Symphonic Brass Collection

Following the critical success of their String Collection, Sonic Implants has released Symphonic Brass Collection (SBC), an incredible brass library currently available only for GigaStudio. Like many of the major developers, Sonic Implants seems intent on producing a library for each section of the orchestra. As such, SBC was developed to integrate seamlessly with the String Collection as well as be a successful standalone product. SI has accomplished these goals with flying colors. The product was produced and engineered by the same group of individuals that worked on the String Collection and it was recorded at the same facility using similar microphones and equipment and with members of the same orchestras, The Boston Pops and the Boston Ballet Orchestra. The result is a library that is sonically and musically almost identical to the string library, with samples and performances of the highest qualities. 

The library comes in the same “album box” as the string library with similar excellent documentation—a booklet with an overview of the library, the philosophy behind it, the production and the organizational structure and a booklet containing a list of all of the files, folders and presets. The presets are typically chromatic and use three to five layers. Most presets are presented as two versions—with and without release samples. 

The 3 DVDs install as 10 GBs on a hard drive. The installation procedure uses .exe files. The first file you run queries you for the serial number for the product and your name, address and other user information. After this file installs, you are not asked for this information again. The process was very quick, averaging five minutes per DVD. A separate folder is created for each instrument type—French horns, trumpets, trombones and tuba and one for ensembles. Within each of these folders are the Giga-Instrument files representing various articulations and section size and within each of these are the individual presets.  

SI made the decision early on to record multiple section sizes to give you a great deal of flexibility when emulating an orchestra. As I’ve discussed many times in the book, ensemble libraries are typically designed to play multiple unisons such as four French horns or three trumpets. The problem with this approach is that the moment you add more than one note to the equation for any one section, you have in effect doubled your virtual section size resulting in perhaps eight French horns or six trumpets playing the lines. SI’s approach was to provide articulations in several section sizes starting with solo instruments and then adding another instrument and then another. This results in the following instruments and ensembles:

• solo trumpet, two trumpets and three trumpets
• solo French horn, two horns, three horns, four horns, six horns
• solo “baritone” trombone*, two tenor trombones, three trombones (two tenors and one bass)
• solo tuba

* The baritone trombone is actually a bass trombone that was mislabeled. 

Notice that there is currently no solo tenor trombone.  

As you would expect by the nature of the instruments, there are fewer types of articulations with this library than with the string library. Nevertheless, SI has captured the most important ones for this library:

• legato—Sustained tones intended for legato phrases at any dynamic. These include four velocity layers with release samples
• marcato legato—Sustained tones with an initial attack that fades into a softer tone. Four layers with release samples.
• melodic legato—Available for solo trumpet only, this legato with an appropriate amount of vibrato is intended for melodies. These include four velocity layers and release samples.
• muted legato—Similar to the legato presets, these samples were captured with the musicians using a straight mute. These include two velocity layers with release samples.
• bells up legato—Available only for the French horns, this one velocity layer with release samples was captured as the players raised their instruments so that the bell was up, facing the audience. Intended for use in loud dramatic phrases.
• stopped (muted) legato—Similar to the mute legato, these presets were recorded using the stopped technique and are found only in the horns. They include two velocity layers with release samples.
• staccato—Short accented notes intended for use in articulate passages. These four velocity layered presets utilize up to three variations (alternate takes) per note. Access to the variations is controllable by the modwheel and keyswitches. They are intended to provide variation for short repeated notes that would result in “the machine gun” effect, had these not been implemented.
• muted staccato—Identical to the staccato presets but recorded with a straight mute in the bell. These include four velocity layers with no release samples.
• double tongue “ta” and “ka”—Short tones captured as the player double tongued a series of repeated notes. These phrases have been dissected and presented as the individual notes, where adjacent keys trigger “ta” and “ka”. Three variations (takes) are included as different keymaps with different sets of samples. These presets use three velocity layers.
• trills—These three velocity layer presets with release samples feature half and whole tone trills available in the trumpets only.
• flutter tongue—Sustained tones played in the flutter tongue style. They feature two velocity layers and release samples.
• muted flutter tongue—Available only for the trumpets, these presets are identical to the flutter tongue presets, but recorded with a straight mute in the bell.
• sforzando—These presets are available as three different presets with all featuring the accented attack. The “hit only” presets feature only the sforzando attack and release. The “soft hold” presets feature the attack and then a 4” sustain in a p dynamic (resulting in a sfzp note). The modwheel crescendo versions feature the attack and then a looped sustain where the modwheel can be used to create a crescendo by modifying the lowpass filter and volume simultaneously. They feature a single velocity layer with release samples.
• mute sforzando—Same as the sforzando presets but recorded with a straight mute.
• falls—These presets are basically sforzando articulations but with a fast pitch fall that occurs immediately after the initial attack. They feature one velocity layer with release samples.
• muted falls—Same as the falls presets but recorded with straight mutes. They feature two velocity layers in the trumpets and one in the trombones.
• glissando—These presets feature octave up/down performances in the horns and tritone (flat fifth) performances in the trombones.
• rips and muted rips—Available as one velocity and only in the trombones, these are upward slides of a minor third end on the note pressed.

The following articulations are included for each of the instrument groups. 

                        The organization of files for the Brass Collection 

In addition, there are banks of solo horn legato and staccato presets, a solo melodic legato trumpet and a legato bass trombone presets. 

