SYNCHRON-ized Appassionata Strings

Introduction

Welcome to the Vienna Symphonic Library’s series of Synchron Instruments! SYNCHRON-ized Appassionata Strings was specifically created to enrich your tonal palette with the magnificent, larger-than-life cinematic sound of these lavish string ensembles, optimized for our Vienna Synchron Player, and perfectly balanced to interact with Synchron Strings I and SYNCHRON-ized Chamber Strings. This document will provide you with the information you need to use the Library with Vienna Synchron Player.

For creating SYNCHRON-ized Appassionata Strings, our sound editors went back to the raw, unprocessed sample data of the Appassionata Strings I Collection. The original recordings were completely re-edited and re-mastered in order to achieve an all-new, modern chamber string sound that excels in terms of aesthetics, playability and realism, and that is optimized for use alongside the Synchron Series instruments.

About Presets

For SYNCHRON-ized Appassionata Strings, our software developers added a specifically designed convolution reverb derived from Vienna MIR Pro to the Synchron Player, featuring the outstanding and unique ambience of the 540 m2 (5,813 sq.ft.) main hall of Synchron Stage Vienna. The perfectly engineered reverberation and placement presets combine customized impulse responses with expertly crafted reverb settings for each group of the ensemble. By adding the ambience of Synchron Stage Vienna’s Stage A to the dry samples in real-time, SYNCHRON-ized Appassionata Strings perfectly blend with any other product of our Synchron Series.

For each ensemble, there are 5 Mixer Presets that depict different recording situations: Close, Classic, Wide, Distant, and Ambience.

Sound Categories

The Presets of each instrument group are subdivided into 8 different Articulation categories (plus a ninth named "Custom", ready for your own creations):

• Short Notes
• Long Notes
• Legato
• Dynamics
• Tremolo
• Slides up
• Slides down
• Pizzicato

Within these Articulation categories, you can select a Type (if applicable), e.g., soft or normal legato, and for some of the types there are additional options available, such as Attack or Tremolo Control.

Velocity XFade Presets

Apart from the regular Presets, you will also find dedicated Velocity Crossfade Presets in your player’s browser window. These contain the same Articulations; however, with the difference that Velocity crossfading is activated. Moreover, Dim-Ctrl/A (attack) is set to velocity control from 0 to 75 (MIDI values 0–95) with a flat curve as shown in the Control Tab.

The Velocity XF Presets allow you to crossfade between velocities with MIDI CC2, while keystroke velocity affects the amount of marcato where applicable.

About Patches

Patches can be used to build your own custom Presets and adapt the Synchron Libraries to your specific requirements.

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 Video

Included Presets

The Appassionata Strings Preset comprises all recorded Patches in Articulation groups, which again contain Types of the respective Articulation, with further options if available. The general structure was modeled after our Synchron Strings I Collection, making it easy to switch or combine string sections without major adaptations.

Articulations are disabled by default. Enabling an Articulation means that all the Types contained will be activated, too, so if you happen to be short of RAM it is advisable only to activate what you really need (you can always add more Types later).

By default the keyswitches for Articulations are mapped from C1 to G#1 (for Middle C = C4) for violins, violas, and cellos, and C5 to G#5 for the double basses. For the available Types, the keyswitches start from F2 for violins and violas, and from F6 for cellos and basses.

Additional options within Articulations or Types are offered by the Dimension Controllers. The controller function is indicated by the respective caption, as of course it may take on different tasks as needed.

You can find more information about individual articulations in the "Patches" section starting on page 14.

Strings all Preset

Apart from the individual string ensembles, there is also a Preset featuring Patches containing all ensembles. They are especially useful for quick layouts and for playing an entire string orchestra live! The combined strings do not have any legato Patches, so the Legato Articulation slot is replaced by a copy of the long notes slot.

