Question about 'Maestro Tools' with Gigastrings

[Damon]

Can someone who is a beta tester with Gigastrings explain to me what the \'Maestro Tools\' thing is all about. It sounds interesting.

[Tom Hopkins]

Damon,

The MaestroTools utility is a small program which adds features in two areas of the new Garritan Orchestral Strings (formerly GigaStrings): Automatic alternating bow stokes and legato enhancements. When used with specially designed up and down bow instruments it allows the user to choose between automatically alternating up and down bows, forced down bows, or forced up bows. The legato enhancements work in combination with certain of the \"sustain\" instruments to produce smoother transitions between notes when desired. Details on how this is accomplished will be released later. MaestroTools also adds a mono-mode option to GigaStudio. By offering the mono-mode function as an option, the legato enhancements can be tailored to either monophonic or polyphonic lines. The functions of the utility can be applied (or bypassed) on a per channel basis making it compatible with instruments in other libraries.


[This message has been edited by Tom Hopkins (edited 07-13-2001).]

[Damon]

Thanks for the reply Tom.
I actually called Gary today and spoke wth him about the library. What a great guy! http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/smile.gif
He told me about the great new enhancements Gigastrings will offer as far as MaestroTools and expressionism. The best thing besides that is he said he used some players in NYC including some from the NY Philarmonic not to mention the sound quality and instruments used!
This library is gonna be awesome.

[dnortana]

Damon,
I\'ve had a chance to use Maestro with the Garritan Orchestral Strings. Hold onto your hat, you\'ll buy the library just for this feature alone!
Automatic switching between up and down bowstroke samples (yes, different samples for the ups and downs) easily adds a major degree of realism. You can switch this in and out, as Tom explained.
The mono legato mode that Tom mentioned is an absolute killer development! The beta testers dreamed about such a feature, and lo and behold, Gary and Tom added it! With this feature enabled on the legato instruments, just depress the sustain pedal for legato phrasing, and suddenly the sloppy interconnectedness usually associated with legato sample playing virtually disappears. Notes become smoothly connected, virtually indistinguishable from live performance! Bye, bye endless tedium associated with tryilng to piece together decent sounding legato phrases.
Add to this the MOD wheel control of the volume, and there is expressiveness and realism achievable that is unprecedented.

The library is a winner without these features. With their addition, Gary and Tom have achieved an unprecedented level of quality, realism, expressiveness, and playability.
Regards,
Trond.

[MikeGraybill]

Goin\' Out Of My Mind waiting for this release... and with each new post I get more worked up! I thought the world held its breath leading up to the release of Lucas\'s Episode I, but I\'m starting to think that kind of anticipation doesn\'t hold a candle to this wait. (for composers anyway) http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/wink.gif

So, when is the magic release date anyway?

-Mike-

[paynterr]

Yes - but hopefully unlike the build up to Lucas\' Episode I, the final product won\'t turn out to be a complete load of sh*t!!! It all sounds jolly exciting and I\'m waiting to buy several PCs to run gigastudio on the back of this orchestral library.

[KingIdiot]

oh there is definitely objectivity in this forum

it may seem like there is alot of hype all the time...but if you look there are some people who voice their opinions,...sometimes they are just good opinions.

look at all the crap Nicks probably tired of hearing from us with regards to QLB http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/smile.gif or that thread about DD:WW a few weeks ago. Or teh Drum Thread....

------------------
Really...I am an Idiot

[MChilds]

Hype, hype, hype!

Is there any objectivity at all in this forum? Or is it just an advertising channel for sample hawkers?

[Robert Kral]

MChlid,

Re: \"Hype Hype Hype\"

Like someone ablove said, hold on o your hat, this library really IS different. I\'m not sure what Gary wants revealed or not, but I think he\'d let me respond to you by saying this library (for ONCE, at LAST) really DOES raise the level of realism like NEVER before. No hype with this one, guys, this is a library like no other ever produced.

Robert Kral

[PatS]

MChilds:

If you need an \"objective\" account, reread Tom\'s post regarding the nature of MaestroTools. It\'s a very matter-of-fact description of what the tools can do. No hype!

Also, please note that Gary has refrained from \"hawking\" his latest wares on this forum. True, we, the beta testers, are loudly singing the praises of the Orchestral Strings library, but it\'s all we can do to contain our enthusiasm. Don\'t confuse our excitement (and what may strike some as hyperbole) for hype. We\'re not Gary\'s employees, who, as such, would be inclined to talk up the library on his behalf. Quite the contrary, we paid Gary to join his project.

[ryounger]

Yeah, but what I really want to have is an mp3 of what these samples sound like! Is this really the ultimate strings library?

Russ

[Simon Ravn]

You will never be able to make a library that can take care of all possible articulations that are required for a perfect simulation. But Garritans Orchestral Strings is a huge leap forward in the right direction. Or let me say.. I don\'t think it\'ll be possible to make a better library using conventionel sampling techniques. In a distant future when acoustic modelling (or whatever you\'d like to call it) becomes more advanced and synths will be able to emulate very complicated instruments like acoustic stringed instruments, it might be possible to come closer to the real deal.
Orchestral Strings gives you much better control than what other libraries offer. Expression using modwheel, keyswitching, alternate bowing, more velocity levels recorded, many never-before heard articulations too. And separate 1st and 2nd violins as well as all 22 violins together. Some of my favourites are the sordino patches which covers both violins, violas ans celli, as well as harmonics.
Hopefully I will finish a couple of small demos next week which I will send to Gary and if he likes them I am sure he\'ll put them on the gigastrings page, and you\'ll be able to hear some playing.


[This message has been edited by Simon Ravn (edited 07-19-2001).]