Advanced Soundware REALIZE Orchestral Brass Review

By Nate [KVR] on November 6th, 2024

The world of sampled orchestral instruments has seen some evolution over the years, with developers constantly striving to capture the nuances and expressiveness of real-life performances, however, the traditional approach of sampling notes and articulations and stitching them together through complex scripting does come with significant limitations. Advanced Soundware's REALIZE Orchestral Brass emerges as a game-changer in this domain, presenting a unique approach that redefines the way arrangements are created and reproduced in the digital domain. REALIZE Orchestral Brass sets itself apart from conventional sample libraries by moving beyond the limitations of individual note sampling and scripting and instead, harnesses the power of AI and a vast library of real performance phrases to generate authentic and expressive renditions of brass arrangements. This innovative approach allows composers and musicians to achieve a level of realism not previously possible with virtual instruments, at least not without a significant investment in programming articulations.

Not Your Average Orchestral Library

At the heart of REALIZE lies a massive 250GB+ sample library consisting of high quality recordings of a 13-piece brass ensemble, including 6 horns, 4 trumpets, 2 trombones, a bass trombone and tuba. This extensive sample collection, comprising over 100,000 phrases and 260,000 notes, provides the foundation for REALIZE's unique ability to recreate the dynamic and nuanced performances of a live brass section. The library perhaps lacks a bit of the sonic signature of some of the specialised and produced offerings from companies such as Spitfire or Orchestral Tools, but the focus here is the accuracy and realism of the performances and a more sonically transparent library allows for greater flexibility too in terms of combining these brass performances with other libraries. There are also plenty of options for shaping the tone too in terms of mic positions and so forth.

REALIZE is a relatively unorthodox tool compared to traditional orchestral sample libraries and instruments, and as such, it is important to have a good grasp on its intended use and workflow. REALIZE Orchestral Brass operates in an "offline" capacity, meaning it's not designed for real-time playing or sketching ideas. Instead, it functions as a powerful rendering engine, transforming your finished MIDI scores into polished brass arrangements. Think of it as your own personal orchestra, to whom you deliver your demo and score to before recording a live rendition of your arrangement. It doesn’t necessarily replace your current brass libraries, but rather is the cherry on top once your initial arrangement is completed, providing unparalleled realism in a fraction of the time it takes to manually program articulations.

Workflow

The workflow essentially comprises composing your piece, most likely with your existing libraries but without special attention paid to fine tuning articulations and without much consideration for things such as where players should take breaths and so forth. You then export your MIDI data as a MIDI file, including parts for the various brass sections, and then import them back into REALIZE. REALIZE's AI engine then analyses your score and intelligently selects the most appropriate phrases from its vast library to match the melody, rhythm, and dynamics of your composition. This happens quite quickly too. It would be nice to have a more streamlined method of getting MIDI in and out of the plugin via drag and drop support if possible though. Once complete, the performance can then be fine-tuned to your preference, although in testing the AI did a pretty fantastic job of selecting appropriate phrases most of the time. A range of tools for adjusting articulations, dynamics, and even swapping individual phrases to achieve your desired sound, are on hand for those wanting to dive deep into the tweaking of performances.

This workflow eliminates the need for manual articulation programming, key switching, and program changes, which are often cumbersome and time-consuming tasks in traditional sample libraries. This is perhaps REALIZE's greatest value proposition as the intelligent phrase selection delivers results with a realism you’d be hard pressed to find in any other virtual orchestral instrument, all in record time, and empowers you to focus on the creative aspects of your music, while the software handles the technical complexities.

Features and UI

REALIZE Orchestral Brass takes a bit of getting used to initially, but once you are accustomed to its operations, the interface is relatively clear and simple to use, divided into several key panels with each serving a specific purpose in shaping and refining your virtual brass arrangements:

The notation and information panels provide a visual representation of the phrases being used, allowing you to manipulate accents, articulations, and dynamics. Dynamics are interpreted from MIDI controller data initially but you can adjust dynamics and expression here too as well as timing, length, pitch, and articulations of each note. REALIZE boasts an impressive array of articulations, all captured with exceptional realism. From the delicate nuances of legato and portamento to the powerful impact of staccato and sforzando, the library covers a wide spectrum of expressive possibilities. The Source Sample dropdown menu allows you to select the most appropriate source sample for each note from a list of recommendations. These recommendations are based on the note's context within the arrangement and the settings in the Notation Panel. Samples are organised into four categories: Detached, Rhythmic, Melodic, and Dynamic, each catering to different musical characteristics.

The Multi-Function panel provides access to a range of global controls for mixing and processing the performance. It includes pages for Monitoring, Routing, Balance, Sections, Microphones, and Master FX. These pages allow you to solo or mute individual instruments, route instruments to different output channels, adjust the balance between instruments, control the volume of different instrument sections, mix the volume of different microphone positions, and apply master effects such as reverb and equalisation.

Conclusions

REALIZE Orchestral Brass is a versatile tool that caters to a wide range of users. Seasoned composers will benefit from huge time savings when scoring for film and television etc.with the ability to create convincing orchestral brass mockups without the logistical and financial challenges of hiring a live orchestra. Producers with little to no experience with composing for brass can also enjoy realistic results while focusing on simply creating melodies without mastering an array of keyswitches. Regardless of your experience level or musical background, REALIZE Orchestral Brass provides an accessible and powerful platform for creating stunningly realistic brass arrangements.

Advanced Soundware's REALIZE Orchestral Brass marks a significant leap forward in the evolution of sampled orchestral instruments. Its unique approach to sampling, coupled with its powerful AI engine, delivers unparalleled realism and expressiveness. Whether you're a seasoned composer or just starting your musical journey, REALIZE empowers you to create realistic brass arrangements that were previously not easily attainable with traditional sampled instruments.

Availability and Pricing:

Realize Brass is available from Advanced Soundware:

• All Brass Bundle - $295
• Horns 1,2,3 - $145
• Trumpet 1,2,3 - $145

YouTube.com/watch?v=Nz6Gg1sbLSY

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