• Mapping range: B0–G7

  • Basses B0–E2
  • Cellos C2–B3
  • Violas C3–B5
  • 2nd violins C4–B5
  • 1st violins C5–G7

• Articulation keyswitches: C~–G#~

• Type keyswitches: F0–G#0

Double Basses Preset

As the Double Basses have a limited range of articulations compared with the other ensembles, the Preset is adapted accordingly. Instead of legatos, there is a copy of the long notes slot, while the Slides slots remain empty.

Short notes

Spiccato, staccato, and détaché. There are no further options to these articulation types.

Long notes

Sustained notes with soft attack, normal, and marcato.

Soft, Normal

Use Dim.Ctrl/B (CC1) to switch between vibrato and no vibrato, as well as the vibrato/no vibrato crossfading option.

XF vibrato

Use Dim.Ctrl/C (CC20) to crossfade between vibrato styles.

Marcato

As above with normal sustains, but with the option to use Dim.Ctrl/A (CC3) to add marcato attacks to the notes.

Legato

Performance legato normal and marcato, fast legato normal and marcato, portamento, and Auto-speed. The "Normal (copy)" slot is inserted to align the Preset with those of other Synchron Strings Libraries, making it easy to switch or add ensembles in your score.

Normal, Portamento

Use Dim.Ctrl/B (CC1) to switch between vibrato styles and the vibrato crossfade options.

Marcato

As above with normal legato, but with the option to use Dim.Ctrl/A (CC3) to add marcato attacks to the notes.

Fast

Use Dim.Ctrl/B (CC1) to switch between vibrato/no vibrato and the vibrato crossfade option.

Fast marcato

As above with fast legato, but with the option to use Dim.Ctrl/A (CC3) to add marcato attacks to the notes. Use Dim.Ctrl/B (CC1) to switch between vibrato/no vibrato and the vibrato crossfade option.

Auto-speed

This option implements a speed controller on Dim.Ctrl/D to switch automatically between normal and fast legato.

Dynamics

Sforzato and fortepiano.

Sforzato, Fortepiano

There are no further options to these articulation types.

Tremolo

With this Articulation, you can add a marcato attack to the notes with the help of Dim.Ctrl/A (CC3), and crossfade between vibrato and tremolo using Dim.Ctrl/E (CC4).

Slides up and down, Pizzicato

There are no further options for these articulation types.

Custom

This Articulation does not yet contain any samples. It provides 6 slots ready for you to configure presets of your own.

Included Patches

Patches can be used to customize your own Presets according to your needs and preferences. This section lists the available Articulations for all ensembles.

01 SYzd Appassionata Violins 1

• Range: G3-G7

00 SVI-20A_Short-stac - Staccato

• Velocity Layers: 3
• Variations: 2
• Samples: 294

01 SVI-20A_Short-spic - Spiccato

• Velocity Layers: 3
• Variations: 8
• Samples: 1176

02 SVI-20A_Short-det - Détaché

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 8+2
• Samples: 980

03 SVI-20A_Long-Vib - Sustained, vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 4
• Variations: 4+2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 1568

04 SVI-20A_Long-strVib - Sustained, strong vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 4+2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 784

05 SVI-20A_Long-noV - Sustained, no vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 294

06 SVI-20A_Lo-Soft-Vib - Sustained with soft attack, vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 4
• Release Samples
• Samples: 584

07 SVI-20A_Lo-Soft-strVib - Sustained with soft attack, strong vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 392

08 SVI-20A_Lo-Soft-noV - Sustained with soft attack, no vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 294

11 SVI-20A_Legato-Vib - Legato, with vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 4
• Release Samples
• Samples: 3630

12 SVI-20A_Legato-strVib - Legato, with strong vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 2824

13 SVI-20A_Legato-noV - Legato, no vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 2437

17 SVI-20A_Porta-Vib - Portamento, with vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 4
• Release Samples
• Samples: 3611

18 SVI-20A_Porta-strVib - Portamento, with strong vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 2835

19 SVI-20A_Porta-noV - Portamento, no vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 2432

20 SVI-20A_Leg-Fast-Vib - Performance trills/fast legato, with vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 4
• Release Samples
• Samples: 7157

