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About the Vienna Symphonic Library
What is the secret of this library's success? What separates it from other
orchestral collections? There are many factors, not the least of which
is the unique combination of traditional sampling methods and brand new
innovations using revolutionary tools.
Sampling Sprouts Wings
It's not enough to simply say the Vienna Symphonic Library will eventually
consist of 1.5 million samples. To achieve the ultimate in sublime simplicity,
some genuine innovation must occur both in the process of recording and
editing the samples and in the user's ability access to those samples
in meaningful ways. There are two basic sample elements in the library,
single-note samples (multisamples) and
Performance Elements. Performance Elements
might also be called "slices of expression". They start with
musical performances, like scale runs, legato intervals and repeated notes,
then they are precisely edited, note by note and rest by rest, to allow
the user to recombine these micro-elements any way he or she likes. When
combined with special software bundled with the Performance Set, called
the Performance
Tool, an entirely new world of authentic flexibility is revealed
to the user. No longer is it necessary to "make do" with sampling's
shortcomings while composing a melodic line. Now, it's possible to create
a fluid passage that actually is a recreation of an original performance,
except that this performance is dictated by the composer's pen!
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Roots Run Deep
This kind of innovation should be no surprise to those who know
of Vienna's illustrious past. The origins of what would eventually
become the Vienna Symphonic Library can be linked to the city itself,
and its permanent place in the annals of classical music.
For hundreds of years, fabled Vienna has been an incubator for
history's legendary music, attracting the most revered composers
and musicians to ever bless the concert stage. Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven,
Liszt, Strauss, Schubert, Brahms, Mahler, Hindemith, and countless
others traveled to this creative paradise to innovate, hone their
skills and debut their works before critical audiences. A strong,
refined musical culture took root here and it thrives to this day.
Musicians travel from all over the world to study in Vienna and
there are dozens of working orchestras and chamber ensembles delighting
listeners every night of the week in various concert halls, outdoor
parks and even in private homes. |
Individual dedication to perfecting the craft is a common thread that
connects all musicians in Vienna, and this is the very attribute that
gives the Vienna Symphonic Library its core strength. From the beginning,
every production decision was dictated by the accumulated knowledge of
Vienna's vast musical databank, its legacy of invention and the raw skill
of its musicians.
Training Camp
The musicians themselves were enthusiastic participants in achieving the
dream. Rather than approaching the sampling sessions as mere rent-paying
gigs, the Vienna performers saw this project as a grand opportunity to
better their skills. Hired for periods of six to twelve months, most of
them were called upon many times, first for rehearsals, then for recording
sessions at the Silent Stage. During the course of these sometimes arduous
sessions, they benefited from improved lung capacity, stronger muscles,
better concentration and increased stamina that made them more desirable
performers. As word got out about the production of this library, an increasing
number of musicians sought the experience and prestige of playing on the
Vienna Symphonic Library sessions. It goes without saying that the library
benefited from this as well, accomplishing a necessary consistency and
purity of tone, while attaining the highest levels of expression. The
enthusiasm of the musicians is clearly evident in these samples.
Silence is Golden
Because in an ideal world, the perfect sampling sessions require time,
and lots of it, it was determined that a project of this scope required
a recording stage the producers and musicians could consider a permanent
home. Additionally there's another factor that makes even the best recording
studios and halls imperfect for sampling sessions. Noise.
For normal music recording, low-level environmental noise isn't a problem,
but in the sampling world, especially orchestral sampling, even the tiny
high-pitched whine of a mosquito can wreck a sample. Building a Silent
Stage was the obvious solution to both problems, and we believe that this
is the first time a world-class orchestral recording facility was ever
built just for producing a sample library. During construction of the
freestanding building, special care was taken to isolate the floors, walls
and ceiling from outside disturbances, ensuring that no sessions were
unnecessarily disrupted.
Owning the studio also means not having to watch the clock, so countless
takes of one articulation are possible, and if more are needed the next
day, the room is always available. Mic and chair positions can be noted
and even painted on the floor so exact conditions can be replicated day
after day.
The use of this carefully designed room also affords the end-user enormous
flexibility in creating environmental spaces using modern, cost effective
sampling reverbs. Simply put, the sound is both controllable and musical.
While recording, the room provides enough natural ambience to give the
musicians a gratifying experience, resulting in better performances, while
protecting the sound from a wash of echoes that could limit the samples'
use in the composer's studio. So whether the goal is an intimate, classic
symphonic score, or a broad, powerful "Hollywood" approach,
the Vienna Symphonic Library delivers with controllable, dynamic sound.
Team Players
Once the samples are recorded, there looms the monumental task of editing
and compiling the hundreds of thousands of samples that make up the Vienna
Symphonic Library. In yet another specially designed facility, as many
as 30 editors have been put to work, each with different strengths and
areas of focus. In addition to their technical proficiency, most are musicians
themselves and are well qualified to discern the most usable takes, editing
and fine-tuning before cataloging them for addition to the main library
database. From there, another team of programmers maps the samples and
prepares programs in the native sampler format for later refinement by
Herb and his crew.
Ticket to Ride
This combination of unique elements, the people, the facilities, the wealth
of the city itself will continue to contribute to the ongoing development
and success of the Vienna Symphonic Library. The Performance Tools will
be expanded to include more interactive features and ways of manipulating
the ever growing database of samples. In 2004, Vienna's exclusive MIR
multi-directional sampling reverb will be released allowing the user to
place the orchestra on the virtual stage of dozens of concert halls and
recording studios. And early adopters of the library, by way of the VIP
program, will be given the opportunity to grow with the library with special
discounts on upgrades.
History, innovation, dedication and expression are the hallmarks of the
Vienna Symphonic Library and these attributes will secure its place in
the world of scoring and composing for many years to come. The future
of orchestral music production has indeed arrived!
Visit the Vienna Symphonic Library website.
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