Anyone want custom articulations for DD Solo Strings?

**killerbobjr** · 09-22-2001, 04:45 AM

First off, let me say that I love Dan Dean\'s Solo Strings. But I\'ve been working on my own custom articulations to solve some of my perceived shortcomings of the library. However, I\'m at a point now where if I really want to make it sound that way I want, I will have to edit the WAV files directly. If I do this, I will be unable to share my final results with other DDSS owners since I can\'t go sending DD\'s copyrighted WAV files to other folks.

So is everyone pretty much satisfied with the current articulations? I\'ve been working on perfecting seamless loops, having better attacks and releases for legato, and creating effective ensemble modes. The results of my current work in progress can be heard here (it\'s a bit rough at the moment): http://members.home.net/killerbobjr1/barber.mp3 along with the midifile: http://members.home.net/killerbobjr1/barber.mid (this is the first and second violins only). I\'ve left in the expression controller data but have not tweaked the midifile other than fine-tuning note overlaps for legato. There\'s five each, identical but separate, first and second violin tracks (quick\'n\'dirty ensemble mode). There\'s no reverb and no panning of any instruments. Basically, everything is pretty raw and I haven\'t done any of the timing/velocity/modulation/etc. variations I usually put in.

Please chime in here if you want me to continue working on these custom articulations. If enough people want them, I\'ll try and get around Gigastudio\'s limitations by editing articulation parameters only, rather than editing the WAV files themselves, and then make the finished articulations available to everyone.

**dnortana** · 09-22-2001, 05:01 AM

killerbobjr -

By all means, please continue. I can\'t imagine anyone having DDSS and not wanting such additions/improvements!

With respect to the copyright limitation that you correctly identified, let me ask, do you see the technically superior solution to actually edit the wav files? If so, as I suspect, then there might be a workable solution to the copyright issue. Namely, you send the improved articulations/wav\'s to Dan Dean, who somehow makes them available to legitimate purchasers of the library. Would such a thing be possible? Dan?

In any event, whatever you do in terms of improvements that can be legitimately shared, I am quite interested.

Trond

**runamuck** · 09-22-2001, 02:23 PM

DITTO, and thank you for your efforts.

**killerbobjr** · 09-22-2001, 08:41 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
do you see the technically superior solution to actually edit the wav files?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

GS has really primitive envelopes (ADSR only), so I tried a work-around using filters. I found the filters do not act consistantly when you start doing sophisticated routing and I couldn\'t get a filter to work every time I hit the note. So the only option left was to either compromise and try to blend the waveforms as best as I can, or edit the WAVs directly to get what I want. The superior solution is for GS to at least work correctly.

I\'m starting to understand Warren Trachtman\'s frustrations with GS.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
Namely, you send the improved articulations/wav\'s to Dan Dean, who somehow makes them available to legitimate purchasers of the library.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Since Dan originally never provided a means of registration with the library, I don\'t see how he could differentiate between legitimate and illegitimate users, so that scenario wouldn\'t work.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
I\'m sure everyone who owns the library would welcome and appreciate your efforts.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

While I\'m sure some people would appreciate a new articulation, I don\'t know that enough people would find it useful enough for me to justify spending an inordinate amount of time fiddling with articulations instead of making music. And with Garritan Orchestral Strings available with all the articulations it has, I wonder how many people actually need solo strings (except for the cello). I don\'t hear too many Paganini Caprices being used in film scores.

Right now, I\'m leaning towards editing the WAVs because thats the quickest route to my desired goals. So based on the rough example I provided above, do enough people find what I\'m doing useful? (For the record: looping for arco, various blended/filtered attacks for staccato and arco, blended/filtered release triggers for arco, and better ensemble modes; these are geared towards making a good legato sound).

Z6 · 09-22-2001, 11:37 PM

Any tweaks you could make to an already great library would be very much appreciated.

I\'m sure everyone who owns the library would welcome and appreciate your efforts.

**dandean** · 09-23-2001, 09:55 AM

Hi Killer,

\"Since Dan originally never provided a means of registration with the library, I don\'t see how he could differentiate between legitimate and illegitimate users, so that scenario wouldn\'t work.\"

To borrow from Donnie\'s \"Cage\" thread,

Swim, swim, swim, \"Oh Look, a hassle\"
Swim, swim, swim, \"Oh Look, a hassle\"
Swim, swim, swim...