oxlogoboss

Cinematic Strings Pro Edition 2.1 KONTAKT-MAGNETRiXX. Cinematic Strings 2 is a completely redesigned and updated version of the original orchestral strings sample library. Whilst retaining the warm luscious tones produced in the world class Verbrugghen Hall of the Sydney Conservatorium, the new version features a sleek new interface. Cinematic Strings is a professional sample library for Kontakt. If you're a composer, orchestrator or arranger working in media today, Cinematic Strings is an. Cinematic background music consists of inspiring and motivational tracks that are usually played on piano and strings that create a big and epic atmosphere. The benefits of using a cinematic soundtrack are that it can emotionally move your audience and create a positive impression. They cannot only watch the video but can also feel it.

• Cinematic Strings 2 Review

• Software >Sound Library

The Anglo‑Australian strings library returns with a radical version 2 upgrade.

Cinematic Strings 2.0's redesigned GUI. Mapped samples are shown in blue and keyswitches for the eight main articulations are marked in pink, while yellow and green keys at either end of the keyboard turn functions such as monophonic legato and 'Live Mode' on and off.

In the spring of 2010, I reviewed a new sample library called Cinematic Strings that positively bristled with appealing features: a sweet concert-hall acoustic, three mic positions, real legato intervals, lush sustains, powerful staccatos and a full complement of sections, including separate first and second violins. (You can read the review at /sos/may10/articles/cinematicstrings.htm.) I wasn't expecting any developments beyond the odd bug-fix or patch update, so was pleasantly surprised to learn that that its makers (aka Antipodean maestro Alex Wallbank and UK composer/arranger David Hearn) have released a completely redesigned version of the library, called (unsurprisingly) Cinematic Strings 2.0.

Unlike the original, CS 2.0 is compatible with the free Kontakt 5 Player and will also run on the full version of Kontakt 5. The existing samples have been completely overhauled and an additional new set of staccatissimo and 'mix' samples created (the latter are a highly effective, full‑sounding blend of the library's three mikings). For the privileged few who work in surround, these blended samples will help conserve system resources throughout the programming stage, as well as giving a good impression of how the individual mic positions will sound in the final mix.

Existing owners of Cinematic Strings can upgrade to CS 2.0 for a fee of $49 (about £30). The payment reflects the charges made by NI to manufacturers who licence their Kontakt Player technology, and doesn't seem unreasonable given that the upgrade virtually doubles the size of the library to around 38GB. (Due to NI's lossless .NCW sample compression format, the samples occupy only 21.1GB of disk space.) CS 2.0 is available only as a download direct from Cinematic Strings' site; as the sample pool has been completely redesigned, owners of the original library wishing to upgrade will have to download the entire shooting match again, but can still continue to use the old library afterwards if they wish (more on which later).

New GUI In Town

The 'Advanced' screen contains controls for short note lengths, staccato overlay, vibrato, release on/off, Live Mode Intensity and a MIDI CC assign table for Velocity X‑Fade, Vibrato X‑Fade, Volume and Keyswitch (the last facility allows you to use MIDI Continuous Controllers instead of keyswitches).

CS 2.0's spiffing new Kontakt interface contains a giant close‑up of one side of an extremely expensive violin. Let's hope someone didn't saw off the other half with a view to flogging it on eBay. Occupying more than twice the area of the old GUI, the updated screen contains a new four‑channel mic mixer with volume faders and pan controls for the close, stage, room and mix samples. Each instrument loads with eight main articulations (arco, tremolo, semitone/tone trill, 'run mode', staccato, marcato and pizzicato) in place, along with variants such as monophonic legato and staccatissimo.

The loading procedure has been vastly improved: you can load and unload individual articulations and mic positions with a couple of clicks, and when you switch on a particular miking, only the samples for the currently active articulations are loaded. This intelligent system means that if you need (say) only the stage‑position pizzicato samples, you can load them in just a few seconds, making it quick and easy to audition different mic perspectives.

