FYI -- 64 new VSL VI demos

[JBacal]

Herb as just posted 64 demos for the new VSL Vienna Instruments.

http://vsl.co.at/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7880&iframe=true


I am proud to have worked on 3 of them:
Sarasate' Zapateado
Massenet's Meditation (full orchestra version)
Prokofiev's Violin Concerto


Comments welcome.

Best,
Jay

[JonP]

Excellent work, Jay.

[Jibrish]

Herb as just posted 64 demos for the new VSL Vienna Instruments.

http://vsl.co.at/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7880&iframe=true


I am proud to have worked on 3 of them:
Sarasate' Zapateado
Massenet's Meditation (full orchestra version)
Prokofiev's Violin Concerto


Comments welcome.

Best,
Jay

Very nice demos... but also, wow... this instrument is just stunning, with all of the live demos and the video presentations laying out how this thing works.

If this system is as good as it appears to be, and I have any idea what the questions are, a whole lot of questions about the future of sample libraries just got answered.

[Anton Bruckner]

It sounds great!
But also the first edition soundet gread, but no one could make it sound like this, only when he lost his wife and lost his job..., like the german KEYBOARDS magazin wrot in the test...it was a tool for lonly men...
I hope the VST is much better...
Anton Bruckner

[FredProgGH]

64 demos!! :eek:

Quite a few lonely guys out there I guess then :D.

Can't wait to check them all out.

[Marcussen]

Most are by the same composer - so hes just REALLY lonely :D

And yes, it is great.

[Alexcremers]

I can do those solos too, if I had VSL VI.

[Jibrish]

I think this is the link to the tutorials that show how the "engine" to this thing works: http://www.vsl.co.at/en-us/211/344/237.vsl

[tradivoro]

that's actually very funny... But it is true to an extent, a lot of time tweaking...


It sounds great!
But also the first edition soundet gread, but no one could make it sound like this, only when he lost his wife and lost his job..., like the german KEYBOARDS magazin wrot in the test...it was a tool for lonly men...
I hope the VST is much better...
Anton Bruckner

[Dietz]

If I'm not mistaken, all demos by Christian Kardeis were performed in real-time. He made the corresponding MIDI-files available, too - just press the Play-button and click "Tutorial" in the player-window.

[geronimo001]

I think this is the link to the tutorials that show how the "engine" to this thing works: http://www.vsl.co.at/en-us/211/344/237.vsl

Thanks for the link.

[FredProgGH]

Jay, the demos are outstanding. I really like the Prokofiev. Were you using VI for the prchestra as well? Oh, and the Sarasate- holy moly :D

[Robert Kral]

JBacal,

The Sersate is incredible!

Please share with us about the performance: amount of tweaking / real time performance etc etc.

Now and then there's those small slides: are they keyswitch activated, or what?!

[JBacal]

Thanks for the kind words.

Fred--Thanks for finding and listening to the Prokofiev. Only the solo violin in the Prokofiev is from the VI (beta). The rest of the instruments in the Prokofiev are from the Pro Edition.

Robert-- I'm a tweaker-- almost to an insane degree. However, this is not due to any limitations of the VSL VI which has actually been largely designed with the live performer in mind. Christian's nearly 60 demos demonstrate the potential of live performance quite nicely. I just prefer to do the bulk of my musical sculpting at the computer (go figure!).

I did do a small number of the short slides using pitch bend on a few of the harmonics intervals but the vast majority of the slides in the Sarasate are keyswitch activated articulations. The new VI solo violin now has the following slide types:

portamento, zigane (gypsy), sul, glissando, and artificial harmonics glissando

I will be sending the midi files and VI preset files for my 3 demos to Herb today so that anyone who wants to see exactly what is going on beneath the surface may do so.

Best,
Jay

[Sicmu]

Some great stuff for sure but I didn't see any fast legato runs ( especially in the high register) for violin sections : can the VI do that in a realistic way if it's not recorded but played runs ?

[Daryl]

Some great stuff for sure but I didn't see any fast legato runs ( especially in the high register) for violin sections : can the VI do that in a realistic way if it's not recorded but played runs ?
It's a question of what you call "do". VI is in another league from any other library that I've seen or tried, but it is not the Holy Grail.

D

[dpc]

VI is in another league from any other library that I've seen or tried, but it is not the Holy Grail.D
Of course not but if I found the Holy Grail I would celebrate making music with Vienna Instruments.

[kid-surf]

As a happy VSL user.........

Maybe i didn't hear the right demo.... but.

I'm not so impressed with the solo stuff. The mockups are well crafted, but the 'sound' is just not hitting me. I think that when you try to do too much with this stuff it sounds synthetic. (I guess it's good to hear where the limits are --- No offense to the demo creators you did a great job!)

It's a great tool for those who are mocking up film for real orchestra. But if you're the type that has to use this for the dub, I think there's a point where it starts to sound really fake when you over do it (trying to do the same sort of stuff you'd do with, say, a real solo violin).

Just makes me wonder if people aren't listening to the "program", and or "programer/composer" (which both are very impressive) vs the actual "sound" of the work. Maybe I'm being too picky?

