impressed I played it to my wife and another musican friend last night and they both couldn\'t believe it either!. Which is it?. I was stunned and thought that Kurt was using some sort of VSL-type device to pull it off.

[Alexcremers]

Thanks for the compliment, guys. I made that demo in less than 3 minutes, I think. Kirk Hunter\'s library totally rules.


------------
Alex Cremers

[T Parks]

Originally posted by Alexcremers:
Thanks for the compliment, guys. I made that demo in less than 3 minutes, I think. Kirk Hunter\'s library totally rules.


------------
Alex Cremers <font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">Molto Impressivo!

[Simon Ravn]

Alex: Yeah sure:)

[Alexcremers]

Originally posted by Alexcremers:
Thanks for the compliment, guys. I made that demo in less than 3 minutes, I think. Kirk Hunter\'s library totally rules.
<font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">OK, OK, images/icons/wink.gif



------------
Alex Cremers

[T Parks]

I\'ve just mailed Kurt. Here\'s his reply:

Yes, it\'s a sample library. It took FOREVER to work on the MIDI file on that particular piece.

Kirk Hunter


Its official images/icons/wink.gif

For a moment back there it felt like my wedding tackle was in the lion\'s mouth and I was being ordered to flick his love spuds with a wet towel. I almost felt vunerable images/icons/shocked.gif images/icons/shocked.gif

[Simon Ravn]

I still don\'t buy it.... Unless there are recorded downslides, about one octave, going from mf to p, 4 repeated bowings of the same note and a lot of other things. Also, the ending is suspicious. You can hear that the sample stops before it\'s really over at the end (and the added reverb continues). If it\'s not a recorded wav of the performance being cut short, it\'s sloppy programming... This demo sounds 20 times better than any of the others.

If it turns out I am wrong I apologize and take it back. Right now, the proof is not in the pudding... images/icons/smile.gif

[T Parks]

My wife agrees with you Simon. She reckons the off-centre intonation in a few places would support your arguement towards slack prgramming.

Somebody who owns the library must know wether this is possible or not. Does the library use a legato device of some kind. If a clip appears in a demo section, I assume its a demo of the library\'s capabilites. If the developer says so, I assume they\'re telling the truth. If not, its fraud....

[Simon Ravn]

Parks: Off-centre intonation indicates real performance more than sloppy programming... The only thing I referred to with the \"sloppy programming\" was the ending, where the sample ends before the sound is dead, and you can hear it is cut off while the added reverb continues.

[Alexcremers]

Originally posted by chocothrax:
POst the midifile!!!! P.S. merry christmas everyone! <font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">Good idea, I will! Aah, whaddya know, I didn\'t save it. Chips!

------------
Alex Cremers

[T Parks]

Originally posted by Simon Ravn:
Parks: Off-centre intonation indicates real performance more than sloppy programming... <font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">That\'s what I, well she, was saying. If it is a demo then the intonation needs correcting, hence sloppy programming.

Trev

[Thomas_J]

Hehe, guys, there\'s absolutely no way that snippet was done with samples. Even if it did take forever to program it it still features articulations and performance samples that aren\'t even present in his library, like interval samples, connected repeated up/down bowings with cresc and decrescendo, phrases all complete with the rattling of something that sounds like a loose tuning peg in the violin or something.

It wouldn\'t surprise me if Kirk has \"lost\" the midi file images/icons/smile.gif

(Btw, I\'m not out to GET Kirk in any way, I just think it\'s rather strange to put up two live violin recordings on the solo violin sample library demo page! (Yes, the Rock demo also features live violin)

If all the demos were of this quality I wouldn\'t have any trouble believing it was true, but the fact that all the other demos sound 100% fake, while these two sound 100% real makes me 200% sure.

Thomas

[Beel]

FYI, it seems like its pulled. I haven´t had the chance to listen to it, too bad.

[Alexcremers]

images/icons/frown.gif Bummer, I\'ve put so much work in it.

[DevonB]

Huh? File is still up. You sure you\'re looking in the right place?

Devon

[Alexcremers]

I don\'t see it.

[Simon Ravn]

Well, I guess that settles it...

[T Parks]

Originally posted by Thomas_J:
all complete with the rattling of something that sounds like a loose tuning peg in the violin <font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">I thought that was some sort of ambient audio track used over top to help simulate realism, like the audience noise in the GOS!.

