My favourite string library ever
Вставка
- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
- Check out Soft String Textures: www.pianobook....
This is a video walkthrough of my new sample library Soft String Textures, available now on Pianobook Artists.
Soft String Textures is the ultimate embodiment of the original Soft String Spurs concept. Featuring three of my all-time favourite string players, this collaboration captures bespoke performances and articulations that have been workshopped to deliver stunning realism and emotive depth to your music.
Formed of solo violin, viola and cello, Soft String Textures leans heavily on the musicality of our sublime players Ellie Consta, Georgie Davis and Meera Raja. Together, we have come up with something that I am deeply proud of. Recorded in Studio B at Spitfire Audio HQ, this library is intimate and immediate. Captured at 96kHz by an 8-mic array, each player was recorded individually for fine control.
Alongside 5 core articulations, Soft String Textures also features 10 warps to add a hybrid element to your scores.
If you'd like to support me, you can tip me at: ko-fi.com/dankeen
I am a composer, producer and musician, based in London.
Email me at: dankeenmusic@mail.com
Follow me at:
www.dankeenmusi...
/ dankeenmusic
/ dan.keen
/ _dankeen
Dan, I am absolutely astonished by how beautiful these strings are recorded. What a terrific job and a creative masterpiece. Lovely. ❤
This may be the most exquisitely created soft string library I've ever heard ... kudos!!
Absolutely spectacular! It is incredibly hard to find a string library that sounds this realistic, and this well recorded. You did an amazing job Dan. Thank you for blowing me away!
Hi Dan, Congratulations on your awesome sounding 'Soft Strings Textures' library, I would say it's one of the best ones I heard so far. Very impressed. It is so alive, warm, and useful to have for composers. Purchased ! ❤
Cheers,
Muziksculp
I'm so glad I got this video recommend to me. This library sounds absolutely amazing, hats off to you and the team. Just purchased!
Yes, you've done a beautiful job here Dan! amazing.
Congratulations on this outstanding library Dan. You and your team have really excelled with this one. I feel this will be a regular in my noodlings from now on and I eagerly await your next offering as you have set the bar exceptionally high for your first professional release.👏
Got this on black Fri. Great job! Beautiful soft velocities that capture the passionate sweet spot that strings naturally have. Too often this has been neglected in string libraries. Can feel the passion of the players too in the samples, which is key usually when dealing with soft string textures. Well done Dan.
I really want to be grateful to Dan Keen for this wonderful job. I really liked the original Soft String Spurs, with this new library, I think a new dimension is reached. Really good for that!
Brilliant, Dan! I’ve always wished for staggered tremolo and other expressions so that a chord played doesn’t sound like 3 players duplicating the same waves!
Dan, this is phenomenal! You’ve found a great group of players for each instrument, and their sound also blends together beautifully when combining the three. You’ve also figured out exactly what elements of the interface and modulating parameters are so crucial for a string library, and these patches are just so useful in so many situations! (The sine wave in the same interface is just excellent!) Perhaps my favorite purchase in the spitfire store to date. Keep up the incredible work!
Dan... I am lost for words... exceedingly beautiful.... Bravo... young man, I salute you 🍾🥂
wow this is my favorite, Soft String Spurs PAID lovely innit
OMG this is simply BEAUTIFUL, on the top of my wishlist❤🎻
It's not just your soundworld. I thought the viola's are really beautiful, though still not exactly 'soft', but then the cellos ... ooh, instantly have to have those. It's more than just a 'soft' string texture library. It has more range than than. The cellos make it live up to it's name. But the violas whisper beautifully. The violin is quite clear, with a hint of more boldness, but with a lovely warm tone. Would be lovely for strings for pop; reminds me of Robert Kirby's arrangements for Nick Drake, like the Introduction on Bryter Later, or Harry Robertson's arrangement for the track River Man. Or his fuller arrangement for Sandy Denny' The Lady. The harmonic whistles might be quiet in dynamic, but it's more a small scale intimate texture and with a hint of shivering coldness.
