Serenade

Gesture-controlled violin, viola, cello, and contrabass synthesizer

(388 Votes)
3.0 (Updated 10 years ago)
2.0MB
November 12, 2012
Reaktor 5 or lower

DESCRIPTION

EDIT: Version 3 has the following changes:

* The physical model is now 3x oversampled so high violin and viola notes are more clear.
* The noise circuit has been improved.
* String Sustain and Efficiency knobs have been added.
* Some new snaps have been added.
* The Hutchins viola has been replaced by a Glaesel viola.

Serenade is a synthesizer that mimics bowed string instruments. It is a physical model that includes a bow, a wooden body, and up to four strings. The wooden body is modeled using Colin Brown's zero-latency convolution core cell (thanks Colin!).

Six instruments are included: two violins, two violas, a cello, and a contrabass.

The model requires three variables: bow speed, bow force, and bow position. Bow speed is the speed that the bow is drawn across a string. Bow force is the pressure the bow places on a string as it is drawn. Bow position is the distance along the string from the bridge to the bowing point.

Like a violin, Serenade is controlled by gesture. As a violin is played by moving a bow back and forth while pressing it onto a string, Serenade is played by moving the modulation wheel or bow panel fader back and forth while pressing a key. Pressing a key supplies the bow force and moving the modulation wheel or bow panel fader supplies the bow speed.

To play Serenade, begin by holding down a key. Serenade will make no sound. That’s because you’re pressing the bow onto the string but you’re not moving it. While holding the key down, begin moving the bow panel fader or modulation wheel slowly back and forth. You’ll hear Serenade bowing the string. It's pretty sensitive, and not a lot of movement is required.

Features include:
• The bow’s force, speed, and distance from the bridge can be adjusted.
• A colored meter indicates the bow speed. Yellow indicates sufficient speed.
• Accents can be added to the beginnings of notes.
• Playing an interval several semitones or larger shifts the bow to another string.
• The sensitivity to gesture can be adjusted.
• The strings can be plucked instead of bowed.
• The bow can be automatically lifted from the strings at the end of a note.
• The finger can slide from one note to another along the fingerboard.

Caveats:
• Serenade is designed to be played via gesture, not sequenced.
• For best results the sample rate must be 44.1 kHz.

Serenade can be difficult to play. But then, so is a violin. Here are some hints to get the most out of it:

• The bow is sensitive. Reaching the yellow zone in the colored meter is sufficient to produce a good tone.
• Moving the bow suddenly can accentuate a note, controllable by the Accent and Decay knobs.
• Moving the bow force knob will make the tone rougher or smoother.
• Speeding and slowing the bow will create crescendos and decrescendos.
• Lifting a key while moving the bow will make the string ring briefly.
• Holding a key down while bringing the bow to a stop will make the note creak to a stop.
• Briefly pressing notes while moving the bow bounces it on the string.
• The Lift button lifts the bow from the string when the gesture suddenly stops, even if a key remains pressed.

The six body impulses are included along with the ensemble. They’re for reference only; the ensemble itself does all convolution required.

Serenade is based on bowed string models created by Drs. Chris Chafe, Perry Cook, Matthias Demoucron, Gary Scavone, and Stefania Serafin.

The original A/B ensembles are still available in the UL as version 1.0.

COMMENTS  (164)