As the 'mix' samples incorporate all three mic positions, playing any combination of the mixed and individual mikings together would create phase problems. To avoid this, the three individual positions are automatically muted when you select the mix option; mute the mix samples, and the other positions are turned back on. Very smart. The only function missing here is a solo button, but the system is so flexible I think we can manage without it.

Articulation Innovation

In CS 2.0, articulations can be very quickly loaded and unloaded by clicking their 'on' and 'off' buttons. To change the pitch of an articulation's keyswitch, shift‑click on the keyswitch button (which will turn orange), then play the note you want to assign to it.

CS 2.0's new ultra‑short staccatissimo articulation will be welcomed by media composers who need to knock out hectic, Hollywood‑style action cues in a hurry. The new samples are derived from the staccato samples, using a proprietary algorithm devised by Alex Wallbank. Instantly playable straight out of the box, they combine a brisk, emphatic and powerful delivery with the library's hallmark lush hall acoustic. The overall effect is extremely impressive and, due to the method of their creation, the staccatissimos are a perfect match for the staccatos!

Cinematic Strings 2 Review

Selecting a staccato articulation causes a staccato/staccatissimo selector dial to appear on screen. You can adjust this manually, or control it via the mod wheel or a MIDI CC command of your choice. (The same goes for many of CS 2.0's controls.) Further subtle tweaks may be performed on the 'Advanced' screen, which contains a set of faders controlling the length and release time of the staccato and pizzicato short notes.

A new 'live mode' aims to reduce the over‑precise, synthetic effect of fast runs by strategically inserting custom samples. According to the makers, 'Fast passages will now sound as if they're played by a group of people, including all the live, imperfect human energy that goes on with it.” I feared that this was a euphemism for what we in the trade call 'bum notes', but have to admit that the live mode did make a fast, 16th‑note rising figure I'd programmed sound better; the notes subtly blurred together in an agreeably lifelike way, and the overall feel was noticeably more organic.

CS 2.0's new mic position mixer adds a fourth 'mix' set to the three individual mikings. Note that, in this example, selecting the mix option has automatically muted the other three positions.

Much work has gone into improving the library's legatos: the scripting now automatically adjusts note envelopes to your playing speed, softening the attacks of faster passages. Although the updated legatos can't cope with ultra‑fast lines and trills, I found that they responded more evenly to variations in touch than the originals. A great deal of attention has been paid to achieving a consistent performance across the five sections, and it shows: you can switch mid‑stream between the first and second violins' and violas' legato performances with no trace of discontinuity. If you play the low strings on the same MIDI channel, the basses will track the cellos an octave down, a classic technique that sounds absolutely wonderful with these legatos.

As in CS 1, the arco sustains default to monophonic legato mode when loaded, but can be instantly rendered polyphonic for chordal playing by a new 'legato off' switch. The secondary, synthesized legato mode implemented in the original library has been removed, which is a bit of a shame, as it did a pretty good job of simulating Bollywood‑style pitch slides.

Spot The Difference

An ingenious two‑way control allows you to reduce the lengths of staccatos, staccatissimos and pizzicatos by moving the left hand slider to the right; moving the right hand slider to the left reduces the length of the release trails!

In CS 2.0, the mic position formerly known as 'spot' has been renamed 'close' (a good thing, too — why would you want to use a dog's name to describe a mic position?). The original library provided a wealth of individual patches for different combinations of playing styles and mic positions, resulting in a grand total of 90 patches; in CS 2.0, that number has been reduced to a mere five, just one each for first violins, second violins, violas, cellos and basses — a welcome simplification which reflects the fact that the new patches are super‑versatile.

Other innovations include a cool new 'Playing Position' control on the GUI, which switches between the bright, transparent sound of sustained notes played low on the instrument's neck and the denser, darker tone created by playing the same pitches on a lower string a fifth higher up the neck. This subtle aid to realism can be controlled by a MIDI CC command of your choice. A new convolution reverb, based on the sound of the Verbrugghen Hall in the Sydney Conservatorium used for the original sampling sessions, can be used to add extra hall ambience. It sounds fine if introduced subtly, but becomes a little synthetic at higher levels.

