UJAM STRIIIINGS

[BONES]

Interest in this evaporated pretty quickly. I'm finding it surprisingly deep and versatile and can see myself using it even more than my Kontakt strings. It's so much more immediate and really easy to work with.

[fisherKing]

it's pretty great, have been playing with it a lot, and impressed with all the options... plus that sound...

[BONES]

Yeah, you can definitely hear why it is their most expensive plugin to date. The recording quality is through the roof.

[SparkySpark]

Yeah, you can definitely hear why it is their most expensive plugin to date. The recording quality is through the roof.

I agree. It sounds smashing.

First, when taking it for a spin, I just randomly checked different presets, and tweaked them a bit (well, honestly, that is about what one can do with UJAM plugs; it's part of the concept).

After a while I tried to use it on one of my tracks. Started thinking, well, it sounds cool, but the pattern is all too rhythmical for me... is this for movie soundtracks and special FX only after all?

...Upon which I realised I had consistently used it in the default groove position.

It sounded so good that I had forgotten it's not just a preset player, Of course one can control it with the keys on the left side, as with the other UJAM plugs.

All in all, a really impressive plugin.

[rikki rivett]

Hmm....I'm quite disappointed TBH. The sound is terrific, agreed, but I think otherwise the product is very limited in its possibilities and doesn't let the user do anything much to create their own music.

You have a few minor variations within each preset -mostly they simply add more rhythmic notes making the pattern denser, without any melodic development- but that's it, take it or leave it. The only thing which adds a tiny bit of input of your own is the ability to change the bass note in the pattern, everything else plods on relentlessly as before. You have no influence over chord voicings or inversions.

Now, if you could actually get at and edit the underlying patterns and change or mute notes, or -which would be really great -be able to play your own melodies or patterns using the Striiiings sounds in realtime it would be soooo much better.

UJAM just sent out an emailing showing Striiings used for a nature documentary and a sci-fi type piece, both professionally produced. Each just over a minute long.
https://www.ujam.com/tutorials/how-to-s ... urce=zaius

Listening to these, which both left me absolutely cold, I think the limitations are clear: although the sound itself is technically & sonically good, IMO the music created sounds totally flat and one-dimensional.

As an arrangement tool it can be good to add foundation but the musical development will have to come from something else within a piece I believe. I bought it, greedily, while the deal was on...almost regret it- but I do think just the sound will be nice to use here & there. Still it's so much less versatile than anything from Heavyocity or Sonokinetic IMO. Maybe there could be an update with more functionality? Probably my expectations are completely unrealistic... !!!! I think UJAM is a cool company but this plugin only scratches the surface of what a Strings product should be able to do.

Interface-wise, I'd really like a disable button for the FX so as to hear what the naked sound is like without having to mouse-turn down 4 separate knobs. The decay slider is really good though, for tightening up sound/ dynamics.

[SparkySpark]

Hmm....I'm quite disappointed TBH. The sound is terrific, agreed, but I think otherwise the product is very limited in its possibilities and doesn't let the user do anything much to create their own music.

In a way, I agree with you, and this goes for all UJAM plugins, I think. Whilst the demos sound great, it's not so easy getting an UJAM bass player - or even less so, a guitarist - convincingly playing throughout a pop song. I can't understand why they don't even introduce sound guitar fret noises every now and again, or some more instability in tone and tempo overall (as there are sliders for it, in Royal at least). I had the same problem with Virtual Guitarist back in the day.

That said, for Striiiings (I'm now starting to get the hang of entering four I:s in a row ), you have unison legato strings last in the list. These can be used to layer pop style music or so, say, a ballad.

Also note that you need to change the left note, to not play the default "riffs". That should help.

Still, this is not the usual strings library, I entirely agree. The reason for having it for my sake is to add strings to choruses etc, i.e. limited parts of a song.

[rikki rivett]

Also note that you need to change the left note, to not play the default "riffs". That should help.