Jason Neudorf
3 months ago
One thing I've done to control bowing is to use the gyroscope of a cell phone with TouchDaw. This allows me to wave my cell phone around (like those guys directing planes), and have its orientation control the "bow" cc. It's FUN.
Jorge Wienken
1 year ago
An easy fix to the bow control issues would be to associate key velocity to bow speed and mod wheel to bow force. Mod wheel to bow position is not a reliable approach, since MW span is too short.
Jorge Wienken
1 year ago
I have come to the conclusion that mod wheel and pitch bend are not suitable for bow control. A breath controller would do the job much better. Synthed real instruments should take advantage of any tool available, even if it is beyond the real thing.
Jorge Wienken
1 year ago
Again, this is an awesome job. It looks great for solo performance, but i think it could aim to accompaniment roles too. That would be particularly useful for cello or double bass accompaniments, which would not require continuous bow speed control (not an easy task BTW). I really miss an ADSR envelope control for dummies like me!
Sam price
1 year ago
When will this instruments have major updates? it sounds so real. the best instrument I have heard ever. please make updates. as its very hard to play. the lion on the violin is to short and its very scratchy which is good but not for playing.
James L
1 year ago
Astonishing. A truly brilliant ensemble!
jans smits
2 years ago
It's an amazing instrument! Like others I experience that a standard midi CC (like CC 1 = Modulation ) gives a choppy sound when moving the modulationwheel slowly. It must be because CC1 has only 128 possible values. There is however a CC that has 128 x 128 values and that is NRPN. I have a Behringer BCF2000 and it can send these values, for example by moving a fader. However Serenade III does not understand NRPN-messages well. My question: could it be possible to make Serenade III react to NRPN-messages?
parham fazelpoor
2 years ago
Brilliant. I think the point of this instrument is Gesture-controlled violin. I recommend to work on violin ensemble orchestra with gesture control. It will be great.
RD
2 years ago
The alert says the .ens is not a valid file. That doesn't sound very musical to my ears.
RD
2 years ago
I downloaded this and Silverwood B flat Clarinets. Neither one will load into Reaktor 5.15 or 5.5.
Q&A_MN
2 years ago
Interesting instrument. +++
Hakob Shagoian
2 years ago
Many thanks to the author. Really interesting, just great tool. I would like to see her develop, but he is already very good
druhmbeat
3 years ago
it does piziccatto too. i know this instrument back from 2012, and have praised ever since. it's basically the only thing keeping reaktor on my harddrive (well ok and some ampere waveguide instruments)
3 years ago
NIESAMOWITE. Rewelacja.
Shelby Jones
3 years ago
this is by far the most unique and coolest ensemble ive seen
aliyah brown
3 years ago
never work
Matthew Babineaux
3 years ago
So profoundly beautiful, and will continue to be a staple in my scoring work for years to come. Very curious- would it be an easy edit to turn the violins into erhus? Or to have a switch for harmonics?
sameer uddin
3 years ago
nothing comes close to this ensemble .
simon monroe
3 years ago
holy shit this is actually amazing! seriously, great job with this. so much fun.
SAMMY
3 years ago
Just WOW. You are a genius man. Thank you for the wonderful instrument. GBU.
Chet Singer
4 years ago
I suppose the impulses might be played by stepping through the index at the audio rate. What you'll hear is the sound of a small hammer hitting the instrument's bridge. Just like you might make a room impulse by popping a balloon in the room, you can make a violin impulse by tapping sideways on the bridge with a hard object and recording the sound. I've lost the impulses I made, unfortunately.
Rytelier
4 years ago
Thanks for answer! It took a while until realizing impulse tones are saved as table. I can't seem to find way to play sound from the tables to see what the impulses should sound like. What kind of sound should be used as impulse? I can't just input like violin_C5 because it will sound bad.
Chet Singer
4 years ago
