Anybody have Symphony Of Voices?

[sunra]

I`ve been checking out Spectrasonics "Symphony Of Voices" choir library and have listened to the demos. I`m very impressed. The "Ligeti" FX sound like they`d be interesting. I assume the one drawback is you can`t form words like VOTA?


Rick :)

[Joseph Burrell]

I would wait to see what Bela D Media (the makers of Diva) have in store. I know a choir library is in the works and I think it is coming soon. Unless of course there's some reason why you need those voices now.

[Ed]

I`ve been checking out Spectrasonics "Symphony Of Voices" choir library and have listened to the demos. I`m very impressed. The "Ligeti" FX sound like they`d be interesting. I assume the one drawback is you can`t form words like VOTA?


Yes thats right, you cant form words like VOTA. Vota doesnt really seem able to actually "sing", more like shout things that sound something like words, but its pretty damn cool.

TheFX in SOV is quite usefull although it has been used in tons of stuff. SOV itself has been used in a a huge number of soundtracks, includuing those by Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman and John Powel, etc etc. The boys choir is still unique, and the fact its recorded in a gorgeous reverberant hall in London means it sounds great. Its much more etheral sounding than VOTA, much more suited for 'soft' work than VOTA.

The downsides to SOV are the lack of a word builder like VOTA, its harder to produce fast passages like VOTA, and the FX and phrases have been overused, (so creative uses are advised) ALSO, its not for Giga native so you'll have to convert it and tweak the patches. Its still a library worth having, especially for the boys choir, and the the pop stacks are pretty sweet too. And its just so cool to play :)

Ed

[sunra]

Yes thats right, you cant form words like VOTA. Vota doesnt really seem able to actually "sing", more like shout things that sound something like words, but its pretty damn cool. Ed


Actually I can make VOTA sing audible words by using a wave editor. It`s very laborious though.


Rick

[Damon]

I still find SoV to be a fantastic library. I particularly like the whistling patch and boys oohs patch and yes there are some great choir fx sounds in it as well;).

[Bruce A. Richardson]

Symphony of Voices ROCKS. Period. No intention of disparaging any other product, at all. But SoV is one of those libraries that qualifies for the description of "vast." There is so much there, and what is there is so useful, that I cannot imagine anyone NOT using it in a commercial recording practice.

I guess I would sum it up as a tremendous collection of vocal color. For word-forming, etc., perhaps you'd want to investigate products which do that. To a degree you can certainly emulate "words" via the moving vowel, and the combo-vowel patches. Personally I don't approach it that realistically. I use it for color, period.

In many ways, I have actually found SoV more desirable than the "real thing." Outside really epic films, you often do not want a huge amount of "performance emotion" in a score. This can draw too much attention, and pull too much focus. In this way, SoV is actually very smart. It puts the color out there, and implies a whole lot of motion without pulling focus.

The fact that you still hear it quite literally all the time should be a testament to its enduring quality. SoV really is one of those "investment libraries," that holds value. I would rank it as one of the best sample libraries ever produced.

[Scott Cairns]

SoV is actually very smart. It puts the color out there, and implies a whole lot of motion without pulling focus.
This is very true. I once spoke to a composer who said he uses "a little bit of SOV" on every single job he does.

In other words, you can use it like a traditional choir that you'll identlfy or for overall colouring.

In fact, I am using it right now for a computer game that calls for a kind of "alien soundscape" it is being used in a unconventional way to help build the overall sound.

[Shantar]

Yes, I am one of the lucky owners of Symphony of voices. :) My favourite patches are the Boyschoir ahhs, ehhs and oohs. I have not got time to use it much though, but it's definately the best samplelibrary I've got. The soprano-patch is also pretty cool, but the tenor is somewhat dissapointing, or rather limited as to how you can use it. I don't have any mp3 of SOV to show you, but you could check if someone here would be willing to post some samples. The official demo is very good indeed, but remember that its very heavy on the phrases/intervals patches; things you could not possible do with the multisampled patches (ahh, eeh etc.)

Despite that, I would recommend you to buy the library if you want choirs with an angelic colour. The library is also recorded with natural ambience so that you should not have to use artificial reverb, or so they say... As opposed to VOTA- the library is very mellow sounding, so the samples would not brake through an orchestral mix that easily or clearly...

[Daryl]

One thing that you must check (and I guess that this is true with all sample libraries) is the licence agreement. Some say that if you use the samples on a trailer then they must also be used in the film. Of course if one is writing production/library music there is no control of its end use, so any sample that has this limitation is absolutely useless IMO.

Daryl

[Jamesmcwilliams]

I don't have any mp3 of SOV to show you, but you could check if someone here would be willing to post some samples

Yeh, I recently purchased it. I cannot compare it with other Choir libraries because I have none but I am happy with SOV. I don't personally have much use for the phrases and there are quite a few here, but the multisamples are worth it anyway.

A track here that used it extensively...

http://www.northernsounds.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23776

[sunra]

Symphony of Voices ROCKS. Period. No intention of disparaging any other product, at all. But SoV is one of those libraries that qualifies for the description of "vast." There is so much there, and what is there is so useful, that I cannot imagine anyone NOT using it in a commercial recording practice.

I guess I would sum it up as a tremendous collection of vocal color. For word-forming, etc., perhaps you'd want to investigate products which do that. To a degree you can certainly emulate "words" via the moving vowel, and the combo-vowel patches. Personally I don't approach it that realistically. I use it for color, period.

In many ways, I have actually found SoV more desirable than the "real thing." Outside really epic films, you often do not want a huge amount of "performance emotion" in a score. This can draw too much attention, and pull too much focus. In this way, SoV is actually very smart. It puts the color out there, and implies a whole lot of motion without pulling focus.

