Studio Special Brass

Studio Special Brass offers a wide variety of instruments, from the profound depths of the contrabass tuba and contrabass trombone to the radiant brilliance of multiple trumpets and the cinematic grandeur of an 8-horn ensemble.

The collection features the standard solo instruments and ensembles of the orchestra: trumpet in C, trumpet in Bb, trumpet ensemble, triple horn, Viennese horn, horn ensemble, tenor trombone, trombone ensemble, bass trombone, and bass tuba. The Studio Special Brass collection expands this significantly with 17 instruments and ensembles, ranging from specialties such as cimbasso, euphonium, and Wagner Tuba to several muted instruments and ensembles, to the large ensembles of Fanfare Trumpets (6 players) and Epic Horns (8 players).

Studio Special Brass collections offer a huge array of articulations, including a variety of short notes, long notes, dynamics (sfz, sffz, fp, pfp), flutter tongue, trills, and repetitions. In addition to Vienna's legato transitions there are fast intervals in legato and marcato styles, Performance Trills, arpeggios (major, minor, and diminished in legato and staccato), scale runs, mordents, rips & falls, and more. Among the specialties are the trumpet ensemble's "out of tune" sustains, as they happen now and then in real orchestral situations. The three trumpet players don't hit the note exactly at the beginning – a beat frequency ensues which is corrected as the tone progresses, eventually resulting in a clean homophony.

Many of the solo instruments were performed by master musicians who brought their exceptional skill and artistry to the recording sessions: Trumpet player Freddy Staudigl, hornist Marcus Schmidinger, and trombonist Johann Schodl – founding members of the acclaimed ensemble Brassissimo – are not only celebrated quintet performers but also sought-after soloists and orchestral musicians on the international stage. Adding to this stellar lineup is virtuoso Christoph Kiene, renowned worldwide for his tuba performances and expertise as a lecturer.

The samples were recorded in Vienna's purpose-built Silent Stage that offers a rather dry, controlled acoustic environment. This setup allows users to place the instruments and ensembles anywhere in the stereo field and in a variety of virtual spaces, from dry chambers to lush concert halls to reverberant churches. The result is unparalleled flexibility, enabling composers and producers to seamlessly integrate these pure, pristine brass sounds into their mixes.