The Next Generation Of String Legatos - Appassionata Walkthrough

Paul Thomson walks us through our new library - Appassionata.
Infuse your music with more passion than ever before with the best-sounding, most alive string legato sound available today.
Learn More: bit.ly/3tDSCjo

[@DavidSoundWizard]

Finally a string library! The two weeks since the last one has been a lifetime

[@es__music]

haha. They sure love string libraries.

[@ricardomiguel3D]

🤣🤣

[@itsmrcaine854]

Yeah that part lol. That being said they do have the best string libraries out of any company.

[@bandbyoneMIDI]

It gets boring after a while.

[@snarf1504]

@@itsmrcaine854 Maybe for ambient pads, but for lyrical legato Cinematic Studio Strings, Vista, Soaring Strings all blow Spitfire out of the water. This release still looks like they're just catching up.

[@jammypockets606]

Paul: You'll struggle to play something that doesn't sound musical with this. Me: Hold my beer.

[@steixeira60]

LOL

[@joelwybrew]

Underrated comment

[@sandwich-breath]

No need to understate how janky my musicality can be some days

[@XiyuYang]

Ha! I love how SpitFire liked this comment but did not reply 😂

[@tdesercey]

This is one of their best to date. The nuance, life and detail is tremendous.

[@sandwich-breath]

Maybe it isn’t the legato string library we needed… but the one we deserved

[@andrewfisher2717]

Bought and downloaded. It is absolutely stunning. And a steal for us SCS SSS owners.

[@GabrielLephadi]

Now this is a library that is needed in my arsenal. I love the articulations especially the hairpin shorts. I see myself using that in the music I create more-so when composing for psychological thrillers. That top E transition will be great to use to create some needed tension. It's really intriguing and inspiring to watch, as each library is released, the care and attention the Spitfire team gives each instrument and each articulation. Thank you for such an amazing, detailed and thought-out walkthrough

[@angellomartin254]

Amazing work again. This should be just the beginning of a new collection along with Woodwinds and Brass. Congratulations to the whole team! Greetings from Berlin!

[@greatmodernmyths]

Honestly, the string libraries as so good now that it's harder and hardest to hear any significant difference with each new addition, which makes buying new ones harder to justify. This sounds good, but I have other libraries which can do the job. What's needed IMO now is some type of technological advancement not sound advancement. Some type of software AI that can assist in emulating the subtleties and nuance of human playing a little more.

[@AndreasSaag]

Out of curiousity which are your favorite string libraries, SA as well as others?

[@greatmodernmyths]

@@AndreasSaag I'm currently using BBC Orchestra for compositions but quite like Synchron Strings also.

[@ehlohimwhil5762]

I agree , even though this sounds near flawless, I don't always want to play these slow types of compositions . They should improve scripting to play faster

[@scoreguy1111]

Just picked this up and holy wow is it amazing. The detail and ease of use is great

[@joelwybrew]

This sounds really good. SA show with every release that they know what they’re doing 😍 But… (and I’m rly sorry guys) Do I feel like this contributes a whole new library’s worth of brand new content? I’m… not entirely convinced? I feel like I’m hearing what I want to be a BBC SO update. Sorry team 😕 Still keen for what Spitfire does next, I just don’t think we need another string library 🤷🏻‍♂️ A solo & chamber vocals pack though? Well, if you say so 😏 And by that I mean please please please! Hahaha Do I want this string library? Yep! Sounds great! Do I need it, owning BBC SO? … probably not. Not sure there’s enough totally new stuff for $180 (USD). Ily Paul Thompson and Spitfire family ❤️

[@jamesdaniels8297]

I do agree with you, but as someone who owns Abbey Road One and not BBCSO this is exactly what I’ve been needing

[@joelwybrew]

@@jamesdaniels8297 I hope it’s serves you well then! 😊

[@AndreasSaag]

Having own BBC SO for a year and a half now I can definitely say that adding this library would have saved me hours of trying to make certain melodies sound more natural. If I would open every bbc so of mine and just play the lead melody with this would improve each composition by 50% or more.