Hello and thank you for your comment. The magic of the tone is in the impulse responses, which model the body resonances in stringed instruments just as they are used to model the reverberation in rooms. Inside the instrument are a collection of custom IRs that I made from instruments that I owned or had rented. ColB, who posts in the User Forum, created the Reaktor code that actually performs the IR. To add a new instrument to the ensemble requires creating an IR, loading it, and then adjusting a hidden 10-band equalizer until the tone sounds decent. So it's quite a bit of work to add a new instrument.
Rytelier
4 years ago
Amazing synth, sounds so realistic and is very flexible! I would see this be developed further with more features, there's so much potential. I have a question: what should I do to achieve some new instruments models for this other than in the list of violin/viola/cello/bass? Could I adjust numbers to get some new strings? I tried to look what controls it in the source, but I got lost very easily, I can't find what makes cello a cello etc.
AXA STENCE
4 years ago
nevermind- i got it- staring my in the face- lol. made racks in live and mapped it to various faders in lemur- way cool!
AXA STENCE
4 years ago
pardon my ignorance- but i how do i midi map the bow (to a fader etc..) I already tried to 'configure' inside of Live but it does not respond and the modulation wheel on my keybard does nothing to it. and i dont know how to open Properties inside as you mentioned in a previous query? Thaks for the help i love this instrument but wanna take it to the next level- after simply mapping to a fader my next idea was to map to a midi theramin or camera from my mac but dont know any software that uses camera from computer directly.
MOREL DIDIER
4 years ago
Bluffant
Max Johnson
4 years ago
Absolutely incredible. Great, authentic sound and it's so fun to play that I'm having a hard time leaving my computer!
5 years ago
Move the fader or leave it... It doesn't make a tone.
Barmey Ung
5 years ago
oh, I figured it out, you have to move the right hand bow fader
Barmey Ung
5 years ago
SAM BOSWELL - how did you solve your playback issue? I'm having the same problem..
von Klamke
5 years ago
Is it possible to make it play double notes? There's Voices:2 on the upper bar, but I don't know how to play doubles...
SAM BOSWELL
5 years ago
Solved it! Awesome instrument!
SAM BOSWELL
5 years ago
I downloaded this and dragged into Reaktor 6. It won't play either through LPX or stand alone. I do see the MIDI light functioning when I play and other sounds from the Reaktor library work fine.
H G
5 years ago
Wow that is freaking cool !! Just downloaded and experimented with mod wheel, bow and CC volume pedal to produce sound. It will take some practice but I think there is very satisfying music to be made with this instrument. Nice!!
Paule
5 years ago
A mod Serenade by Chet driving with some widi's: https://www.native-instruments.com/forum/threads/thoughts-and-graphics-exchange.310188/page-65
Richard Davis
6 years ago
This is a brilliant instrument. One has to compare it to the AudioModeling instruments, and there are things I like much better about this one - in particular the vibrato and the up-front realism of bow-sound. I'm hesitant to ask about this, as I realize that the point of the instrument is gesture control...but I was wondering if you had considered a version of this that could map an incoming controller to the speed of bow movement, so one could play the instrument by, say, breath control instead of gestures. I only ask because anyone who uses the SWAM stuff could incorporate this directly without a method change.
Chet Singer
6 years ago
Hi Leandro, I'm happy they've been useful to you. That music sounds great!
Leandro Gardini
6 years ago
Hi Chet, I am happy to let you know that I won the first prize of the Berlin International Film Scoring Competition. In this piece I've used you Serenade III and Silverwood a lot. Thank you so much for these wonderful instruments. My score wouldn't be possible without them. If you want to listen to the score click in this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzOU7uU081A or https://www.bifsc.org/ Thank you!!!
D Vyd
6 years ago
I've had some success with longer notes using an LFO to control the bow.
D Vyd
6 years ago
Short bowed gestures and pizzicato plucks sound amazing. For short bowed gestures, I'm able to get beautiful resonant and grainy rough sounds using the force control. But, I'm having trouble with long, slow bowing. Can anyone recommend a technique or settings?
vlada vlada
6 years ago
:)
Alex Enkerli
6 years ago
