How to achieve a realistic legato sound for bowed strings?

Software Instruments Augmented SERIES
#1

I found the legato setting (rather than mono) for the bowed string samples sounds awful - very unnatural. Does anyone know of any tips for creating string sounds that sound natural when not “rebowing” when playing another note, but replacing the finger on the same string while continuing the bow movement? Or am I doing something wrong? Thanks in anticipation!

#2

Hi @koenfucius,

Legato playmode does’nt retrigger the envelopes, when playing legato style. That’s all it mean. It does’nt change any samples.

I can suggest you try to exsperiment with the solo instrument Sustain samples. Use velocity then the sound change. Examples is the Factory presets Bass Legato and Vocal Viola.

Large Orchestral Sample Libraries in full blown samplers that try to be realistic use different samples for different playing styles. Then the keyboard player use available methods in the sampler to shift between the samples.
It’s not easy to emulate the playing real players do with real acoustic instruments. Especially not in realtime playing.

#3

Thanks for the tip (and for clarifying the implication of the legato setting, that is exactly why it sounds so awful - I cut my teeth on analogue synthesizers many decades ago, so I should have been well aware of this!).
I experimented a bit with joining subsequent notes in GB very closely, i.e. with no gap, or even with a slight overlap, both in mono and poly mode, and that produces a pretty reasonable approximation - I would say, close enough for jazz, but that’s not quite what I am trying to do here - I am looking to emulate a string quartet :slight_smile:

I am rapidly learning the power of Augmented Strings, and I wonder if there is a way of triggering a different kind of envelope in mono mode when a second note is played while the first one is still held? I realize that this would need to change both the end of the envelope of the first note (i.e. it would dampen the string) and have a softer attack for the second. I am not sure how to even begin to think about it, but perhaps as a more experienced and knowledgeable user, you or others have some ideas… :slight_smile:

#4

Hi again @koenfucius,

There is’nt a way to trigger envelopes independently. You can perhaps modulate something to get a result in that direction.
BUT:

If you want a realistic playing string quartet, then i suggest to use:

  1. Real acoustic instruments and use real players that master them.
  2. Large Sample libraries that’s aimed to emulate this as much as possible and has the possibilities you need.

I would not use Augmented Strings for this, but for more creative sound design.

#5

Thanks again - you are right, of course. That doesn’t stop me from trying to emulate the envelope and dynamics of a bowed string - especially given the power of a tool like Augmented Strings, though :slight_smile:

#6

Don’t let me stop you. :slight_smile:

#7

The flu has managed to do that… :face_with_thermometer: :sneezing_face: :rofl:

#8

To your good helth :beers:

#9

Cheers! It’s taking its sweet old time to get lost this time… :tired_face: