Recording - December 2017 - 32

Soundware Showcase
Spitfire Audio
Spitfire Symphonic
Orchestra:
Strings, Woodwinds,
Brass, and Masse
By Paul Harriman
If you do any work that involves orchestral arrangement,
or use orchestral scoring in your pieces, you quite likely have
found the limitations of most orchestral libraries. Many of the
simpler orchestral libraries make much of the ensemble string
section at the expense of other sections. Woodwind and brass
sections in many libraries tend to have limited options, and
limitations of the samples themselves can be very challenging
when trying to bring the result to a realistic, dynamically
pleasing finish.
Spitfire Audio, the London-based miracle workers of audio
sampling, have produced an integrated and modular set of
orchestral libraries that are not only far and above the quality
of others; they are remarkably easy to navigate and learn to
use. Spitfire's orchestral libraries are meticulously recorded,
with multiple mic placements and many articulations for each
instrument. Additionally, many of London's premier artists are
playing the instruments, and the recordings that make up the
sample libraries are stunningly clear and dynamic.

An overview of the libraries

Each of the four Symphonic Orchestra libraries is descended
from the Spitfire BML (British Modular Library) project. The
original project occurred over a number of years (almost a
decade) and involved hundreds of musicians, lots of instruments,
and a huge number of orchestral embellishments and articulations.
All of the samples are recorded at AIR Studios, Lyndhurst Hall
(located in Hampstead, London), a converted church which
is renowned for its acoustic quality as well as a huge seating
capacity-it is capable of recording and
seating a full symphony orchestra and choir.
Each sample library shares a common
user interface, common recording and
placement techniques, and highly compatible dynamic styles. This series contains
30% more content than what was in the
original BML.
The Symphonic Strings library is easily
the best example within the Spitfire
Symphonic series to show off the depth,

quantity and quality of the work Spitfire has put into creating these sample libraries. With over 100 GB of content,
89,000+ discrete samples, 175 articulations, and a thoroughly thought out UI, it would be easy to lose oneself in
just this one library-probably for a few years! With samples
of 60 of London's best string players, it is preconfigured to
give the depth of a symphonic string ensemble right out of the
starting gate.
Three basic mic placement types-Close, Tree, and Ambient-
can be combined to create highly realistic representations for
each section. Thankfully this is made far easier through the
intuitive Overview Panel (Figure 1), which visualizes the
imaging of the ensemble, as well as access to articulations
and controller functions (which are all key-assignable,
naturally). Each instrument position has been recorded in
situ-with the appropriate artist playing-providing the most
realistic ensemble sounds possible.
Both the Symphonic Woodwinds and Brass libraries share
the same philosophy as the Strings library. Each library
contains an extended set of instruments, with a wide variety
of appropriate articulations, dynamics, and vibrato.
The Woodwinds library is the result of four years of sample
collection, including dynamics, round robins (multiple samples
of the same note), vibrato and articulations (an example: there
are 11 articulations for alto flute alone!), making up about 103
GB (72,500 discrete samples). Instruments such as bass clarinet,
bass flute, contrabassoon, and Cor Anglais (English horn)
appear in this library, appropriately placed in their sections.
This approach also extends to the Brass library, with an
additional 102 GB (85,500 discrete samples). Spitfire has
collected a fantastic amount of content by many of London's
best brass players, with sections ranging from solo to large
groupings, including esoteric instruments such as cimbasso (a
valved trombone typically used in operatic scores), contrabass
trombone, and contrabass tuba. 170+ styles and articulations
range from brass choir to modern styles such as trombone
falls and glissandi. As with all of the libraries, the players are
recorded in situ, for accurate placement imaging.
For each of the basic components of the Spitfire Symphony
Orchestra libraries, a number of extensions are available, bringing additional microphone placements, styles, and additional

Figure 1



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - December 2017

Contents
Recording - December 2017 - Intro
Recording - December 2017 - Cover1
Recording - December 2017 - Cover2
Recording - December 2017 - 1
Recording - December 2017 - 2
Recording - December 2017 - 3
Recording - December 2017 - 4
Recording - December 2017 - 5
Recording - December 2017 - Contents
Recording - December 2017 - 7
Recording - December 2017 - 8
Recording - December 2017 - 9
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Recording - December 2017 - Cover3
Recording - December 2017 - Cover4
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