Dan Dean Woodwinds & DS Soundware Timpani

[Haydn]

Has anyone else used either Dan Dean Woodwinds or DS Soundware Timpani libraries? There hasn\'t been much mention of either of these libraries on any of the forums. Esperlad was kind enough to send me a couple demos he did with Dan Dean Woodwinds that sounded quite good. I would still like to get some other opinions before I purchase either library.

[Jamieh]

Yes, I also would like to hear more on the Dan Dean Solo Woodwinds, including possibly more demos. Frankly I was underwhelmed by the only demo I have heard (on Nemesysmusic.com). I thought the instruments sounded somewhat fake in that demo, though it might just have been the style of the demo, which included lots of really fast runs and other things that samples tend to not do well. I would love to hear a demo with the instruments used in a more lyrical manner.

[Lougheed]

Yes, I absolutely agree. Slow, lyrical playing demos are a must, at least for my type of music.

Lawrence

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Melodialworks Music
www.lawrencelougheed.com (\"http://www.lawrencelougheed.com\")

[donnie]

Here is a more lyrical demo that I did with Dan\'s woodwinds....
http://www.dssoundware.com/sounds/RomeoandJuliet.mp3 (\"http://www.dssoundware.com/sounds/RomeoandJuliet.mp3\")

Donnie

[esperlad]

I have made a new demo using the Dan Dean woodwinds. This recording only uses the flute family (picc, flute, alto & bass flute). Email me for a mp3.

[Bruce A. Richardson]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=\"1\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Haydn:
Has anyone else used either Dan Dean Woodwinds or DS Soundware Timpani libraries? There hasn\'t been much mention of either of these libraries on any of the forums. Esperlad was kind enough to send me a couple demos he did with Dan Dean Woodwinds that sounded quite good. I would still like to get some other opinions before I purchase either library.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I can fill you in a little on these, as I\'ve just started working with them.

Both are outstanding, in short, and I would characterize both libraries as \"investment grade,\" meaning whatever next big thing comes along won\'t dull their shine one bit. As far as realism...forget about it. They\'re real. If you have the ear to program realistic parts, then nobody will know you\'re using samples with either of these libraries.

Dan\'s woodwinds are meticulously recorded and mapped, and lead extremely well from one note to another. VERY performable realism. I\'m listening to the non-vibrato flute soloed right now, and there is absolutely no way it\'s discernable as a sample...no reverb or processing whatsoever, either. These sound GREAT, even bone dry. As good as all the instruments are, probably the clarinet is the most amazing, and I\'m not using that word lightly. The timbres shift perfectly and organically with velocity, and you can play as expressive a line with the keyboard as you can with most other libraries with a wind controller. Overall, the library is unparalleled, and it raises the bar a couple of BIG notches.

The Ultimate Timps are also excellent. Compared to the timps in the Ultimate Percussion collection, they\'re warmer with a totally different sounding buildup. This is certainly due to the calfskin heads, and in and of itself it\'s a rare commodity to have that sound available. Most people are not willing to put up with the maintenance and tuning challenges, but the sound is SO worth it here--and you don\'t have to worry about rainy days with the drums safely locked away in GigaStudio. The mallet choices are widely varied, from wood to cartwheels, and the strikes are a lot more smoothly switched than the earlier timps. At fortissimo, the tone tends to have impact and shimmer instead of just bite, again a product of the heads. That\'s a good thing for your blend, as it was pretty easy to have your timps jumping in and out of their \"slot\" with the brighter plastic heads. With these timps, you get the gut-level impact and the high overtones, but far less \"twang.\" In a recording, a fortissimo hit really sounds like someone is wailing on the drum, and that imparts a lot of dynamism.

These are both REALLY fine libraries. I\'m just coming off a TV series that\'s had me busy for a solid year, but I\'ve had the opportunity to put these and some other popular GigaLibraries through the wringer (26 episodes...YIKES), and they\'ve come through like champs.

I have a tips and tricks article coming out in Keyboard next month for GigaStudio, stuff that most of you probably know, but spreading the word to the masses...I tried to plug all the sample developers and I\'ll be damned if they didn\'t edit out every plug. Oh well, I tried...

Best regards,

Bruce

PS...Speaking of newer libraries, Matt Ragan\'s guitar and Scarbee\'s funky bass are also excellent. The \"second generation\" libraries are really showing off GigaStudio\'s capabilities more. I literally had to prove that Ragan\'s guitar was a sample to one of my clients...he flat-out called me a liar.

[Bruce A. Richardson]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=\"1\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jamieh:
Yes, I also would like to hear more on the Dan Dean Solo Woodwinds, including possibly more demos. Frankly I was underwhelmed by the only demo I have heard (on Nemesysmusic.com). I thought the instruments sounded somewhat fake in that demo, though it might just have been the style of the demo, which included lots of really fast runs and other things that samples tend to not do well. I would love to hear a demo with the instruments used in a more lyrical manner.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That\'s the demo itself. I was thinking exactly the same thing before I started working with the library.

The library is great...I elaborated more in another response. Don\'t let that demo scare you. <g>

[KingIdiot]

I agree with you Bruce, the second generation stuff showing up is really starting to strut Giga\'s stuff. They are totally Poly hogs, but man most of these new libraries are worth it.


IMO sample bloat is worth it if the sound is as amazingly real as the new libs are making.


EDIT- Tho its all making it WAY too easy to \"hear\" my modules in the mix when I use them now.

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Really...I am an Idiot

[This message has been edited by KingIdiot (edited 05-03-2001).]

[Jamieh]

Thanks for the review Bruce. They sound really good. I just wish someone would make a demo of the Dan Dean solo woodwinds to convince me. The people that own the library seem to love it, but it is tough to plunk down $$$ when you haven\'t heard a good demo.

[Lougheed]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=\"1\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by esperlad:
I have made a new demo using the Dan Dean woodwinds. This recording only uses the flute family (picc, flute, alto & bass flute). Email me for a mp3.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I\'m interested but, what is your email address?

Lawrence



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Melodialworks Music
www.lawrencelougheed.com (\"http://www.lawrencelougheed.com\")

[Lougheed]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=\"1\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by donnie:
Here is a more lyrical demo that I did with Dan\'s woodwinds....
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Interesting. What I want to hear is lyrical playing of solo instruments, i.e. a single oboe, by itself, a single flute by itself, etc. Trying to assess solo instruments when there are played in an ensemble is a challenge! (At least a woodwind ensemble).

For example, one of my pieces uses strings voiced in classic orchestral style, with a solo oboe for melody, followed by flute, then the oboe and flute in duet, and finally back to the oboe.

I\'m not totally happy with the sound of either the oboe or the flute that I\'m using. I\'m interested in the Dan Dean Solo Woodwinds, but haven\'t heard a demo (yet) where I can really evaluate these two instruments.

Lawrence

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Melodialworks Music
www.lawrencelougheed.com (\"http://www.lawrencelougheed.com\")

[This message has been edited by Lougheed (edited 05-03-2001).]

[Jamieh]

EXACTLY Lawrence! My feelings exactly!

Please, Dan, give us a demo that plays each instrument individually in a variety of styles. It doesn\'t need to be long, just 15-30 sec or so of each instrument. If it really sounds as good as Bruce claims, I will buy it in a heartbeat.

[This message has been edited by Jamieh (edited 05-04-2001).]

[esperlad]

Here is my address: dhrott@sunflower.com. I just made another recording that has a somewhat lenthy oboe solo with solo strings.