Tried it with my Eigenharp, using both the pitch strip and roll to bow and it works quite well. Will also try the Leap Motion trick! Really neat one. Wind instruments are still my favourite but it sure does help in terms of getting expressive instruments in recordings or performance.
Vladimir Tubic
6 years ago
If I may say I only discovered this wonderful instrument now and can't wait to try it out with the Leap Motion controller! Thank you so much!
Marcel Stark
6 years ago
one of the best PM stuff i ever had - excellent! Thanx.
jusblad
6 years ago
Just outstanding. The physics has been done beautifully! Sound-wise it's close to the professional product, without the easy-to-compose interface. You need to behave like a real violinst to get the most out of it. I like the way there are no sounds until you read about the need to provide some modulation. This will keep the script-kiddies away!
Nicholas Denning
6 years ago
Totally Amazing! Thanks so much Chet!
alain richou
6 years ago
And if serenade is no more in reaktor 6 , where can i find it ?
alain richou
6 years ago
Wonderfull ! is there Serenade , still in Reaktor 6 ?if yes , i would like tou buy it .
Maya Ormston
6 years ago
wow!! incredible
garry jackson
6 years ago
Excellent and original
YASUSHI MATSUMOTO
6 years ago
Great! This is no longer a machine
DFlood
6 years ago
Chet, any plans for 2-note polyphony to enable playing of double stops? I play violin (not well) and this is an awesome and amazingly realistic VI. I hope you continue developing it.
D Vyd
6 years ago
This is an amazing instrument that produces realistic timbres at the default settings and intriguing timbres at more extreme settings.
Antoine Babary
6 years ago
Excellent !! thank you
mibarbaro
6 years ago
Revolutionary! Maybe the next step in Sample Libraries development!
Al Watson
7 years ago
Stunning!
Hakon Soreide
7 years ago
This is by far the best Reaktor instrument I've discovered, and the most realistic modelled violin/bowed string instrument I have tried, simply from having the bowing as a continuous controller rather than being sample programming based on velocity. This makes it very expressive, and also a bit of a challenge to learn how to play beautifully, but the effort will be worth it for the added realism of violin parts. Thanks for an absolutely excellent job. It's a great instrument with a simple uncluttered interface that has just the controls one needs. It may be limited in terms of articulations found in string libraries, but it's a solo instrument that sounds like it is played by a human being – because it is. And that sets it apart from the crowd. It's one of my all-time favourite virtual instruments now, just from having had it for a few minutes. Well done!
凱中 蕭
7 years ago
Good
Chet Singer
7 years ago
Thanks Leandro! I love hearing people make music with instruments I've built.
Leandro Gardini
7 years ago
I would like to share with you a couple of videos showing how Serenade programming works. Violin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eXjIw7WeRg Cello https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAnjqftg4PM Thank you Chet for the great instruments!
Jean-Luc Marçais
7 years ago
great vst ! what a clever use of the mod wheel ! I wish more virtual instruments made good use of it like this one ! (well, i guess there are, but I don't know them). Great job !
Eanna Butler
7 years ago
This is so good! A newbie to Reaktor here... where have you been all my life?!
Vaios Christodoulou
7 years ago
One of the best in the history of Vsts! Mind blowing! Many thanks!
behar neli
7 years ago
Great Job. The best virtual violine. It will be great if we can have legato note trigger.
Brett Humfleet
7 years ago
I'd gladly pay to have this with 2-note polyphony, quite amazing as it is though, thanks!
JED LARSON
7 years ago
sorry... here are the proper links. Here is the original electric violin recording (it's an electric "silent violin", with no hollow violin body) https://soundcloud.com/jedlarson/elec-vln/s-4RMpU and here is the electric violin being processed by the convolution of Serenade https://soundcloud.com/jedlarson/elec-vln-serenade/s-2KSax
JED LARSON
7 years ago
