Stradivari solo violin questions

**dbudde** · 01-31-2006, 08:26 PM

There are a set of downbow samples triggered by keyswitch F1. But are there supposed to be upbow samples also? There is no keyswitch for them if there is.

The manual claims 12 keyswitches, but only 10 are defined. Are the missing two (keyswitches F#1 and G1) used for something and just not documented?

The description of the bow-change effects is a bit confusing. Is the intent to be able to use this for any sample or just the downbow samples? In this case does a bow change effect causes downbow samples to be upbow samples.

The manual says releasing the sustain pedal wil restore the previous mode. Does this mean if you selected downbow before asserting sustain pedal, then no matter how many notes occur during the sustain, then when it is released you are back to downbow? Seems to not be desirable in every case. For instance, if you select downbow mode, key note a (downbow), press sustain, key note b (upbow), key note c (downbow) release sustain, key note d (down). If one wants note d to be up, how does one get that case to work? I guess if you release sustain after note b and then reassert sustain after note c and then release after note d. Seems difficult to keep track.

Portamento and Legato engage if notes overlap by 20ms. What does one do about very short notes that can't overlap by that much without overlapping the entire note such that the second note never sounds? Admittedly this is likely to not want to be legato or portamento anyway. But I had to ask.

**dbudde** · 02-01-2006, 10:46 AM

Another question.

The Stradivari Solo Violin includes a Kontakt 2 script as part of the product. But this script is loaded into slot one of the five possible script positions and it's not possible to move it to another slot since it is password protected. Is it possible to get a version of the .nki file that loads the script into say script slot 3? This would allow one to create scripts both in front of and after the strad script which would be very useful. Kontakt executes scripts slots in order. So as it is, it is only possible to add postprocessing scripts to this product.

**Giorgio Tommasini** · 02-01-2006, 12:32 PM

dbudde,

There are just two sets of keyswitch-selectable attacks, namely spiccato and downbows.

Keyswitches F#1 and G1 are not mentioned in the manual because they are inactive and reserved for future use.

The bow-change effect basically links the sustains with a bow-change-like attack.

As to your fourth question, please note that no sustain upbow exists. Again, downbow refers to a louder, stronger attack.

Portamento/legato is activated when two notes are overlapped with a time difference above 20 msec.

As to the script, please note that the Stradivari violin was conceived to work with the original script only. Preprocessing by an additional script is presently not warranted, since it may compromise the correct functioning of the instrument.

Giorgio

**Fabio** · 02-01-2006, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by dbudde

There are a set of downbow samples triggered by keyswitch F1. But are there supposed to be upbow samples also? There is no keyswitch for them if there is.

The manual claims 12 keyswitches, but only 10 are defined. Are the missing two (keyswitches F#1 and G1) used for something and just not documented?

The description of the bow-change effects is a bit confusing. Is the intent to be able to use this for any sample or just the downbow samples? In this case does a bow change effect causes downbow samples to be upbow samples.

The manual says releasing the sustain pedal wil restore the previous mode. Does this mean if you selected downbow before asserting sustain pedal, then no matter how many notes occur during the sustain, then when it is released you are back to downbow? Seems to not be desirable in every case. For instance, if you select downbow mode, key note a (downbow), press sustain, key note b (upbow), key note c (downbow) release sustain, key note d (down). If one wants note d to be up, how does one get that case to work? I guess if you release sustain after note b and then reassert sustain after note c and then release after note d. Seems difficult to keep track.

Portamento and Legato engage if notes overlap by 20ms. What does one do about very short notes that can't overlap by that much without overlapping the entire note such that the second note never sounds? Admittedly this is likely to not want to be legato or portamento anyway. But I had to ask.

Waiting for an official answer by Giorgio, I can anticipate that the bowing effect has been included in an overall approach to sound modelling.

Because after long and accurate analysis of bow noise and following sound spectrum Giorgio is not convinced that the "phisical" difference between upbow and downbow exist, he decided to limit samples, and automatic up-down.

But as you probably know, because of your questions, the musical difference exist, and is a basic element in violin play technic. The musical difference (accent and strenght of bow transient into sound) is then reproduced by the sound shaping possible with the controllers, reproducing the difference between upbows and downbows.

**dbudde** · 02-01-2006, 01:16 PM

Giorgio, thank you for responding.

On the script issue, as the product exists postprocessing scripts are not precluded. So how does this prohibit one from compromising the function of the product. It seems useful to me to allow preprocessing as well. For instance, imagine a score plugin (I am working on such a plugin) that creates some midi cue (e.g., a note event outside the range of the instrument and the key-switches defined for the instrument) which then, in a Kontakt script, gets converted to CC1, CC11 and aftertouch commands. This would allow a score program to simulate a live performance. These commands would like to precede the Kontakt script for the strad solo violin. This would be very useful without any possibility of compromising the funcitons of the product as is.

Please consider adding this capability to the product. Thanks.

**Giorgio Tommasini** · 02-02-2006, 01:47 AM

dbudde,

Adding a preprocessor script does not require any modification to the Stradivari script. Just open the script editor, click on script ->save preset and save the nkp as "Stradivari".

Now load another script into slot#1 (default). Select slot#2 (it shows "empty"), click on script, load the Stradivari nkp and you're done.

Giorgio

**dbudde** · 02-02-2006, 09:41 AM

Giorgio,

Thank you. That does work. I actually tried it before and when I went to load the saved preset, Kontakt couldn't find it. Turns out you need too quit Kontakt and relaunch it after you've saved a preset or Kontakt won't see it in the preset list.

Minor issue for you. When you load the Stradivari into Kontakt the display is showing that it is loading "v1.06 cc#123 fix" even though it is loading v1.07.