Modern Scoring Strings walkthrough part 1 (AudioBro MSS)

[@moabl2020]

This is by far the most complexed strings library and I love it. GOT 4 months ago.

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

I love it too!

[@12opsynths]

Excellent work and very informative - a necessary supplement to the audiobro demo

[@drew6524]

I bought it yesterday after becoming frustrated with Spitfires BBCSO pro- sounds GORGEOUS but makes my (massively OP compu) lag glitch and crash, also takes 5+ mins to load while everything is in “not responding” grey out. So I still have soundtracks to do and figured if I could at least use other strings it would greatly reduce the strain on my compu. (MSS shows as 2% CPU use when doing 4 part poly-legato but the CPU warning will come on if I use more than one note at a time with BBCSO - I’m using 32GB 3.8GHz with 4 TB HDD and BBCSO etc on a 2 TH SSD- FAR above specs but no one at spitfire is helpful even after spending thousands on them! Forums seem useless - none answers.) Anyways- the string sound could be called vanilla but another word for this is “consistent” and “easy to merge with other instruments”- but it’s a good timbre, very changeable with different settings. Very John Williams angled. I really like it. I also have action strings by NI as an ostinato creator but it uses its own string sound which doesn’t always fit, luckily they had the BRILLIANT idea of making it translatable to MIDI so all the runs and arps etc can be played by other strings or by flutes (need some Harry Potter chromatic runs? Bip bap boom) or any VI. If anyone knows what the deal is with the BBCSO VST crash argon PLEASE tell me!

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Glad you find MSS consistent and lower on CPU. Sorry I couldn’t help with BBCSO, I never got that one.

[@skipstream2]

Excellent walkthrough Nathan. Thanks. Cello sounds a little muffled, I agree, but nothing Soothe and EQ won’t sort. I can see me needing to tweak and save as track presets but then I’ll be ready to go. Think I’ll buy this at the intro price for sure. Not sure I’ll get the extended legato though

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Thanks Andrew! Glad you got a chance to watch it. Yes the more I use them the more I realize how flexible the sound can be. I'm not a huge sordino fan but I did get the extended legato in hopes that this would become my main toolkit, and I an not sure if I really "needed" the extended legatos in retrospect lol, but the divisi sections with all those special techniques like sul tasto and sul pont will add some options. Spitfire does those really well but these don't have Air reverb baked into the samples and the vibrato is much less, it's a different flavor. Did you catch the extended legato video (for violins only) too? kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYapmY2BqtqnkMk

[@lanpeel3928]

Can you please do a series like this for modern scoring brass? I know the library is a couple years old now but it’s pretty good and there’s not much on KZbin about it

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

I have not bought that one and I have not asked for a copy to review.

[@jofamusic]

Thanks Divid for your demo video. Ok Portamento is there, but if we have to be honest it is a Portamento that does not adapt to the change of tempo. Congratulations on your videos are always useful.

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Hi! It can change to tempo (new note on event speed). I did not demonstrate that because I took auto off. When Trans Spd Auto is on there is a table in the scripts area of Kontakt it will use. I don’t think port offset will change automatically. I encourage you to reach out to AudioBro because they have been receptive to feature requests and might make offset respond to a table like trans speed.

[@paul.j.diwiak]

I like the Cello sound! Overall this library looks and sounds great ... My only question is: what's this noise when playing violins and violas trem, pizz, col legno etc? Is it a youtube problem or are these articulations that noisy? I'm talking about this "pumping white noise" (can't describe it better) after the actual notes. You can hear it the best with sul pont tremolos.

[@NathanCarlton]

I don’t think it’s KZbin. In many cases I muted my microphone but in a couple cases you *may* have been hearing my OWC external drives fan (I can’t turn it off and the samples are on it right now). But - I wrote to AudioBro about the Sul Pont noise in the violas on their forum specifically. The noise in the *majority* of the samples is low in my opinion and they are “well groomed” including not cut off too early. I don’t mind the “noise” in the trems so much, I chalk it up to bow sounds mostly. and if I want to denoise it I have my own tools like Soothe and Waves N1 and iZotope RX. The lower instruments have some rumble and boom that I can also EQ myself. Leaving it in our hands is preferable to too much de-noising in my opinion. Anyway ... They basically said the sound of the noise in the sul pont was because the playing was very quiet. To my ear they stand out in contrast to the rest of the library. So, I concur that there is some clear and present noise in the sul pont viola for one. For some of the others you mention I’d have to listen again to specific min:sec markers to hear what you were hearing exactly.

[@paul.j.diwiak]

@@NathanCarlton oh wow, thank you for your long answer again! Maybe have a listen at 22:30 When you let go the keys and the violins stop to play it nearly sounds like the noise floor gets louder and then decays (but I guess, this is an illusion and the sound of the violins masks the noise before). It's hard to describe (and as you might have gussed english isn't my native language). Maybe the noise isn't a problem within a mix... but I think, I'll get MSS while it's hot (= it's still the intro price) ;) but still not sure if I get the extended legatos too...

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

@@paul.j.diwiak I never would have guessed English was not your first language, honestly. I have listened at 22:30 and I hear it too but I guess it doesn't "bother" me at that level ... in mission critical projects I would doctor it in the mix but all things considered it's pretty minor to me. it's the Sul Pont violins and violas where it really stands out esp in contrast to the rest of the product. On the other topic, thanks for your comments on the cello. They are not my favorite but I guess one cannot have it all, right?

[@paul.j.diwiak]

@@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed Thank you ;) I now got MSS (+expanded legato) and I found some other pretty noisy, but yes, when playing I don't recognize or at least it doesn't bother me. I only noodled around with it so far, but yes, I do understand, what you mean with the "muffled" cello sound. I tried the unprocessed patch and it's better. But in the lower register it doen'st bother me at all, only in the highs a bit. But I think it wouldn't bother me in the mix. I'm a bit disappointed with the expaneded legatos. I would love the trigger them from the "normal" patch and dont like to use the extra one... this annoies me, tbh... maybe they will fix this with the legato update (and yes, I also understand the problem with the legato, it's not super consistent, but I don't mind) One thing get mentioned way to less imho are the solo instruments! Pretty darn good! And they fit perfectly with the other strings!

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Yes the solo strings are pretty good! I don’t know how they’d “unlock” the expanded legato in the same instrument in Kontakt, maybe there is a way? In either case it’s a great idea to combine them so you don’t have to use different instances. But it doesn’t really bother me or change my workflow too much.

[@jofamusic]

I bought it today and I have to tell you I was disappointed because the poise is an important articulation. If you listen to the Vienna Synchro Strings Pro video you will hear a beautiful Portamento. We hope AudioBro will update soon. But I think they will also buy Synchro Strings Pro. Thanks and good music.

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

MSS has both port and gliss.

[@jofamusic]

@@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed Portamento articulation malfunctions. It is a fake Portamento. To understand how Portamento is, watch the video of the VST Synchro Strings Pro on the official website of Vienna Symphony Libraries. This is the true effect of Portamento.

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

​@@jofamusic sorry I don't understand what you mean by "fake". It is a recorded portamento. Are you saying you don't like how it was performed? If you have questions or issues I highly encourage you to work with AudioBro directly because they have been incredibly responsive. Their forum for MSS is here: audiobro.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=63 and their contact page is here: audiobro.com/support/contact/

[@jofamusic]

@SunTai By false I mean that the Portamento is always the same. It is not possible to change expressiveness because the length of the portamento is always the same. Could you let me hear some of your compositions using Portamento? Thank you

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Hi @Giuseppe Sbernini I made a video just for you! It's not "music" but it is a demonstration. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5itanqXmJamg6M here the portamento speed and offset is both slow and fast, lourder and also quieter (based on new note ON speed) ... but the speed and offset of the Port definitely changes and is flexible (I think) in MSS. I hope this helps you a little. If you do not "see" these new controls please make sure you are using the newer 1.1 update. Cheers my friend!

[@adamgrigsby4981]

Hi Nathan, great video! I’m wondering, when you wrote the Cellos sounded “muffled”, does this just occur only in the runs patches or is it the case for other patches or across the board for Cellos? Thanks!

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

It’s pretty consistent but I found with a little EQ or better yet Soothe2 they work well in the mix.

[@adamgrigsby4981]

@@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed Thanks for the insight!

[@Amirkahwajy]

does it have Marcato articulation????

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Use the Accent sustains. Rather than the Norm. This was confirmed by the developers and here is their reasoning: “Short answer is that it's definitely what you want for marcato sustains. Slightly longer answer is that it makes sense for each dynamic (so accented ppp sounds appropriate and not like a sfzp, but accented ff is as sharp as you'd think). Same is true of the feathered attacks... they make sense for each dynamic.” And /or if you prefer, you can add one of the shorts on your longs (layer).

[@johnmusic697]

hello Nathan, where is the adsr knob? attack so slow...

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Swell has the slowest attacks. For longs there are three different attacks. If the shortest isn’t sharp enough you can layer shorts over them. There are tons of controls but not a simple adsr.

[@MichaelDowComposer]

Those cellos really spoil the sound to me! The basses being much brighter and closer sounding. I love when cellos sound raw and raspy and these really dont, they sound like they've been recorded through a blanket 3 metres away! :( Thanks for the video!

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

I learned how to get a better sound (including making them more “raw and raspy”) out of the cellos a bit later, but the raw sound can be a little questionable at first, depending on how one wants cellos to sound.

[@iggswanna1248]

Ok i need to know between this one and, spitfire symphonic Berlin Strings Cinesamples strings or a better option overall? thanks

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Spitfire is a bit "syrupy" and thick with lucious vibrato and big low end, huge sounding, a little dark. Berlin is a little thin but very nice and agile, delicate and clear. CineSamples is a great company and CinePerc is one of the best and their Brass is great but their CineString may not be their best product. I think if you love the sound of Spitfire Symphonic or Berlin and can afford those they are great options but MSS is a contemporary "modern" scoring tool with tons of flexibility and less vibrato than Spitfire Symphonic and really good for scoring to picture. Get what you fall in love with!

[@iggswanna1248]

@@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed Fantastic reply, earned an honest sub to your channel. I own berlin for many years now, and its my main go-to. For that reason I find myself getting bored with it, so I'm always looking foralternatives. This one excited me a lot, but I its hard to tell if it will fit my style... I've been using a lot of cinematic studio strings also, but wanted to make surethis one would be worth the investment.... thanks alot

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

The grass is always greener on the other side, right?

[@manuelfilho11]

Hi Nathan, two questions: 1- How do you compare the MSS sound to LASS sound? 2- Right now, LASS lite is $200, compared to LASS full $400, witch one would you buy, considering that only the full version has “divisi sections” access? Thanks and keep the great work. 👍🏼

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Well I’d say MSS sound is a bit more like today’s TV including movies on large streaming networks. It’s a little more consistent in certain things which does make it feel like an updated package. It’s a bit less “raw” and could be perceived as lacking a little “emotion” that some feel LASS has. I do like the LASS shorts still. And LASS is a bit more classic film score sounding. I’d reach for LASS when I want a more raw organic or emotional sound. MSS for a more heroic up to date Marvel or Netflix feature sound. I used to only own LASS Lite 2.5 and was quite happy. But I don’t usually take advantage of divisi strings writing myself. I’d recommend LASS Lite to anyone interested, because the upgrade path to LASS Full is a no brainer.

[@manuelfilho11]

@@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed Thanks! Just bought LASS Lite. 👍🏼 Do you know if the upgrade is aways $200.00, or is on sale right now?

[@manuelfilho11]

@@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed I end up buying the full version. Here is a quick test I just did. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHKvf2uChJx5jsU

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

@@manuelfilho11 fantastic!!

[@adictiveadictive]

Is there a way to have the power button for the rhythm tool turn back on when hitting play in you DAW? I find it kinda weird that it turns off after hitting the stop button and you have to turn it back on manually. If I remove the pre-set MIDI Automation CC that AudioBro set up for the sustain pedal and and stop my DAW the A.R.T. pattern keeps playing, oddly. Even after hitting the stop button multiple times. But with the DAW stopped it just plays a single note repeatedly rather than my set midi notes. Is this right? Doesn't seem so. Thanks!

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Hmm … as I recall the sustain pedal (which can be recorded and used as automation during playback) turns it off and on. If this isn’t working you can contact AudioBro.