21 SVI-20A_Leg-Fast-noV - Performance trills/fast legato, without vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 6157
• Range: A3-G7

22 SVI-20A_slides-up - Slides towards the target note, upwards

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 460
• Range: G3-E7

23 SVI-20A_slides-do - Slides towards the target note, downwards

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 460

31 SVI-20A_fp - Fortepiano, with vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 294

32 SVI-20A_sfz - Sforzato/sforzatissimo, with vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 392

41 SVI-20A_trem - Tremolo sustained

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 196

51 SVI-20A_Pizz - Pizzicato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 4
• Samples: 392

02 SYzd Appassionata Violins 2

• Range: G3-E7

00 SVI-20B_Short-stac - Staccato

• Velocity Layers: 3
• Variations: 2
• Samples: 276

01 SVI-20B_Short-spic - Spiccato

• Velocity Layers: 3
• Variations: 8
• Samples: 1104

02 SVI-20B_Short-det - Détaché

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 8+2
• Samples: 920

03 SVI-20B_Long-Vib - Sustained, vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 4
• Variations: 4+2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 1472

04 SVI-20B_Long-strVib - Sustained, strong vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 4+2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 736

05 SVI-20B_Long-noV - Sustained, no vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 276

06 SVI-20B_Lo-Soft-Vib - Sustained with soft attack, vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 4
• Release Samples
• Samples: 550

07 SVI-20B_Lo-Soft-strVib - Sustained with soft attack, strong vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 368

08 SVI-20B_Lo-Soft-noV - Sustained with soft attack, no vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 276

11 SVI-20B_Legato-Vib - Legato, with vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 4
• Release Samples
• Samples: 3458

12 SVI-20B_Legato-strVib - Legato, with strong vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 2700

13 SVI-20B_Legato-noV - Legato, no vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 2337

17 SVI-20B_Porta-Vib - Portamento, with vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 4
• Release Samples
• Samples: 3439

18 SVI-20B_Porta-strVib - Portamento, with strong vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 2711

19 SVI-20B_Porta-noV - Portamento, no vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 2332

20 SVI-20B_Leg-Fast-Vib - Performance trills/fast legato, with vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 4
• Release Samples
• Samples: 6857

21 SVI-20B_Leg-Fast-noV - Performance trills/fast legato, without vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 5917
• Range: A3-E7

22 SVI-20B_slides-up - Slides towards the target note, upwards

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 440
• Range: G3-D7

23 SVI-20B_slides-do - Slides towards the target note, downwards

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 440

31 SVI-20B_fp - Fortepiano, with vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 276

32 SVI-20B_sfz - Sforzato/sforzatissimo, with vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 368

41 SVI-20B_trem - Tremolo sustained

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 184

51 SVI-20B_Pizz - Pizzicato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 4
• Samples: 368

03 SYzd Appassionata Violas

• Range: C3-E6

00 SVA-14_Short-stac - Staccato

• Velocity Layers: 3
• Variations: 2
• Samples: 132

01 SVA-14_Short-spic - Spiccato

• Velocity Layers: 3
• Variations: 8
• Samples: 528

02 SVA-14_Short-det - Détaché

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 8+2
• Samples: 420

03 SVA-14_Long-Vib - Sustained, vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 4
• Variations: 4+2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 704

04 SVA-14_Long-strVib - Sustained, strong vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 4+2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 352

05 SVA-14_Long-noV - Sustained, no vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 132

06 SVA-14_Lo-Soft-Vib - Sustained with soft attack, vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 4
• Release Samples
• Samples: 264

07 SVA-14_Lo-Soft-strVib - Sustained with soft attack, strong vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 132

08 SVA-14_Lo-Soft-noV - Sustained with soft attack, no vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 132

11 SVA-14_Legato-Vib - Legato, with vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 4
• Release Samples
• Samples: 1669