The original library had a choice of round-robin modes: one cycled through the four RR's in consecutive order, while the other played them randomly with no repeated samples. In the simplified CS 2.0, you're left with just the latter version, in which every separate key on the keyboard has its own independent random cycle — which is particularly advantageous for chordal playing, according to the makers.

A careful comparison of the old and new close‑mic patches reveals that the close samples are now mono. According to David Hearn, this particular miking was mono all along, but in CS1, a Kontakt insert effect was added to give it a slightly wider image. Hearn explains that the effect has now been removed, partly because the Kontakt 5 Player doesn't allow users to 'reach inside' the player to turn the effect off, and also because he and Alex Wallbank eventually decided that 'we didn't love what it did to the sound”. So there you go!

Thankfully, such minor details need not be lost forever to existing users. Since the 2.0 upgrade doesn't overwrite the original samples and patches, you can keep both versions on your hard drive and load old CS1 projects without fear of them sounding different — you can even run the original library alongside the upgrade in the same instance of Kontakt 5. Other manufacturers should take heed of this sensible, user‑friendly approach: in the real world it's common to return to projects for remixes and re‑workings, and the last thing you want is to find they sound like a dog's dinner due to some badly‑thought‑out product update.

Conclusion

Cinematic Strings always sounded great, and the 2.0 upgrade has made it more compact and instantly playable. The new staccatissimos are ideal, energetic film‑score fodder and the improved legato engine is an aid to emotional expression; the streamlined, simplified and intuitive design is also a boon to busy composers.

While it remains a highly effective tool with many creative applications, the omissions and attendant caveats noted in my original review still apply; but for quickly creating classy‑sounding orchestral string scores of great vibrancy, colour, power, lushness and emotionality, this collection is hard to beat.

Alternatives

The only library to match CS 2.0's double‑whammy of multiple mic positions and separate, real‑life first and second violin sections is EastWest/Quantum Leap's Hollywood Strings, which has bigger sections, more articulations, five mikings and a correspondingly larger price tag. If neither of those features is essential, the large sections and profuse musical detail of Vienna Symphonic Library's Appassionata Strings I, and the flexible ensemble sizes offered by both Audiobro's LA Scoring Strings and Kirk Hunter Studios Concert Strings II are all capable of delivering fine musical results.

Instrumentation

String Sections

• Twelve first violins.
• Eight second violins.
• Seven violas.
• Seven cellos.
• Six double basses.

(Total 40 players.)

Articulations (long notes)

• Sustain non‑vibrato.*
• Sustain vibrato.*
• Legato sustain.*
• Marcato.**
• Tremolo.
• Trills (whole tone & semitone).

Articulations (short notes)

• Staccato.
• Staccatissimo.***
• Pizzicato.
• 'Snap' pizzicato.

* Available in high and low playing positions.

** Layered staccato and sustain.

*** Derived from staccato samples.

Switching Sides

Like its predecessor, Cinematic Strings 2.0 makes extensive use of user‑configurable keyswitches. The difference is that you can now see where they are, depicted in a variety of hard‑to‑miss colours on the GUI's keyboard. You can create custom keyswitches by holding down 'shift' and clicking on an articulation on screen; when it glows orange, simply play the note you want to use as its keyswitch. As well as selecting articulations, keyswitches are used as 'on' and 'off' switches for the 'Legato' and 'Live Mode' front-panel switches.

A nice touch is that when you turn an articulation off, its keyswitch is automatically removed from the GUI, making it impossible to accidentally trigger an inactive playing style and thereby create an embarrassing silence in the middle of your latest masterpiece. If you'd rather avoid using keyswitches altogether (as some composers do, due to their propensity to mess up the look of a score), you can use MIDI CCs to select articulations instead.