[@joelwybrew]

@@AndreasSaag I genuinely believe you! I guess then it just feels like a legato update for BBC might have been a better deal for buyers, as I spend $800 on an orchestral library just to feel it’s outdated a month later. I guess I’m saying this Aspassionata library definitively improves on legato transitions (I never argued it didn’t), but doesn’t bring much new SOUND to the table, and might have therefore been better as an update. Just my opinion 🤷🏻‍♂️😊

[@Ramazanius]

Bought it!!! Incredible sound! 🔥Amazing job! Amazing library! Huge thanks to the entire Spitfire team. From Russia with Love!!!:)❤️

[@privatmusique7084]

This one is incredible! Great job guys. Can’t wait to try it.

[@jojjen69]

Great video. As always! Thanks! I’ll definitely get this to compliment my lineup when my hobbyist budget allows it:).. I have a suggestion for content (after listening to Anne-Kathrin Derns latest KZbin video). You should record a bunch of videos (5-6 min per instrument maybe) with players from an orchestra (BBC maybe) where they demonstrate and explain their instrument. Show/demonstrate the range, the timbre over that range, loudness, different articulations etc. What to think about when writing for that instrument (e.g. give the flute player time to breathe). Finish of with a question around what’s the most common issue for them when faced with a material originating from mock-ups. You show what fantastic players you are using for your libraries, the players get their well deserved airtime and everybody gets great content. (I understand it’s a huge thing. But still ;)… Thanks again 😁👍

[@jon-medina]

Very excited for this one!!!

[@stephenshooterfineartist9635]

Hi Paul...as usual, i am speechless, you guys at Spitfire are beyond brilliant, i can only lie here, watch, and drool...I have a few of your smaller instruments...LOVE LOVE Spitfire...This awful world we're living thru at the moment, is made more tolerable with hearing, seeing that good things are still happening...I envy the owners of this library. WELL WELL done Spitfire...SIncerely, Steve ,from Durban South Africa....Best of luck with sales and accolades...🎻🎻🎻🎻💎💎💎💎💎💎

[@mybiggrin]

Hoping some of these techniques can be included in updates for previous proprietary libraries like Hans Zimmer Strings (legatos) etc.

[@yuggothproductions]

Those hairpins and glancing attacks seem like a great addition! Nice work guys and gals!

[@MatthewHyatt]

GOOD GRIEF! This is incredible. Killer price!

[@simonhusseymusic]

At last!! Stunning!!

[@ellagreen9056]

Thank you Paul. Sounds absolutely great. I have just purchased - fastest time from walkthrough to checkout yet! 😆 ... and from release to checkout, for that matter!

[@calebwarnar]

This looks incredible 👌

[@cornerliston]

Sounds great and very good to see you develop your libraries within your own software. Looking forward to seeing the next next gen of string libraries having full modularity with attack, sustain and release being completely modular-resulting in a much more complex playability.

[@utyoubyouzer6777]

Love the dynamic smoothing. Sounds more realistic and easier to work with. The only thing is the release is a bit too short on the demo. I understand for more rapid changes fast release works better to avoid mushing the notes together but if there is an algorithm to duck down the release when subsequent note is triggered and at the end of the phrase (no more notes) it would let the longer release to kick in would make a less abrupt ending which suites the emotional and poetic envelope better IMHO.

[@ryansarno5426]

So much fun !!! sounds so real.

[@kwameryan]

Wow! 😊 That's an absolute must have library for orchestral mockups.

[@mrmindstorms]

Sound great - For your next project I really hope you go back to a lot of older libraries, like bbcso, Chamber, etc, and get to work on the sample pool so all notes start on a coherent time, e.g. all samples need to be triggerd 120ms or something before it sounds. As of now, diffrent instruments and even the same instruments in diffrenet keyranges need to be triggerd haphazardly to sound correct. When this is done, do the samething as you just done for Appassionata but for Abbey Road One to make it an actual usefull librery. Great, thanks!

[@granthgekko]

Best I’ve ever heard!

[@benjaminmiller9824]

Incredibly rich, and full tones. Playing melody is tough with midi strings, but this would add a lot to a library

[@Frank.Zimmermann]

Unbelievable, you keep outdoing yourselves. How do you do it? The sound is extraordinary, absolutely spectacular. Congratulations to the whole team! Chapeau! :)

[@davidwill6243]

Sounds great! Definitely interested in this one!