Agree, I'm looking for that nick drake ticket and going to give this a try.
Thank you, Dan. It's really amazing and groundbreaking!
Well done! This would sound great along side the amazing libraries of the redoubtable Ben Osterhouse. :)
This + the also newly released Pathfinder Violin sounds like a great match - yes
Yes this I heard adored and purchased with just long enough to watch the walk through with the cutest composer (other than me) I’ve seen 😮
Beautiful viola of course, but the ensemble is so well woven together in timbre and dynamics. Great work.
Actually so good that im going to check out your composition as you clearly have a talent all too rare
This is incredible!
This is truly a work of art, Dan. Superb in every way and may well be the most unique and beautiful strings I've heard.
Dear Dan, this is by far the best sounding and most beautiful String Library I own. Absolutely amazing! Thank you very much!
I too had sworn off any more Black Friday purchases until I came across your new library. Instantly fell in love with it. Wondering why you didn’t include a way to layer all three instruments overlapping in their natural ranges. I understand I can simply have three instances, and I also understand some of the warps approach what I’m looking for, but a straightforward combo option within one instance would be most appreciated.
Just bought this today Dan, absolutely stunning. Can not wait to see/hear what you release next!
Kudos Dan! - I purchased the library before I hit 20% of your video. I played with it and hit the warp section and was totally impressed so few instruments producing such a rich sound! Lovely work from everyone of the people who worked on this. I came back to hear you speak to what you were thinking for the warps - around 20:00
Congratulations! Beautifully realized.
So beautiful libraries thanks :)
Great !!!!
just bought it, thanks for your service
I find this library fascinating.
What CC controller do you use in this video?
Same question here… it looks really handy, what controller is that?
amazing library! congratulations! full of expressiveness!
Late to the party and almost missed it. Am I ever glad to have checked out this absolutely stunning walk-thru!
Awesome! Keep up the great work!
Stellar mate
Darn it! Just when I thought I was done with Black weekend purchases I heard your library and couldn't not own it. The sine wave sealed it for me lol... 😊 But seriously, you've given us a fresh, original, inspiring and really usable take on chamber strings. I totally get why you're proud of it. You genuinely should be. 👍🏾😊.
Excellent!!
Amazing Library Dan ❤
Sounds amazing!
I have more string libraries than I can possibly use. I acutely feel that buying another one is not a wise use of my money. I only watched this video because I admire your music. However, your enthusiasm for your own creation and the beautiful sounds in this video won me over, and I bought the library. Of course I realize it won't make me sound like Dan Keen, but still...
This is really something special, Dan...
This library sounds beautiful, but I have an issue that I don't know how to fix: I can only select soft string spurs, I can't switch to the other articulations (I just click on them, increase dynamics and suddenly it jumps to soft string spurs again). Maybe it is some bad configuration in my devices? Does anybody know how to solve this problem?
really lovely, beautiful sound.
First of all I think this is truly an amazing sounding library! Great job on this one! Also, I noticed you seem to have some sort of midi pitch bend and mod wheel device that you are using to trigger the volume / expression control, if I'm not mistaken. If so, can you please tell me which device it is? Thank you!
Ditto! Super eager to get my hands on that thing!
I'm sold, and on the way to buy them : brilliant ! May i ask what is your MIDI controller ? Cheers 🙂
Sounds fantastic!
amazing! as a novice, what is name off it that sliders you control with your left hand?
What MIDI controller was used to drive volume, expression and other parameters in real time?
Can't wait to order this
Guys! Where´s the release and attack control for the cello, violins and violas? Cant seem to find it!
Vraiment superbe ! Bravo !
Fantastic. Bravo!
This is amazing.
1:31 what do you call that thing in your left hand that you slide? And where can I purchase that
That's going straight in my basket.
Bought it Bro. Amaze Balls
Hello beautiful ! Where can we found the vs faderbox ?
Really beautiful library Dan
I'd be very very keen to see a video of how to make one's own warps as well :)
Superb library and walkthrough.
