Abbey Road Orchestra: 1st Violins Professional

Advanced legatos for ultimate expression

Spitfire's professional tier is designed to help you work efficiently without sacrificing performance and nuance. 8 legato articulations — including extended patches — amazing sampling depth, alternative attacks and 16 signal options for the ultimate nuanced expression, this library is handcrafted for professional composers and producers.

Their aim is to deliver the highest quality possible, working with the Abbey Road team — including GRAMMY -Award-winner Simon Rhodes — in a globally renowned studio and with masterful string players. The design, development and production reflects our commitment to deliver an orchestral range with unrivalled expression, realism, and playability.

Put simply this library is future-proof.

I believe this is the closest we have ever got to the 'perfect' string sound in my head. Full of vibrancy, passion and musicality, it is a joy to play.

Paul Thomson - Co-founder of Spitfire Audio

Where performance meets precision.

Meticulously recorded to allow for smooth and expressive transitions between notes, emulating the natural way a violinist shifts from one note to another without breaks. All aspects of the legato programming has been improved in both Pro and Core versions, with multiple dynamic legato intervals, and flexible interval types triggered by playing speed and/or velocity.

The extended techniques in the Pro version are the most advanced string patches we have ever created. With additional portamento and detaché legato styles, plus accented marcato and 'soft swell' entries for single long notes, the Pro version marks the absolute pinnacle of detail, expression and playability.

Advanced legatos. Ultimate expression:

• Performance Legato (extended): hugely detailed and highly playable legato patch which reacts in real time to playing speed. Additional legato styles (portamento and detaché) plus marcato and soft entries for single notes - our most advanced legato ever.
• Lyrical Legato (extended): A relaxed legato patch for slower-moving melody lines. Additional legato styles (portamento and detaché) plus marcato and soft entries for single notes.
• Legato Runs: A very agile legato patch specifically for very fast passages and flourishes up to a minor 3rd.
• Legato Detaché: A legato-style patch in which all the connecting notes have broad but separated bow strokes, ideal for strong and impactful statements.
• Legato Portamento: A legato patch in which all the intervals are performed in a 'portamento' style with an intentional slide between notes.
• Legato Slurred: A legato patch with slurred intervals performed with a 'moderate tempo' feel for sweeping melody lines.
• Legato Allegro: A legato patch with slurred intervals performed with a sprightly 'uptempo' feel, ideal for quicker or arpeggiated ostinato material.
• Core. - A comprehensive collection of articulations, 11,000 raw samples, 2 technologically advanced and detailed legato techniques, a high level of sampling depth and one signal option curated by GRAMMY -Award-winner Simon Rhodes.

Studio One: Icon of the past, innovator for the future.

A host to celebrated classical recordings from Elgar and Prokofiev, as well as iconic film scores from The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back, and the more recent releases of Avengers: End Game and Black Panther, Studio One needs no introduction. Home to one of the greatest in-house collections of vintage and modern microphones and a control room fitted with a 72-channel Neve 88 RS console with a unique and comprehensive surround monitor section, Studio one is the perfect setting for our meticulously planned recording sessions. Our aim is to work with the best, to deliver you the world's most detailed sampling orchestra and in Abbey Road - one of the most in-demand recording studios in the film scoring landscape - we can achieve this.

What's included:

Legato Techniques:

• Performance Legato (Extended) - A hugely detailed and highly playable legato patch which reacts in realtime to playing speed. This extended Pro version includes additional legato styles (portamento and detaché) plus marcato and soft entries for single notes - our most advanced legato ever.
• Lyrical Legato (Extended) - A relaxed legato patch for slower moving melody lines. This extended Pro version includes additional legato styles (portamento and detaché) plus marcato and soft entries for single notes.
• Performance Legato - A hugely detailed and highly playable legato patch which reacts in realtime to playing speed.
• Lyrical Legato - A relaxed legato patch for slower moving melody lines.
• Legato Runs - A very agile legato patch specifically for very fast passages and flourishes up to a minor 3rd (Legato intervals greater than a minor 3rd will not sound).
• Legato Detache - A legato-style patch in which all the connecting notes have broad but separated bow strokes, ideal for strong and impactful statements.
• Legato Portamento - A legato patch in which all the intervals are performed in a 'portamento' style with an intentional slide between notes.
• Legato Slurred - A legato patch with slurred intervals performed with a 'moderate tempo' feel for sweeping melody lines.
• Legato Allegro - A legato patch with slurred intervals performed with a sprightly 'uptempo' feel, ideal for quicker or arpeggiated ostinato material.

