KVR Audio

ravasb · Post by **ravasb** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 6:24 pm

I might get this because I am eligible for the upgrade. It could sound pretty okay in a mix, but it is a shame that there is no possibility for things like upstrokes/downstrokes, or differentiations in bowing back and across.

aMUSEd · Post by **aMUSEd** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 6:28 pm

pdxindy wrote:
BlackWinny wrote:
pdxindy wrote:I love String Studio... I find it one of the most expressive and enjoyable synths to play... but this update sounds really disappointing to me...

basically, they changed that GUI (which I liked just fine) and added some effects. What I really was looking for was some improvements to the sound engine like some increased modulation choices... more parameters which can be modulated, some random modulation options, an extra envelope etc, maybe a new exciter model and so on...

I'll get the update cause it is finally 64 bit... which I appreciate, but otherwise :yawn:
It was exactly what was said by many people about Ultra-Analog VA-2 some weeks before its release and until some weeks after its release.

And the time passing by, we realize that it was totally wrong. In it's specs it was not so better that the VA-1, everyone agrees with that, including myself... and in the facts and the number of users and the excellent reviews (not professional but by real users) it appears that it has been massively adopted and seems to be massively loved because these many musicians (and I'm among them) professional as amateur find it much more interesting at the usage.

So beware... it's not only at the specs that one should assess a new version of an instrument... but also (and above all) by the (aware or not) adoption made by the time passing by.

While your point is generally a good one... with String Studio v2 you now have to switch between numerous different tabs to control all the parameters that were all available on one page in v1... I already dislike it and I haven't even tried it... I loved that in v1 all the synth parameters were on one page... made editing fast and easy. Now the String, Damper and Termination modules are on separate tabs... and all 3 interact very closely so editing one means tweaking another. Now you have to switch between tabs just to do that!

It's like taking the worst of Tassman GUI and implementing it into SS!

Dammit they are insane? - do they not listen to their customers? Everyone has been complaining about the disaster of the UA2 interface for yonks and now they go and do it again.

Sampleconstruct · Post by **Sampleconstruct** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 6:40 pm

I don't need reskinned old technology with new FX, I passed on the upgrade for Ultra Analog and will pass on this one too.

BlackWinny · Post by **BlackWinny** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 6:49 pm

mhog wrote:
Numanoid wrote:A better name than String Studio would be Pluck Studio IMO.

The plug appears to be best for plucked sounds, and not for big string pads
For me the name is right, because "String" in "StringStudio" stands exactly for "one physically modeled string". It is not a "violins, cellos and orchestra" library. IMO StringStudio bowed strings (cellos, violins, ethnic fiddles) are impressive. The new sounds and "Frontier" (the soundbank included in the promotion) are very interesting, too. Oh, and the GUI is clear and neat, at last.

I have just asked them to publish bowed string demos... because absolutely all the present demos are plucked strings, even in the three extra banks though they have bowed strings in their lists. That looks pity, because if the plug has a good bow exciter it would be clever to not forget it in their demos.

So I've just asked... Generally AAS answers quite quickly to my emails. I'm gonna wait...

But in the meanwhile I have bought the bank Journeys, which works at least with the single AAS Player (included) to have an idea. And franckly... it sounds very good !

BlackWinny · Post by **BlackWinny** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 7:21 pm

BlackWinny wrote:
mhog wrote:
Numanoid wrote:A better name than String Studio would be Pluck Studio IMO.

The plug appears to be best for plucked sounds, and not for big string pads
For me the name is right, because "String" in "StringStudio" stands exactly for "one physically modeled string". It is not a "violins, cellos and orchestra" library. IMO StringStudio bowed strings (cellos, violins, ethnic fiddles) are impressive. The new sounds and "Frontier" (the soundbank included in the promotion) are very interesting, too. Oh, and the GUI is clear and neat, at last.
I have just asked them to publish bowed string demos... because absolutely all the present demos are plucked strings, even in the three extra banks though they have bowed strings in their lists. That looks pity, because if the plug has a good bow exciter it would be clever to not forget it in their demos.

So I've just asked... Generally AAS answers quite quickly to my emails. I'm gonna wait...

But in the meanwhile I have bought the bank Journeys, which works at least with the single AAS Player (included) to have an idea. And franckly... it sounds very good !

Incredible!

Ad I said just a few minutes ago "Generally AAS answers quite quickly to my emails. I'm gonna wait...". And Eric has answered immediately! 10 minutes after my request!

Here is his answer (he wrote in french, so I translate):

"Hello Jacques,
Thanks for your interest for String Studio VS-2. String Studio VS-2 doesn't excell in the realist sounds of bowed string instruments. Heowever the pads and ambient sounds are made with our bow model. And I invite you to try it for free (the demo version contains all the sounds) – to have the best idea by yourself since anybody else than yourself will never be better placed to know if an instrument matches your tastes".