Pros

• Version 2.0 is even better than the original.
• Includes excellent new staccatissimos and improved real legatos.
• The smart, concise and intuitive new interface puts all musical and sonic choices under your fingertips.
• Intelligent, fast sample loading and unloading speeds up workflow.

Cons

• There are no glissandi or harmonics.
• No solo strings.
• No 'full strings' patches.
• Long notes have mod‑wheel dynamic crossfading but no velocity switching.

Summary

This multi‑miked string ensemble library sounded good when it first came out, and the new, zappy staccatissimos and improved legatos make it sound even better. A redesigned GUI and simplified patch system have also made the library more user‑friendly. The new reduced price should attract new buyers; while it's still not exactly cheap, you get what you pay for, and its classy, lush and expressive sound will certainly add production value to your scores, as well as (hopefully) inspiring your compositions!

information

• Software >Sound Library

Huge, elaborate orchestral sample libraries are all the rage right now, but for more modest requirements and lower budgets, Session Strings Pro could be just the ticket.

The Main tab controls level balance between sections 1 and 2, bow-noise amount, stereo width and AR envelope controls. When release samples are active, the release envelope control is disabled.

When it comes to mocking up large-scale orchestral strings, there are plenty of sample libraries that address the subject, often brandishing buzz-words such as 'Hollywood', 'Cinematic' and 'Epic' amongst their USPs. The price tag and system requirements for such libraries can be equally epic, requiring a substantial financial outlay; not just for the software, but also for a system capable of realising their full potential. What isn't so commonly addressed is the need for a smaller string section suitable for pop productions, where a grandiose 64-piece string section is frequently inappropriate. Session Strings Pro (SSPro) aims to provide just that, at a relatively affordable cost.

The Story So Far

To get an idea of what SSPro is all about, let's quickly take a look at its predecessor, Session Strings (released early in 2010). This featured four violins, three violas, two celli and two double basses, playable as an ensemble across the keyboard. Fourteen articulations were provided as individual instrument patches; with several of these loaded at once and assigned to separate MIDI channels, this allowed for articulation changes if your arrangement was split across multiple MIDI tracks. Articulations comprised between one and three velocity layers, depending on type; the lowest two adjacent layers could optionally be crossfaded using the mod wheel, for more naturalistic dynamic expression, instead of the default key-velocity switching method. Ten Performance patches provided a predetermined selection of velocity-switched articulation pairs, plus scoops and falls activated by the pitch-bend lever. In addition to this was the Animator, a built-in sequencer that played chords in a rhythmical pattern using a staccato, spiccato or pizzicato articulation. This was restricted to using 48 preset patterns, with no option to customise them. Despite the limitations, it was fun, but begged a more flexible implementation. Lastly, all instruments and Performances were provided in two flavours, 'Standard' and 'Motown'. The former had a natural, uncoloured tone, while the latter benefited from a convolution impulse, imparting a mid-range presence and ambience reminiscent of string sections from the Motown era. All the instruments sampled were made in the 18th and 19th centuries by Italian craftsmen, lending the library an unarguably 'vintage' provenance — an interesting contrast, considering the intended modern applications.

Supersize Me

Five articulations, a default plus four performance-dependent alternatives, can be set. The knob below Expression Control sets key signature, so SSPro can 'intelligently' select half-tone or whole-tone trills.

Whereas the SS core library came in at 1.63GB when installed, SSPro raises the bar considerably, coming in at 29.4GB — just over 18 times more sample data. As you'd expect, this gives SSPro plenty of scope for extra articulations, and a generally more detailed and comprehensive coverage of the string section than its predecessor. Compared to the 14 articulations of SS, SSPro provides 29. Further sampling details include up to four velocity layers (depending on the articulation), 4x 'round robins' and release samples. The round robins and release samples can be disabled if required, but as they add to the realism of SSPro, and use no less RAM when disabled, I suspect that most users will choose to leave them on.