Thanks Sparky- which "left note' do you mean please? So far I didn;t find any way of playing the sounds without the patterns running.

[fisherKing]

you can make changes by triggering keys in the lower octave (look at the keyboard in the plugin window). really, i like this just for what it is, and, used in conjunction with a second instance of STRIIIINGS (how i hate the name, tho), or with other string libraries, some amazing things can happen.

[BONES]

Whilst the demos sound great, it's not so easy getting an UJAM bass player - or even less so, a guitarist - convincingly playing throughout a pop song.

Don't be ridiculous, I do that all the time and VB-Rowdy, VG-Carbon and VG-Iron all sound great.

I can't understand why they don't even introduce sound guitar fret noises every now and again, or some more instability in tone and tempo overall (as there are sliders for it, in Royal at least).

Because people spend countless hours trying to eliminate such imperfections from their work. I had a guitar sound in Studio One's ROMpler that was driving me mad because one of the notes in the MIDI file I was playing triggered one of those annoying fret noise things. A quick switch to VG-Carbon sorted it out perfectly.

Still, this is not the usual strings library, I entirely agree.

That's what makes it good - it offers something a bit different and usable in other ways. I wouldn't have bother with it if it was just like NOVO Essentials or Mosaic Strings but it adds a third string to my bow (see what I did there?).

[Karma_tba]

Whilst the demos sound great, it's not so easy getting an UJAM bass player - or even less so, a guitarist - convincingly playing throughout a pop song.

Don't be ridiculous, I do that all the time and VB-Rowdy, VG-Carbon and VG-Iron all sound great.

I can't understand why they don't even introduce sound guitar fret noises every now and again, or some more instability in tone and tempo overall (as there are sliders for it, in Royal at least).

Because people spend countless hours trying to eliminate such imperfections from their work. I had a guitar sound in Studio One's ROMpler that was driving me mad because one of the notes in the MIDI file I was playing triggered one of those annoying fret noise things. A quick switch to VG-Carbon sorted it out perfectly.

Still, this is not the usual strings library, I entirely agree.

That's what makes it good - it offers something a bit different and usable in other ways. I wouldn't have bother with it if it was just like NOVO Essentials or Mosaic Strings but it adds a third string to my bow (see what I did there?).

You know instead of trying to get others to see (or hear) the light with the Ujam products. I prefer to keep them to myself like a secret weapon. Most don't know how to use them. That's fine by me.

[BONES]

I'm happy to share. I do wonder what people expect at this price, though.

[rikki rivett]

you can make changes by triggering keys in the lower octave (look at the keyboard in the plugin window).

Thanks, I know, but we were talking about *not* having the riffs play and being able to use/play the sounds via MIDI, which so far I wasn't able to do:

Also note that you need to change the left note, to not play the default "riffs". That should help.

Thanks Sparky- which "left note' do you mean please? So far I didn;t find any way of playing the sounds without the patterns running.

cheers

RR

[fisherKing]

Thanks, I know, but we were talking about *not* having the riffs play and being able to use/play the sounds via MIDI, which so far I wasn't able to do.

this is not the plugin for that, it is exactly what it is.

[revvy]

Because people spend countless hours trying to eliminate such imperfections from their work.

And they fail.

And even for the absolute best, we hear it in their beautiful playing and don't hear it in the uncanny valley of sequenced acoustic guitar plugins, for example. I imagine it's the same with all string instruments.

[fisherKing]

Because people spend countless hours trying to eliminate such imperfections from their work.

And they fail.

And even for the absolute best, we hear it in their beautiful playing and don't hear it in the uncanny valley of sequenced acoustic guitar plugins, for example. I imagine it's the same with all string instruments.

i don't care how someone got there (a real guitar, a keyboard guitar plugin, a loop), i only care whether music moves me in some way (or not).

these string phrases are great, and there are lots of variables (some under our control). if i can use it, and enjoy using it, am not worried about anything else. but that's just me