And I know that the demo versions of their products are generally fully functional at the obvious exceptions of no save, no import/export, no record ability, a silence sometimes and the automatic stop after 20 minutes. Other than that usually their demo plugins have all the functions availables.

So yes, the best is to try it to assess the bow exciter. But already I'm quite thrilled by the Journey pack I've bought. So I maintain: with a bit of work it might fit for many instruments and in a mix it can probably replace many of my other emulations even if less for the bowed instruments.

aMUSEd · Post by **aMUSEd** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 7:30 pm

Personally I've got better lush strings from Chromaphone even though it's supposed to be for percussion:

https://soundcloud.com/amused/orchestral

audientronic · Post by **audientronic** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 7:51 pm

Nice!

Zombie Queen · Post by **Zombie Queen** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 8:02 pm

digitalboytn wrote:That's exactly what they did to Ultra Analog...

Looks like it. I'm not tempted to update. On the other hand, it likely is a good way to get new customers, better than doing nothing for sure.

CC4 · Post by **CC4** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 8:24 pm

Not sure what I think of their product video:

http://youtu.be/asJ0IUZ0eDY

I own VS-1 and never receive any info. from AAS.

coincidental · Post by **coincidental** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 8:46 pm

For what it's worth, I think this round of updates has definitely involved sound engine changes as well as effects and UI. I know that when trying to recreate Lounge Lizard EP-3 patches in EP-4, I found that there was an overall difference in the timbre of the basic sound. Maybe not better or worse - but certainly different. I suspect it was as a result of tweaking of the underlying models, together with the possibility for higher fidelity in the sound because of improved processing power in the intervening years.

I also suspect that these differences were less obvious in the UA upgrade - perhaps only when more higher-rate modulation was going on, I haven't experimented. However, I would think that String Studio VS-2 will have a distinctive tone when compared to VS-1 - maybe a little brighter, with more detail, more "going on". That may be a good thing or a not-so-good thing, depending on the context. There's only one way to find out, though - give it a whirl. And it's not a bad upgrade price when you consider the soundset is thrown in.

Nielzie · Post by **Nielzie** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 9:04 pm

CC4 wrote:Not sure what I think of their product video:

http://youtu.be/asJ0IUZ0eDY

I own VS-1 and never receive any info. from AAS.

Nice video. Amazing how many types of sounds can come out of it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asJ0IUZ0 ... =youtu.com

BlackWinny · Post by **BlackWinny** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 9:18 pm

Nielzie wrote:
CC4 wrote:Not sure what I think of their product video:

http://youtu.be/asJ0IUZ0eDY

I own VS-1 and never receive any info. from AAS.
Nice video. Amazing how many types of sounds can come out of it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asJ0IUZ0 ... =youtu.com

And really, the soundbank Journey (128 presets inspired by old traditional instruments of the world) is totally amazing. Just for the pleasure to create new personal patches by taking points of start in this bank I have upgraded! And really the sound is much better than with VS-1. Probably by improvements in the filters in VS-2 as I thought even if not documented in the texts of the website.

whyterabbyt · Post by **whyterabbyt** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 9:21 pm

coincidental wrote:For what it's worth, I think this round of updates has definitely involved sound engine changes as well as effects and UI.

If there were, Im pretty sure AAS would be touting it as changed on their feature list, as it would be more significant than some of the trivia on it.

They have made a big deal of engine changes before, eg the changes to the LL3 audio engine, so why would they be so shy now?

I know that when trying to recreate Lounge Lizard EP-3 patches in EP-4, I found that there was an overall difference in the timbre of the basic sound. Maybe not better or worse - but certainly different. I suspect it was as a result of tweaking of the underlying models, together with the possibility for higher fidelity in the sound because of improved processing power in the intervening years.

Given the non-portability of patches mentioned earlier, that could be something simpler, eg a remapping of control values/scales/curves.

BlackWinny · Post by **BlackWinny** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 9:32 pm

whyterabbyt wrote:Given the non-portability of patches mentioned earlier, that could be something simpler, eg a remapping of control values/scales/curves.

For Lounge Lizard I don't know since I have only Lounge Lizard Session.

But for Ultra-Analog VA-2 and String Studio VS-2, I can say:

UA VA-2 imports (and very easily) the patches of UA VA-1...

... and VS-2 imports by the same easy way the patches of VS-1.

MillerSam · Post by **MillerSam** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 9:58 pm

Tested it now a bit
I can say:
The GUI is a bit bigger than UA-2 but not a lot but much better than UA-2
Sound is very great.It's sounds better than VS-1
I think the manipulation of sounds is simpler with this GUI than old one
Plugin is not CPU hungry
Great Price for what you get: Upgrade with sound library for just 29 Dollar, wow

+1 for AAS. Many of yours would like to see other things in it but I can say good deal

AAS String Studio VS-2 official released