The single ensemble of Session Strings is multiplied fourfold in SSPro. Once again, each of the four 'sections' comprises four violins, three violas, two celli and two double basses, organised into two preset groups for Sections 1 & 2 and Sections 3 & 4. A Section 1 & 2 preset, for example, will load those two sections together, the balance between the two being adjustable from the 'Main' tab. As well as providing all-in-one 'ensemble' presets, SSPro includes separate presets for violins, violas, celli and basses. Not only does this afford each instrument its full playable range, but it allows for different articulations and custom dynamic control over each part, greatly enhancing an arrangement's realism. The four sections differ in the following ways: Section 1 (closely equivalent to that of Session Strings) has a close, dry sound, with the basses placed centrally. The celli are panned equally to each side of centre, with the violas spread wider still, giving the violins the widest stereo panorama. Section 2 employs the same orchestral seating, but with the mics placed further from the players. Although the Section 1 and 2 samples sound like the same sampled performances (ie. not double the number of players), a mix of both sections provides a warmer and fuller tone than either section on its own. Section 3 and 4 presets follow a similar close/far mic placement pairing, but with traditional orchestral seating (basses to the right, progressing to violins on the left) for the closer-miked section 3, and the opposite stereo placement for the distant-miked section 4. Of course, you can layer Section 1 & 2 presets together with Section 3 & 4 equivalents on the same MIDI channel, for an even fuller sound. However, what isn't clear is whether Sections 1 & 2 are actually separately sampled performances to those of Sections 3 & 4. All four sections layered together certainly doesn't sound like a 44-piece ensemble, but I found that detuning Sections 1 & 2 against Sections 3 & 4 (about 10 cents seemed a good amount) gave a reasonable impression of larger resources.

Preset Types

Up to six keyswitchable articulations are available in Production presets. Keyswitches can be user assigned.

Every instrument category contains three different preset types — Performance, Production and Animator — each focusing on different ways of working with SSPro. Performance presets are optimised for live performance, offering up to five immediately accessible articulations, triggered by predetermined conditions. The main articulation (user selectable) is the one that plays by default, but is replaceable either by exceeding a specified key velocity, using the sustain pedal (CC64) or the expression pedal (CC11), or by operating the pitch wheel. The 'replacement' articulations for each condition are assigned from a drop-down menu containing all those available, with the exception of pitch wheel, which offers a choice of 'normal' pitch-bending or the scoop/fall articulations (down triggers falls, up triggers scoops.)

Production presets are optimised for recording, and provide up to six possible articulation choices, selectable via latching keyswitches. There is no default articulation here; the one that plays is the last one you selected. No two keyswitches can share the same articulation, but you can leave as many as you like empty, so only the articulations you need are loaded. The default keyswitch assignments can be fully customised if you wish, with the caveat that if a keyswitch is placed within the sounding range of an instrument, the keyswitch function presides, and that note makes no sound.

SSPro's Animator presets see a very welcome development of the concept that first appeared in Session Strings. Animator transforms chords into tempo-sync'ed, chugging, rhythmical patterns or arpeggios using staccato, spiccato or pizzicato short note articulations, and comes stocked with a list of 36 preset patterns. Similarities to SS end there, because now the patterns can be fully customised to your wishes, and saved to any of 10 user slots. These user patterns are selectable on the fly using keyswitches, meaning that you're not stuck with just one repetitive pattern; you can create a collection of motifs that change and develop throughout a song. Editing patterns is easy and intuitive, using graphical faders that represent each step of a pattern. The faders control the velocity of each step — so if you want a 'rest' note, just pull that step's fader to zero. The four velocity layers and 4x round robins provide sufficient sonic variation to give a pretty good impression of a lively, chugging ensemble in full Michael Nyman mode. Additional knobs control the overall dynamic response of the patterns to key velocity, add variable amounts of swing feel, and multiply/divide the tempo scale. You're not restricted to compound time, either: patterns can easily be made to cycle around odd numbers of steps. This could inspire a new wave of Prog Baroque concept albums...

