P2P | 12 July 2021 | 6.4 GBSmall can be more beautiful. 16 of the finest string players, playing the finest instruments via the finest signal path in The Hall at Air Studios, London. A super deep-sampled encyclopaedia of string articulations and techniques. The Spitfire team’s favorite string product to-date.
When many of us hear the word “chamber” we think of white wigs and harpsichords. In modern vernacular however it simply describes a band that is smaller than a symphony orchestra. So anything from a quartet to 40 odd players. Where strings are concerned it generally means a medium sized ensemble consisting of 5 sections (1st violins, 2nd violins, violas, cellos and basses).
Our desire was to create the definitive chamber strings project, recorded at Air Studios, that gives you the widescreen Hollywood sound we all desire, with a detail and ability to articulate that is harder with larger sized string sample libraries.
16 star players, 4 1st Violins, 3 2nds, 3 Violas, 3 Cellos & 3 Basses super deep sampled with over 244 articulations, including 38 shorts, 53 longs, 19 FX, and 45 extraordinary legato patches programmed by Andrew Blaney. Recorded with multiple round robins, dynamic layers and presented with 3 essential and versatile microphone positions. In addition to each individual section we also have a comprehensive selection of articulations and techniques presented in an ‘ensemble’ format designed for sketching and composing with ‘out of the box’ satisfaction.
Presented as a Kontakt Player library so no further purchases are necessary to run the library. We’re also proud that it is our first NKS-ready release for use with NI hardware. It features a new ‘intuitive’ GUI with an inbuilt user manual.
Spitfire was built on a chamber strings project. Many of our friends, including A-list composers, complained that sampled strings were unwieldy, ill-defined and too epic. That for much of their output, sensitive and achingly beautiful quiet passages through to searing lyricism didn’t require huge numbers but attention to detail. That symphonic ranges often tripled and quadrupled in size when playing lots of notes.
So we set about the difficult task of recording a chamber strings range which we shared as part of a private project with our nearest and dearest, and were delighted when it was received with huge amounts of optimism and encouragement.
Many, however, noted how it still sounded ‘kind of big’. So we returned to the chamber challenge with a question: How small can we go before it no longer sounds like a section? The answer was 4,3,3,3,3. A uniquely intimate group of extraordinary players in one of the best recording locations. Originally available in volumes, this project has now taken 4 years of our life. We now present Spitfire Chamber Strings in a rationalized, and more instantly useable form. As mentioned before it is the Spitfire team’s absolute favorite string range, admired for its beauty, its versatility but also its totally unique sonic character.
For us, if you’re a composer looking to stand out from the herd, our Chamber Strings are worthy of your attention.
FEATURES• 244 articulations; 38 shorts, 53 longs, 19 FX & 45 legatos.
• 16 Top London string players.
• Recorded in situ (ie: in the positions they would sit as a section)
• Recorded using priceless valve and ribbon mics.
• Neve Montserrat Pre-amps into a Neve 88R desk.
• Recorded digitally at 96k via 2 “Studer tape.
• Deep sampled with multiple dynamic layers and round robins.
• Diverse and detailed with essential, additional and some totally unique articulations
• Legatos designed by Andrew Blaney
• Individual sections and ensembles.
• 3 Essential, diverse and most favored mic positions: (C (lose), T (ree), A (mbient)
• Kontakt Player included
• NKS-ready
• New intuitive GUI with inline help system.
• Thousands of very proud and happy users around the globe!
— — — — — MINIFIED INFO — — — — — — —
Since I like to have many Kontakt libraries but don't want to fill my hard drives with them, I minify them, keeping only what I really need from them.
— Library size is 7.4GB (from ~ 75.3GB)
— All samples are 16bit
— Added a Convolution Reverb and repurpose the original "Close/Far" slider to control it.
— Added menu to select IR type from the UI - "Reverb: Chamber" or "Reverb: Hall"
— Only the "Close" mic exists
MINIFIED ARTICULATIONS
Violins 1 - Legato (Bowed)
Violins 1 - Legato (Con Sord Portamento)
Violins 1 - Legato (Con Sord)
Violins 1 - Legato (Fast)
Violins 1 - Legato (Fingered)
Violins 1 - Legato (Flautando Portamento)
Violins 1 - Legato (Flautando)
Violins 1 - Legato (Portamento)
Violins 1 - Legato (Runs)
Violins 1 - Legato (Tremolo)