Are the random bowing somewhat tempo synced?
did you use sustain pedal as well? cuz I see sometimes you release finger but note still playing
I use sustain pedal while playing, rarely when recording as I can refine the parts including extended sustain later
Siamo l'Università della Bellezza, dire che ti hai fatto qui non solo qualcosa di Bello ma sublime...la voce della Bellezza passa attraverso questi che non sono solo suoni ma Archi di Luce...
This is one of the loveliest I’ve ever heard, will be buying immediately!!! What faders are you using and do you have a video on how you set it up to work with everything?
What is the name of the midi controller that you are using to controll DYN and EXP?
VS Faderbox
@@DanKeenMusic Thank you! Also I was wondering what midi-keyboard are you using? :)
Just a Native Instruments S88
Hi Dan, how did I not see this on Black Friday! Was it on sale? How long will the intro pricing last, and will it be on sale at xmas too? I've totally overdone it with Spitfire stuff recently :)
Can you please tell me what that really simple but nice looking slider board is your using as mod-wheels? Thx!
Cc 1 dynamics (roughness) idk mate
Cc 11 volume
Cc 21 vibrato
The mod wheel is cc 1
Hi! Which expression controller is that?
SHAME on Dan for busting out such a gorgeous couple of chords at 23:10. I was absolutely bloody reeling. I've heard of using a flat 6 chord as often happens in Marvel themes but for some reason this voicing and adding the 6 of the chord itself just knocked my socks off!
Thanks for this, I downloaded the demo. Does the demo version have an interface that can be used in Kontakt player?
The "demo" is the project that inspired this - Soft String Spurs - which was made for the full version of Kontakt
You Still Ride with Spitfire ?
How do i pair this with a Spitfire purchase?
Please could we have attack and release onthe textures?
Dan I was really impressed with your work. Greetings from Transilvania! Im able to review your library on my channel (for Hispano peoples) just in case, let me know...
Dan, again...congrats on fantastic work and thanks for sharing with us. Made the purchase this morning. didn't dive into all the comments, but you have it on the front page of Kontakt. Mine only showed up in the Files area. Which is fine cuz it works swimmingly. But wondering if you did some trick to get it to show up on the main page and stack of libraries. Thanks
Hey Eric, did you authorise your serial in Native Access? Once you’ve done that, you should be able to link the library to your samples folder and it should appear in your browser
@@DanKeenMusic Thanks for hitting me back....yes i did native access and got it all authorised and it works and sounds amazing. My question is it showing up on your sidebar with all the other libraries like Spitfire and Heavyocity and Native Instruments........i have to access this library in the FILES part of my Kontakt player.....again it works perfectly in Kontakt, but i want this library sitting on top of my sidebar with the awesome artwork and looking all sweet.
@@elaute1 Nice! Maybe check in with Spitfire support and they'll be able to help you. Gotta get that library front and centre 😅
Will you stick some chapters in, Dan?
Oh yes, will do this asap
Ahoy!
Warps @ 19:50 fyi
Shame it doesn't come with that expensive reverb to make it sound like in this video.
Thank you Dan for all the hard work you put into this library. It’s sounds great!
Your enthusiasm in the video's is also contagious. You explain it well too. In any case, it inspired me to make this music with it, along with libraries from Spitfire audio.
ua-cam.com/video/gbMNRvbjCs4/v-deo.html
I've listened Betty, you made some BEAUTIFUL music, very moving❤
@@ellensoomers9496 thank you so much, i appreciate!
donkey kong mix
One thing I don't like about the pricing of this, and Pianobook in general. It's this flat across the board $99/€99/£99. It's not equitable, and penalises people in the UK with the highest pricing. Which makes no sense, as this is where it is produced. And I can't even pay in EUR or USD from a Revolut account, as far as I can see. It will try to charge me £99, even if I try to pay in USD, from a USD account. Because it reverts to the currency of the country of the billing address. Please Dan, could this model not be made more equitable. $99 is £79 at the time of writing, the difference is not all that small. Especially if you buy multiple libraries. Would like MG Soft Nylon too, and others.
