New "Best of Bolder" CD ROM for GS info.

[Dennis B]

Hello All,
A disc I\'ve been working on for GigaStudio since August of last year is finally finished and ready to ship.
It\'s a double CD called \"The Best of Bolder\". It features what I feel is some of the best material from the Eclectic, Granular, Bolder Pianos, and Fortepiano CD ROMs as well as some new sample sets.
There are 65 volumes on the 2 discs. I\'ve also uploaded 25 MP3 demos to the Bolder site.
On the right side of the Bolder home page is a link to the MP3s. The full html documentation of the disc is also there for you to read with a complete sound list.

Comments and questions are welcome.
Thanks for your time!

------------------
Dennis Burns - Bolder Sounds - Boulder Colorado
www.boldersounds.com (\"http://www.boldersounds.com\")
CD ROMS \"Eclectic\" - \"Granular\" - & \"Bolder Pianos\"
for Gigasampler, Akai, Kurzweil & Emu Samplers.

[Z6]

I listened to a few of the demos. The classical guitar sounded great and the lute sounds wonderful. A ton of wonderful pads. This looks like a great collection at a great price!

It\'s on my list.

[Z6]

Thought I\'d better bump this up (until Dennis sees how Kip markets his stuff here - check it out Dennis; you produce one demo a week, which gives you the opportunity to keep it \'in the news\', then every time anyone talks about a sound that even remotely resembles your offerings, you chime up and point him to the demos. Kip is a fantastic marketer and produces great sounds. If people get to hear your collection, I\'m sure it will fire a lot of discussion.

I listened to a few of the 25(!) demos this guy has posted. This sounds like a fantastic library that covers an awful lot of ground.

It\'s ethnicy and plucky and paddy - it is a library that would compete any collection.

My budget is shot for a few months, but this has gone to the top of my list.

It even has an added bonus; it won\'t give your system arterial atrophy.

Hopefully, a few more people will have a listen and this library will get the attention it truly desrves (I listened a while back to many of the Kurzweil versions of some of it and was impressed then also).

Oh, yes; almost forgot. What a price!

Good luck with this Dennis. Please keep posting with snippets from the info you\'ve supplied at your site (and you live in Boulder, you lucky dog - so beautiful.)

[Dennis B]

Oh......... I see, that\'s how it works here. I\'m kind of \"green\" in the Giga world.

I\'ve been spending my last few years in the Kurzweil world, and those folks want everything up-front with plenty of VAST programming.

I\'ve tried to do the same for the GS versions of these sounds. I\'ve had many emails over the years asking if my discs translated well into Giga format.... to be honest I\'ve never been thrilled about the results. It just doesn\'t come close to anything \"expressive\".
I\'m aware that my approach on this disc IS a bit backwards to the Giga world... of a few instruments with very large sample banks. There are some large banks though as well as medium size and small. The main thing is I feel the quality of the samples is very high and there\'s so much stuff on here I don\'t see how anyone can go wrong with it.

These sample banks are sort of a \"snap shot\" of the last 5 years of my life as a sound designer.

I\'d really like to do a HUGE set of Granular sounds for Giga in the future.

o.k. enough said (does this put me back on the top of the BBS list?... I\'m learning!).


------------------
Dennis Burns - Bolder Sounds - Boulder Colorado
www.boldersounds.com (\"http://www.boldersounds.com\")
CD ROMS \"Eclectic\" - \"Granular\" - & \"Bolder Pianos\"
for Gigasampler, Akai, Kurzweil & Emu Samplers.

[Michiel Post]

Hi,
I had the pleasure of testing the beta version of this new release and boy what a surprise this was! The beat was mre like a final product when it reached me. The library is VERY usable. Dennis made tons of variations for each instrument. His recording quality is pristine, the samples are very musical and the end/result is amazing. The collection covers anything you need for a musical trip around the world. See list below.

I would rate all the instruments very good to excellent in quality. The playability is excellent due to the various articulations Dennis provides.
To jump to the conclusion I would say this a bargain beyond belief. You get a vast collection of rare instruments + pianos, harpsichords, guitars and pads for a very friendly price.

One of the things that surprises me is that none of the instrument files are breaking the 1 GB limit to achieve superior results. In fact most instruments fit in 32 RAM concentional samplers! All in all one of the best releases I´ve seen for a while.
My compliments to Dennis.