This ensemble continues to amaze me. Aside from being a complete work of art, in terms of violin modelling, I've also found another use for it. I play violin on an electric violin, and the recorded sound is (understandably) quite thin and hollow, here's a sample (with a little reverb): https://soundcloud.com/jedlarson/elec-vln I modified Serendade to input my violin, and process the sound through the violin wooden body convolution, and here's the result... https://soundcloud.com/jedlarson/elec-vln-serenade It ends up sounding better than recording my acoustic violin (due to the difficulties of finding good mics and a good room, etc). Thanks again Chet (and Colin Brown)! Stunning!
Alfonso Gugliucci
7 years ago
Ok, now it works, thanks to the video on Youtube and thanks to you Chet Singer for your great work. Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RbaJQOQTFw
Alfonso Gugliucci
7 years ago
Hi Chet, I have the latest version of Reaktor 5, and surely I think that you did a great job. Unfortunately I can not get the sounds of the Serenade. It's strange because all other synth work fine, I tried downloading several times, but it does not go .... Anyway, maybe I doing something wrong ... any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks
jamie perera
7 years ago
I cannot even begin to express my absolute praise for what you've done here. THANK YOU
sameer uddin
7 years ago
This is the best Virtual instrument i have every laid my hands on.! You are a genius Chet ! Respect Respect Respect bro
Annalisa De Martino
7 years ago
It's cool but I can't seem to assign the virtual bow to a fader or mod wheel on my Nektar Impact LX
Muhammad Rashid
7 years ago
when i play serenade with geco,while playing its sound off and processor overload error apears :(.... please any one can tell what is the system requirements of this app.... i am using Dell inspiron N5110 ,core i7 ,6GB RAM,1TB HDD,1 Gb Nvidia graphics,using focusrite scarlett 2i2....
j d
8 years ago
Help, not getting sound. Reaktor plays piano sounds when I press my keyboard keys but when I hold a key down and move the bow slider no sound is made. Both the Gesture meter and Midi meter move in response to the actions.
Hagai Davidoff
8 years ago
Here's my take using Leap Motion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLkPvmr93K8
sameer uddin
8 years ago
Not just the best reaktor ensemble. It is one of the finest physically modelled violin i have ever heard..it sound way better than the bloated deep sampled counterparts !
Dominic Harwood
8 years ago
This along with your other physical model ensembles are some of the best computer instruments I've ever played. Many, many thanks for making them and for giving them away.
Caroline Meise
8 years ago
Hallo Leonardo, great lively sound in the sound demos. How did you play it: with keyboard or other instruments? Which controller of Serenade need to be changed while playing? I play Serenade with Akai EWI wind controller. Will that work well? Please give me a few hints.
Leandro Gardini
8 years ago
Two short demos I worked on some time ago with this amazing synth: https://soundcloud.com/leandro-gardini/glaesel-violin https://soundcloud.com/leandro-gardini/eastman-cello
James Larson
8 years ago
This is unbelievable--almost worth the price of Reaktor itself IMHO. I did have a chuckle at "Serenade can be difficult to play. But then, so is a violin." On first attempt it did sound exactly like my pathetic violin playing, only in tune. The key however is finding a controller setup that can not only adjust the gesture but other parameters in real time. This tutorial was helpful for getting things connected to Reaktor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RbaJQOQTFw . I found a free virtual controller for Mac that works quite nicely, allowing x/y joystick-style control of both the gesture and an additional parameter: http://www.audiocommander.de/blog/midimouse-mac-os-x/. I'm sure something on iPad would work even better. Anyway, after some practice it's now sounding infinitely better than I could ever get on a real instrument, but incredibly expressive. Thank you soooo much Chet!
JED LARSON
8 years ago
Thanks Chet, that would be fabulous to have finger pressure and location, as it would allow the very commonly used "natural harmonics" violin articulation to be added to the instrument, (as well as more extreme harmonic sounds). Also, in case it's helpful, I experimented with coupling the pitchbend control with the "distance" parameter, for realism with sliding notes. When an upward pitch slide occurs on a violin, harmonics emerge out of the note (which sounds much like an increased "distance" setting on Serenade - that is, a closer to the bridge harmonics sound). Thus the note squeals slightly as the note slides up with the pitch bend (with the increased “distance” setting). Thanks for all you creative work on this! It's a work of art in my opinion.
