Synchron Strings I

STRINGS RE-INVENTED 

Perhaps no one in our industry has achieved more sampling breakthroughs than Vienna Symphonic Library. Now, they’re about to do it again with the release of Synchron Strings I.

Synchron Strings I opens a new chapter in sampled strings by combining extraordinary musicianship, engineering, recording technology and software innovation. Played by members of the Synchron Stage Orchestra, recorded at Vienna’s own Synchron Stage by top engineers, and backed by 17 years of sampling experience, Synchron Strings I is about to set a new standard in sound, playability and realism.

Recorded at Synchron Stage Vienna

Synchron Strings I is Vienna’s first String Library that was recorded with the signature ambience of one of the best-sounding scoring stages on the planet, Synchron Stage Vienna. This represents a significant step, marrying hall-ambience recordings with the leading-edge sampling technology Vienna Symphonic Library is known for.

Since its renovation and reopening in 2016, Synchron Stage Vienna has already hosted a wealth of music recordings for international film and TV productions (such as Inferno, The Crown, Lego Batman, Ghost in the Shell, Comrade Detective, MEG), in addition to video games, commercials, and classical recordings, with many more to come. The acoustics of the 540 m2 (5,813 sq.ft.) main hall are characterized by a lush and warm sound with an average reverb time of 1.8 seconds, while still providing excellent localization of all sound sources, both in depth and in the stereo or surround environment.

To capture the spectacular ambience of the Synchron Stage, Vienna’s engineers employed eight separate phase-coherent microphone configurations, recorded simultaneously, to provide a broad range of room options while using the library. Any or all of these setups can be mixed to dial in just the sound you’re looking for, from close and focused, to broad and epic! 

Multiple Microphone Positions

The sections of 1st violins (14), 2nd violins (10), violas (8), cellos (8), and double basses (6) were recorded separately at their designated positions on stage. Due to the comprehensive selection of discrete audio channels you can mix your string sound in stereo, 5.1 surround or even 9.1 Auro 3D (or any other immersive audio format, such as Dolby Atmos), utilizing the intuitive features of the all-new Vienna Synchron Player to tailor your sound.

The Beauty of Simplicity

With Synchron Strings I, the Vienna team has achieved the ultimate in realism and expressiveness, while providing a new level of ease-of-use.

Play short notes, long notes with various attacks, legatos, scalable vibrato intensities and note repetitions with a minimal need to switch articulations, and by moving just one or two preconfigured controllers.

Synchron Strings I works with the existing Vienna Instruments and Vienna Instruments Pro players. Available presets for Vienna Ensemble and Vienna Ensemble Pro will provide a well-balanced mix of the multiple microphone configurations at any time.

Very soon, Synchron Strings I will be powered by the all-new Vienna Synchron Player, a dedicated sample player with a brand new engine built from the ground up. Its innovative new algorithms make it even more effortless to render strings with astounding realism.

Combining a number of microphone positions with a wealth of available velocity layers and note variations for each articulation requires a powerful sample engine. Vienna’s upcoming Synchron Player will deliver unprecedented streaming performance, able to trigger more than 300 voices per instrument simultaneously! The new engine will also come with an internal mixer with 3-band EQ, delay for runtime compensation, algorithmic reverb, phase switching and panorama controls.

Eight Velocity Layers, 80 Variations Per Key

One major reason for the heightened realism of Synchron Strings I is the unprecedented number of velocity layers and note variations. Most notes are available with eight dynamic levels and up to ten variations, from pianissimo to fortissimo and everything in between, that blend smoothly as you crossfade through the layers. All the samples are delivered automatically as you play, and in most cases you don’t even need to think about manual key switching.

The team has developed a new sampling process wherein all performances are recorded and edited at “fixed gain”. The result is that all pitches, dynamic layers, articulations and instruments match 100% perfectly with each other. For example, a pianissimo articulation of an ensemble sounds exactly as it was played at Synchron Stage and painstakingly matches the pianissimo performances of all the other instruments.

Performance Legato Re-invented

Vienna Symphonic Library is the company that invented Legato sampling technology nearly twenty years ago, so it’s only natural they’d take it to another level. Bringing together new recording techniques and innovative algorithms tailored to recordings on a scoring stage, Vienna’s revolutionary Legato Performances excel with a newly heightened realism.

Played by Musicians from the Synchron Stage Orchestra

The players make the difference! Selected from Vienna’s world famous community of master musicians, the Synchron Stage Orchestra members performed these samples with passion and perseverance on their own very fine instruments. Having played on countless film and TV scores, in addition to honing their skills as sampling musicians, the quality of their playing will inspire your best work as you use Synchron Strings I.

Microphone Setup

The Standard Library and Full Library of Synchron Strings I both include the same articulations. The difference lies in the number of provided microphone positions:

The main surround microphone settings may also be used instead of the main stereo room mics in order to achieve a wider and more ambient mix. Blending surround signals with the other microphone signals creates a denser, more lush overall sound, even in stereo applications.

The Standard Library and the upgrade to the Full Library (sometimes referred to as the Extended Library) are separate downloads.

Bring all Vienna Strings together at Synchron Stage

While Synchron Strings I are recorded “in situ” with the natural ambience of the main hall of the scoring stage, you can place all of your other string libraries (from Solo Strings to Chamber, Orchestral, Appassionata and Dimension Strings) in the virtual version of this very hall by using Vienna MIR Pro with RoomPack 6 Synchron Stage Vienna. Create one unified sound easily by placing your existing instruments alongside the musicians who were recorded at Synchron Stage!

Synchron Strings I is one of the first Vienna Symphonic Library releases to incorporate the full acoustics of its outstanding scoring stage, while preserving the advanced performance technologies Vienna users rely on.