12 SVA-14_Legato-strVib - Legato, with strong vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 835

13 SVA-14_Legato-noV - Legato, no vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 1102

17 SVA-14_Porta-Vib - Portamento, with vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 4
• Release Samples
• Samples: 1665

18 SVA-14_Porta-strVib - Portamento, with strong vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 832

19 SVA-14_Porta-noV - Portamento, no vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 1098

20 SVA-14_Leg-Fast-Vib - Performance trills/fast legato, with vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 4
• Release Samples
• Samples: 3221

21 SVA-14_Leg-Fast-noV - Performance trills/fast legato, without vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Sampels
• Samples: 2742
• Range: D3–E6

22 SVA-14_slides-up - Slides towards the target note, upwards

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 200
• Range: C3–D6

23 SVA-14_slides-do - Slides towards the target note, downwards

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 204

31 SVA-14_fp - Fortepiano, with vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 170

32 SVA-14_sfz - Sforzato/sforzatissimo, with vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 176

41 SVA-14_trem - Tremolo sustained

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 88

51 SVA-14_Pizz - Pizzicato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 5
• Samples: 220

04 SYzd Appassionata Cellos

• Range: C2–A5

00 SVC-12_Short-stac - Staccato

• Velocity Layers: 3
• Variations: 2
• Samples: 144

01 SVC-12_Short-spic - Spiccato

• Velocity Layers: 3
• Variations: 8
• Samples: 576

02 SVC-12_Short-det - Détaché

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 8+2
• Samples: 480

03 SVC-12_Long-Vib - Sustained, vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 4
• Variations: 4+2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 776

04 SVC-12_Long-strVib - Sustained, strong vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 4+2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 384

05 SVC-12_Long-noV - Sustained, no vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 144

06 SVC-12_Lo-Soft-Vib - Sustained with soft attack, vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 4
• Release Samples
• Samples: 288

07 SVC-12_Lo-Soft-strVib - Sustained with soft attack, strong vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 144

08 SVC-12_Lo-Soft-noV - Sustained with soft attack, no vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 144

11 SVC-12_Legato-Vib - Legato, with vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 4
• Release Samples
• Samples: 1878

12 SVC-12_Legato-strVib - Legato, with strong vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 1436

13 SVC-12_Legato-noV - Legato, no vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 1244

17 SVC-12_Porta-Vib - Portamento, with vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 4
• Release Samples
• Samples: 1867

18 SVC-12_Porta-strVib - Portamento, with strong vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 1433

19 SVC-12_Porta-noV - Portamento, no vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 1241

20 SVC-12_Leg-Fast-Vib - Performance trills/fast legato, with vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 4
• Release Samples
• Samples: 3715

21 SVC-12_Leg-Fast-noV - Performance trills/fast legato, without vibrato

• Monophonic
• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 3084
• Range: D2–A5

22 SVC-12_slides-up - Slides towards the target note, upwards

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 226
• Range*: C2–G5

23 SVC-12_slides-do - Slides towards the target note, downwards

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 230

31 SVC-12_fp - Fortepiano, with vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 188

32 SVC-12_sfz - Sforzato/sforzatissimo, with vibrato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 192

41 SVC-12_trem - Tremolo sustained

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 96

51 SVC-12_Pizz - Pizzicato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 5
• Samples: 240

05 SYzd Appassionata Double Basses

• Range: B0–D4

01 SDB-10_Short-stac - Staccato

• Velocity Layers: 3
• Variations: 8+2
• Samples: 462

03 SDB-10_Long - Sustained

• Velocity Layers: 3
• Variations: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 189

32 SDB-10_sfz - Sforzato

• Velocity Layers: 1
• Variations: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 84

41 SDB-10_trem - Tremolo sustained

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Release Samples
• Samples: 84

51 SDB-10_Pizz - Pizzicato

• Velocity Layers: 2
• Variations: 5
• Samples: 210