Kirk Hunter Diamond Symphony Orchestra Support

[tdm]

Symphonic Bass Trombones Sfz Swell?

I'd love to be able to discover a repair for this problem.

The tone of the swell (mod wheel) on the Sfz_F5 gets really thin and sounds nasal mono,
compared to the swell (mod wheel) on VelMarcato_B4 which is great.
The swell on the Sfz_F5 should sound as fat as the VelMarcato_B4.

Instrument path:
..\Diamond\67_Symphonic_Bass_Trombones\Symph_Bass_Trbs_Instruments\01_SymphBsTrbs.nki

Listen to example here: (only 1 .mp3 in there)
http://www.sightsea.com/music/diamond_repairs/

The first 2 notes are VelMarcato_B4
The second 2 are Sfz_F5

Thanks!

I don't really think of this as a repair; it's a tweak. I do this sort of thing all of the time to sound libraries I own . . . assuming the parameters I want to change aren't controlled by a script. If they are, it is more difficult to get what you want . . . but there is usually a way.

I believe that what you are after is to maintain more of the fundamental (bass) part of the the sound as the mod wheel is increased. Go "under the hood" via the wrench and open up the Group Editor. In the Group Editor, you will find two round-robin layers used for the bass end of the Sfz_F5 sound; PP 1 and PP 2. Select both of them (make sure no other Groups are selected) and scroll down to the Amplfier. You will see two midi CC modulation sources. One is set to 1, the other to 32. Go to the slider for 1 and move it down from 93.3 % to about 50.0%. Play the sound and move the mod wheel and see if that isn't more like what you are after. The depth of this modulator will control the amount of volume decrease applied to this part of the sound as the mod wheel is increased. By reducing the depth of this modulator, you are decreasing the amount of attenuation applied by the mod wheel.

Keep in mind that if you screw up, you can always reload the original sound and start over . . . as long as you haven't saved it. When you do save it, change the name somehow so that you don't over right the original.

Happy motoring!

[tdm]

[quote="nousndthem"]I'd appreciate you putting links to the fixed instruments in this thread.[/quote]

That will be a bit too laborious, as I am writing to you on a different computer than the one containing my music software. Besides, you should be able to do a Spotlight search on the nki and locate it.

[nousndthem]

"One is set to 1, the other to 32. Go to the slider for 1 and move it down from 93.3 % to about 50.0%."

Thanks tdm ... the ramp on the CC1 is fine. It's more related to the cc32 slider in that if I hit the invert button on that one the tone gets to where I want it, even though it changes the attack and post attack dynamics a bit. I could deal with that ...
BUT
inverting that cc32 messes up at least one otherarticulation if not all the others.

[tdm]

Thanks tdm ... the ramp on the CC1 is fine. It's more related to the cc32 slider in that if I hit the invert button on that one the tone gets to where I want it, even though it changes the attack and post attack dynamics a bit. I could deal with that ... BUT inverting that cc32 messes up at least one other articulation if not all the others.

This could be fixed by making copies of those two groups; one pair with your change, the other pair as they are, and assigning the correct pair to each articulation. But, I think you need to get into the scripting to fix that. I don't know if the scripting in Diamond is editable. I know nothing about Kontakt's scripting.

You could always make the change and save it as a special version of the instrument, but that solution can fall apart if you want to select the articulations as you play. When I hit problems like this, Bidule is my answer. I load two versions of the instrument on different MIDI channels, make the change to one of them, and then manipulate the MIDI feed to those two instruments using the keyswitch to control which instrument gets played. This solution is not without its headaches, as Bidule is poorly documented, but there is always a way, and nothing is protected.

I've never understood why some companies don't leave their scripting open for editing. I can see locking it down on a synth where a big piece of the product is the scripting. But, with a sample based library, the samples are the thing you don't want ripped off, but they really can't be protected. So, what harm does it do to leave the scripting open?

[nousndthem]

I really only want and need that really low splat/growl. Slightly more bite on the VelMarcato_B4 might do it for me.
The VelMarcato_B4 is really close so maybe I'll try something with that.

