Big Bang Orchestra: Ganymede

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: Ganymede consists of a full choir with soprano, alto, tenor, and bass ensembles - 48 singers in all.

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 Ganymede offers regular Presets for the entire choir as well as separate ones for its soprano, alto, tenor, and bass ensembles. The ensembles' articulations are the same as those of the main Preset, where you also have access to the individual voices.

00 Choir - 48

This main Preset contains all four ensembles in differently grouped mappings as well as separately. Apart from the Tutti Effects, all the mappings' articulations are concurrent.

In the Tutti mappings, the full choir sings on all notes in octaves. These have a limited range: Tutti from C3–D5, Tutti Effects according to articulation.

The Male/Female mappings feature the male singers on C2–C4, and the female singers on C#4–D6.

Choir stacked also ranges from C2–D6, but has the four voices stacked and crossfaded. Because each voice is mapped to its entire range without transposition, this is especially useful for quick layouts, making it easy later to transfer voicings written for this mapping to the individual choir ensembles.

  • The voices are mapped according to their natural range:

    • Soprano C4–D6
    • Alto E3–E5
    • Tenor C3–C5
    • Bass C2–C4
  • Section Keyswitches: C1–G1

  • Articulation Keyswitches: C7–G7

Tutti

Short notes, sustain, espressivo, legato, soft swell, sforzato, short and long swell.

Tutti Effects

Major and minor chords, cluster A and B, cluster glissandi, cluster building, and shouts.

  • Range: C4–D5 (except specials below)

Mapping Cluster Glissandi
  • Range: C4–D5 (white keys)

Mapping Cluster building
  • Range: C3–F6 (white keys)

Mapping Shouts
  • Range: C4–A5 (white keys)