realistic strings

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geekgurl

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Anyone have opinions on what is a good sound module for realistic strings? I have a Roland U-20, which ain't cuttin' it (a friend of mine refers to those low notes as "dragon farts").

I'm hoping I can get a nice bowed bass, cello, violin, and perhaps ensemble patch. Because I need strings mainly as a nice arrangement/accompaniment to piano-based music, it seems overkill, especially at my budget, to hire an orchestra.

Thanks.
 
I agree. I have the XP30 and the Orchestral Expansion board has more orchestral/string sounds than I know what to do with!:)
 
I've never been big on Roland strings for realism but I havent tried those models mentioned.

I prefer the Kurzweils for big orchestra type sounds. Solo strings are very hard to pull off and the only thing close to convincing is usually going to be a sampler with a kick ass and usually expensive sound library.

I used to do a lot of string stuff and I got some great sounds mixing a M1, Kurzweil K2500 and Emu Proteus 2 Orchestral module. The korg and Kurzweil were great for the warm, lush pads and the Emu added a nice rosiny edge. But alone the Emu was too thin, like most of their stuff IMO.
 
Get some free soundfonts

They're as realistic as anything else ( most were made from other string patches, or real ones) and they don't cost anything!

They aren't real, but either is an xp-30
 
Chrisjob said:
Get some free soundfonts

They're as realistic as anything else ( most were made from other string patches, or real ones) and they don't cost anything!

They aren't real, but either is an xp-30
Click to expand...

Have you even played the XP30? Please don't put SF's and a synth like the XP30 in the same sentence - its just plain ridiculous to compare the two.
 
I'll have to check out the XP30. My impression of most Rolands like the JV series is that they are okay for pop and dance but still have a very synthy quality to the acoustic sounds.

The best demo of the Kurzweil K2500 is Sarah Maclachlan's "Plenty" that was on her "(something) Sessions" CD. It was the follow up to Fumbling towards Ectasy and had a lot of the same songs but different versions. There is a version of Plenty with just her and the "orchestra". I thought it was real until I read the liner notes saying it was a K2500. I was sold immediately.
 
Hi all:

Thanks for the input. Do you folks know if the XP30 and Kurzweil 2500 sounds come in module form, or are they only in full-blown keyboards?
 
Yes they do come in module form. For the Kurzweil check out the K2500RS. For the Roland sounds check out the JV series modules, although you'll have to also purchase the Orchestral expansion board to get the better Roland string sounds.
 
Wendy Carlos

I may be mistaken about th is but i believe I read an article wherein Wendy Carols put her stamp of approval on the Kurtzweil. To me, this is a significant endorsement and, given the information already in this thread, I am inclined to go with Texroadkill on this one. I have used a Korg Karma for full string sounds and an EMU E6400 Sampler with a program called Super Strings. So far I have not found the combination yet that knocks my socks off. There is a program or sample collection called I believe the Garritan collection that is supposed to be the absolute best. Unfortunately, it costs 1.2k. Quite pricey. Oh yeah, by the way, I do like the Korg sounds for lush soft strings probably the most out of what I have samples included. Probably the Kurtzweil is even better. Happy hunting!
 
Babycham said:
get the roland xv5080 or the 5050
Click to expand...

Neither of those have the broad range od orchestral/string sounds you get with the Orchestral board or XP30.

From what I have read, the Orchestral SRX expansion board for the XV lline of synths is nothing to write home about either...
 
Re: Wendy Carlos

Jack Hammer said:
I may be mistaken about th is but i believe I read an article wherein Wendy Carols put her stamp of approval on the Kurtzweil. To me, this is a significant endorsement and, given the information already in this thread, I am inclined to go with Texroadkill on this one. I have used a Korg Karma for full string sounds and an EMU E6400 Sampler with a program called Super Strings. So far I have not found the combination yet that knocks my socks off. There is a program or sample collection called I believe the Garritan collection that is supposed to be the absolute best. Unfortunately, it costs 1.2k. Quite pricey. Oh yeah, by the way, I do like the Korg sounds for lush soft strings probably the most out of what I have samples included. Probably the Kurtzweil is even better. Happy hunting!
Click to expand...

Pick up any TOP 40 CD from the last 10 years and chances are, you will hear sounds from the XP/JV line of synths.

Artist endorsements don't mean much to me - half the time, they're payed to do so anyways....

I own a Korg M1r and X5D. Their string sounds don't come anywhere close to the XP30.
 
Miroslav Vitous orchestral collection is supposedly the closest thing to having the Phildelphia Philharmonic in your backyard. Of course the entire set cost around $8,000... Although I've seen it on occasion at Hotline before. Muwhahahah!
 
I've got an older xp50 and the orchestral 1 and 2 expansion cards. Using those cards, playing 'correctly', you'll get something to equal the best sounds in the business. ...but play it like a keyboard, it'll sound just like that.
 
mxmkr makes a good point

I have found that no matter what string sound I use, realism mostly comes from playing that particular sound in a manner that sounds, well, real. In general, single note high note lines played properly can sound pretty real. It is mostly in the articulation that the realism gest lost. With real strings, each note, each phrase, each passage has its own articulation. Articulations change from note to note, register to register. This is where synth sounds fall short. That is also why a Wendy Carlos can, in my opinion, approximate real strings. Is is in the detail of articulation, of changing sounds, colors and articulations throughout any phrase. This is labor intensive and requires extensive experimentation and a huge library of string sounds. So, in the end, I am sure that there are plenty of Top 40 records with Roland Strings but this is usually a simple line above the chording to open up the track. Sure there are some more intricate parts but more than likely, if the string lines were that important and the producer or arranger was competent and the budget sufficiently large, real string players were used.
Face it, you cannot make a machine into a man nor a man into a machine and you should not try. Each have ther place. Trying for absolute realism with a synth is in a way ridiculous. Instead, if real strings are that important, get them. I am sure the string players could use the work.
 
I thought that there were 2 or 3 different Orchestral cards. You can buy them separately and use them in a number of Roland's synths and sound modules.. one of the reasons I bought my JV-1010.

But as mixmkr said, it's the way that you play/program

Porter
 
I use a ROLAND JV1010. I like the string sounds. But at the lowest octave they do suck. The Movie track sounds they have are also pretty good. I think if we get really into 'MIDI control' functions, then it's possible to get some fairly realistic sounds.

I spent $400 for the JV1010. I might get the expansion module for orchestra...
 
Anybody know anything bout the Triton's string expansion card??



Laj
 
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