[@Julzantoine]

Spitfire launching a new library and everyone is ready to buy without even knowing it... Groundhog Day ! XD

[@cwgochris71]

Thanks for showing what you can do with close mics. I prefer a dryer sound, and most demo videos don't give much time to showing how to create a less bombastic sound.

[@younghandsfilms6135]

This is SO INSPIRING!!

[@KevinWayne]

Sounds like a strings/synth hybrid? If I had that kind of money to spare right now, I think I'd be looking at Albion Legacy or even the new Abbey Road Orchestra. Rich, deep, full sounding 😉

[@JClay-lf7nx]

Exactly what the world needs. One more string library!

[@aleksandarstojceski3139]

Yes we do need better sounding string libraries.

[@dante2804]

Can't wait for Aaron Venture Strings :P

[@svetlanarozhkova9502]

Amazing!) This glancing attack is the sound I'm looking for) Great job!

[@magick1969]

So you're recording an array of Impulse Responses in various force applications of the strings. Cool. Imagine put a series of sensors across the body of your instruments to track the vibrations to record. Newton-Raphson Curve smoothing and possibly Runge-Kutta smooth curve fitting is a nice touch.

[@CordaroRodriguez]

What exactly are the impulse responses of? The instruments? Or the recording space?

[@anatomicallymodernhuman5175]

Not sure Paul was using the term impulse response in the sense of convolution material.

[@CordaroRodriguez]

@@anatomicallymodernhuman5175 🤔 I wasn't too clear either. I know there is a technique to model legato transitions with convolution rather than record the actual transiting. But I couldn't tell if that is what Spitfire is doing here.

[@irbomusic]

Love the portamento!

[@callumharman3642]

Where was the portamento?

[@irbomusic]

@@callumharman3642 14:25

[@parboilrice]

2:51 I too also aim at the corner of the bowl

[@PaulCondron]

20:55 Worth it for this alone!

[@keithstaceymusic]

Sounds amazing!

[@jeffhijlkema]

Beautifully, next level addition.

[@janignacykrolikowski8753]

Sounds great!

[@gabrielcollinsmusic]

Really lovely!

[@instrugramm]

Well done, this is an excellent library!

[@NigelDThompson]

I kinda dread a new product drop from you guy's as I know I'm more than likely gonna want it... I have to say though the intro price seems very fair for what appears to be a full and realistic sounding library. Whether or not I succombe, I do congratulate all concerned on pushing the boundary yet again.

[@CybreSmee]

I always find it humorous Spitfire say noise floor and human errors are "Features" of their libraries. If I'm scoring a multi-million dollar film with the best players and studio, I'd want perfect. I bet even the players would be horrified to know their noises and mistakes were in the final cut of the soundtrack.

[@800pieds]

Ok, ok, they're awesome

[@lymansn]

These Spitfire guys are going to drain me dry. Their sound libraries are so addictive. Every-time I think I have what I need, I am forced to buy another library because their sounds are that amazing!!!

[@es__music]

I’ve always wanted a string library with noise floor sounds.

[@anancha4665]

what do you mean with noise floor sounds?

[@es__music]

@@anancha4665 I have no idea. They mentioned it in the video. Sounds ridiculous.

[@jchoude1903]

I hear you. Can't wait to record me some floor sounds!

[@anancha4665]

@@es__music haha yeah i feel like spitfire audio often has these type of marketing phrases which often just make no sense

[@R1dgeR1der]

Digital silence and acoustic silence are two very different things. Absolute silence is less realistic as there will always be small amounts of noise in a room. The noise floor in Appassionata is sidechained to the signal so fades away as the notes get louder

[@xaviduch]

Nice sound as always but..I would like to see one day polyphonic legato, round robin on long notes (with and without legato articulations) a really useful tools that we can listen in other brands. With your experience, Air Lyndhurst sound, Jake Jackson hands and those tools I miss always, this could be a total break.