GOI PHILIPPE
8 years ago
Very beautiful work on the family of the rubbed ropes, instruments are very alive. The future would be to create sets(groups) ropes with this technology! 8 violins, 6 violas, 8 cellos, 5 double basses... Bravo for this realization.
Jeremy Cubert
8 years ago
Very, very impressive instrument. I second the idea of being able to bow with pressure or other MIDI controls. I am attempting to configure a Roger Linn Linnstrument to play Serenade. There are other controllers like the Eigenharp which may also be ideal.
Ellaina Climaxist
8 years ago
Um , I downloaded it , but it says that I do not have the correct programm in order to open it up. o.0
HERVE TREZON
8 years ago
You have done a amazing job and a superb instrument ... Bravo! There is long time already; I bought a used KOMPLETE 6 but never used it (except Kontakt) i have discovered yesterday your "Serenade" , know that I rushed to reinstall Reaktor just to use your software (and there probably is a used Leap motion waiting for me somewhere ;) Again, congratulations and a very big thank you ... and really a double Wow! for your fantastic work... (PS: I'm using Mac 10.6.8 and I use the Violin and Cello from Embertone, VSL, QL Gypsy and EW Platinum Orchestra )
Chet Singer
8 years ago
Hello Jed, I'm glad Serenade's been useful. I think it may be possible to program what you're describing. There would be two new panel knobs: Finger Pressure and Finger Location. They would work together shorten the string at the Finger Location point and control the energy's transmission/reflection amount by the Finger Pressure. I'll study it this weekend to see if it works out.
JED LARSON
8 years ago
This ensemble has become an absolutely indispensable tool in my compositional process, in allowing sliding notes, custom bowing, and experimental tonal articulations. (examples can be found on my site http://jslarson.com/musicandsound.html at the 1:35 and 3:47 minute marks of "Montage B"). I was wondering if there is a way (if Serenade could be programmed) to have left hand finger downward-pressure control? When a violinist presses only lightly on the "fretboard" with their finger, many harmonics can arise. If possible, it would be another tremendous sonic tool, and would allow a "guitar feedback" type of effect (without an amp). Here's an example of the technique (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZToEdmcGdU). I can't thank you enough! (If you would be up to doing some programming work or provide info on this type of "left hand control", feel free to contact me through my website in regards to the details)
Greg Szymoniak
9 years ago
what is the lowest version of Reaktor that Serenade III will play on? I'm stuck on Reaktor 5.5, is version 447 the most up to date that I can play? Really love your work. I've been in love with physical modeling since buying my Yamaha VL1-m in 2002.
nicolas boyer
9 years ago
Hello, is there the possibility to play polyphony (2 or more notes at the same time) ?
IP
9 years ago
Amazing Work !! Much easier to play with TouchStrip rather than regular knob.. I Also love your Bb Clarinet. Thank You !
Steven Wagenheim
9 years ago
Amazing. Just one thing I'd love to have added. The ability to do double stops.
behar neli
9 years ago
Great. Thank you.
Daniel Hogan
9 years ago
After I read the instructions, I thought this was cool. Thanks! :)
Xavier Hosxe
9 years ago
Very impressive, congrats.
Ruslan Matyakubov
9 years ago
AWESOME!!!
trembrem trembrem
9 years ago
How to install it? How much is a synthesizer
Philipp Straehl
9 years ago
beautiful sound. Almost incredible. Works well with Leap Motion. Many thanks!
Ed Gelmetti
9 years ago
Wow..just wow! Excellent model!
Derrick Spears
9 years ago
Very accurate emulation of stringed bow instruments. Thank you!!!
scott konop
9 years ago
This is very great! There will be a bit of a learning curve, but the expression is unlike anything I have played before (except on a real instrument).
Rasmus Kjærbo
9 years ago
This is bad ass!
Marek Jason Isleib
9 years ago
Thank you so much! This gives a magical sound, such a good and easy to understand instrument! The possibilities to express are great. Combined with 'Spacemaster 2', i can't stop playing with it...
Luke Atencio
9 years ago