Michiel Post

>From Eclectic Expanded
Accordions 3.9 mb
Autoharp 15 mb
Bagpipes 17.8 mb
Banjo 7.5 mb
Bassoon 4 mb
Cavaquinho 6.3 mb
Celtic Harp 2.3 mb
Classical Guitar 13.5 mb
Crystal Glasses 35 mb
Darbuka loops @ 106 5.2 mb
Darbuka loops @ 113 5.7 mb
Didjeridoo loops 21 mb
Duduk 12 mb
Electric Gtr. Volume Swells 8.7 mb
Fretless Gut-Strung Banjo 6 mb
Hammered Dulcimer 5.7 mb
Harpsichord 20 mb
Hurdy Gurdy 10.7 mb
Kalimba 1.6 mb
Lokata Flutes 6.9 mb
Louden Steel String Guitar 7.7 mb
Mandolin 8.5 mb
Mandola 8.5 mb
Mandocello 2.7 mb
Monochord 7.9 mb
Pub Pipes 2 mb
Renaissance Guitar 6.2 mb
Renaissance Lute 11.2 mb
Saz 3.3 mb
South American Flutes 4.1 mb
Spring Drum 5.4 mb
Steel Drums 4.2 mb
Tabla 6.2 mb
Taylor Acoustic Bass Gtr. 3 mb
Turkish Lute 9.1 mb
Uilleann Pipes 8.2 mb
Upright Jazz Bass 13 mb

from Granular
Artic Bee 1 mb
Cyways 15 mb
Chordal Ostinatos 39 mb
Granular Loops @ 110 12 mb
Harmonic Pad 3.7 mb
Longongs 14.7 mb
Metalmorphic 19 mb
Minor Pad 17.8 mb
Moogular 27 mb
Mutation 5.4 mb
Opaque 7 mb
Pentatonic 14.4 mb
Psalm 2,4 mb
Random Universe 5.7 mb
Under Water 6.7 mb
Vudu loops @ 160 bpm 9 mb

from Bolder Pianos
Yamaha C7 Grand Piano 137 mb

New Sample Sets
13 course Baroque Lute 43 mb
Wind Chimes 1.1 mb
Water 19 mb
Suspended Slate Rocks 174 mb
Marxophone 55 mb
Meditation Bowls 47 mb
Prepared Piano 56 mb
Zon Fretless Bass 24 mb

[KingIdiot]

I\'ve actually been waiting for the giga version of these sets. I\'m just kind of broke right now, so no libraries at the moment

Sorry Dennis http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/smile.gif

BTW, It doesn\'t \"work\" anyway around here http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/wink.gif

All developers peddle their wares in different ways. Do what you\'re comfortable doing yourself. The best way to represent yourself is to *be* yourself on this board. Developer or not.

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Really...I am an Idiot

[Michiel Post]

I can only say I agree completely with King on this subject:
Be yourself!

Michiel

[Z6]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=\"1\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by KingIdiot:
The best way to represent yourself is to *be* yourself on this board. Developer or not.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Absolutely. But it doesn\'t hurt a bit to bump up the thread now again, otherwise you end up on page two or three.

Over the past few months I\'ve heard a lot of requests that would be well satisfied with this library, but people have to hear about it before they listen to the demos and talk about it.

We\'re always screaming for more and more demos and Dennis has come along with a huge choice. I suspect that if he \'directs\' people to individual needs, a la Kip, then the word will get around. (Sorry if you didn\'t want mentioned Kip, but your marketing is very impressive, you always fill each ad with interesting tidbits that make the posts worthwile (and I always listen to your demos - so even if I haven\'t bought anything (yet), your stuff is always in mind)).

[Dennis B]

Michiel,

Thanks for your kind words about the disc! I decided to wait to finish the demos before sending you a final copy. Will get one out to you this week.

I will also finally have time to load up your \"Grandioso\" disc. Can\'t wait... the demos sound rich and warm.

When I finally get to sit dwon a make some demos it is really a true joy to actually make music with these sounds rather than staring at waveforms and programming parameters. But on this project I had a very nasty shock while I was at the 1 yard line (close to finishing)...

I was working on the Meditation Bowl samples and the computer I was using was simply too slow to handle all the voices I was throwing at it and it simply choked. So I either had to write simpler demos OR rent another PC that could handle it.

I decided to rent one... well not being much of a PC Guru, I had to install another version of Giga (2.5), my sound card from the other PC with it\'s drivers, install midi drivers etc.... quite a nightmare actually. I finally got everything running and the machine handled the polyhpony just fine.... BUT it had one really annoying problem. When I saved a complex sequencing set up as a .gsp file and reloaded it, the SAME program appeared in EVERY program slot! So in other words I lost my setup which took a few hours to get right. I called Giga support and was told that \"they had seen this problem before but did not know the solution as of yet\". I was using (Windows 2000). Anybody else had this problem before or is it just my special way with computers? So I realized I could not save these setups and prayed that there would be no crashes. So I captured the domos as quickly as possible with minimum tweaking... quite a harrowing experience actually.

