New Ultimate World Library in Giga format

[SteveHanlon]

Okay. Now if you clicked on this topic because you were genuinely interested in owning an Ultimate World Instruments collection, please just post a small reply below this.

I just want to take a \"survey\" of how many people are itching for this rather than another grand piano, another brass library, another winds library.

Am I really the only one looking for this library? Of course not! So, post a reply below and let\'s show the sample developers we\'re ready for a killer multi volumed, complete World Instruments for Giga.

Let this be the first vote!

[tomhartman]

I\'d be all for it, but I wonder if Nick hasn\'t already solved much of this problem with his \"Rare\" instruments CD...not all...but much of it....

[thesoundsmith]

Nick\'s Rare Instruments is indeed a wonderful and powerful tool, but there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of instruments that are not represented. Some of the most exotic sounding instruments are either not available in sample form, or only in poorly recorded (or at least severely archaic) form.

24-bit quality, well-recorded instrumemts (which for me means close-miked dry and near-field miked to get the sound of the room or rooms they are most usually heard in, YMMV) are always going to be well-received. Even those doing \'traditional\' symphonic work can probably appreciate a dash of digeridoo, or a gopichand hit (perfect for those smack-the-forehead moments!)

I would like to see such a library released sort of like the \'Amps and Pickups\' library, where individual instruments could be purchased reasonably, or sets, like all the Indian instruments or a complete Indonesian gamelan on one CD, or a highlights album (the Middle East, with the major instruments-or a sampling of lesser-known ones) or the full library.

Getting an all-instuments-of-the-world library wouldbe exciting, but man! I\'d hate to have to do the research (who\'s the best nose-flute player in Guinea?)

If you decide to pursue this, good luck, and let us know. I would be a definite customer.

OTOH, I\'m STILL looking for a big band brass AND reeds set! (But can\'t I have BOTH? I thought that\'s why God made 100GB hard disks!)

Dasher

[This message has been edited by thesoundsmith (edited 12-30-2001).]

[Nick Phoenix]

Rare Instruments covers so few instruments. Trying to cover all the popular ethnic instruments in the world and do a good job is a 10 year quest. I will be doing Rare 2 soon, but it will be like the 1st, maybe a little bigger. I think it will take many developers doing what interests them and concentrating on a few things only, to create a comprehensive ethnic library. Afterall, we are talking about an entire planet full of instruments and playing styles.

[SteveHanlon]

Well, I think if any sample developer really sits down and looks at the popularly played instruments of any given area in the world, he/she could narrow down the amount of instruments sampled. A Taiko drum, for instance is not a rare instrument....and when sampling Japanese instruments it seems a great and obvious choice.

A sample developer could also point out to the end user that he/she could use blah-blah instrument inplace of a shah-shah instrument since both of them have similiar timbres. Hence, not needing to sample duplicate or close sounding instruments.

Gary tackled a monumental task with his GOS in a reasonable amount of time. And with all the possibilities available in the states, you could find players to be sampled without traveling to so many countries (at universities in world music programs for instance).

Again, I just want to see a show of hands how many people want these libraries. Numbers will be the pressure to make such thought a reality.

Come on, folks! There\'s gotta be more then a few.

[Damon]

I\'m curious if anyone has the \"Complete Gamelan\" CDRom from Ilio? If so, how is it?
Are the samples also available in western tunings or are they all traditional?

[Robert Kral]

Nick, and other developers:

May I be the first to request Shakuhachi (and similar exotic flutes with fx) for Gigastudio?!

That Peter Gabriel sample is really getting old! Roland had some nice air pushes (\"Ghost Flute\"), but its been a LOOONG wait for a new and useful SHAK.

[tomhartman]

Well I for one I hope someone really tackles the Indian thing. Get a great set of tablas, a superbly sampled sitar, and tamboura. Beatles forever. http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/wink.gif

[Lance_M]

I haven\'t been too fond of \"world\" libraries in the past. Then, I bought Rare Instruments, which I absolutely love, and several of the patches are on my personal \"top 10 favorite patches\" list.

I\'d definitely like to see some more ethnnic winds, a tiny bit of brass, and perhaps some strummed instruments or maaaaybe a touch more percussion (although I haven\'t greatly researched existing libraries).

Chances are, my next \"world\" purchase will be RI2. I\'d be very hesitant before buying one not done by Nick, because 1) RI was done very well, and 2) I\'m used to the WAY that he makes his world patches (general layout like keyswitches and such).

[This message has been edited by Lance_M (edited 12-30-2001).]