The Sound

Words that come to mind when describing the overall sound of SSPro are clear, precise and intimate. Some may feel it's a little too precise, considering that SSPro is primarily aimed at pop productions, which often benefit from a few rough edges. This could well be due to the extremely accurate tuning. A little laxity here, especially with regard to the very close unison tuning between instruments in the same group, might help SSPro sound a little less 'genteel' for some applications. The individual instrument types have very distinct characters; the basses are very focused, packing low-end weight without sounding muddy. The celli are warm and expressive, benefiting from occasional touches of the portamento and glissando articulations. The Violas are quite possibly the star of the show; rich, warm and authoritative, with a lovely resonance, they carry a melody particularly well. The violins sound best in their lowest octave, but above that the sustaining articulations feel like they lose momentum. My personal feeling is that their loudest dynamic is underplayed, and a smidgeon more vibrato wouldn't have gone amiss to impart a more energetic feel.

One operational gripe concerns the use of the modulation wheel or expression pedal to control dynamics. When the wheel (or pedal) is stationary in the 'up' position and a new note is played, downward movement of the wheel causes an initial upward jump in volume. In order to maintain a consistent level, the wheel has to be constantly moving — if only just a little bit — whenever new notes are played. Every preset displays the same behaviour, so this is most likely a general problem within the KSP scripting.

When Polyphony Matters

Animator patterns can be customised easily by adjusting the graphical faders. Ten saved user patterns are selectable on the fly with keyswitches.

The Ensemble presets can be very demanding on polyphony when both sections are active and dynamics are controlled by the mod wheel rather than key velocity. In these circumstances, as many as 12 voices are playing at once for each note, and this can mount up to 24 when playing notes that fall within positional crossfade zones. It's not unusual for a three-note chord to gobble up 48 notes of polyphony, and the release samples can cause this to climb above 100 if you're playing legato, and reasonably quickly! If this becomes a problem in a busy sequence, you can halve the polyphony, at the expense of tone, by setting the level of section 2 (or 4) to 'off'. Alternatively, programme each part using the individual violin, viola, cello and bass patches. They don't make use of positional crossfades, so they consume marginally less polyphony, and make for a more natural-sounding result, with independent control over each part's dynamics and articulations.

Rosins To Be Cheerful

All SSPro presets are equipped with a trio of 'sweetening' effects: Equaliser, Compressor and Reverb. The Equaliser comprises Low, Mid and High bands, each with gain and variable centre frequency controls. The Compressor utilises Kontakt's 'Pro' compressor effect, and although there is only a single Amount control, delving into edit mode reveals this to adjust the threshold, ratio, attack and release parameters simultaneously. The range of settings suits SSPro well, with higher values adding extra bite to the Fortepiano, Attack and shorter articulations, and some additional 'oomph' to the higher violin range. The Reverb provides a choice of 10 convolution spaces and a Mix control. If you're running SSPro in the full version of Kontakt, you can extend these reverb options by dropping into edit mode and selecting any of Kontakt's own convolution presets, or even load your own impulses. The Main tab of every preset is home to two additional features: Bow Noise and Stereo Width. Bow Noise, to put it simply, adds more rosin to your bow — turn it way up, and you're right there at the player's elbow, as it were. It's a very intimate sound, and works especially well on the Celli and Violas. Variable Stereo Width uses pseudo-stereo processing to either collapse the image to mono at one extreme, or expand to a super-wide, out-of-speaker experience at the other. The default 12 o'clock position gives a 'normal' stereo image. As with Session Strings, all presets are available in a choice of Contemporary (named 'Standard' in Session Strings) or Motown flavours.

Conclusion

Given the current fashion for large-scale cinematic string libraries, it's interesting that Native Instruments have chosen not to follow the 'me too' path, opting instead to fill a gap in the market with this scaled-down ensemble. SSPro is actually more versatile than its suggested 'pop' applications, and is quite capable of handling baroque, classical and period styles. It's particularly good at evoking a wistfulness and nostalgia reminiscent of British movie soundtracks from the '60s and '70s. SSPro's tight, intimate sound undoubtedly works best matched with arrangements on a similar scale; anyone requiring rumbustious, larger resources will need to look elsewhere. Despite personal reservations — a lack of energy in the violins and the lumpy volume behaviour when using mod-wheel dynamic control — I like SSPro. Its simple operation makes for a fun sit-down-and-jam experience, but it can also sound quite impressive when sequencing a complex arrangement using the separate violin, viola, celli and bass instruments, carefully sculpted dynamics, and judicious use of the articulations on offer. Admittedly, larger mega-libraries offer more sophisticated and realistic implementations of certain features, but at the cost of higher hard drive footprint and a bigger hit on system resources and finances. And when the mega-libraries are sonically just too mega, SSPro might just provide a welcome calm in the storm.

Alternatives

String libraries offering similar weight and function to SSPro appear to be scarce, and the following three examples were the closest candidates. Miroslav String Ensembles: Composer's Dream offers both large and smaller ensembles, the smaller representing significantly more players than SSPro. Although VSL Chamber Strings comprises a similar number of players to SSPro, its tone and performance style is distinctly classical, and not specifically geared to 'modern' styles. Audiobro LA Scoring Strings: the full version of LASS provides the means to build ensembles to the required size, making it the most likely to match the equivalent 'weight' of SSPro. It also includes the ART Script tool, which surely inspired SSPro's own Animator. And the cost? Session Strings Pro is approximately half the price of the first two examples, whilst LASS carries a substantial four-figure price tag.

System Requirements

• Kontakt or Kontakt Player 4.2.2 or higher.
• Windows XP (latest Service Pack, 32-bit), Intel Core Duo or AMD Athlon 64 processor, 2GB RAM, Windows Vista or Windows 7 (latest Service Pack, 32-/64-bit).
• Intel Core Duo processor, 2GB RAM, Mac OS 10.5 or 10.6 (latest update).

Smooth Me Over

Realistic note transitions (such as true legato) were once the Holy Grail for sampled instruments, and most high-end libraries now boast their own implementation of this feature. Whilst SSPro doesn't rise to the same levels of sophistication as the bigger libraries in this respect, it nevertheless makes a brave stab at the task. SSPro provides three monophonic transitions: legato, glissando and portamento. The legato articulation is fairly believable across one- or two-semitone intervals, but as the intervals become progressively larger they don't 'smear' quite as seamlessly as they should. Ironically, when large-interval transitions are played with the polyphonic sustain articulation and butt-joined notes, the release samples provide enough glue to create fairly seamless joins. Glissando transitions use a fixed-speed semitone slide up or down to the target note, regardless of the starting note, and these can work well when used sparingly for smaller intervals. Larger interval glissandi can be faked by playing a rapid scale of overlapping notes, triggering a series of slides that blend the 'missing' notes together. Portamento is a faster, more subtle version of the glissando articulation, and again works best when treated in the same way as glissandi.

Comparisons

Pros

• Clear, precise and intimate sound.
• Lots of articulations.
• Violins, violas, celli and basses available separately.
• Customisable Animator tool with keyswitchable user patterns.

Cons

• Fairly demanding on polyphony.
• Violins' upper range lacks a little passion and 'oomph'.
• Erratic volume behaviour when using mod-wheel dynamic control.

Summary

SSPro sits neatly in the gap between chamber ensemble and symphony orchestra, with a clarity that makes it easy to place in a mix. It's nearly 20 times larger than its predecessor, featuring four sections, each with seating and mic-placement characteristics, more articulations, and preset configurations optimised for live and sequencing situations. This library delivers strings on a smaller 'pop' scale, but is actually suitable for many musical genres.

information