Audiobro LASS 3

[Guy Rowland]

LA Scoring Strings 3 reinvents our renowned classic string library, integrating it seamlessly into our new orchestral engine with a host of new features.
LASS is our famous original 60-piece multi-instrument divisi string library, painstakingly developed by recording three different divisi sections (¼ + ¼ + ½ section at a time) on a trusted scoring stage, for unprecedented individual control of each section. We have also recorded First Chair players so you can layer them with the sections or use them as soloists.

From the delicate tones of a divisi section playing Sustains and beautiful Legatos, to the power of Staccatos and Spiccatos and everything in between, LA Scoring Strings 3 captures the broad expressive range and diversity of the orchestral string family while providing the flexibility to create smaller intimate section sounds. Pristine recordings and meticulous editing ensure every note of your music will shine.

Read on to discover a few reasons we think LASS 3 would delight you.

What's New to LASS 3?
Now has “Look Ahead” – saving you from tedious MIDI nudging
Newly remapped and integrated into our new orchestral engine
Now includes Legato Sordino (previously an optional addition)
Greater Legato range and flexibility (more exposed transitions for cleaner Legatos)
Independent real-time control of Legato, Portamento, and Glissando speeds
All section divisis integrated on the same patch (no more need for multis)
Integrated polyphonic Legato (no more need for multis)
Integrated Stage and Color profiles (no more need for multis)
Same note rebow – integrated into new patches and auto divisi aware
Marcatos – 2 different types of marcatos at all dynamics
Advanced Key Switching – Keyswitch with keys, CCs, and booleans
All-in-one master patches (no more need to load different patches per articulations)
Full NKS integration (for NI’s hardware)
Cubase, Logic, Performer, Reaper, and Studio One Expression Maps
Advanced RAM handling via our new engine
Advanced next-generation ART (Auto Rhythm Tools) that control Staccato and Spiccato simultaneously
Key Switchable Articulations, Tonalities and Divisi Ensemble Settings
Easier and improved instrument placement on Stage
Programmable Envelopes for Sustains
Integrated Modulators for Mixer FX controls

https://www.audiobro.com/la-scoring-strings-3/

This is being released on Black Friday - $399 for new customers, upgrades from $99.

Website a little slow at the moment - either slammed or still updating I think. Looking forward to seeing a video of it in action. A little disappointed they don't seem to have a runs patch of any kind, one of the biggest omissions imo.

[Muziksculp]

Finally !

LASS 3 will be alive Nov. 26 at Noon (LA Time).

$99. for me. , very reasonable upgrade price to LASS 3. I hope it's a huge step forward from LASS 2.5 which I didn't use much. and Lots of new features listed in LASS 3. as listed in the opening post above.

[Guy Rowland]

Some of those demos are fantastic. And in some cases, well over a decade old. She Was A Fair Lass is the stuff of legend, but track 3 Through The Mist is also exceptional I think. Those Sordinos are really something... for all the talk of LASS being harsh / cold, it doesn't get more truly emotive in string ensemble sampledom than LASS LS for me. (I think it's the combination of a particularly warm tone and three section divisi that keeps more humanity than normal ensembles).

But here's the thing - I have all that right now. And I spent forever setting it up so it works just great in my template. Almost all the new features are to do with making it easier to use, which is great. But my install already IS easy to use - I have fought to make it so. If I install v3, does it mess up my existing projects? Or do I have to redo it all from scratch just to make it sound the same? With no new articulations, I'm actually struggling to see the point for me.

$399 for all this for new buyers is a terrific deal though. If I didn't have it, I'd buy it like a shot.

EDIT - the video page is up now too - https://www.audiobro.com/lass-3-videos- ... to-lass-3/ . Still feeling it's a pass from me after watching the intro video. Bizzarely, they didn't even play those gorgeous sordinos once.

[Luciano Storti]

I have been waiting so long for this... very happy to pull the trigger. LASS has paid for itself over and over and the idea that I can keep using it well into the future, with easier workflow is an easy sell. I don't use it on every project but it has a valuable place.

[kpc]

yup, easy purchase for me too. LASS is my goto string library.

[Pablo Crespo]

I wish they had done some work in some of the tuning issues, but I will probably upgrade

[Lawrence]

“If I install v3, does it mess up my existing projects?“

I want to know the same thing.

[Thomas Mavian]

Very surprising but very welcome! I've made mine easy to use as well but it would be nice to have ALL the sections on the same MIDI channel and (hopefully) setting up some clever Studio One Sound Variations to turn the different sections on/off.

I suspect that the update for LASS 2.5 owner's will simply be new patches so they could be used in tandem with the old ones. I think so at least since there is no new sample content.

[FriFlo]

$99 seems a bit steep to me considering I already have all of that sample content and considering the lowered price for new customers. Also, I wouldn't use most of the features the software provides. It is probably a pass for me, as well. I am considering depending on other users feedback on the UI and potential reworking of the sample content.

[Muziksculp]

$99 seems a bit steep to me considering I already have all of that sample content and considering the lowered price for new customers. Also, I wouldn't use most of the features the software provides. It is probably a pass for me, as well. I am considering depending on other users feedback on the UI and potential reworking of the sample content.