[@jofamusic]

I have not found any test of Portamento. In all the videos I've watched, there is no mention of Portamento. I was struck by the "Portamento" of the poise in the Synchro Strings Pro library in Vienna

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

It works quite well, but also AudioBro is planning improvements to all the legato features and that is why I did not demonstrate any of the legato features (or portamento examples) in this video. We are eagerly awaiting the update and then I will make another video.

[@davidvalens3337]

how would you compare these strings to opus,Spitfire,CSS,vista?

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

I have some sonic comparisons with Vista, CSS and possibly Spitfire and Hollywood. Vista is smoother and silkier. CSS has different tone. Hollywood is nice and bright, I have a video specifically for whether MSS can sound like Hollywood.

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Here’s one comparison: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaTWhIiQe9iVjq8

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Here’s another comparison - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpnVqKx6qr6XsMU

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Here’s one with Hollywood (later Opus) - kzbin.info/www/bejne/en3Ih3WpZc5qfqc

[@davidvalens3337]

@@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed i think east west improved the library with opus. It's better than their old libraries

[@N-JKoordt]

Nice thorough walkthrough. Maybe balance the sound from your microphone with that from your DAW.

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Thanks, yeah this particular video ended up being a challenge to level balance and I'll be the first to admit I did not balance the VO as carefully as I usually might for a video like this. The library does have a large dynamic range (which is adjustable! you can dial in the dynamic range you want, I demonstrate it near the end of this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnO1ZXZqoLugmZY) so I was torn between playing the quiet sections as quiet as they sound or turning them up (which I did in some cases).

[@furiousgnomeFG]

Tremolo sounds like balalayka ))))

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

:)

[@euripidesgeorge4350]

I am a seasoned violin player and I can guarantee you that the cello runs may sound muffled to you because you probably haven’t even seen a cello for real: on the contrary, for being Celli, they sound even slightly unrealistically accurate. Where did they get those cello players from? I wanna hire them.

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Haha. I don’t remember where I said they sound muffled but I recall at the time I was comparing / contrasting the sound of these recordings with AudioBro’s previous product LA Scoring Strings, and at the time I preferred LASS. These do sound quite nice! Especially now that I’m not referencing those other LASS recordings. My time with cellists has mostly been in practice rooms rehearsing pieces I wrote, not that it matters.

[@euripidesgeorge4350]

@@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed you didn’t say it. You wrote it in your clip. When you were testing the cello octave runs. You wrote: “don’t these cellos sound muffled to you? Please comment below”. Of course really fast cello octave scales would sound a bit muffled.

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

@@euripidesgeorge4350 ah yes the octave runs! I listened to all the instruments again and the cellos still sound (relatively) different than the violins, violas and basses in terms of the recorded sound. Something about mic position possibly. The other three sections sound a bit closer with a bit more “air” while the cellos sound slightly further and with a little less of the “top end” I’d expect, to sound consistent with the violins, violas and even the basses.

[@euripidesgeorge4350]

@@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed so you meant acoustics rather than the playing itself.

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

@@euripidesgeorge4350 was not a comment on the playing, no. I mean the recording - the sound of the recorded audio. It sounds relatively "muffled" (maybe there's a better word) without any EQ or correction. Interestingly the default EQ AudioBro puts on the violins and violas takes some mid high frequencies out as I recall, which probably tends to make them sound a bit more consistent with the cellos when loading up the default patches. Acoustics in the room at the time of recording may have contributed, but they probably did not change (much) across sections. So ... if I were to guess; it sounds like the close mic(s) was/were just a little further from the cellos than the other sections, and possibly if it was fairly directional then it may not have been directed to capture as much mid-high information (I'm thinking in the 1-6kHz range). Another possibility is noise reduction but I believe when I chatted with AudioBro about that they may not have used noise reduction, so it's less likely. Thanks for taking the time to watch the video and comment!

[@MOMO-zg8ll]

im already confused

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

try something from Performance Samples or Musical Sampling, maybe?

[@yves2078]

video de merde ca ne donne pas envie d'acheter

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

🤣🤣 it’s a walkthrough, not an advertisement