[@antonstruziknathangabriel1075]

it's impossible to make a polyphonic legato as the software could never predict which note you want to transition to the next

[@xaviduch]

@@antonstruziknathangabriel1075 Well, impossible could be to make THE perfect library...but more or less, those libraries exists a while time ago, or at least, I use one of those almost every day...I mean with polyphonic legato with tons of options, different halls, recording, etc...

[@eylam9690]

@@antonstruziknathangabriel1075 but they have made that with choir libraries. Wouldn't it be the same concept?

[@vladimirkond]

Very inspiring! Thanks a lot, guys!

[@KerryMuzzey]

🙌🏻🙌🏻 NOISE FLOOR!!!!!🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@Midrule]

2:52 3:05 calm down there Thomson

[@Kingchord2000]

With this library, you can mock-up Maestro Ennio Morricone's film scorings!

[@VFXCommander]

Just wait until Audio Imperia + Performance Samples release their legato patch. Yesterday, they've released a Celli demo and was absolutely breath-taking!

[@MaestroMojo]

Sounds great, but why aren’t these technologies being used to update BBCSO or ARO rather than yet another new string library?

[@fabioambrosino4034]

It sounds great!

[@haveanawesomeday4059]

Missed the offer. Would love to see this or Albion One at -40% during summer again. Would buy =)

[@cornerliston]

At 14:25, is it the reverb tale making the portamento sound as if two notes are triggered in the middle of the portamento?

[@ruslanibragimov-composer]

Fantastic!!!

[@keiththeodosiou]

Well, i'm blown away! (again lol)

[@EFlexMusic]

I'm a little disappointed that there isn't con sordino versions of the strings, that would be amazing as an update!

[@YungstarProd]

Paul’s smile. And my wallet. Jesus.

[@dk60ish]

Wow! Spitfire Audio has finally gotten the message in regards to sampling strings for realism, less is MUCH better, just ordered it!

[@waynerowley]

How did you trigger the slur/slide at 21:56? I have this plug-in and I can't get it to do that no matter what I do!

[@csn-audio]

I‘m quite exited. Just wanted to pull the trigger on bbc but maybe I will wait a bit 😄

[@TivodarStefan]

I never win in these kinds of scenarios.. but who knows? Maybe today is the day :) Been using Spitfire products a lot in my work as Analogue Soul Digital World. Nice job, really curious (and intersted in a good strings legato package...)

[@WinItReigns]

Well there ya go bro

[@WinItReigns]

Legato

[@hhhhOhhhh]

I couldn't understand why make so many string libraries while left a bunch of libraries to be fixed😢

[@kahahabahaha]

Yea, their legato scripting hasn't been great. I buy SA stuff for their sound design choices, which are great, but I don't use their stuff when I need a good string legato

[@hhhhOhhhh]

@@kahahabahaha indeed

[@music_creator_capable]

Great!

[@jubinroy8769]

Sounds awesome. Would be really useful in my next music album

[@AndrewBarracloughComposer]

1:23 The Force Theme - 1:30 Imperial March ❤️

[@takaliuang]

AR1 + BBC Core + This one... 👍

[@MePeterNicholls]

Would love to hear the Mahler string movement done with this

[@callumharman3642]

Could anyone tell me if this is worth purchasing when I already own BBCSO Pro, The library sounds great but I’m not sure if it sounds better than what already comes with BBCSO

[@anatomicallymodernhuman5175]

These legato transitions are much more believable to me. I've been using BBC SO Pro for 15 months and I love it. But these will give me another level of realism in legato passages.

[@instrugramm]

It really depends on the kind of style you write in, it's a very different sound and motion to BBCSO. You can probably do without if you know your way around samples but it's a very nice and well made addition.

[@IRELAND_MY_LOVE]

@@anatomicallymodernhuman5175 SA have now focussed their business model on the (sometimes serious) amateurs or give pros the odd option however not one of their libraries (and I own 16) come's close to Orchestral Tools realism which have various legatos per section. You get what you pay for.

[@nigelsilver4251]

I'll be back in two weeks to check out the release of their next new string library.

[@robertfieldsjr.5919]

These sound Great.I was wondering about the let off. when you take the finger off the keyboard no matter how quiet the sound ,it always sounds like an abrupt cutting off of the sound. Is that the way strings are supposed to sound?

