Synchron series had slow attack, not sure why. Around 2:53 or 2:54 I found the Flute? had a jump in dynamic level. From 3:00 it sounded like flowing, around 3:24 I felt like the Strings swells were a little artificial, more at 3:28. Sounded so beautiful after 3:41. Simply put, Cinematic, than pure Classical-ish. From 4:01 it sounded like just passable. Not good, not bad but a little weak side. It sounded good at 4:23 but then the material ends very soon after that. The BBC SO Pro’s beginning was well, it sounded like it had no attack. If it did, I think it wasn’t much pronounced, in terms of clarity. And then between 5:17 and 5:20, I think, the winds shorts sounded as if they were chopped to make fit in the piece. The overall sounding was good. The winds had definition most of the piece. Particularly at & after 6:24, it was beautiful. It had clarity & very expressive. Btw, the harp was beyond beautiful. Fitted very well in the mix. Love the tone, had clarity thruout. The SSO started, weirdly, as if it’s a chamber orchestra. Don’t know why but then I felt like the flute (or Clarinet on higher register ?) between 7:28 & 7:35 or something had minor phasing issue but May be I am wrong. The the crescendo from 8:02 or 8:04 ? to 8:10 or 8:12 was seamless. At 8:20 or 8:21 I found out it dropped pretty suddenly, compared to BBC SO Pro, which wasn’t like that. The Strings after 8:58 I think, sounded artificial & I think anyone can easily recognize that. Not my fav overall. The Berlin Series started pretty good actually. The crescendo was just fine but the right after the crescendo, at 10:40 or 10:41, I felt it didn’t sound as flowing as the BBC SO Pro, to me. Then it went good, actually nice than I thought it would do. To my surprise, this is kinda close to the BBC SO Pro. Overall, I love BBCSO Pro than the two but the Berlin Series can come closer, considering this piece. Thanks a lot for your time & the work. Vivasswan Sriharsha

Well done Alex! A very interesting comparison using a well chosen excerpt to show overall tone, cohesion, legato strings and note repetitions. It’s audible that you‘re most comfortable programming the Berlin Series, but I think what you‘ve presented is fair and mostly representative. I use Duality Strings a lot for its tone and wealth of articulations, but I don‘t use its legato for anything slow and soaring because that’s not one of its strengths. For slow legato I use the sustains and overlap just enough to create the kind of sustained legato a good string section would deliver. It can sound fantastic. Ironically the best sounding violinata comes from Berlin Strings - the only major symphonic strings library I don’t own. May have to fix that this BF….😊

@AlexHeppelmann

Ай бұрын

Thanks! Berlin and VSL were definitely easier for me on this one -- I think it really just depends on the type of music.

Great work Alex! Suggestion, why not compare this with a noteperformer and a real orchestra recording?

Thanks! Would have loved Cinematic studio included too

@AlexHeppelmann

Ай бұрын

I don't own the woodwinds from them, and I have too many libraries as it is!

@TomMAF4

Ай бұрын

@@AlexHeppelmann Ah that's unfortunate, the WWs are awesome! Amazing tone imo. Fair enough though ofc

To get a muted horn sound, you should definitely check out sordina by librewave.

@AlexHeppelmann

Ай бұрын

I was under the impression that this was designed for close microphone positions only? Are there video/audio demonstrations of this on orchestral brass that work well on distant / room mics?

@tylerpedraja6049

Ай бұрын

@@AlexHeppelmann Orchestral Tools has an expansion to berlin brass with stopped horns. You can hear an example in my Adventures of Tin Tin mockup.

@AlexHeppelmann

Ай бұрын

@@tylerpedraja6049 I have the stopped horns from OT, but that library doesn't include con sordino horns (straight mutes)

@tylerpedraja6049

Ай бұрын

@@AlexHeppelmann ah gotcha. I can recommend Aaron Venture brass as an alternative. :-)

@AlexHeppelmann

Ай бұрын

@@tylerpedraja6049 I'm also looking at sample modeling brass as an option

Interesting comparison. For this one I'd say Berlin sounds best imo but VSL Synchron is a close second. I also like the sound quality of SSO but the other two were a little clearer I think. Nice example.

@AlexHeppelmann

Ай бұрын

Thanks!

Berlin, BBCSO, SSO, VSL--in that order. The two Spitfires were close, though. I liked different things about each of them. VSL was a distant 4th for me. Berlin won this by a country mile IMO.

@AlexHeppelmann

Ай бұрын

Thanks, Jett. I should try mocking up one of your works at some point!

@hittjett

Ай бұрын

@@AlexHeppelmann Well that sounds perfectly frightening!!😂 I might eventually bounce a couple of movements off of you over on VI-Control that you can think about futzing with, but I’m a ways from that at present. It’s hay season, and other than surfing a few videos while sitting around in the tractor, I’m far removed from music at the moment.

I crave for the day that we cannot tell the difference vs live orchestra. They all sound...virtual😞 As I am sure many have, I have spent days/weeks sometimes on a small part just to see if I can get it close to live sounding. Nope. I mean some individuals or small group can get somewhat close but all sections always sounds synthy 😞

@joshuanirmal9068

Ай бұрын

Agreed 💯 We aren't there yet. Let's hope that we will get there before our lives end on this Earth.

@AlexHeppelmann

Ай бұрын

You may get your wish with AI generative instruments very soon!

Hi, did you make any mixing ?

@AlexHeppelmann

Ай бұрын

very little (EQ, light compression), i try to balance / mix as I go with CC1 and CC11

@cyrilcalmes4208

Ай бұрын

@@AlexHeppelmann Thank you Alex.

@cyrilcalmes4208

Ай бұрын

Do you use any special compressor or is it a stock compressor from your DAW ?

@AlexHeppelmann

Ай бұрын

I like the Fabfilter compressor, but stock compressors work just as well!

@cyrilcalmes4208

Ай бұрын

@@AlexHeppelmann ok. Thanks for your answers and your kindness

I don’t know the pricing of VSL, but the fact that SSO sounds like it does for that price range is just mind blowing. Berlin has the best sound overall but that should be a given for that price. If you want to do something interesting, maybe an excerpt from Beethoven 3rd symphony for the next comparison?

@hittjett

Ай бұрын

This is it exactly. When you can buy SSO so cheap and get this sound, why would you buy anything else?

From my perspective as a piano player, VSL is the best at expressing phrases. The Berlin Series is not good at expressing phrases.