I thought the "live" demos did a good job of showing what's possible that way. But I still think you're gonna have to tweak the hell out of this stuff in order for it to flow (as a mix). Which was kind of my question as well to Jay.

I love VSL my though................. ;-) Not trying to slam anyone, but I need to be honest about what I'm hearing.


Amazing product regardless

[FredProgGH]

As a happy VSL user.........

Maybe i didn't hear the right demo.... but.

I'm not so impressed with the solo stuff. The mockups are well crafted, but the 'sound' is just not hitting me. I think that when you try to do too much with this stuff it sounds synthetic. (I guess it's good to hear where the limits are --- No offense to the demo creators you did a great job!)


Maybe you didn't- to my ears there is a high level of realism and a very natural tone with the VI demos, especially with the Sersate solo. I'd like to hear that and the same piece done by Gary's Strad side by side- I think either would hold up very well.

[kid-surf]

I listened again......

Show 'Sarasate' to your non composer buddies, even to rock guys, and tell them it's real and see what they say.


I believe as composers we often focus on the fact that it'll make our lives easier, and perhaps focus on what the 'program' is able to achieve. Which IS impressive. But, at the end of the day the only thing that matters is whether the cue sounds good to 'the man'.

Nah, i think that piece is above samples at this time (don't think it could have been played/programed any better). Although, i think the tool is great for film and TV where it's not trying to achieve so much.

Not trying to start a sample brawl. Way more important things in life, like surfing. :D

[Sicmu]

It's a question of what you call "do". VI is in another league from any other library that I've seen or tried, but it is not the Holy Grail.

D

I don't even mean realism but can you just find me a demo with exposed violin section's runs in the middle/high register : it's something that sounds often very synthe to me (except the recorded runs of course) though it's so much used in the orchestral string writing, so I just would like to know if VSL has solved this very important problem with his VI, for instance I noticed that the synful runs sound realistic but with an average sound quality.

PS : if it was the holy grail I would for sur make a mock-up of Parsifal with it!

[Daryl]

I don't even mean realism but can you just find me a demo with exposed violin section's runs in the middle/high register : it's something that sounds often very synthe to me (except the recorded runs of course) though it's so much used in the orchestral string writing, so I just would like to know if VSL has solved this very important problem with his VI, for instance I noticed that the synful runs sound realistic but with an average sound quality.

PS : if it was the holy grail I would for sur make a mock-up of Parsifal with it!
I think that the best thing would be for you to post an mp3 and a MIDI file of what sort of thing you are after and then maybe I can test it for you.

D

[FredProgGH]

I listened again......

Show 'Sarasate' to your non composer buddies, even to rock guys, and tell them it's real and see what they say.


Well, they're the ones that would buy it- especially if I tell them it's real :p I agree that if you put any demo like this and the real thing side by side it's gonna be kind of obvious. Maybe I'm too used to making allowances in my head for the fact that I know it's samples. But listening as objectively as I can I think VSL is one of the libs that tends to come closer to fooling me than some others, even out of the box (I agree that you always get better results doing a little tweaking and mixing and matching).

[Marcussen]

Wow J - Sarasate is amazing. Your insane...

[Sicmu]

I think that the best thing would be for you to post an mp3 and a MIDI file of what sort of thing you are after and then maybe I can test it for you.

D

Sure, here is a midi file of some violin section runs, the tempo is : quarter note = 133, everything is legato.


http://your-sicmu.zftp.com/Violin_runs.mid


Thank you for testing,

Alex

[ed hamilton]

Some of the VSL VI demo's do sound strangely synthy. Not what I'd expect from this lib and I bet much better are to come soon.
There is no reason for the VI to yield LESS realism than the pro edition does.

But when I play the new VI demos against some demos Thomas J did with his custom lib and Alex's scripts ........ TJ's lib just sounds better.

http://www.northernsounds.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41116

Anyone remember this thread?
These demos are what gives me pause about buying the VSL VI.

I want the ease of use promised by the VI. I love my pro edition already so it should be a no brainer to make the upgrade.
Then I listen to TJ's demo's and doubt jumps in.
Maybe the pro edition bonus of "romantic strings" will bridge this gap for me. Maybe there are some lib advancements yet to come.
My point is if the guys who did this custom lib and the scripting Alex and Thomas worked on are already yeilding this next level of quality - how soon before something on this level becomes available?

I am still on the fence - and me bumm is really starting to hurt!

The demo's to the links no longer work. If someone has working ones please post them for those that missed the thread. They are worth listening to.

[Daryl]

Sure, here is a midi file of some violin section runs, the tempo is : quarter note = 133, everything is legato.


http://your-sicmu.zftp.com/Violin_runs.mid


Thank you for testing,

Alex
I'll have a look at this tomorrow morning. Can you PM me an email address to send an mp3 to.

D

[Sicmu]

I'll have a look at this tomorrow morning. Can you PM me an email address to send an mp3 to.

D

Sure I can, but why not to post the demo on the forum ?

[Daryl]

Sure I can, but why not to post the demo on the forum ?
Feel free to host it yourself if it is of any use.

D