Within each .gig file are a number of presets that provide several different options for articulations and control features. For banks that include release samples, identical presets are also included that do not use release samples. For multilayer instruments, most of the banks also include presets that utilize fewer layers, to preserve polyphony or to be used to limit the dynamic. For instance the four velocity horns utilize p, mf, f and ff, while the two layer horns feature only the p and mf layers and the three layer presets add the f layer. Most banks also feature individual layers that make up the composite presets. For instance, in the legato horn example, the p, mf, f and ff layers are all presented separately as individual presets. 

The library features three controllers used to modify the presets in four ways—the modwheel (CC#1) used as a switch where values 0-64 point to instrument 1 and values 65-127 point to instrument 2; the modwheel used for crossfading between layers; CC#16 (GPC1 in GigaStudio’s preset MIDI controller area) used to control envelope attack time; and keyswitching technology used to change between articulations or layers.  

Several of the staccato .gig files include presets that use different sets of alternate samples as well as those that use keyswitching or the modwheel to choose between the various sets. The legato presets seem to work best for slow melodies or for long sustained notes. The marcato presets work well for melodies that move faster and where less length to the note is required. The double-tongued presets are an interesting concept. They work well for fast highly articulate lines since they are produced using individual notes from a double-tongued repeated note passage. These parts are separated out and keymapped so that the “ta” and “ka” alternate up the keyboard. For the highly creative, you can use the modwheel version which selects between the ta and ka as well as a spit attack (an note where the initial ta or ka is removed). By assigning three soft switches to control modwheel values, you can quickly alternate between the various articulations. I found this to be especially effective when used with repeated notes. By using different sets for the solo instruments (i.e. first trumpet, second trumpet), you obtain more realism since you are not duplicating samples for each. The crossfades are beautifully programmed with little if any chorusing and a very nice timbre change that occurs throughout the fade. The trill presets are well executed and though not at the top of the most used articulation list, they provide the real thing when it is needed.  

The sounds of the instruments are extraordinary. They are some of the best-recorded and well-produced brass samples I have ever heard. No extraneous sounds can be heard in the samples and the loops are very good. With the exception of the solo trumpet, all samples were recorded with no vibrato. Each of the instruments and ensembles feature a huge dynamic range that can produce quiet, subtle phrases through loud thunderous power! 

The French horns have been beautifully captured from F²-F⁵. The solo horn presets provide the full expressive range of the instrument, especially capturing the introspective feel so often associated with its use in solo melodic passages. The two horn ensembles are rich and the four and six ensembles are even richer. Melodies played with these presets in louder dynamics are heroic and powerful while the softer layers have a quiet but rich character. Intonation is perfect for all of the presets.  The attacks, releases and volume levels between layers and between presets are very consistent.  The “bells up” presets are brassy and exciting and are the perfect presets for loud double or triple forte passages. 

The trumpets are sampled from E³-E⁶. Their sound varies from subtle to powerful. I find that they can be used in just about any phrase. The two and three trumpet presets are incredibly intense in their loudest layers with dead on intonation throughout the entire range. The fff marcato presets make producing highly articulate “fanfare type” lines very easy. The tone of these presets thin appropriately while the high frequency content increases. The solo trumpet presets are spectacular with just the right amount of vibrato included. They are extremely playable and obtaining realistic lines is very easy.  

The trombones are excellent. The tenor is sampled from C²-E⁵, while the “baritone” is sampled from G¹-E⁴. Indeed, the manual refers to this instrument as a baritone trombone, which I have never heard of. I researched this in books and with music professors and orchestral trombone players with no luck. The bottom line is that no one has ever heard of a baritone trombone. I asked Sonic Implants about this and he informed me that this was a mistake made when the documentation was created and it is in fact a bass trombone. For a bass trombone, the range is off, extending down to only G¹ instead of a C¹. However, Sonic Implants informs me that an additional file of Trombone Pedal Tones, ranging from B flat 0 to G1 will be made available in an update. For the time being, what is included is excellent. The presets are dead-on accurate in terms of tone and intonation. The presets have a deep and robust character to them. They can produce melodies with a beautiful solitude when used in the quietest layers; but their power is undeniable in the loudest layer, which is brassy and vibrant and absolutely perfect for aggressive and highly articulate trombone parts.  

There are fewer presets presented for the tuba than the other instruments, but what is provided is superb. Two tubas are included—the C and E flat and both range from C¹-E⁴. The tones are warm, fat and round. The subtle timbre changes that occur in the tuba as the dynamic gets louder are perfectly captured, especially in the crossfade presets. The C tuba is somewhat fuller and has more depth to its sound than the E flat. This makes it the perfect instrument for most tuba needs. The E flat is only presented in marcato and sforzando presets, making it more of a specialized instrument that is especially good for the occasional tuba solo.  

Completing the collection are six ensemble files representing the most common brass articulations. These presets are put together using layered samples from the other instruments. These use velocity three layers and are very good presets to use for composing. They can also be used in live performances.  

Sonic Implants has produced yet another excellent library. For those that of you who use SI’s String Collection, I suspect that its quality will encourage you to purchase the Brass Collection and you should since it makes an excellent companion library. For those who don’t own the string library, the Brass Collection can be used with many other libraries very successfully. It provides a full array of articulations and timbres, representing the full range of an orchestral brass section. SI’s high production standards and its remarkable playability make this library one of the best choices for MIDI orchestrators.