Bunch of Template (and real orchestra) Questions

Yes I don't worry about the number of "virtual players" actually represented when playing, say, a chord on a full violin section patch. It doesn't sound like 100+ violins would. One of the biggest drawbacks of virtual instruments - apart from the dismally unmusical lack of articulation - is that each instrument/section exists in a bubble - they don't truly blend or interact with one another. So two violin "sections" don't add the way 64 actual violins would.

 

Yes, live divisi usage is governed by - geez - just a ton of factors. I'll be sure to talk about it if/when we do a Live Symphonic Strings class. For now, vi's are such a gross approximation I wouldn't worry about it at all. Just get the overall balance right. Remember, performance is 100x more important than sound.

 

Hi Rohann,

Just a few ideas here. First it depends so much on the library and also often on the patches. There are libraries which have a very thick sounding strings which when you start to play chords it will sound too thick. In general I would say: Don´t worry too much about playing string chords even if the number of players excel the "theoretical" numbers of a compared live situation. But you should imo always use your ears to evaluate what comes "in". Having said that: Also the micing settings can have a significant influence about the thickness of a sound and even single played string line. Tree / ambient or stage Micings let resonate ensemble instruments much more with the room and doing chords will cause a much thicker line and sound output. I would try the following: Lets say you have a divisi line for Violas, and lets say they play like a glue kind of harmony in the middle ranges, you can easily use 2 different viola ensembles playing that. But perform each line a bit differently, it can also help using different libraries, like the upper voice can be a Berlin Viola patch and the lower line could be a 8dio Viola. Let me demonstrate that later with an example. Such chords can sound too thick when people are using ensemble patches which are just strings because the voices contain often not only violins, but violas, and cellos on just one note and therefore the line and chords gets a way too thick. Again: Use your "ear", and listen to a recording and try to compare the results. I never go by the numbers in the ensemble. If the developers tells me: Look that is a 8 or 16 Violins patch, I say thank you and I don´t care any further.

 

Yes I'd concur - only use Full Ensemble patches when sketching, but within sections, I personally have never worried about the virtual stacking of virtual players. YMMV.

 

So, here is a quick example of what I was talking about.

listen to both examples.

dry version:

The string department there is:

Berlin Violins + 8dio + Spitfire chamber strings + Solo strings. So that are just on the paper, I dont know maybe..48 violins playing the same line? or whatever and that would be just not really fit to the numbers on the staff paper normally. But I go from what I like to hear in context with the orchestra playing together. And one library just doesn´t do the job for me, so I am starting to add more, but therefore I am having also more timbres available and I detune each line a little bit "on the fly" while peforming.
Similiar approach for the violas and cellos (berlin, 8dio)

 

Well I personally can´t get anough of molto vibrato though I know people who actually don´t like that, however, my example should just show you that layering those different libraries doesn´t mean automatically that it doesn´t work, in fact I believe layering carefully different types of libraries can "enrich" the coloring of the lines. I mean you have to programm the lines carful because they all have different attacks, and legato type of transitions so copying paste doesn´t work here in order to let them sound together.

For the vibrato I honestly even don´t use any crossfade from non to vib. / When I listen to soundtracks I like, the strings are very often having some vibrato in the sound, besides specific restrained situation parts so imo I wouldn´t care too much about that. More important is that you can create a cohesive musical and expressive line with the patch.

My recommendation therefore if you like drier sounds:

Hollywood strings longs / legato, runs, trems ( I dont like that much the shorts)
Berlin Strings, yeah they are ambient but you can kill the ambience when you know how. (longs, Shorts, Blurred Spiccs / Staccs + detuning), use there close micings, and a bit of ambient, reduce the release (release tail killer), and alter the attack to your needs. (use a send to a scoring stage with a very short decay to get back room)
8dio Agitato (close micings for expressivo lyrical stuff, cello, vloa and violins kick ass)
CSS Shorts for driving motion, one of the best out there. The longs are also nice of course but very dark.