This does all bug me a little bit. I wasn\'t in awe of the LOTR violin demo, not that it was bad or anything (easily as good as any other sampled violin I\'ve heard) but the instrument is still obviously fake. The violin is incredibly difficult to pull off in the sample world and I genuinely thought the virtuoso demo was something groundbreaking.

Now, where\'s that lion......

[JonFairhurst]

I own the library, and here are some of my experiences with it:

* It includes octave slides. I\'m not sure about the dynamics, but the performance of the slides in the lib is done with style. I don\'t doubt that the dynamics are modulated. Each note has many, many velocity layers and each performance is a bit unique, so you can\'t really make a blanket statement here. It has nudges and other slides as well.

* Regarding off-center intonation, that definitely exists in the library. Most of the time it adds a sense of reality. Occasionally, it crosses the line. The sustained notes have a small tuning variety. The slides are the most detuned samples. (Not all, but some.) Some would call it sloppy programming, other\'s would call it a human touch. I think it solidly leans to the human side.

* Regarding legato - there are programming tricks on repeated notes in detache, marcato and spiccato styles. It uses release samples. The spiccato ones are easy to use. The other two need to be programmed really carefully, but can sound really nice. The detache and marcato repeated notes are available in fast, medium and slow varieties.

There\'s no legato tool like VSL\'s, but it sounds to me like Kirk has done some really subtle work with the expression/volume control, and maybe some note overlaps on different tracks. The library includes vibrato and tremolo, and he\'s recently released some runs. If used creatively, these could give a scary good performance.

* Regarding loose tuning pegs, I\'ve havent\' listened for that. (I\'ve never played a real violin.) But I will say that the library includes some dirt, which, again, helps add the human touch.

I don\'t mean to get into a real/memorex debate. I just wanted to share my experiences with the library.

[Alexcremers]

The violin is incredibly difficult to pull off in the sample world and I genuinely thought the virtuoso demo was something groundbreaking. <font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">True, even with a gazillion legato samples! But, OTOH, I\'ve learned that everybody who plays a real instrument is extra picky on how \"their\" instrument sounds when it\'s sampled. Even if others think it comes pretty close to the real thing.

------------
Alex Cremers

[Leon Willett]

The silence from the developer is deafening. If the virtuso (now missing from the page) and rock demos resulted in someone reaching for the credit card, this is a very serious issue.

[Beel]

Nah, I don´t think so. I don´t know Kirk personally but have
sent him mails. He is a very fast replier, very nice and helpful. I own his Flutes and they are just great. I am indeed planing to purchase the Solo Strings before end of the year (199$).
I believe it was sort of a mistake rather than he was trying to fool us.
But you are right. He should drop a line to clear things.

Best
Holger

[T Parks]

Forgive and forget...

[Tarkio Road]

Kirk - what happened to the Virtuoso solo violin demo. This is a bit frightening. images/icons/frown.gif

[§eth]

I was brousing and came accross this old thread, what happened was this a fake clip. The link has been deleted but maybe someone remembers the demos?

[A_Sapp]

Why are you bringing up something that ended nine months ago? :)

[§eth]

Well I did not want to stir any fires, but I was interested in his new library coming out soon and stumbled across this thread if there was some falsehood used in a prior library I would like to know ahead of time so I did not shell out extra cashola.

[T Parks]

There was a demo file that read on the webpage as if it was a demo from the library when in fact it was a real violin. I mean, it sounded astonishing and I genuinely thought it was some supreme VSL type of programming wizadry. Well, not everybody was taken in as you can see and the demo was pulled straight away. I don't think there was any skullduggery involved and the library sounds perfectly good, although I've still yet to hear a solo violin sample library sound convincing.

Best advice is to ignore this thread and probably buy the library :)

[Not Dudley Simpson]

Best advice is to ignore this thread and probably buy the library :)

I think it's probably a good idea to ignore nothing, but to disregard that which is proven to be useless. That's how the wealthy keep their wealth, after all.

Buy you a drink someday, Trev. ;)
Heath

P.S. Chocothrax was banned??!! Wow. I'm out of the loop here. When did this happen? Too bad. I've always sported that unless they're raving s, people shouldn't get chucked without a damned good reason.