SampleModeling's The Cello is now available

[mikehalloran]

I understand. In my case, live performance is out of the question—too many parameters.

I am right hand only made worse by the fact that I am left handed. I cannot use either of the wheels nor any of the knobs as I play. Likewise, I am limited to one foot controller. I'll be able to play notes in succession but nearly all of the performance parameters will have to be edited after the fact.

This may be one VI where the results are worth it. We'll see. Beethoven, I'm a comin' for you!

I played these pieces on the original and other instruments over the years but always thought that the cello was where they belonged. I demonstrated them for the cello students I had at the time but never did so in public.

[buzzsmith]

I just bought SampleModeling's The Cello and The Flutes. While the demos of the Flutes were horrible, I did hear one video on YouTube that suggested potential for them, and it appears that there has been an update since those original audio demos were made. Hopefully the not-so-good parts were not the instrument, but the players. It takes a while to adjust to a good VI. Lots of options, etc., so maybe the people making the demos just hadn't explored it all yet.

That's me hoping that my $290 purchase of The Flutes was not in vain.

However, I have a much better feeling about The Cello. If I can do as well as the demos, I'll be happy.

Shooshie

Hey, Shoosh...

I may have a need for the cello so I'd be very interested in your experience with it. I have a project that a cellist improvised some lines on for a client/producer and I'm just not that keen on what he played.

I've already run parts of it through Melodyne 4 to some avail, but I might just be better off doing my own new line.

I can't hide it, either. This project is vocal, piano and the aforementioned cello so it has to be believable.

Thanks!

Buzzy

(About time for us to do lunch again! Maybe when it gets a bit cooler!)


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[Shooshie]

(About time for us to do lunch again! Maybe when it gets a bit cooler!)

Now, by my reckoning, that would be any day this week at around 9 p.m., an odd time for lunch. Maybe we just go ahead and brave the heat, or else we might never get to do lunch again! We should go to Jimmy's Italian Grocery for some primo sandwiches. ("Sopranos" style) In fact, that sounds so good, I think I'd better go over there and get some Aurrichio provolone cheese right now! Drop me a line when you're up this way. I'll do likewise if I end up down there.

Shoosh

[Shooshie]

The Cello
First hands-on experience.

I haven't had the time I would like to get used to these instruments, yet, but I'm VERY encouraged. At first bow, you'll think it's just an update of the Gofriller Cello, but it's way, way, way more than that. It becomes apparent as you learn more about using it.

I spent this morning playing Bach's Suites for Solo Cello on it, and it is indeed extremely musical. It's also something that must be learned and assimilated. It accommodates tricks unique to the performer, so no two people's playing or results will be the same.

I'm going to go ahead and say that this is the amazing instrument I've been waiting for, since I can see that it's going to let me accomplish what I want, but it's going to take some practice to get it just right. I've already retuned my WX-5, and altered the pitch depth, plus I've set the vibrato on the instrument to respond both to pedals and "lip" vibrato from the WX-5.

Very expressive! Very flexible articulations. Does legato, sustain, staccato, pizzicato, col legno. It uses logical processing to determine which, along with settings and/or keyswitches invoked by the user.

I've never seen a VI so beautifully designed! I only hope that practicing yields a level of control that I can manage in real time.

BTW, the only "down" side I've seen so far is that it's CPU hungry. It won't operate in buffers lower than 256 without overloading and getting noisy pops. Maybe it was 128. I don't remember now. I think mine was set to 64, and I skipped up to 256 without trying 128. With CPUs being what they are now, a buffer of 256 is not unwieldy for live performance.

I've experimented with The Flutes, also, but I'm not ready to report on them. Looks like I've got a lot of practicing ahead of me. I will say that it's very encouraging. I believe I will be able to get a professional sounding flute sound out of it. Maybe not Emmanuel Pahud's sound, but at least that of a very fine doubler; say, first winds book in a Broadway show.

I believe that these may be the answers I've been searching for. My nemesis has been a professional sounding MIDI Flute. Wallander Instruments has been excellent for all instruments except the flute. Garritan's flute is close, but not quite. Miroslav Vitous has been very good, but not a pro-level flute player's sound. And so it goes. I have been avoiding pieces with flute, which means almost everything. This is going to change that. Likewise, the solo strings are changing things for me as well. I can still use Wallander for most things, I believe.