kind of beside myself right now, kind of speechless. really amazing. many many thanks for this.
elxsound
9 years ago
Amazingly beautiful. It's been a while since downloading anything from the user library (so many distractions), but so very happy to have found this!
Joseph Stickney
9 years ago
Just another note of thanks and amazement for this astounding creativity and for let us play it free. I love free.
Antero Tanskanen
9 years ago
oustanding! bravo! my mind is blown right now! this is the future!
Leandro Gardini
9 years ago
Hey Chet, Serenade is by far the best solo virtual strings up to date. It's truly a revolution to the vitual orchestral instruments. I'm having some dificulties seting it up in my template. Do you have a manual of it? I'm also wondering what some knobs mean.
Michael Boutin
9 years ago
This is amazing, thank you.
Oktay Ahiska
9 years ago
I am blown away, I can't believe what I'm hearing! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Theo Vosse
9 years ago
This one is incredible. I've got to have Reaktor now. I can't believe I have ever tried samples.
Armando Cajide
9 years ago
Amazing when you let your brain slow down and read: To play Serenade, begin by holding down a key. Serenade will make no sound. That’s because you’re pressing the bow onto the string but you’re not moving it. While holding the key down, begin moving the bow panel fader or modulation wheel slowly back and forth. You’ll hear Serenade bowing the string. It's pretty sensitive, and not a lot of movement is required.
Armando Cajide
9 years ago
is there a help section? I get no sound.
Dan Pasare
9 years ago
Excellent sounding instrument. I play violin and this is by far the best emulation. It does sound better than my violin when I play it. At first I was disappointed that no sound came out when I pressed a key on my controller but as soon as I moved the slider while the key was pressed then BINGO: the warmest and most detailed solo violin sound in an emulation ever. I will probably end up playing this one more than the real one.
K L
9 years ago
No sound! :(
Georgina Whittaker
9 years ago
Fabulous! I use it all the time. Such an expressive instrument. Many thanks!
idi Inc
9 years ago
no sound.......... :-(
CC4
10 years ago
Excellent physical model.
Lars Bo Hermansen
10 years ago
Please watch my comment on an earlier version. This ensemble is one of a kind. Thanks a lot.
Lars Bo Hermansen
10 years ago
Absolutely fantastic. Thanks a lot. Again an ensemble from you build with care and study behind. Not easy to play. But this ensemble can do something nothing else can. And it's a showcase on how to use movement/ gesture as sound trigger. I prefer B. But why not both? One can use different sounds.
Oli Ni
10 years ago
Great ideas in this instrument. It is a bit difficult to control though and amplitude variations can be dramatic if not perfectly controlled, so it needs some time to get used to. The sounding itself is good but not top I would say when compared to sample libraries. Anyhow this is a great effort with superb ideas and well worth the download.
Vojtech Roupa
10 years ago
Hello, great utility, thank you! It would be pretty handy to use breath controller instead of bow - do you think that it would be possible in the future?
Andreas Klein
10 years ago
Outstanding! Thx!
Paule
10 years ago
Hi Chet, the experimental of mine scanning sheets to MIDI .. can try your favorite physical modeling to listen what the program done. Thank you very much.
Kevin M.
10 years ago
Ah man,this is the stuff we need. Its okay to use this i hope? :) Ill use this in some stuff. First i was like, ahh no a instr that isnt working.. Untill i modulated the sound, geniuss! & without a breath controller! Finally a way to put feeling in! Love you man,great work!! innervey kosmos
David Laschinger
10 years ago
That's ...... Amazing!!!!
Al Watson
10 years ago
cripes! this is very clever and very usable. erm...... you coudln't do a string ensemble version could you ........*cough........? :-) alsways the way - you do something for nothing and people just want more!
Hans van Hagen
10 years ago
Its amazing! thank you!! Maybe a idea to let the vibrato change in speed for each new Strike, for an even more realistic feel .
Mika Lakanen
10 years ago
The best Reaktor Ensemble I have ever used.
Steven Wartofsky
10 years ago
More brilliance from someone I fondly remember as a master instrument designer using physical modeling techniques on the Nord Modular. Really, this is a culmination. You can of course map "mod wheel" to any continuous controller with sufficient resolution.
