Bolder Sounds / Fiddle!

[Raymond_Kemp]

Another neat example Larry. Of course first and foremost, one must know how and why a real player might play turns etc in such a way to get anything like your extremely presentable efforts.
Thanks for sharing

Ray

[Lawrence]

Thanks Ray, and sure, it helps. I played violin in school and a little in clubs (very badly) so I know how the thing is supposed to work. You would NOT want to hear me play the actual wooden thing, however.

I really need to woodshed there, since I went out and bought one, jeez.

[wst3]

Wow Larry - you nailed the feel of a fiddle in that one. I agree about the tone, but if I could teach Strad to do that I'd be tickled.

That said, I spent a little time with the Bolder fiddle last night, and I'm starting (I think) to get the hang of it. It may be that the demos are not (for a change) an example of what us mere mortals can do with a library.

[Lawrence]

Cant wait to hear your demo, Bill, seriously.

[wst3]

Oh goody, no pressure!!!

[Lawrence]

Hahahah! Not my intention at all Bill, but you know that.

@Mike Greene: do it! I know you can, and I really do think there is a market in the $100 range. I 'll even give you a demo if you like, and you don't have to give me an NFR.

I hate to waste work, so of course I took my 5 am meanderings and made them into a library track.
Garritan Strad, PSF Premiere bass, Indiginus Mountain Dulcimer, EW Gypsy tambourine:

http://www.ljnmusicandsound.com/2018/celtic-spring/

[PaulBrimstone]

A fair $50 stab at a tremendously difficult project, but as a string player, I have to say those fast runs really don't cut the mustard. I am so glad I can play the real thing myself!
PS Hello everyone: first post here. Another straggler from that other forum. Cheers, Paul

[Raymond_Kemp]

Welcome Paul, is it possible or practical for you producing a quick demo for reference so as we can understand just how far off the vsti performance is?

Ray

[X-bassist]

I wish developers would start moving away from these $50 libraries that, inevitably, are no more than superficial and very limited appetizers for what a serious library could be like. (If I ever were to make a fiddle library, something like this Boulder library is what I would make available for free so that interested people could get a first, rough idea of what the full library is all about.)

Why not make this, say, a $300 library and offer something that is at least 10 times as detailed, deep and musical as what is contained in the current version? As it is, this is the sort of library that you use once or twice and then cast aside because you've exhausted its possibilities.

I bought this actually, but only because my daughter is wild about Celtic fiddle stuff — and meanwhile, I am too — and I want to surprise her with a little something for her birthday.

_

Since no one has mentioned it here, the developer from Red Room says he also has a fiddle coming out, two as a matter of fact. We’ll see what the pricing is like but seems to have much more to it as you suggested, And I would suppose each will be less than $300 (although from the sound of it, if ithey both sound great, I would want both! ):

Red Room Audio post: “Our pending contribution will be two-fold: a Celtic (recorded in Ireland) and a Bluegrass (recorded in Kentucky), two separate products releasing at the same time. Each has a plethora of genre-specific ornaments and techniques in addition to core articulations and two types of true legato. Scripting is underway and I'll share a GUI shot or two soon. In the meantime go fiddle around with the Bolder fiddle. Fiddles for everyone![“

This post and more can be found on page 5 of this thread:

https://vi-control.net/community/thread ... st-4282191

Looking forward to seeing what they release. Hopefully it will make it in time for your daughter’s birthday

Cheers,

-XB

[PaulBrimstone]

Welcome Paul, is it possible or practical for you producing a quick demo for reference so as we can understand just how far off the vsti performance is?

Ray

EDIT: first long reply lost in the ether, so here is another version!
Hi Ray and thanks for the welcome. Overall, this library is a good attempt, but IMO and as others have noted, it's the runs that let it down, being too reedy and non-organic. I'm not sure you'd get much from me recording a real fiddle for comparison, when there are commercial examples already available. Try Nancy Kerr:


Or the late Dave Swarbrick, who is 10 times the player I'll ever be, despite being dead:


Wait a minute — aren't you in Scotland? Stick your head out of the window; there must be fiddlers everywhere!

[Joe_D]

A fair $50 stab at a tremendously difficult project, but as a string player, I have to say those fast runs really don't cut the mustard…

Just to be clear, Larry's track uses the "retired" Garritan Strad, not the Bolder Sounds Fiddle, right?

[Lawrence]

Keerect

[Raymond_Kemp]

Welcome Paul, is it possible or practical for you producing a quick demo for reference so as we can understand just how far off the vsti performance is?

Ray

EDIT: first long reply lost in the ether, so here is another version!
Hi Ray and thanks for the welcome. Overall, this library is a good attempt, but IMO and as others have noted, it's the runs that let it down, being too reedy and non-organic. I'm not sure you'd get much from me recording a real fiddle for comparison, when there are commercial examples already available. Try Nancy Kerr:


Wait a minute — aren't you in Scotland? Stick your head out of the window; there must be fiddlers everywhere!

Paul,
Let me give an explanation of my request to you.
The main reason for my being in this particular Forum is, discussing and learning from others personal experience. Of course we can all listen to great performers and performances from any genre but that doesn't help in the nitty-gritty of getting the best out of virtual instruments like those demonstrated here. Apples and pears!

[Piet De Ridder]

Fiddle v2 — a free update for those who purchase v1 prior to the release of v2 — will be released on December 15th:

New Features:

Bowed Articulations:
- Slow Bow sustained samples - ideal for Ballads, Airs and slow tempo tunes.
- Harmonic samples.

19 Ornaments in 9 Categories:
- Mordents - (half and whole step).
- Trills - (half and whole step).
- Hammer Ons - (half and whole step).
- Pull Offs - (half and whole step).
- Rolls - (half-whole step / whole-half step / whole-whole step).
- Waterfalls - (half-whole step / whole-half step / whole-whole step).
- Wiggles - (half and whole step).
- Flicks - (2 sets).
- Triplets - also sometimes called bowed triplets or Irish triplets.

Added to the Fiddle Extras .nki:
- Left Hand Open String Gestures.
- Slide Harmonics.
- Scottish "Scrunch" ornament.

A New Kontakt .nki - Pitched Chops:
This Kontakt instrument will allow you to create grooves and accompaniment rhythms combining percussive chops with pitched release bow strokes. Darol Anger and Maggie O'Connor are two fiddlers who utilize this technique frequently.

Price:
$59.95 prior to December 15th ($69.95 after that date)

_

[Lawrence]

Have you had a chance to, er fiddle with the update, Piet?

[Piet De Ridder]

Not yet, Larry. The update is still two days away.

[Lawrence]

Reading comprehension-so important. (sigh)

[wst3]

I too have a love/hate relationship with the Strad, but it still sits there on my drive, and it still gets used. But every time I turn to it I cringe - it is flaky (it was written for K2, so I can't be shocked) and it takes forever to relearn. But it can do the little tricks and ornamentations. I am buying the Bolder Fiddle, because I'm willing to gamble $50 that I can finally retire the Strad.

[Lawrence]

Bill, if I hear something I can live with, I'm happy to give it a try.

I wrote a lot of Americana, Gold Rush era stuff. Would love a better/easier fiddle.