KVR Developer Challenge 2012KVRDC12: Sound Magic Orchestral Strings One - Hybrid Modeled String Orchestral Instrument

We are now in the download and voting stage of the KVR Developer Challenge 2012. This news item features an entry called Orchestral Strings One by Sound Magic. You can download it for free here.

Here's what they say about it:

Orchestral Strings One was recorded utilizing the legendary acoustics in the famous Berliner Hall - home of the world class Berliner Philharmoniker. Our full string orchestra contains 14 violins,10 Violas, 8 Cellos and 6 Double Basses. Now you're your turn to experience this huge orchestral section as a useful string instrument. Sound Magic has created Orchestral Strings One as a single ensemble complete with the beautiful ambience of this legendary hall. This instrument will quickly become your "go to" string orchestra. No longer will you have to try and build a similar sound with several different string instruments or sections, burning up tracks, RAM, CPU cycles and your valuable time.

Violins, violas, cellos and basses are considered to be nearly impossible to sample into realistic sounding instruments. And the String Ensemble is the holy grail of these string instruments. KVR's Developers Challenge has provided Sound Magic with an opportunity to push the boundaries of our Hybrid Modeling Technology by creating Orchestral Strings One. Our quest for extreme realism not only lets us flex our engineering and computational chops - it gives you a very useful freebie.

If you're familiar with Piano One, you know how clean Sound Magic's efforts are. To ensure the highest sound quality possible in our samples, we use top-of-the-line gear such as Brauner Microphones and Neve preamps. Couple this gear with the prodigious Berliner Hall and Orchestral Strings One is able to push the boundaries of realism - with the aid of Sound Magic's NEO Hybrid Modeling Technology, of course.

The NEO Hybrid Modeling Engine offers you the best from both the sampling and modeling worlds. The Authentic Sound of Sampling combined with the Playability of Modeling makes for a string experience that you have to try to believe. No steep hardware requirements here. Orchestral Strings One takes up less than 200MB of disk space and doesn't overly tax your CPU. The NEO Hybrid Modeling Engine gives you absolute control over every aspect of each string - you can even design your own string. There are nearly 20 controls waiting for you to tweak. Some of you (you know who you are.) just HAVE to dial up the legato and velocity, fiddle with the dynamic response, and play with those timbre differences.

Unlike static samples, modeling technology really brings the Orchestral Strings One to life. And more importantly, Orchestral Strings One focuses on the continuous flow of melody, not on just a single note. For example, you can progressively transform a sustained note by first adding slow vibrato, then medium vibrato and finally fast vibrato. While doing this, you can also use the expression controller to change from crescendo to decrescendo. This sort of control is just about impossible to achieve with sampled strings.

Orchestral Strings One is very easy to use. You can play with all the parameters on the fly with a MIDI keyboard using key switches and controllers. A keyboard player can easily and freely play our Orchestral Strings One without any difficulty. It's ideal for a live performance.

Features:

• Innovative Sampling technologies put 14 violins, 10 Violas, 8 Cellos and 6 Double Basses into One instrument.
• Neo Hybrid Modeling Engine make the full strings section into 200MB.
• Innovative Key Switch and Controller system makes it ideal for use in live performance.
• Can real-time switch between Spic, Staccato, Pizzicato, Legato, Cresando, Decresando, PFP, Vibrato, Tremolo, Trills and Sordino by Key Switches and MIDI Controllers.
• Fully controllable legato system.
• Auto Rhythm Tool helps you better and quicker play repeated notes on fly.
• Multi Microphone Positions, Player, Audience and Ambience/Room.
• Small RAM usage and Light on CPU.
• Built-in High-Quality Reverb.
• Built in 64-Steps Sequencer enable users to compose their string phrases in a quickest and efficient way.
• Support Add-ons System.