Somewhere down the road I will buy a REAL PC for Giga. Any reccomendations on the processor type or other details? Or is there a webpage which might give the \"optimum\" machine for Giga?

I still do most of my audio work on my G4, but I\'m slowly moving more in a more PC oriented direction (never thought that would happen!).

Dennis @ Bolder

------------------
Dennis Burns - Bolder Sounds - Boulder Colorado
www.boldersounds.com (\"http://www.boldersounds.com\")
CD ROMS \"Eclectic\" - \"Granular\" - & \"Bolder Pianos\"
for Gigasampler, Akai, Kurzweil & Emu Samplers.

[Michiel Post]

Hi Dennis,
I really look forward hearing the final version of your samples.
The problem you had with the program slots showing up in every chanel is a simple one to solve on my systems.
When you start GigaStudio by double clicking on one of the GSP-files it loads fine. When you open a GSP file from the File-Menu it doesn\'t load ok. So what is my solution? I exit GigaStudio, browse to the gsp-file and double click it to open the right performance. Another trick (without leaving the program) is to use the reset button (make shure you don\'t load a default program though). After all instruments have been detached and the mixer has been reset you can (most of the time) load your gsp file again.

Michiel

[mschiff]

Check with Jim Roseberry at www.studiocat.com (\"http://www.studiocat.com\") for a killer giga rig. He built one for me that is great.

-- Martin

[Z6]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=\"1\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dennis B:
Any reccomendations on the processor type or other details? Or is there a webpage which might give the \"optimum\" machine for Giga?

Dennis @ Bolder

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Dennis, have a look at www.soundchaser.com. (\"http://www.soundchaser.com.\") They\'ll build one for you. I\'ve no idea of the extra costs, but from the comments I\'ve seen I\'m sure it\'s worth it; especially if you\'re developing.

Worth a look anyway - and if you post here on it, I\'m sure people will come in with their experiences.

Gigastudio is wonderful, but if you get into a problem cycle, it can be very difficult to get out of it.

I agree on Michiel\'s Grandioso, I think the demos are almost beyond belief. I have two pianos, and no need for another, but it sounds so good I don\'t know how long I\'ll be able to resist it.

[zquarles]

Dennis-
I would check www.soundchaser.com (\"http://www.soundchaser.com\") for pre-built giga rigs...I hear they are fantastic, I\'m thinking about getting one myself.
I\'m off to listen to the demos on your disc!
http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/smile.gif
-zack

[zquarles]

damn Z6, you beat me to it!
http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/smile.gif

[PatS]

I want to thank whomever mentioned this collection to me. I received it a few days ago and am having a blast playing through the hundreds of patches (a bit dizzying, akin to my experience with GOS and LOP). Many of the instruments that Michiel listed above comprise numerous patches, some programmed for the Mod Wheel and velocity switching, others layered. The Crystal Glasses alone consists of 88 patches in Bank 0 and 14 in Bank 1; these are gorgeous, BTW. The Monochord will blow you away. Some of the patches sound like someone scraping the largest string in a piano and then amplifying and distorting the resulting sound. Many of these remind me of that deep sound associated with the \"space whale\" in one of those Star Trek movies (as if one can hear sound in outer space, but we won\'t go there). The slate rocks, meditation bowls, and 13-course lute are also worth the price of admission (this library really is a steal). The Taylor bass is very impressive, as are many of the more conventional sounds (accordian, autoharp, banjo, bassoon, piano, etc.). But what impresses me the most is how rich these instruments sound, even though many of them are only 3-10MBs in size. No doubt, I\'ve been spoiled with 100-500MB instruments and had forgotten that a 3MB Giga instrument can, in many instances, sound just as good. I guess it\'s all in the recording and programming.

Anyway, this library is a must have, whether you\'re just starting off (this library plus the Prosonus Orchestral Collection will go a long away for a relatively small price) or you already have an extensive collection of samples. Great job, Dennis!

Pat

P.S. I should add that if you\'re assembling a sample collection on a shoestring, consider the Digital Complete Strat and some of the Sonic Implants stuff, in addition to Dennis\' collection.

BTW, Dennis, you may want to consider selling individual instruments from your collection and allow customers to download them securely. Of course, your freebies do offer folks a chance to hear what you can do as a Giga programmer. However, as some have already indicated, many people may not able to buy the entire collection right now, but perhaps they would be willing to shell out $15-30 for one or two of your instruments.