Video by Big Fish Audio via YouTube
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https://www.bigfishaudio.com/Vintage-Strings-2
Vintage Strings 2 from Funk/Soul Productions and Big Fish Audio is a sequel to the best-selling library Vintage Strings, which was designed to emulate the smaller, violin-based string sections used in many 1960s-70s-era vintage R&B and Soul productions. VS2 expands on this concept, by focusing on the larger string sections of that same era, which were used not just for R&B and Soul productions, but also many Jazz and Pop productions. These larger sections included not just violins but also violas, and cellos, giving them a fuller and more lush sound, while still being more intimate sounding than typical orchestral string sections.
Capturing That Vintage Sound
As with all of the instruments in the Vintage VI series, the goal for Vintage Strings 2 was not to create a shiny, perfect-sounding virtual instrument. Instead, we tried to capture the way larger string sections sounded back in the 60s and 70s, including the minor imperfections that added character to those sections and made them sound so good.
To this end, we recorded VS2 with vintage Neuman U-87 mics and Royer ribbon mics. Rather than record the strings in a concert hall or some other large and resonant recording space, we recorded them in an old studio with a smaller, less-reverberant room.
The result is a virtual instrument that has a sound and character that is distinctly different from orchestral-based sampled strings libraries. The sound of Vintage Strings 2 is rich but not overly “sweet” or glossy. It’s a more intimate and more “human” sound, which we feel more accurately emulates the larger string section sounds from the classic records of the 1960s and 70s.
String Section Configurations
For VS2, we recorded several different string sections in isolation, organized into different configurations in order to provide maximum flexibility. These include:
– A solo “first violin” played with a more romantic vibrato, which is ideal for lead lines, solo figures, or simply to enrich any of the individual violin sections.
– A three-piece violin section that can be combined with the solo violin to create a medium-sized, 4-piece violin section.
– A four-piece violin section that can be combined with the solo violin and 3-piece section to create a larger, 8-piece violin section.
– Two violas which can be combined with any or all of the above to give the section a different and somewhat darker timbre.
– Two cellos which can also be combined with any of the above to extend a section’s low-range, and to add depth and warmth to a section.