This Incredible SPITFIRE AUDIO Feature that Can Create AMAZING Ostinatos!

[@LukeTruanMusic]

Excellent tutorial! I use this feature in most of my work! It is such a time saver and helps to give a realistic sound when working "in the box."

[@MythixMusic1]

How did I not know this.... Wonder what else I don't know about my libraries. Great video!

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Hey, thanks so much! Glad I could share something cool with you, and definitely check out any of your other Kontakt-based SA libraries, quite a few have this feature.

[@Justin.Franks]

Always look at the manuals for your libraries. There are often useful features that aren't immediately apparent in the UI.

[@Justin.Franks]

Almost all of Spitfire's Kontakt libraries have this. Really it is just a simple MIDI arpeggiator, but it gets the job done. Probably one of the most important features that you didn't cover is the "solo keyswitches" option. This makes each of the eight patterns selectable via keyswitches. Also, you can save patterns to disk, in order to load into other instances of the same library, or even into other Spitfire libraries which have this feature.

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Indeed, a very useful trick! There was so much to cover, I did breeze over some of the more in depth features for your own exploration. While it is just a MIDI sequencer, I think it does help bridge the gap between classical/orchestral composers and DAW based composers.

[@akayomamania9650]

Thank you, Stephen, for your video! I appreciate you taking your time to fully explain this powerful feature in Spitfire. Your video was easy to follow and opens up this creative and fast tool for adding interest and drive to my musical endeavors. Additionally: CONGRATULATIONS on your Bridgerton Score placement - a feather in your cap, for sure. Total kiddos to you!

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Hey, thanks, glad it was helpful, and while I didn't end up taking out any awards in the Bridgerton score, I definitely did enjoy the competition and I'm glad you enjoyed the composition.

[@rdpatterson2682]

thanks for the info. great presentation. very helpful.

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks.

[@PreacherAtArrakeen]

Wouldn't Logic's sequencer offer more options? It also has many sequenced presets. Thanks for the demonstration. Cheers.

[@LuisMarioMagana]

Esto está muy bueno

[@pop_polizei]

Thanks, Stephen. While I like the Ostinato feature in general, what bothers me about it is how tiny the GUI is in my Kontakt. It’s really hard to dial in the velocities, as you can’t really see them properly. Don’t you have the same issue?

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

YES! So much! It is tiny and the sliders seem to make a big change with just a small adjustment. It can be really finicky to adjust, but I find the benefit is worth it for short passages. It would be great if the interface could be bigger, though that may be partly the reason they have moved more to their new app designs for recent libraries. Kontakt graphics can be a bit limiting.

[@pop_polizei]

@@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew It would be wonderful to see Spitfire Symphonic Strings in their own player with an upated and resizable GUI! However, this is probably something they only do for newer libraries, I'm afraid. Same with some Kontakt scripting that some people seem to complain about (e.g. inconsistencies in legato patches). Spitfire, if you're listening, please give us some love and an SSS update. 🥰

[@faragher]

On a Mac, Control/Scroll is your friend, I couldn't work without it.

[@grobinson9352]

Good info! Thank you much

[@kdg6963]

i can't wait to see if this is available on Spitfire Studio Brass!!!

[@Justin.Franks]

It is.

[@jankastelic1699]

Hi! Amazing video and such a useful tip for using it :D Been wondering if there is any chance that maybe you could make a turtorial on how to script something like that in KSP :D Keep up the amazing job :D

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Great idea, I am working on some more Kontakt videos soon.

[@Tomsxauninsx]

Thanks for vid

[@bobloomis246]

Great tips! Question: any issues when it comes to bouncing out the MIDI to audio with the ostinatum in LP?

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Hey, I haven't found any issues myself, I always export tracks from my "composition" session to individual audio tracks for a "mix" session (just part of my workflow), and I've never noticed anything.

[@keithranes5932]

Can you do a video with a piece that contains and demos your fav Spitfire libraries?😊

[@WinItReigns]

Can you do a video on multiple articulations with this library? This is good stuff man

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Great idea, I might do a video dedicated to articulations and what all of them are.

[@WinItReigns]

Did you ever make a video like this? Thanks for a reply

[@VRNocturne]

Is there a feature like this within DAWs themselves so I don't have to have some specific library from a specific vendor but it's something I can use regardless of whether or not I have that vst or am using it in a particular project?

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Ah, I wish there was, but (for Logic at least) the only thing that comes close is an arpeggiator MIDI effect and it doesn't sound good with orchestral libraries haha. The benefit of this Spitfire feature being in the library itself is that it can then select the right velocity samples, make the right adjustments for timing and start points on the samples, is tuned specifically to how the library was created and how the sample zones are mapped, etc., all stuff that is hard for an arpeggiator to account for. Still, great idea alert, it would be cool if someone or some company could find a way to create an "ostinato generator" plugin or something that could work for any sampled instrument.

[@maciej74174]

does the BBCSO by Spitfire have also the ostinato option ?