[@matrixate]

How about RRs? How many X-over velocity layers are there? I'd like to see more Poly-legato examples?

[@estevancarlos]

Spitfire is genius with marketing.

[@vaiman7777]

Really? I've bought nothing for years from them.

[@karl.weaver]

Potential customers are wise to this cynical marketing.

[@boyrazak]

awesome..

[@PromoMIAR]

Do all these technical improvements to LEGATO technology find there way into updates on Previously released Libraries?

[@HesamSeyedMousavi]

I think this is per-recorded legato technique and not standalone script

[@kurttomlinsoncompositions1067]

add repeated note bow change triggered by holding the sustain pedal and this will be 10x better.

[@dfizzbom]

The Blakus demo of this on your site- wow. No wonder it's in first position. All demos are good but that one sells it.

[@68caribou]

:: HI! I know it's not a fair question, but which keyboard would you recommend me to play/control strings like Appassionata?

[@EcstaticSuffering]

Lovely Hermann-esque licks you're playing, Paul. Nice demo!

[@skyspeeder1974]

Just one word: VISTA ;-)

[@anatomicallymodernhuman5175]

Vista is a smaller group with fewer dynamic layers, far fewer mic positions, and requires full Kontact, for twice the $

[@-Meric-]

@@anatomicallymodernhuman5175 Vista actually has more legato dynamics but it does have fewer articulations yes

[@Sellouth]

@@-Meric- it has also ensemble patch and harp patch

[@DeadWhiteButterflies]

What Spitfire need to do now is something totally unexpected, like a Jazz trio library.

[@inspisiavideos8542]

Awesome library! Please Spitfire Audio or anyone in comments sections let me know what is the name of the keyboard he’s using on this video?

[@punchthedog]

Viscount Physis Piano K4.

[@inspisiavideos8542]

@@punchthedog thank you so much! Like I said, I graduated in CS last year and I work as a Software Engineer but that’s not the only thing I want to do. I purchase a small NK keyboard 32 last year just to begin with and for months I watched the keyboard Spitfire uses and was wondering which keyboard they use

[@gaburincho]

Is it possibile using Digital Performer to assign two or three sounds (as you do in the example, First and Second Violins playing unison and Viola one octave lower) in one midi channel?...

[@ehlohimwhil5762]

Sounds amazing, yet if I wanted to play fast, the scripting isn't really equipped for me to do so , I suppose

[@mortengildbergmusic]

Please add something similar to the Abbey Road range. At the moment we only have "long".

[@paulmeagher8350]

Cool 😎

[@kevingibbs7220]

Have you guys given any thought to creating products that would interface directly with notation programs like Sibelius? It would be awesome to hear a library like this when writing lines direct to score. think about it. Please.

[@Justin.Franks]

Doesn't Sibelius support VST's for playback?

[@jounihelminen6025]

finally good playable legato/glissando. Can the speed it takes to transition from one note to another be adjusted?

[@dhudson0001]

Is anyone else having trouble triggering the legato action demostrated @ 11:48 in this library? It's hit or miss for me on my NI S 88.

[@WinItReigns]

I'm a huge fan of these products

[@kevingibbs7220]

I have three questions: Are there any "ensemble" patches in this library? I suspect not. Second, I heard a high concert D in the first violins in Paul's contribution to the demos. Historically, your libraries stop at C 3 octaves above Middle C. What are the highest available notes for each section in the library? Finally, I didn't hear any mention of Sordino in this library. Are there sordino patches in this library? Ar there plans to create them?

[@Justin.Franks]

No ensemble patches, no sordino patches. Yes, both 1st and 2nd violins go up to the D three octaves above middle C (D7 if middle C is C4). Violas go up to the F two octaves above middle C (F6) Celli go to the F one octave above middle C (F5). Basses go up to the A directly below middle C (A3).

[@tekknosapien]

Anyone got this? How about a bit faster legatos? Whatever now faster is. Most libraries are great for romantic slow melodies but not for more desicieve faster playing. You have to work the modwheel to counter the sampled "swells" and bumps.

[@101StudioFilms]

🔥🔥🔥

[@saifbartar8205]

Countdown begins!!!