I think $99 is a very fair price given the new improvements they added in LASS 3. Did you read the list of imrovements above, imho. just the new Look-Ahead Legato feature is worth the price.

[Guy Rowland]

I think $99 is a very fair price given the new improvements they added in LASS 3. Did you read the list of imrovements above, imho. just the new Look-Ahead Legato feature is worth the price.

Honestly - not for me. I'm so used to dragging notes back when needed, it's not that much of a deal. Don't get me wrong, I don't dispute it's a good feature, but the negatives of redoing the whole template and quite possibly duplicating all the samples weigh so much in my mind, it would have to be something really special to make me update, like some kind of runs patch.

[lofi]

[Luciano Storti]

Ok, so pulled the trigger and had a little play with the 1st Vlns (divisi all in one patch).

My first impressions, coming from someone who's used LASS as a main library for a decade:

- The engine breathes new life into the library. Will have to get used to the new workflow and figure out how to best incorporate it into my way of working. Playability is good but different enough that a little practice is required. Having all the patches available at once without multis is very welcome.

- The automatic legato works rather well. Coming from CSS, it seems agile but also a bit more crude overall, for lack of better wording. There are manual options to set the legato length/speed as you play. Automatic mode reacts based on your playing speed, as I understand it.

- The all-in-one patch approach makes it so that you have to assign, learn and remember keyswitches/CCs you assign for articulation changes and vibrato and, and,... just means spending quality time with it while you compose - provided you're not on a deadline. This is more pertinent if you're the sort of person who performs all this live for the best take, otherwise the included articulation maps for all major DAWs should take care of this post recording.

- The Detune knob works very well for the divisi patch but you MUST use it very sparingly. There's also a function that provides movement to the notes as you hold them (I'm assuming some clever use of LFOs here) that seemed to make things sound livelier.

- There's a BRIGHTNESS knob that does just what it says in a mostly pleasing way. I prefer it to shave off brightness rather than the other way around, but this could be interesting in conjunction with the...

- ...Stage function, which works well and is easier to use than in its original iteration. The list of settings is more comprehensive (old settings are still included) and the liberty of positioning each divisi section individually is welcome. Don't see much use in this in a purely traditional sense, but perhaps if one wants to spread the 1st Violin section over the whole stereo spectrum, it could be useful. Come to think of it: this might help in properly setting up that lesser used Vln1 Left-of-stage/Vln2 Right-of-stage setup.

- Mixer is flexible with a crazy amount of insert plugins available for one slot, basically the entire Kontakt built-in suite. Again, don't expect to use this function unless I'm looking for a "sound."

That's it for now, only took 20 minutes or so, but I'll try to use the lib for upcoming cues and see how it all flows!

[Guy Rowland]

Thanks for the update, Luke. I feel mean after such a thorough post to ask for this, but can you describe a little more about how different the automatic legato sounds and feels in practice?

[Jaap]

I haven't updated yet, but I assume you can still run the old LASS 2.5 alongside 3?
Not sure yet if I will update as I am very used to the old LASS and for the "new" stuff I really like MSS so I am not sure yet, but it's great to see they have updated it. It would be 129 for me as I don't have LS.

[Guy Rowland]

I haven't updated yet, but I assume you can still run the old LASS 2.5 alongside 3?
Not sure yet if I will update as I am very used to the old LASS and for the "new" stuff I really like MSS so I am not sure yet, but it's great to see they have updated it. It would be 129 for me as I don't have LS.

Same question!

And those sordinos are a really good reason to upgrade, they're gorgeous.

[Duncan Krummel]

Hey Jaap and Guy, I was involved with beta testing for LASS 3, so if you have any questions about it I’m happy to answer. As for the NKIs, not only do you still have access to your LASS 2.5 files, but LASS 3 also includes the complete 2.5 Full package in a legacy folder as well.

Thought I’d throw a little input in here as well, copying my post from the other forum:

[O]ne of my biggest discoveries was just how well LASS 3 blends with MSS. Quoting from an email correspondence with Andrew and Sebastian:

Despite their nearly identical section sizes, LASS definitely achieves a more chamber-esque sound, perhaps due to the microphone placements? MSS’ larger sound profile has a wonderful hugging effect on LASS. I especially noticed this on the sordinos. MSS’ sordinos lack that middle of the spectrum, which I’d expect from a true con sord. LASS, however, somehow preserves this (at least with the Airy Sordinos profile) and - especially in the demo I worked on - fills up the empty space left by MSS.

LASS 3 is also incredibly versatile. I do have LASS 2.5 Full, but never quite got around to setting it up or messing around with it much outside of a few cursory tests. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked the edgier sound by default, but the workflow just didn’t connect with me.

This new engine, on the other hand, is much more intuitive and elegant. The fact that - with both LASS and MSS now sporting look ahead - it’s stupidly easy to just copy parts around. Not to mention that, with the immense amount of timbral variations between 2 parts per section in MSS and 3 parts per section in LASS, you can effectively have a 112 piece string ensemble with 5 divis per section, a full compliment of soloists with 2 for violin and cello (and, if made timbrally unique possible 2 violas), that covers everything from a small chamber ensemble up to a bloody Wagnerian or Mahlerian symphonic force.