Also, Sample Modeling allows you to change a LOT of parameters. They're kind of hidden. You first open the "Options" page (button near bottom of interface), and once you arrive on the Options page the button changes to "Remap MIDI." There is where you can set up all the CC controls your heart desires. Maybe not as many parameters as Wallander, but enough. The guys at Sample Modeling know what they want, and they know how to get it. They know when they have achieved it, and when it's not ready. I think they make a trustworthy partnership on this MIDI journey through expressive natural instruments.

Shooshie

[Shooshie]

PS: Mike Halloran, buy The Cello. You WILL find a way. I promise you. Maybe you won't knock Fournier or Casals off their thrones, but you'll put a smile on some faces. I use the Roland FC300 pedal board, which has two expression pedals. I can work vibrato depth and speed on separate pedals, or I can work both pedals with one foot (simultaneously), which is a nice expressive effect, where the pedals can be pushed all the way from zero vibrato to full vibrato, with speed adjusting parallel to it, and without worrying about overshooting either end, because the min/max limits of vibrato speed and depth can be customized in the interface. Also, the other pedal switches can be used to apply mute and other things. With a breath controller, pedal board and keyboard, you'll feel like you're playing cello again. You may even be able to give cello lessons using it.

Shooshie

[buzzsmith]

For simple lines, would you think this would work without a wind controller?

In other words, play the part in with a keyboard controller and then insert CCs for vibrato, expression, etc.?

Merci...

Buzzy


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[mikehalloran]

I bought it, played with it a little. Legato played on keyboard keeps the bow moving in the same direction; a lift changes the bow direction. Ok... I need to get into this but I'm liking it so far.

[Shooshie]

For simple lines, would you think this would work without a wind controller?

In other words, play the part in with a keyboard controller and then insert CCs for vibrato, expression, etc.?

Merci...

Buzzy


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh yeah! It'll do great! You can use the mod wheel, if nothing else, or any set of faders/knobs/pedals/BC adapter... the more you've got the easier it is to make a good sound, but they've thought this through very well. If you only have a keyboard, they've given you means to be expressive with it. Takes some practice, though; I won't lie to you about that. You'll want to read the manual and try a lot of things, practicing some moves so that you are in control of the bowing tricks, portamentos, and so forth.

Shooshie

[cuttime]

I may have missed it, so can anyone tell me how big the download is and how big is the actual library?

[Shooshie]

I may have missed it, so can anyone tell me how big the download is and how big is the actual library?

The Cello for 64 bit Mac is a 6.6MB initial download. Yes, I said 6.6 MB.
I think it goes to 23.1 MB when installed. That's for both 32 bit and 64 bit. The 64 bit file alone is 12.4 MB, installed.

The Flutes initial download is 76.1 MB, with a combined installation size of 102.4 MB. That's for Alto Flute, Bass Flute , Piccolo, and Flute all together.

These are, after all, modeled on very small bits of samples.

[cuttime]

Thanks! That's compact!

[cuttime]

Thanks all, for the recommendations for a really lovely instrument. I still get the odd gliss here and there, but I'm sure that I can fix that in the mix.

[cuttime]

BTW, the only "down" side I've seen so far is that it's CPU hungry. It won't operate in buffers lower than 256 without overloading and getting noisy pops. Maybe it was 128. I don't remember now. I think mine was set to 64, and I skipped up to 256 without trying 128. With CPUs being what they are now, a buffer of 256 is not unwieldy for live performance.

Yes, 128 is about the best for me.

[bkshepard]

I've been following this thread with a great deal of interest as I'm currently looking for a solo cello library. I'm curious if anyone has experience comparing the SampleModeling instrument to the Nocturne Cello from Orchestra Tools, the solo cello from the Berlin "First Chairs" library, or even the solo cello from the UVI IRCAM Solo Instruments library.

[mikehalloran]

I don't think I have any of those—the way that UVI rebundles, one never knows. I do have others from Apple, MOTU, Garritan, Miroslav, ESX24 etc. bundled In other collections.

You can download the MIDI files that SampleModeling used for the demos. I did this, created a Finale file and used it with the various solo celli that I have. Each sounded ok—some pretty good—but none as nice which made the decision to purchase easy.

I would think that you can d the same thing during the demo period of any other library you are considering. Not all will respond exactly to the various MIDI parameters, of course. In fact, that's the part that SampleModeling has done quite well. You'll still get a general idea of what works and doesn't.

I could have used DP or Logic, of course or a few other notation and DAWs that I have. If I just want a solo passage in an orchestra template, some of the others I have are perfectly adequate. None of those are sold as a performance instrument, however unlike those you listed and others mentioned in this thread.

It's possible that, if cello wasn't one of my instruments in the past, I would have passed on this, nice as it is.