Long Techniques:

• Long (Extended) - A polyphonic sustained longs patch - this extended Pro version features additional soft and marcato styles for note entries triggered by key velocity.
• Long - A polyphonic sustained longs patch for pads and chordal writing.
• Flautando - A sustained note performed with a fast bow speed playing close to the fingerboard (sul tasto) creating a delicate and airy flute-like sound.
• Tremolo - A technique performed with rapid continuous bowing, creating delicate flurrying textures at lower dynamics with increasing intensity at louder volumes.
• Harmonics - Sustained notes produced from the overtones of the string (artificial harmonics) sounding higher than the fundamental to create glassy, suspenseful textures.
• Trills (Major & Minor 2nds & 3rds) - Rapid alternating between two notes.
• Tremolo (Measured - 150 & 180 BPM) - Tremolo performed with a specified number of repeated notes which may be sync'd to the host DAW's tempo.

Short Techniques:

• Spiccatissimo - An extremely short note length performed by quickly bouncing the bow on the string - an agile technique for very fast, articulate material.
• Spiccato - A very short and crisp note length performed by bouncing the bow on the string creating a sprightly 'all-purpose' short articulation.
• Staccato - A short note length performed with the bow starting on the string, sounding clearly detached with a slight accent.
• Marcato - A technique performed with a strong accented front to the note - presented as a longer note length than 'staccato' with the option of Timed Release triggers.
• Pizzicato - A short note produced by plucking the strings with the fingers. 'Bartok pizzicato is recorded at the very highest dynamic.
• Col Legno - A technique performed by tapping the string with the back of the bow or a pencil, producing a light and woody sound.

Signals:

• Mix 1 - A full-sounding room mix by Simon Rhodes, formed from Tree 1, Overheads, Outriggers 1, and a curated blend of spots.
• Mix 2 - A tighter mix by Simon Rhodes, formed from Tree 2, Mids and Outriggers 2 with a curated blend of spots.
• Close - Small diaphragm condenser mics placed on each desk and summed capturing a detailed and articulate close image.
• Close Ribbons - A combination of ribbon mics placed on each desk capturing a warm and rounded close image.
• Pop Main - A cardioid stereo valve mic placed above the section and panned centrally for a flexible image not restricted to the orchestral layout.
• Pop Room - Omnidirectional condenser mics placed either side of the section to add additional roominess and space to the Pop Main signal.
• Tree 1 - A decca tree formed of Abbey Road's finest trio of classic valve omnidirectional microphones creating a lush and full sound.
• Tree 2 - A tighter, closer decca tree formed from mics with a more directional pattern, suited to faster, more detailed material.
• Outriggers 1 - Used in conjunction with either tree to obtain a wider image. This pair utilises omnidirectional mics to reproduce the full width of Studio One.
• Outriggers 2 - Used together with either tree to obtain a wider image. This pair uses mics with a more directional pattern, pulling the edges of the room inwards.
• Mids - A pair of valve REDD mics placed between the conductor and the source which adds extra focus to the sound when combined with the Tree and Outriggers.
• Ambients - A pristine pair of small diaphragm omnidirectional microphones to the rear of the room for a natural ambience.
• Vintage 1 - A pair of original 1940s RM1B ribbon microphones placed in front of the conductor to create a vintage scoring stage sound.
• Vintage 2 - A pair of classic 44BX ribbon microphones placed by the conductor for an alternative vintage scoring stage sound.
• Leader - A single microphone placed on the section leader, used to add additional focus above the full section if required.
• Spill - A summation of spot mics placed around the other sections. These capture the natural 'spill' from the source across the orchestra for added realism.

{See video at top of page}