I've asked this question myself. I believe, as is the case with Spitfire Originals and SA Recordings, it's purely for simpler marketing. I agree it's unfair. On the other hand, the US is Spitfire's biggest customer base, by quite some way
@@DanKeenMusic they're also Spitfire's wealthiest customer base, and yet they pay the least ;) But fair enough, you're aware anyway. It's a beautiful library, so it's hard to say no to at any of those prices. And that's the most important part. I hope you've got further great libraries coming up, if this one is anything to go by. It fills an important gap, because they are a few other libraries I love for their delicate, fragility, like Cinematic Frozen Strings, or Slate + Ash Landforms. But this has warmth and intimacy, which is unique.
I would argue that most modern media "composers" aren't actually composers at all. They fall more under the category of sound designers, experimentalists, and, dare I say, noodlers. If DAWs didn't exist, 95% of these people would be out of the business. DAWs allow people to "Frankenstein" things together as they play with their "digital Legos." There are things that become second nature to real musicians over the years that are simply foreign to the digital Lego people. For example, there is no possible way for someone who has just sat at a DAW most of their life to tell me that they are a better orchestrator than I am when I've been playing in numerous bands, orchestras, chamber ensembles, etc. since the 80s. So much has reached our subconscious, so we intuitively know what works, which combinations of instruments sound horrible in unison, general ranges of the instruments, and what actually works in the physical world. Some moron on UA-cam who is confused thinking that she's "Joan Williams" wrote one hour's worth of tremolo parts for the strings while playing with her digital Legos. At the scoring stage, they told her, "Look, we can't do this anymore." Ignorance like that could potentially result in serious injuries that could have lasting effects on musicians. There is no substitute for real-life experience. How can you claim to be a champion swimmer when you have never jumped into a pool? It's simply not possible. People are using DAWs as a crutch to find out what might work rather than simply hearing it in advance. Since I have perfect pitch, I can actively tell myself, "Imagine the Principal Oboist playing a legato passage in this range, in this specific character, etc." I can also hear particular soloists in my mind as well or imagine the CSO's brass from their golden era under Reiner. Yet people like me are blocked from the business because many of you DAW people are like bulldozers. You don't know what you don't know, so you assume that you are armed with actual skills and then go and somehow get your foot in the door shamelessly working your connections. Unfortunately most directors and producers know nothing about music, so if you are a good talker or someone with strong industry connections since Uncle Bob supplies light bulbs to a major lighting director, it's only a matter of time before you will get in the door and start working, even if it's a bunch of really small projects at first.
The other major thing that's missing is the actual performance aspect. Dear God, if it's a big budget production where the digital Legos are transformed into parts, guess what? The live players end up sounding like digital Legos! It's a complete waste of money. Might as well install MIDI ports into the players' heads! And I have to laugh when a media composer counters by saying, "Well we have CC data, dude." Well that's just adding fuel to the fire because if you have never played an instrument at a very high level, then what the hell do you know about proper phrasing? The phrasing needs to be INTEGRATED! You can't just use a variety of CC data as a substitute. I've seen the CC data of some "big" LA composers and laughed my butt off because they just drew in whatever just to add some variety (excuse me, but....AHAHAHAHAHA). No, it doesn't work like that. A lot of the phrasing is already implied based on the melodic lines and harmonic movement. You can't arbitrarily go to your MIDI editor and draw in swells (well you can but it will just sound bad). All that tells real musicians is this: "I don't know what the hell I'm doing." Yet many of you working media "composers" act larger than life. If you are at some industry event and John Williams comes over and asks what you do, you should say, "I'm a professional barista," because the gap is so wide that it's beyond ridiculous. This goes for you as well, Hans.
I have so many string libraries now but didn't hesitate to add this one. Layers beautifully with some other libraries especially Con Sord articulations. Those warps are so inspiring to create with. Wonderful sounds from great players. Well done.