Big Bang Orchestra: Fornax

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.

Big Bang Orchestra: Fornax equips you with hits and rolls performed by pitched percussion with piano reinforcement.

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.

Walkthrough Videos

Included Presets

BBO Fornax offers single hits and rolls of pitched percussion. Two of the Presets are also reinforced by three grand pianos to lend even more body to these powerful sounds.

There are special Mixer Presets for each set under the heading "04 Processed" (MIX tab) if you're looking for sound qualities beyond the "classical" field.

Set 1 - Drums and Pianos

Single hits ringing and secco, rolls ringing and secco, rolls crescendo 1/2/4 sec, and clusters.

  • Articulation Keyswitches: C1–G1
  • Range: A#1–D4

Clusters Mapping

  • Included instruments
    • Left 1: Grand Piano 1 (Bösendorfer Imperial)
    • Left 2: Big Taiko (Original 36'')
    • Center 1: Grand Piano 2 (Steinway D-274)
    • Center 2: Timpani (Adams Philharmonic Light)
    • Right 1: Grand Piano 3 (Yamaha CFX)
    • Right 2: Bass drum (Kolberg "Dicke Bertha" 36'')

Set 2 - Big Timpani

Played with hard and soft beaters: single hits ringing and secco, rolls ringing and secco, and rolls crescendo 1/2/4 sec.

  • Hard/soft beater keyswitches: A0/B0
  • Articulation keyswitches: C1–F#1
  • Range: A#1–D3

  • Included instruments
    • Left: Big Taiko (Original 36'')
    • Center: Timpani (Adams Philharmonic Light)
    • Right: Bass drum (Kolberg "Dicke Bertha" 36'')

Set 3 - Low Bells and Pianos

Single hits and rolls, ringing and secco.

  • Articulation Keyswitches: C1–D#1
  • Range: A#1–D4

  • Included instruments
    • Left 1: Grand Piano 1 (Bösendorfer Imperial)
    • Left 2: Low Plate Bells (Kolberg, C2–B4)
    • Center 1: Grand Piano 2 (Steinway D-274)
    • Center 2: Tubular Bells (Bergerault C25, F4–F6)
    • Right 1: Grand Piano 3 (Yamaha CFX)
    • Right 2: Burma Gongs

Set 4 - High Bells, Set 5 - High Gongs

Single hits ringing and secco.

  • Articulation Keyswitches: C1/C#1
  • Range: High Bells C4–D7, High Gongs C4–D6

  • Included instruments
    • High Bells
      • Left: High Plate bells (Kolberg, C4–C7)
      • Center: Tubular bells (Bergerault C25, F4–F6)
      • Right: Vibraphone (Musser M55)
    • High Gongs
      • Left: Medium Suspended Cymbal (Zildjian, 16'')
      • Center: Triangles (Kolberg)
      • Right: Burma Gongs