The fact that you still hear it quite literally all the time should be a testament to its enduring quality. SoV really is one of those "investment libraries," that holds value. I would rank it as one of the best sample libraries ever produced.


That seals the deal Bruce! I`m definitely buying this library.

Rick

[Mark Trainer]

Yeah I was also blown away by those demos. Everyone swears by this library, and was all set to buy it last month (I even had a post on this site asking about it) but I've been spending like a mad man on gear/software/libraries lately and I'm trying to throttle back!

As for already being heavily used in lots of material already out there- heck I wouldn't let that stop me for a second from having this. As song writers it is all about surrounding ourselves with inspiring sounds, and these seem to deliver in spades.

Anyone seen my red swingline?

[spectrum]

Thanks guys....nice read!

:-)

spectrum

PS. SOV has no licensing restrictions for trailers or music libraries....any type of music project is allowed.

[Shantar]

BTW, speaking of SOV... Does anyone know if Hans Zimmer uses the boyschoir patches in the Hannibal soundtrack (the opening cue with Sir Anthony Hopkins speaking that is)? I know he uses the "agnus dei" phrase somewhere in the score, but there is some boyschoir in the opening cue that sounds much like SOV, but at the same time much more realistic. Also, the boyschoir used on that cue sounds a bit smaller than the SOV-boys...

Any thoughts/answers? :)

[Bela D Media]

Anytime there is an SOV thread I am known to jump on as say that SOV is a very inspiring library.

After working with my own choir, I often think about what Eric must have gone through to create such a masterpiece.

Your work is my guide. Thank you for that.

BRAVO!

[labcomp]

We have used SOV for years here. We actually got deep into samplecell cards because of that lone library. (And now loving VOTA, Vocal Planet, and DIVA too, which are all 'must haves' for our work). SOV proved to be very interesting for us, in that we would use the pop stack stuff (as well as all the others too) in our mock ups to prep the backup vocs. Discovered after about a year of doing this, that we were actually printing as many of the SOV mockups as the real BV's, which of course saved of some serious monies, as well as time.

Everything of Erics that we have (which is alot) are day to day work horsehorses, which I dont want to work without.

Regards,
DLevy
mgr, Legacy Lab

[Lazul]

BTW, speaking of SOV... Does anyone know if Hans Zimmer uses the boyschoir patches in the Hannibal soundtrack (the opening cue with Sir Anthony Hopkins speaking that is)? I know he uses the "agnus dei" phrase somewhere in the score, but there is some boyschoir in the opening cue that sounds much like SOV, but at the same time much more realistic. Also, the boyschoir used on that cue sounds a bit smaller than the SOV-boys...

Any thoughts/answers? :)


I think it was Patrick Cassidy who did the "agnus dei" piece, not Zimmer.

[Gary M. Thomas]

Yeah, I gotta agree 100% with Mr. Bruce Richardson... He couldn't have said it better. A "must have" sample library. ;) ......... Gary

[robgb]

I`ve been checking out Spectrasonics "Symphony Of Voices" choir library and have listened to the demos. I`m very impressed. The "Ligeti" FX sound like they`d be interesting. I assume the one drawback is you can`t form words like VOTA?

I'm coming in late here, but I have to agree with Bruce. SOV rocks.

[Gabe S.]

One thing that you must check (and I guess that this is true with all sample libraries) is the licence agreement. Some say that if you use the samples on a trailer then they must also be used in the film. Of course if one is writing production/library music there is no control of its end use, so any sample that has this limitation is absolutely useless IMO.


Hi.

The license restriction mentioned above is not an SOV license restriction. It is a VOTA restriction. (I own both.)

Cheers.
-gabe

[gugliel]

Your work is my guide. Thank you for that.

I hope you'll be guided by VOTA too -- I'd line up for a set that had all the consonants, plus pure vowels, plus PURE VOWEL - DIPTHONG CROSSFADES, plus BARITONES in the tenor range.

Give me a demo that has a bass choir singing "I'd buy" on a D above middle C and I'd buy.

[Joanne Babunovic]

Use to know this, but now have gone blank. What platform is needed for sov? I don't have access to my gigasampler daw - only have one pc with cubase sx and kontakt.

Thanks,
Joanne

[EricWatkins]

I bought it in Akai S1000 format and then used it with Halion 2 with fairly decent results. I dont know how well Kontakt handles Akai. Best of luck.

Eric

[Scott Cairns]

Use to know this, but now have gone blank. What platform is needed for sov? I don't have access to my gigasampler daw - only have one pc with cubase sx and kontakt.

Thanks,
Joanne
Hi Joanne, SOV will convert to Kontakt just fine. You can buy it in AKAI format and Kontakt will convert it for you.

Hope you are well, long time no speak! :)

Scott.

[Joanne Babunovic]

Hi Scott! Thanks for the info - buy for Akai and convert to Kontakt.

From reading your posts, seems like you've started using Kontakt for QLSO Gold rather than Kompakt? How is that working out for you?

[Scott Cairns]

Hey Joanne, I'll PM you to save hijacking this thread. ;)

[Bela D Media]

I hope you'll be guided by VOTA too -- I'd line up for a set that had all the consonants, plus pure vowels, plus PURE VOWEL - DIPTHONG CROSSFADES, plus BARITONES in the tenor range.

Give me a demo that has a bass choir singing "I'd buy" on a D above middle C and I'd buy.I think my statement was clear enough and meant as a compliment to Eric P. I am speaking about authenticity, quality and creativity. SOV has all three.

I understand what is missing or "yet to be captured" to date with choir libraries. There will be a flood of choirs to chose from soon enough...