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Hey, unfortunately not. The BBCSO library is in their own plugin design, which doesn't seem to have a sequencer option. I use the BBCSO library a lot, so I would typically go back to just playing in or programming in the MIDI performance and tweaking it to make it work, but it does slow everything down when you want the same ostinato pattern, just with a new chord.

[@MartinJG100]

9:35 assuming you can actually read the miniscule text and manipulate the fiddly selection....

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

YES! I am surprised that such a cool feature is so hard to use because of the size, I often have to use my mac zoom in feature to see it more clearly. I think that was down to limitations in the Kontakt programming and GUI space, back when these libraries were introduced.

[@shinshan1398]

Hi Stephen is their a way u can get the same notation like separate notes into logic and not the long not chords ... like the midi freeze option where u play 1 note and it records the whole chord...

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Hey, unfortunately not. I'd love it if it could, but I think because it is in the instrument slot, it doesn't work with the new 10.7.5 feature in Logic that can record the output of Midi FX. And because it's essentially a sequencer, it is waiting for a note to dictate what pitch it will all be based off, so you can't drag and drop the sequence onto the MIDI track either, like some Kontakt instruments can.

[@shinshan1398]

@@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew hope to get this feature soon would be very helpful..thanks stephen

[@rgferreira78]

Interesting video, thanks for sharing. I thought "round robin" should serve for this kind of repetitions as well.

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

It does indeed, this system is making use of round robins as well and that works well for most libraries. However, this ostinatum feature really helps take the hassle out of programming the performance yourself. Recently, I've been taking a library like Symphony Strings (which has this feature) and blending it with the BBC SO Pro Strings (which doesn't have this feature). With the right balance in volume between them, I like the way the Symphony Strings provides a touch of realism more ontop of the BBC SO library without it sounding like 2x strings.

[@rgferreira78]

@@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew yes! Blending libraries is the way! Thank you for your reply.

[@chrishayescomposer]

Can you export the midi it is generating?

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Hey, good question. I don't think so, from what I've tried I can't find a way to do it. Some Kontakt libraries do have that function, but it doesn't look like it is scripted into this one.

[@MrMoviePhoneEx]

what's your take Spitfire's Symphonic Motions then?

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Hey Bryan, I've never actually used Symphonic Motions, though I've been very intrigued by it for a long time. Maybe next sale I'll have to pick it up. From what I've seen of it, it looks like an improvement over this feature, really aimed at avoiding the machine gunning effect, but I definitely need to check it out and play around with it to see if I like it.

[@GO2CUT]

It's just one note with rebowing. No true ostinato. I have this library. It's great, but...

[@marcusbjerknes8049]

When laying down ostinatos for strings, you need to take into account the difference between downbow and upbow stroke, and how a specific ostinato pattern would be performed with the bow by a real musician.

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

That is very true and 100% necessary if you are getting real performers to record your track. Sadly, though, most if not all MIDI libraries don't allow you to select a staccato note as an up or down stroke for example, so it doesn't account much in the MIDI programming stage other than to simply make sure that if real performers perform the ostinato it will still sound good. (Orchestration skills are still definitely necessary even with tools like these).

[@wsimpson53]

That snap zoom is the robotic ostinato of video editing. Makes it very difficult to watch.

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Thanks Wallace for the feedback, I've started adjusting that in my future videos based on the same feedback. I think I went a bit hard on the youtuber jump cuts lol, but I'm toning it back as I learn more about film editing.

[@franbeck8]

Sounds robotic to me that’s why I never use it. Use performance samples strings « fluid shorts » you can combine them using at list 3 different spicatto sounds and playing with the velocities differently in the 3 of them. You’ll get better results

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Ah, we all do have our favourite hacks and libraries for orchestral samples don't we, one of the reasons I love to try out different libraries. I'll have to check out Performance Samples, I haven't played with any of their samples before.

[@karlbee7836]

I don't know why, but its true, sometimes it sounds indeed a bit "robotic". I solve the problem by playing around with the mics. You have to find the right settings, then it sounds natural. Most of the time it's the "Vibrato" effect that makes the strings sound unnatural and too much tightness as well. I disable it. And yes, you should also pay attention to the dynamic and velocity settings.

[@WillFalcon]

Val Kilmer? Now I realized why you wearing glasses.

[@jeffreyarnold725]

Helpful. Loose the jumpy zoom thing-adds zero

[@DeltgenDavid]

I might be the only one bothered by this, but that zoom in, zoom out after each phrase is mega annoying. Must have been fun during editing. Thanks for the tip though :)

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Ah, I was trying that classic youtuber jump cuts thing, but was probably over zealous when cutting out dead space haha. Thanks for the feedback though, it helps make my next video better, and I'm glad you still found the tip useful.