[JWink]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=\"1\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by tomhartman:
Beatles forever. http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/wink.gif<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Amen.



[This message has been edited by JWink (edited 12-31-2001).]

[clueless]

I witnessed a few thousand music professionals last month get very excited over a series of pieces done with heavy use of QL Rare Instruments. Thanks Nick for providing a combination of superb attention to detail and multiple (useable) articulations.

One thing I could have used more of was more history and examples of using lesser known instruments. If someone is considering creating more world instrument libraries, I could benefit from more research data and either MIDI or audio (wave or mp3) files illustrating some playing techniques.

clueless

[Nick Phoenix]

Marty,
Mentioning Garritans strings doesn\'t help your argument. Gary went to great lengths to sample what is essentially one instrument. That filled up 15 cds! Some ethnic instruments are just as expressive as a violin. So, I don\'t think a comprehensive, expressive, complete world library will happen anytime soon, unless someone has made it his lifes work.

I really appreciate the compliments on Rare, though. It really makes me want to do another one.

[notejockey]

As far as I\'m concerned, high quality libraries like GOS, VOA, Rare Inst, etc. are always in great demand. Certainly in my studio. The worst part about writing for samples vs. orchestra is that so many decisions are made on the basis of what the sample can do without sounding wanky.

A high quality world instrument library? Bring it on! More high quality orchestral libraries? Bring them on too!

[thesoundsmith]

Note Jockey, you say:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=\"1\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">quote:</font><HR>
The worst part about writing for samples vs. orchestra is that so many decisions are made on the basis of what the sample can do without sounding wanky.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That is definitely a problem if you intend for your writing to be performed by a live orchestra. There are many Giga owners who use the samples as the final product, and then the task actually becomes easier, because you\'re writing FOR the sample, rather than THROUGH (or perhaps despite?) the sample. If the sample is an integral part of the composition, the same limitation exists, but the frustration level goes way down (at least for me.)

This is, granted, an attitude that is developed through years of electronic instrument composition rather than composition for orchestra-if you expect to actually, have it sound like what\'s in your HEAD rather than what\'s in the box, well, that\'s what live musicians are for! http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/grin.gif

Regarding a Shakuhachi sample-I personally can\'t imagine a serious, realistic sample set, it\'s one if those instruments that changes drastically depending on the player and technique. IMHO, this is either a physical modeling task (Yamaha VL-1) or a \"best of\" licks CD. A seriously playable sample set would seem to be out of reach.

Indian samples-please! But there is a problem with sympathetic strings and drones. Back in the S900 days, I had fairly good results (the idea worked, the mikes, recording and 12-bit output didn\'t!) by removing the drone strings to record the primary sitar and sarod tones, then layering in the separately recorded chikari and drones.

And a shenai that doesn\'t sound like Roland\'s sick GM wheeze would be a real blessing (please note the distinction between lead, accompaniment and drone voices-they sound VERY different, even though the same player may produce all three tonalities during the performance of one raga.

And basic tabla should, in theory, be pretty easy. There are only a discrete number of legitimate bols (strikes) and basic rhythms, though you\'d probably want to incorporate a good set of spoken/sung bols, those become trickier because of the timing and pitch.

Dasher

[This message has been edited by thesoundsmith (edited 01-02-2002).]

[This message has been edited by thesoundsmith (edited 01-02-2002).]

[Neal Acree]

I\'d love to see a broad assortment world instruments collection with high production value, maximum versatility and most importantly a variety of multisampled notes as well as phrases ala Rare Insruments. If anyone gets around to it, they should poll the giga collective on which instruments to include.

[notejockey]

Dasher-

Yeah, that\'s what I\'m talking about. Due to Hollywood TV budgets (and some movies too), I find that most of my orchestral scores are realized with samples. Ultimately, the sound is everything. I don\'t like the fact that I have to make musical decisions based on what the samples can/can\'t do while maintaining a believable sound. I understand it and I\'m used to it, but I regularly encounter situations where the samples are not agile/smooth/dynamic/whatever enough to realize my ideas.

[thesoundsmith]

Note Jockey, I feel your pain-in the butt!

A film score has to reflect what\'s going on on the screen, and if a sample just doesn\'t lay right in the track, I can safely assume you\'re not going to go to the director and say, \"Excuse me, but could you kind of speed up the action in that scene just a bit? I can\'t get my samples to match!\" (At least not and ever work in THIS town again!) http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/grin.gif

Modeling still seems to be the best route for total flexibility. A photo can\'t possible give you as much variation as a dynamic, panoramic sweep.

Dasher