So are these free instruments worth the cost of a slightly larger inbox? So far, I would have to say “yes”. A nice business model, that might be a touch transparent/annoying, if it were not for the fact that Spitfire really does offer some great instruments. Having access to your email builds their target market database and the one per month idea keeps you coming back. You need to sign up to download the instruments and while you’re on the site you will probably check out the other offerings by Spitfire. What’s in it for them? Well, data I suppose. LABS, an acronym for Let’s All Become Something is billed as “an infinite series of software instruments, free and easy to use…” Spitfire has pledged to offer these instruments (one per month) for free, a commitment I sincerely hope they can stick to. Some very nice product demos are available on the product page. NOTE: For more on string articulations and techniques, read my article on The Pro Audio Files. The Col Legno Tratto (playing with the wood side of the bow, not to be confused with Col Legno Battuto, which involves striking with the Bow) is a very nice addition to the collection and an effect not often found in other libraries. The Long Flautando and Harmonics sounds are beautiful and it’s hard to imagine looking for alternatives once you hear these samples. I particularly like the Short Brushed Baroque CS setting for a sort of “period” sound.
The Time Machine Setting allows for time compression or expansion and can yield interesting and usable results when modifying a sample as a line is playing in real time.Īll of the muted (CS – con sord.) samples sound warm and lovely. This works very well with sequenced lines and a continuous controller mapped to velocity to add textural accents. The Pizzicato setting is velocity sensitive and switches to a Bartok Pizz when the velocity surpasses 120. The Long Progressive Vibrato sounds incredibly natural and intuitive as the intensity of the vibrato emerges over what seems to be the perfect organic duration. There is an Ostinatum section (as is present in many other Spitfire products) for creating key switchable rhythmic patterns and chords.Īfter playing through every sample set, the sounds that particularly stand out for me include: The Mic Mix controls for C (close), T (Decca Tree) and A (ambient) include additional settings for stereo width and velocity response curves for tweaking. Opening the Advanced Window exposes further controls for Mic Mix, sample purge controls (always useful for reducing RAM usage), transposition, CC mapping, sync and round robin settings. The typical controls you’d expect to find as with other Spitfire products are there as usual: Mic distance (far to close), Dynamics, Vibrato, Release, Tightness, Expression, and key-switchable articulations and playing techniques at the bottom. Progressive samples were recorded “further away from the conductor, designed to fit into larger string sections or offer up solo passages in a more contemporary vernacular, opening the door to a modern, filmic sound of extended techniques including “Mandolin pizzicato” and “Tremolo whispers”.
Virtuoso samples are described as a standing player “out in front of an orchestra performing in a ‘concerto’ style.” These sounds add definition and individuality when combines with a section.ġst Desk samples are where the “performer play ‘out’, leading the orchestra.
The Violin samples are divided into three categories: Jack Libeck (Violin – Virtuoso) Clio Gould (Violin – 1st Desk) Thomas Gould (Violin – Progressive) Max Baillie (Viola) Richard Harwood (Cello) Leon Bosch (Double Bass) As with all Spitfire products there are an abundance of help screen bubbles that appear to get you quickly up to speed on the functionality of the GUI. The library includes 40,950 samples and requires 85.6 GB of free space to install. For those familiar with other Spitfire Audio products such as Spitfire Chamber Strings and their London Contemporary Orchestra Strings, the interface will look familiar. Spitfire Solo Strings is the initial release of a Kontakt-based library of superb solo string sounds that I envision being my new go-to instrument for intimate string playing, small string groupings and hard to find extended playing techniques.