AudioMidi no-brainer: Miroslav Philharmonik CE for just $15!

[buzzsmith]

This is the best $15.00 I've ever spent for the studio.

Buzzy

[mhschmieder]

Heads up:

I received an email today that this no-brainer sale ends TOMORROW, 31 March 2011.

[leigh]

Heads up:

I received an email today that this no-brainer sale ends TOMORROW, 31 March 2011.

Today is April 1 and I just bought it and I'm downloading now. Thanks to all who blazed the trail before me!

**Leigh

[mhschmieder]

It's been extended a few more days, as has the sale on T-RackS singles.

[HCMarkus]

Wondering, Shooshie, if you have any tips for setting up this library for use with BC. I got the CTL tip you laid out for us earlier, but am wondering how you might be routing...

Signed, hopeful and moderately lazy BC Fan.

[daniel.sneed]

Not in front of my DAW right now, but:

- I used the CTL tip to set Miroslav *volume* control tied to my ewi-usb BC (AFAICR, controler #2),
- then compress incoming MIDI values (in velocity) (accordingly with the selected samples and with my breath)
- and adjust max and min MIDI values to taste (accordingly with the selected samples and with my breath).

Then I had a quite good behavior of an instrument with CB.

BTW, I must set everything again with any other new preset.
So, don't forget saving with a different name in the same folder, let's say: *basson BC*, or *violin BC*...

[HCMarkus]

Thanks Daniel!

[Shooshie]

I couldn't have said it better than Daniel said it.

A couple of tips and an observation. First the observation: I noticed that when you attach a controller like Volume (CC#7) to the Volume knob, then as you work the volume controller you will see the knob move. But when I attach BC (CC#2) to the Volume knob, as I play with my WX-5 the volume knob does NOT move. (at least… I think I'm remembering this correctly) To me this means that they must have done a little special programming to accept genuine breath control, as it overrides velocity and produces a true expressive control over the instrument. Most interfaces treat BC as an equivalent to working the volume knob, and velocity chooses the sample layer, making true expression impossible. The programmers of Sampletank have done us a big fat favor and given us real breath control that ignores envelopes and velocities, and crossfades between sample layers. This is huge. I wish I could tip them each five bucks for that! (hey, it's worth a million, but I don't want them flocking to my doorstep!) I haven't tried it on every instrument, but I can only assume that it works for all of them.

The only problem with that is that you may find it hard to get a solid sforzando attack, since every attack will tend to ramp up from the lowest velocity layers first. I haven't done much with this library yet, but the way I've dealt with that in other libraries is to cut off the ramp of the attack, making the controllers start at the level I want. That may or may not give you a strong attack. Other than that, I found that playing the Miro instruments live was a very musical experience.

Next, if you find that your BC markers are hitting maximum value a lot, with plateaus that look like over-limited audio, either you're blowing too hard or your BC device is set too sensitive. It's hard to find the middle ground, but you can use the adjustment screws to make it less sensitive at the risk of overdoing it and causing yourself to huff & puff like the big bad wolf. I get around it by setting it just a little on the sensitive side and blowing less hard.

Finally, if you find that your BC ramps and levels are overall too high, too low, too compressed or too much all over the place, double click one to select the whole line, then use proportional dragging to raise, lower, or compress or expand them. Proportional dragging is accomplished with the Control key while clicking, but since it has both horizontal and vertical axes, you must constrain it with the Shift Key when dragging. So it's really Control-Shift-Drag. To Compress, proportional drag downward, then raise them all back up to the level you want them (without proportional dragging). Expanding is the opposite -- proportional drag up, then regular drag back down. You may have to repeat this a few times to get it where you want it.

That's it in a nutshell.

Shooshie

[daniel.sneed]

[...]I noticed that when you attach a controller like Volume (CC#7) to the Volume knob, then as you work the volume controller you will see the knob move. But when I attach BC (CC#2) to the Volume knob, as I play with my WX-5 the volume knob does NOT move. (at least… I think I'm remembering this correctly) To me this means that they must have done a little special programming to accept genuine breath control, as it overrides velocity and produces a true expressive control over the instrument. Most interfaces treat BC as an equivalent to working the volume knob, and velocity chooses the sample layer, making true expression impossible. The programmers of Sampletank have done us a big fat favor and given us real breath control that ignores envelopes and velocities, and crossfades between sample layers. This is huge. [...]

Shooshie, once again, you're a Master!
Thanks so much for your skill and knowledge, and.. willing to share them with us!

[Shooshie]

Well, thanks; of course, that's assuming I'm right! I described the best I have been able to tell so far, but it could be less than I'm assuming. I think I'm right about that, though.

[HCMarkus]

I appreciate your insights Shooshie... Thank you!

[williemyers]

for those of you (like myself) who were (eventually) blown away with the $15 MiroPhil CE - - and were thinking, damn, as good as this is, I'd like to have the "Full" version, IK is offering it (the "Full" version) for $99...down form $229! All you have to do is put it in your basket on their page and use the coupon "SOUNDS" and it'll knock $229 down to $99! So. for $114 total, you're getting both! I'm in..

[Shooshie]

Thanks! So am I!

[cuttime]

...

[Shooshie]

I just finished paying $99.00 for the Miroslav Philharmonik FULL VERSION! Since I started with this $15 no-brainer deal, that means I've actually paid $114 for it, but I guess I'll actually have two versions to work with, too. Not sure whether there is any advantage to that, but I do not feel taken in any way. It's a great buy.

The past year, for all its economic woes, has been such a boon for musicians. Anyone watching for deals or just paying attention to the threads in this forum has been able to find outstanding software for outstanding prices. I've taken advantage of deals on Nomad Factory Plugins, two synths by Applied Acoustics Systems (Tassman 4 and Ultra Analog), Miroslav Philharmonik, and a few other odds and ends. Once upon a time, these would have totaled quite a sum, but I'll bet that I've gotten the lot of them for under $500.

I'd like to think that the software companies are benefiting from these sales, but I realize they scarcely gain enough from such discounts to pay the bills. This may mean that future upgrades for Lion or later OS's may not happen. That's a risk we take with any company, though, any time, at any price. I'm just happy to have them for now.

Shooshie