Violins 1 - Long Flautando
Violins 1 - Long
Violins 1 - Long CS
Violins 1 - Marcato Attack
Violins 1 - Short Pizzicato Bartok
Violins 1 - Short Pizzicato
Violins 1 - Short Spiccato Feathered
Violins 1 - Short Spiccato
Violins 1 - Short Staccato Dig
Violins 1 - Short Staccato
Violins 1 - Tremolo
Violins 2 - Legato (Bowed)
Violins 2 - Legato (Con Sord Portamento)
Violins 2 - Legato (Con Sord)
Violins 2 - Legato (Fast)
Violins 2 - Legato (Fingered)
Violins 2 - Legato (Flautando)
Violins 2 - Legato (Portamento)
Violins 2 - Legato (Runs)
Violins 2 - Legato (Tremolo)
Violins 2 - Long CS
Violins 2 - Long Flautando
Violins 2 - Long
Violins 2 - Short Pizzicato Bartok
Violins 2 - Short Pizzicato
Violins 2 - Short Spiccato
Violins 2 - Short Staccato
Violins 2 - Tremolo
Violas - Legato (Con Sord Portamento)
Violas - Legato (Con Sord)
Violas - Legato (Fast)
Violas - Legato (Fingered)
Violas - Legato (Flautando)
Violas - Legato (Portamento)
Violas - Legato (Runs)
Violas - Legato (Tremolo)
Violas - Long CS
Violas - Long Flautando
Violas - Long
Violas - Short Pizzicato Bartok
Violas - Short Pizzicato
Violas - Short Spiccato
Violas - Short Staccato
Violas - Tremolo
Celli - Legato (Bowed)
Celli - Legato (Con Sord Portamento)
Celli - Legato (Con Sord)
Celli - Legato (Fast)
Celli - Legato (Fingered)
Celli - Legato (Flautando)
Celli - Legato (Portamento)
Celli - Legato (Runs)
Celli - Legato (Tremolo)
Celli - Long CS
Celli - Long Flautando
Celli - Long
Celli - Marcato Attack
Celli - Short Pizzicato Bartok
Celli - Short Pizzicato
Celli - Short Spiccato
Celli - Short Staccato
Celli - Tremolo
Basses - Legato (Fingered)
Basses - Long Flautando
Basses - Long
Basses - Short Pizzicato Bartok
Basses - Short Pizzicato
Basses - Short Spiccato
Basses - Short Staccato Dig
Basses - Short Staccato
Basses - Tremolo
Ensembles - Long CS
Ensembles - Long Flautando
Ensembles - Long
Ensembles - Short Pizzicato Bartok
Ensembles - Short Pizzicato
Ensembles - Short Spiccato
Ensembles - Short Staccato
Ensembles - Tremolo
REMOVED ARTICULATIONS
Violins 1 - Disco falls
Violins 1 - FX
Violins 1 - Legato (Sul G)
Violins 1 - Legato (Sul Pont)
Violins 1 - Long CS Sul Pont
Violins 1 - Long Harmonics
Violins 1 - Long Sul G
Violins 1 - Long Sul Pont Distorted
Violins 1 - Long Sul Pont
Violins 1 - Long Sul Tasto
Violins 1 - Runs
Violins 1 - Short Col Legno
Violins 1 - Short CS
Violins 1 - Slides
Violins 1 - Tense longs
Violins 1 - Tremolo CS Sul Pont
Violins 1 - Tremolo CS
Violins 1 - Tremolo Measured (150bpm)
Violins 1 - Tremolo Measured (180bpm)
Violins 1 - Tremolo Sul Pont
Violins 1 - Trill (Major 2nd)
Violins 1 - Trill (Minor 2nd)
Violins 1 - Trill (Minor 3rd)
Violins 1 - Trill (Perfect 4th)
Violins 2 - Disco Falls
Violins 2 - FX
Violins 2 - Legato (Sul G)
Violins 2 - Legato (Sul Pont)
Violins 2 - Long CS Sul Pont
Violins 2 - Long Harmonics
Violins 2 - Long Sul G
Violins 2 - Long Sul Pont
Violins 2 - Long Sul Tasto
Violins 2 - Runs
Violins 2 - Short Col Legno
Violins 2 - Short CS
Violins 2 - Slides
Violins 2 - Tense longs
Violins 2 - Tremolo Measured (150bpm)
Violins 2 - Tremolo Measured (180bpm)
Violins 2 - Trill (Major 2nd)
Violins 2 - Trill (Minor 2nd)
Violas - Disco falls
Violas - FX
Violas - Legato (Sul C)
Violas - Legato (Sul Pont)
Violas - Long CS Sul Pont
Violas - Long CS
Violas - Long Harmonics
Violas - Long Sul C
Violas - Long Sul Pont
Violas - Long Sul Tasto
Violas - Runs
Violas - Short Col Legno
Violas - Short CS
Violas - Slides
Violas - Tense longs
Violas - Tremolo CS
Violas - Tremolo Measured (150bpm)
Violas - Tremolo Measured (180bpm)
Violas - Trill (Major 2nd)
Violas - Trill (Minor 2nd)
Celli - Disco falls
Celli - FX
Celli - Legato (Sul C)
Celli - Legato (Sul Pont)
Celli - Long CS Sul Pont
Celli - Long Harmonics
Celli - Long Sul C
Celli - Long Sul Pont Distorted
Celli - Long Sul Pont
Celli - Long Sul Tasto
Celli - Runs
Celli - Short Col Legno
Celli - Short CS
Celli - Slides
Celli - Tense longs
Celli - Tremolo CS Sul Pont
Celli - Tremolo CS
Celli - Tremolo Measured (150bpm)
Celli - Tremolo Measured (180bpm)
Celli - Tremolo Sul Pont
Celli - Trill (Major 2nd)
Celli - Trill (Minor 2nd)
Celli - Trill (Minor 3rd)
Celli - Trill (Perfect 4th)
Basses - FX
Basses - Long Harmonics
Basses - Long Sul Pont Distorted
Basses - Long Sul Pont
Basses - Runs
Basses - Short Col Legno
Basses - Slides
Basses - Tense longs
Basses - Tremolo Measured (150bpm)
Basses - Tremolo Measured (180bpm)
Basses - Tremolo Sul Pont
Basses - Trill (Major 2nd)
Basses - Trill (Minor 2nd)
Ensembles - Long Harmonics
Ensembles - Long Sul Pont
Ensembles - Long Sul Tasto
Ensembles - Short Col Legno
Ensembles - Short CS
Ensembles - Trill (Major 2nd)
Ensembles - Trill (Minor 2nd)