[songshark]

I used FireFox / DownThemAll when I downloaded Diamond a few years ago. I set DTA to do one file at a time

For what it's worth, I have never been able to download more than six files at the same time. When I purchased this library, I tried uSelect iDownload, but it wouldn't do anymore than six at a time, either. It also wouldn't keep downloading; once the six that were downloading completed, it would hang. There was one other downloader that VSTBuzz suggested (can't remember the name), but after researching it, it sounded like it had malware in it. I didn't try DTA, as I didn't know about it.

So, I just did it the old fashioned way. The manual download sucked, but it's a hell of a great library for €100.

Just what I was hoping NOT to hear -- but -- thanks for the response. At least I'm not the only to fail come up with an automated solution.

I really try to minimize downloading utilities to this Mac, since I reserve it as a dedicated music computer and try to keep it "clean." I would prefer not to download Firefox or Chrome if not absolutely necessary -- and your post suggests those wouldn't help anyway.

Unfortunately, I think I've only been able to get the Diamond file downloads maybe 4 at a time? And the NAMES of the files -- once their downloaded -- don't seem to correspond to the names on the links -- requirng more effort to keep track of what I downloaded.

So it's going to be a very tedious process, but I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet -- unless anyone else has any suggestions.

It might be a great library and good value -- but this is certainly an unpleasant way to have to start.

[tdm]

Just what I was hoping NOT to hear -- but -- thanks for the response. At least I'm not the only to fail come up with an automated solution.

I really try to minimize downloading utilities to this Mac, since I reserve it as a dedicated music computer and try to keep it "clean." I would prefer not to download Firefox or Chrome if not absolutely necessary -- and your post suggests those wouldn't help anyway.

Unfortunately, I think I've only been able to get the Diamond file downloads maybe 4 at a time? And the NAMES of the files -- once their downloaded -- don't seem to correspond to the names on the links -- requirng more effort to keep track of what I downloaded.

So it's going to be a very tedious process, but I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet -- unless anyone else has any suggestions.

It might be a great library and good value -- but this is certainly an unpleasant way to have to start.

If you have other computers, you could use it / them in parallel . . . if your internet connection is fast enough. Then, just transfer them all to the music computer via a hard drive.

As for the file names, they should match, except that they have .zip on the end. What do yours look like?

[nousndthem]

... or push them across the network if the 2 (or more) computers are connected to the same router.

[tdm]

I have managed to sort out the documentation with one exception: the "Woodwinds_Emerald.pdf". Does anyone have any idea which instruments in which folders this refers to? I can't find anything that matches this documentation.

The "05 Woodwind User Guide.pdf" seems to refer to the instruments in folders 79 through 88.

Very confusing.

[tdm]

Kirk,

Thanks for the repair on that
kirkhunterstudios.com/fh_fixes_diamond/01_FHorn_k.nk

Possibly you could create a folder on the site that is just
kirkhunterstudios.com/fixes_diamond/
and that also shows upload date, or date modified,
and make it public and then all of us can get any repairs that are made?

Thanks!

A likely plan. So....the "fix" worked for you?

Hi Kirk. Any progress on these repaired instruments?

[nousndthem]

Emerald = Symphonic as far as I know so any WWinds that start with Symphonic would be my first guess.

[tdm]

Emerald = Symphonic as far as I know so any WWinds that start with Symphonic would be my first guess.

Emerald = Symphonic or Chamber, but I am unaware of any Symphonic or Chamber folders that contain woodwinds; strings and brass, yes, but no woodwinds. Am I missing something here, or does this pdf have nothing to do with this library?

[nousndthem]

ahhh yes ... probably folders 80 through 88 . . . they're old Emerald as far as I know

[tdm]

ahhh yes ... probably folders 80 through 88 . . . they're old Emerald as far as I know

Geez, I identified them as Ruby. The interface looks like other instruments that I know are Ruby. Many of them have IntervaLive, which I don't think existed in Emerald libraries . . . but I could be wrong.

Yikes!

[nousndthem]

You're probably right if the skin/wallpaper is KH specific. I was just guessing.