Regarding legatos in LASS 3, the reworking of the system similar to that of MSS is something that I think puts these libraries at the top of most else (having received free products from AudioBro, this might sound sort of shill-y, but I want to stress the authenticity of my feelings here). At least compared to the other libraries I own or have tried, these two libraries just take so much less effort to work with. That may also be due in part to my tendency to need to spend more time mixing than writing, but I’d rather just have the music work more or less without a lot of fiddling, so I can focus more time on the arduous mixing.

[FriFlo]

I could very well imagine buying the update for a lower price. 100 bucks is just to much considering what I payed already (including previous upgrades) and the price of the full product now. After all, it is just a complex Kontakt script wich was developed for other products. That should (in my mind) be free or available for a small fee at most to customers who already payed the max.

[Guy Rowland]

Thanks Duncan for all that info.

I've always found LASS easy to use once all that heavy lifting has been done. It still feels to me rather like the main benefit on LASS 3 is to eliminate that heavy lifting. Which is great - but I've already lifted! Look ahead is nice, but still not quite enough for me, given how used I am to working with LASS.

[kpc]

If I remember correctly, I bought LASS in 2011 ish? And I don’t think I’ve paid for an update since. So $129 seems fair to me. Especially since I get the sórdidos, which I always thought about getting but haven’t.

I get your millage may vary.

[Luciano Storti]

Thanks for the update, Luke. I feel mean after such a thorough post to ask for this, but can you describe a little more about how different the automatic legato sounds and feels in practice?

Spending a little more time with the Celli this morning (and a foggy brain!) I am rather pleased with the way it works. Basically, in automatic mode it's a good fit for most playing speeds. If your playing speed is slow, you are presented with a lyrical, clean sound. For my testing purposes I've set the value range for portamento 10 and below, and glissando at 1 (haven't yet discovered the way to disable glissando entirely, but I find it unnecessary usually). The legato works well and sounds natural up until you start playing faster passages. If you get into arpeggios or runs territory it begins to sound rather unnatural to my ears. Under the hood you can also enable a "Legato Offset" mode that adjusts the length based on your playing speed.

I've uploaded a short Violins 1 example with 3 different ideas playing (forgive the haste and banality please). 2 and 3 are similar but the 3rd shows the use of the rebow key on same note repetitions. Nothing fancy and out of the box sound; I've not edited this in any way other than to make sure I wasn't triggering portamento velocities unless wanted; the 3rd example has "legato offset" enabled; both examples are using all 3 divisi sections.

LASS 2.5 is first, v3 is after:

LASS 2.5

LASS v3

You can clearly hear some issues in both version that have not been ironed out. While it's not a night and day difference, I feel like there's something there to work with that is better than the original, so I've decided to forgo the purchase of HOOPUS to focus on building LASS back into my template and workflow. EDIT: in the second example, that G to Ab repeating attack is particularly annoying.

One peculiarity I hope to solve: when you load the default patches, the poly legato script is activated. You have to leave the performance page and go to the ensemble page in order to deactivate it, then go back to the performance page to, well, deal with the performance aspect. Could be user error of course, but so far I've not found a shortcut for this. I will investigate in the manual and of course this is negated when adding to a template or saving your own patches.

Another note: it feels, especially when playing in the lower ranges of CC1, as we often do with LASS, that there should be a "a niente" feature; maybe it's there and I haven't yet seen it, but I feel like the section could actually get quieter than what the default gives us.

[Lawrence]

Interesting-in the faster passage, LASS 3 actually sounds worse to me. Thanks for posting, Luke.

[Guy Rowland]

Interesting-in the faster passage, LASS 3 actually sounds worse to me. Thanks for posting, Luke.

Yes, same - first sounds better in 3, second sounds better in 2.5, third has strengths and weaknesses in both.

Really appreciate the time you put into doing that, thank you Luke!

[Duncan Krummel]

Sounds like auto divisi was still active in the faster passage? Or the humanization on the Ensemble page might be adding too much blur. Or it might be outside the bounds of the auto scripting. I definitely agree that, sometimes, you just need to set it where you want it. I’ve had some good luck with agile phrases however, so I know it can perform them fairy well. Although, to be fair, ostinati are more error prone here than runs.

As for niente, under the volume knob is a dynamic sync feature where you can create nientes. If you wanted to have this feature but not cause a more drastic volume difference, you could also adjust the dynamic scaling to compress the overall range.

[Luciano Storti]

You're welcome guys. Not sure how much we should read into any of this to be honest, as I did not massage anything. Also, the look-ahead feature was disabled. If I start writing more with it I might post something so we can all hear how it fits into an arrangement.

EDIT - just saw your post, Duncan. Thanks for the niente tip, very useful and will use for sure.

As for Auto Divisi you are right. It somehow was enabled again, not sure how, since I had specifically disabled it for the test. I've now re-rendered, and also disabled humanization, the v3 example and replaced it above. Thank you for pointing this out! Should now be a fairer comparison between the two.