Session Strings Attack/Animator Problems

Hi everyone, been a long time user of many NI products but am pretty dissapointed with Session Strings. The sounds themselves are fine but I find that so many of the samples have way too much attack (even the staccatos don't come in nearly as fast as String samples on anything else I've used such as Miroslav and GPO).

Is there anything relatively straightforward that I can do to make the samples come in quicker/have faster attacks?

The second gripe is the animator. I had seen a few posts online about the sync to host problems but figured there must have been a fix for it by now. I'm using Cubase 5 and no matter what I've tried I have not been able to get it to sync reliably (and I've tried leaving little gaps which has caused its own problems anyway.).

I should also add that I have updated to 1.1 which was supposed to have improved this issue...

Quite dissappointed with the product overall. I dont understand why there isnt some sort of limited trial for things like this so that I'd know better before buying...:angry:

Anyway, if there's any workarounds please let me know or if there's been any word on a fix for the animator issue.

 

I also have constant sync issues with the animator in session strings and would like to know if there is a fix planned

does the 'pro' version have the same sync issues?

 

Session Strings 1.1 has been tested extensively and we did not find any sync issues. However, DAW’s are complex systems and certain settings may interfere with the animator. In order to get down to the core of your problem, create a blank project, insert Session Strings in one track, create a chord and quantize the notes according to your “Groove” setting in Session Strings. You can then check the result against the host click. If your problem persist, send us your project file so that we can check what’s going on.

All the best

 

thank you. I thought I already had 1.1, but now I am not sure.

my service center is not properly updating any of my software, I've had to manually update kontakt and all other elements of komplete.

under my 'content' section, there is no mention of a 1.1 update

is there somewhere that I can manually download the 1.1 update?

 

anyone know how to manually download 1.1? my service center appears to be completely worthless at this point

 

Log in to your User Account at NI - you should be able to get to all your available downloads there.

 

1.1 does not sync in protools. I thought it was a problem with the animator itself, so I loaded a staccato preset from the individual folder and loaded in an arpeggiator script confidently thinking that would sync. It didn't. It behaved just like the animator. It's consistently late, not even close. Not sure why this is happening. I was thinking the attack needs to be shorter on the samples themselves, but at a closer listen, the staccato samples seen right there. It's weird. I use the arpeggiator in Kontakt all the time and it's sync's perfectly. I would not consider getting Pro unless this feature worked flawlessly and I had the option of making my own animator presets.

If you want to hear amazing "animator" type behavior, check out LA Scoring Strings. http://audiobro.com/ It's a lot more expensive and it's not a small ensemble, but it sounds amazing. Definitely on my short list.

 

session strings pro animator

i have the pro version and i don't seem to have any problem with sync... one thing i did notice is that the animator follows the midi tempo that you either have set in your host daw, or kontakt... now you have to almost play ahead of the beat, just slightly, if you fall a little behind the whole thing goes big time bananas off beat. i hit one note behind the beat and only that one note was off, i stopped recording, manually moved that midi note back ahead of the beat and it was fine.you really have to play just slightly ahead. that seem to work for me. the problem i'm really having is it seems that session strings pro crashes a lot in windows 7, and says i'm running low on memory, yet task manager says i still have 6 gig of free memory, still a few bugs, but i really love the sound and the concept.

 

Ok, I'm a bit confused. You say Pro has no problem with syncing, but then go on to explain workarounds to get it to work right. When you say you move the note slightly ahead then it's fine, is it not now triggered early. What happens if you quantize the notes to the grid. Is it in prefect sync, or is it lagging behind?

Thanks for the info

 

Syncing to session strings pro

i'm very sorry... i should have explained better... i don't see syncing problems at all with pro and here is my take on it... SSPro stays to the tempo and is very exact when it comes to following the beat, so, we being human have trouble staying exact with the beat and if you play a little ahead of the beat, then you can a least get your piece recorded and then, yes, quantising would really sync it up and from my experience it seems to be on and plays fine. it's not really a work around, it's more like trying to be more on time to keep up with the animator. it is very mechanical in a way... it reminds me of playing drums with a recorded song, you miss the beat, you've lost it. i haven't tried quantising anything yet, but i think it would work great, keep plugging away at it, do some tests with playing, then quantise it to see, i would be very interested to see how it turned out!
all the best...
michayl asaph

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for how to get quicker attack on the staccatos? I'm still having trouble with the animator but its not so important to me as getting some faster attacks.

 

You really can't do much except going into the wave editor and re-truncating every sample, which is insanity.The only thing I can suggest is to nudge the midi notes back until it sounds locked. Are you using SS Pro?

I was incorrect when I said in an earlier post that "the staccatos sounded right there". I just recorded some single note lines and quantized them. On playback, they are late. In order to lock, they have to be nudged back about 200 samples.

These issues have been in SS from the start and have not been resolved. They claimed the 1.1 update fixed the animator. It didn't. I'm not completely sure, but I think it's the way they cut the samples. For $119 it was an ok library with issues, but the fact that they released Pro without addressing the problems of the original library leaves me very suspicious.

LA Scoring Strings here I come

 

I am still completely unable to locate the 1.1 update anywhere, either service center or on NI page - it would be wonderful if someone could help me find it.

I've searched all of the NI update / support areas, but nothing

 

Strings instruments need a certain time to respond. As the bow starts moving across the string, you will first hear only the bow noise before the string starts its motion and you hear the tone. Removing this natural attack would result in an artificial sound. In addition this behaviour varies from string to string , from instrument to instrument and also across the various dynamics. We have spent the utmost care getting this balance right.
A bit of additional information: 200 samples equals less than 5 ms and this is the time for a sound to travel a bit more than 1.5 meters.

Hope this helps

 

In Protools nudging notes with a value set at 200 samples it is a huge audible difference. Maybe what's 200 samples on the grid in protools is a different value than what you are referencing.

I hear what your saying about retaining the natural attack, it's tricky I guess.

You know, if there was a sample start adjustment, it would help out the problems with the animator.

 

I am using Ableton Live 8.2.2 and Kontakt 5.0.3.5812 -I just downloaded and installed the newest update for Kontakt. Everytime i program a sustaining note or chord into the midi clip, quantize it to the first note, the animator in Session Strings Pro ALWAYS starts from the second note in the animator. If I turn off the animator, the sustaining notes are triggered on the downbeat and if I switch on the animator mid measure it plays in sync the next go round of a lopped midi clip. This is a big problem for me, not really sure how useful the program is to me if i cant program it. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

This has to do with how Live handles notes at song start. You could move the note a few ticks forward or set the track delay to 0.1.

Best

 

i dont even have session strings and i just bought komplete 8?

do i need to download this or get it from somewhere ? i noticed its free when you purchase from NI website but mine was bought from a store?

 

I also encountered a problem with the animator for Session Strings Pro (and also for Session Horns) where I have no audio data on exported waves or mp3. In my daw I can hear everything but when I export the strings section made with the Animator there is no audio data there, it's a blank audio file. Does anyone know how to fix this ?