Chet Singer
10 years ago
Pressing a key is not enough; it's controlled by gesture. The directions have the details.
taylor elsasser
10 years ago
Loaded up and triggering midi, but no sounds?
taylor elsasser
10 years ago
Its not working for me :(
Hanspeter Lyrer
10 years ago
Top ! Merci.......
Chris Rollason
10 years ago
Thanks, I think I will have fun with this!!!
phil scragg
10 years ago
Astoundingly good and amazingly playable
Robin Davies
10 years ago
Breathtaking. Really truly brilliant.
Christian Renz
10 years ago
This is an amazing ensemble - probably the best thing I have seen in the Reaktor User Library. Thanks!
Chet Singer
10 years ago
Hello. I don't think a breath controller will work, because a back-and-forth motion is necessary to operate the bow. To operate the bow with a different controller, map the bow fader itself to a MIDI CC using the properties box.
John Warford
10 years ago
incredible sound - can this be used with a breath controller? how do I map parameters to slides and knobs on my MPK88 to use more than the controllers listed in the drop down menus (Mod wheel etc.) Many thanks -
Michiro Sato
10 years ago
The Vest Physical modeling Sound ever! Thank you Chet!
metric
10 years ago
awesome job! sounds amazing
henrii god
10 years ago
Thank You!!!
Jörg Moeken
11 years ago
absolut revolutionär :-)
Huen Alfee
11 years ago
Hi Chet,Thanks for making this one!I've already used it for one of my project last month .After my PC crashed, I download it again ,I missed this preset:). This preset is wonderful,sound is good and easy to use !You've did a great work!
arachnaut
11 years ago
Great job!
herw
11 years ago
wow - this is really fantastic, best ensemble ever heard
Gennaro Giugliano
11 years ago
Hi Chet,many thanks for your share ens :) gennaro
Stephan Becker
11 years ago
Great instrument! I'm going to sell my double bass and bring only a laptop and a midi-keyboard to our shows! No more blisters on the fingers, no more pain on the hands and backbone! But I'm afraid that especially some of our female fans will be disappointed if I'm not playing on the real one ;-) By the way I prefer A
imre keblusek
11 years ago
very special!connected with a ribbon (eowave)many possibilities for controlers. I play the cello ,the bowing is almost natural.incredible!
Mikko Renko
11 years ago
Yay! Amazing!
Jeff Simons
11 years ago
I'll add another "amazing" here. This is great.
Chet Singer
11 years ago
Thanks for all your comments. Timoka, I find myself agreeing with you. I like the B bass instruments, but I think the B violins sound weak. But while I think the A violins are stronger, their tone is inconsistent from note to note. The violins in particular need more work, I think. The viola I'm on the fence about.
Michael Barker
11 years ago
Simply amazing.
Dieter Zobel
11 years ago
gar grossartig, danke vielmals
benjamin kilchhofer
11 years ago
thanks, this is incredible! i like B for the bass...for the higher strings A. EXCELLENT!
Colin Brown
11 years ago
Fantastic. Great sounds, great UI, and the fact that you recorded your own impulse responses means that this is unique to Reaktor. 10/10
Mary Jean-Philippe
11 years ago
^^^WOw, only synthesis?..... Incredible, marvelous ... All my respect for your work, very very realistic ... Thanx a lot!!
salamanderanagram
11 years ago
hey chet, the system chooses the mode of the votes received (i think). at the time i posted my comment, the overall rating was 4.76 with 2 votes, meaning somebody voted a 9. if the voting system didn't suck so bad this would be fine, but anything less than a 5 tends to disappear, which would be pretty unfortunate in this case.
Chet Singer
11 years ago
Hello Donald, the NI rating system doesn't work the way you think it would; if you vote '10' the ensemble gets a '5'. Odd, but that's how it is.
salamanderanagram
11 years ago
i am just upset that somebody would vote less than a 10 for this ensemble. seriously, that's just wrong.
Robin Parmar
11 years ago
I am no expert, but have played viola. I have to say that this model is astounding, especially considering it was done inside Reaktor. Good choice to use Colin Brown's amp. Oh, and I prefer the "B" EQ as well. Amazing work!
biomuse
11 years ago
Um... holy CRAP that's amazing.
Felix Petrescu
11 years ago
Thanks Chet. Both are great but i will use B.
now