Big Bang Orchestra: Zodiac

Introduction

Welcome to the Vienna Symphonic Library's series of Synchron Instruments! As the name says, Big Bang Orchestra furnishes you with a selection of full-orchestra articulations, at the same time allowing you (if you haven't done so already) to explore our powerful Synchron Player software. If you're looking for that extra dramatic effect or want to highlight a passage in your composition, this bonus library could be the solution, or at least point you in the right direction.

About Presets

Big Bang Orchestra makes use of our Synchron Player's unique features, and offers several Mixer Presets in five categories: Room Mix, Stereo Decca Tree, Surround to Stereo, Surround, and Processed. The Mixer Presets in each category are Close (Dry in the Room Mix), Classic, Wide, Distant, and Ambient. The Processed section offers "Big" versions of these Presets.

The BBO expansions also provide you with "Wet" Mixer Presets in each category, as well as more choice in the Processed section. These additional Mixer Presets may vary according to the respective libraries' requirements.

About Patches

Patches can be used to build your own custom Presets and shape them according to your specific requirements. Big Bang Orchestra does not contain so many Patches, so the possibilities are somewhat limited. Still, if you want to get into creating Presets of your own, please refer to the Synchron Player manual, which will be helpful in case you encounter any problems.

About Pitch

For designating pitch, the Vienna Symphonic Library uses International Pitch Notation (IPN), which was agreed upon internationally under the auspices of the Acoustical Society of America. In this system the international standard of A=440 Hz is called A4 and middle C is C4. All pitches are written as capital letters, their respective octave being indicated by a number next to it. The lowest C on the piano is C1 (the A below that is A0), etc.

The Synchron Player software allows you to set middle C to C3, C4, or C5 according to your preference.

Selecting another setting than C4 will of course also change the play ranges and keyswitches accordingly.

Included Presets

BBO Zodiac is a stunning collection of extra-large string and brass sections, and gives you the means to create luscious and massive orchestral parts without using any programming tricks. The layout of articulations is designed to resemble that of other BBO Libraries with similar content, making it easy to switch between the articulations of different Libraries without having to adapt too many keyswitches.

All Presets are available in versions without velocity crossfading, with velocity crossfading marked 'XF' in their names, and those marked 'XF sus' where velocity crossfading is only activated for long notes, while the dynamics of short notes are controlled by keystroke velocity, thus facilitating phrasing. Velocity crossfading can be enabled or disabled by clicking its on/off symbol in the Synchron Player's Perform tab.

Zodiac contains the following instrument Presets:

  • Strings

    • 1st violins, 30 players
    • 2nd violins, 26 players
    • Violas, 20 players
    • Violoncellos, 22 players
    • Double basses, 14 players
    • "All strings" in compressed and full range variants, as well as octaves
  • Winds

    • Horns, 12 players
    • Trombones, 9 players
    • Epic Legato Combo

String sections

  • Articulation Keyswitches
    • Violins, Violas and Cellos: C1–E1
    • Basses: C5–E5
  • Type Keyswitches
    • 1st and 2nd Violins, Violas: C2–D2
    • Cellos and Basses: C6–D6
  • Range
    • 1st and 2nd Violins: G3–C7
    • Violas: C3–E6
    • Cellos: C2–G5
    • Basses: B0–C4

Short notes

Bold and agile.

Long notes

Long notes with regular and soft release.

Legato

Legato with regular and soft release, and marcato.

Dynamics

Sforzato and sforzatissimo.

Tremolo

This articulation has no further options.

All strings

These Presets combine all string sections in variants featuring compressed ranges as well as the individual sections' full ranges. They are especially useful for quick layouts, and for playing an entire string orchestra live! Moreover, there is an 'Octaves' Patch that features groups of two instruments playing in octaves.

The articulations are the same as those of the individual sections.

  • Articulation Keyswitches: D7–F#7
  • Type Keyswitches: G7–A7
  • Range
    • compressed: C2–C6
    • full: B0–C7

Octaves

There are four different instrument groupings: 1st + 2nd Violins, 2nd Violins + Violas, Violas + Cellos, and Cellos + Basses.

  • Instrument keyswitches: C1–D#1
  • Range
    • 1st + 2nd Violins: G3–C6
    • 2nd Violins + Violas: C4–C7
    • Violas + Cellos: C3–E6
    • Cellos + Basses: C2–C5

Brass sections

  • Articulation Keyswitches
    • Horns: C1–E1
    • Trombones: C5–D5
  • Type / dynamic range Keyswitches
    • Horns: starting at C6
    • Trombones: starting at C6
  • Range
    • Horns: D2–F5
    • Trombones: B0–D4

Short notes

Bold and agile.

Long notes

Regular sustains with and without fortissimo layer, and soft.

  • Fortissimo layer on/off: A0/B0

Legato (horns only)

Legato regular with and without fortissimo layer, and soft.

  • Fortissimo layer on/off: A0/B0

Dynamics

Sforzato, sforzatissimo, and swells short and long.

Rips (horns only)

Slow and fast rips.

Epic Legato Combo

Long notes and legato articulations, both with regular and soft release.

  • Articulation Keyswitches: C1/C#1
  • Type Keyswitches: C2/C#2
  • Range: A4–F5