[@xdomm951]

Man.. how did I not know this? This is great, just jumped through all my Spitfire libraries to see which have this feature. Great vid

[@tylerscott89]

@@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNewif i may - your “zoomed” shot is much too close to your non zoomed shot, which makes it feel rather jarring like a jump cut instead of a bit smoother, like imitating a cut between two cameras. try having your main shot a little bit wider, then punching in much closer for the alternating edits. :) anyway thanks for the awesome video! really great to learn as many tricks and tips possible for maximizing what we can do with sampling since real orchestras can often be out of reach, especially for amateur-ish “composers” just experimenting, like me 😂

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

@@tylerscott89 Ah, where were you when I was starting out! Thanks for the tips and I quite agree, it is something I've been trying to do on my new videos, but I'm glad to hear that I might now be on the right track.

[@cupajoe99]

The samples are nice, but I feel like automating the arranging process strips away the musicality of actually composing. Not to be a snob, and I’m not against automation as a whole, but I’d rather have the intentionality of sequencing my own ostinatos

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Ah, I do get this comment a lot, even from students that I teach. It definitely can take away from the musicality if all you are doing is using this in a way that I would describe as "without intention", as in you are just randomly changing stuff until you think it sounds cool. I've found students who are more used to synthesisers will often do this, for example, as it feels like a sequencer or arpeggiator. However, if you are actually intentionally designing the ostinato and programming this feature to play the ostinato you are after, then it is no different to writing it out on notation or programming it yourself. It's the same process, as you still need to know what note to play, what rhythm it will be played on and how this line will be affected by other instrument lines, it is just a slight difference in how you get there. Ultimately, though, I use this feature because the ostinato I've written can sound more realistic when using this feature than when programming it in myself, especially when in a deadline squeeze. It doesn't shortcut the writing of the ostinato, it just shortcuts the MIDI programming of it. It isn't great for complex ostinatos though and I think if you were always writing ostinatos with this tool, it could be easy to get trapped with its limitations without realising it.

[@cupajoe99]

@@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew Thanks for the reply! That makes more sense.

[@ronnyb5890]

yep,not a bad gimmic Stephen,i use sonuscore the orchestra complete 3 and action strings 2,the first one has a sophisticated arp/sequencer wich doesnt do only strings but also brass and woodwinds,the second one is purely strings,but all the phrases are played live,so in fact it has no arp,but has segments wich you can add to each other,very realistic a walkthru with the orchestra complete 3 kzbin.info/www/bejne/nXzNfGRrbNOsj80 kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJLEmWyFo9uMpZo cheers Steve

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Ah, Action Strings and Actions Strikes are two of my favourite libraries for exactly that reason! So much realism added, they are fantastic.

[@ronnyb5890]

@@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew yep,they surely are Stephen,Kirk Hunter has updated his kinetic strings,i love the sound of his instruments,but i dont like the engine he is using,love the orchestra complete tough,but there the sounds are less quality compared to the ones from Kirk,sadely we have to make choices according to the budget we have,cheers mate

[@sandygrungerson1177]

oddly, the overly mechanical strings sound has been kind of normalized by all the british shows that have used it in the past 10+ years, the baking shows, the home-buying shows, the 'escape to the country' shows, they all use that raw unnatural pizzicati and ostinati... i hate the sound, esp once i realized they just do it because its cheap

[@darrinsiberia]

Random ≠ more human. Tradition culture expectation condition the human to play a certain way. Western classical music training dictates phrase shaping and beat emphasis. So if you want to learn how to make your music more real. Learn an instrument! Learn performance practice!

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Couldn't agree more, "random" features by themselves do not equate to realistic playing, hence why I think the ostinatum feature gets closer to that with control over velocity per note and beat to sculpt it further. Obviously, we can't all afford orchestras and recording sessions to mock up our tracks, so we do our best with the tools we have, but I know as a classically trained performer myself, it definitely helps me when considering phrasing and emphasis of a part. Just in case you missed me discussing that in my video, it's somewhere around the 04:40 mark. That said, I don't think you have to play an instrument to understand this, though it certainly helps, but if you can sing or even tap out a rhythm in a musical and performative way, you are halfway there already to understanding how music flows (in your respective genre/tradition).

[@enkiitu]

I’m not gonna watch the video, I only stopped by to tell you that ostinato is singular and ostinati is plural. Not ostinatos.

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Well, that is a shame you aren't stopping by to watch the videos. Just in case anyone reads your comment though, I do need to reply. You are right that "ostinati" is a plural of ostinato, but so is "ostinatos". Just like Celli and Cellos are both acceptable plurals of Cello, so ostinati and ostinatos are both acceptable plurals of ostinato. It's often the case with the anglicisation of the original classical terminology. If a student of mine wrote ostinatos or ostinati, both would be accepted equally. You may choose to use ostinati to reflect the Italian etymology, but that doesn't make ostinatos any less accurate.

[@dmrm2161]

The first 6 minutes are boring and useless

[@StephenOConnellCmdShiftNew]

Hey DMR, I can appreciate that it's not for everyone, but many people enjoy learning about the context of what they are learning and the "why". All the same, that is why I include time stamps, so you can skip the parts that aren't of interest to you or that you already know.