Recording - June 2018 - 45

highlight the players, and it was fun to
play one set off the other. Similarly, the
Horns and 'Bones and Tubas' brass instruments each speak differently, and also
work well for opposing or intertwined
lines.
For me, the High and Low Wind instruments were the highlight, because
the interplay between performers during
the recording, and the excellence
of the recording itself, had me pushing those sounds forward whenever I
could. I generally shy away from sampled woodwinds because I often find
them plastic and two-dimensional; the
performance-oriented recordings in this
library brought these instruments into the
forefront, and are a serious contender
for "favorite sound in my arsenal" status.
As with other Spitfire libraries, mic
choice provides variation in the way that
sounds are presented to the listener. In
the case of Orchestral Swarm, I felt like
the different mics changed the level of
'attention-grabbing' for the sound. Close
mics promoted active listening, while distance mics would blend things into a more

relaxed background. A favorite of mine
was the ribbon mic option, which tended
to round off the edges and boost the mids
to produce a strong-but-smooth flavor.
The different swarming articulations
also change the perception of the sound,
but in a more direct way. The variations
come from different playing techniques-
tonguing and bow positioning styles
and duration alterations-as well as
compositional techniques: mixed staccatos,
trills, and multi-note mordants. Each
of these options adds a different 'generative' function to the result and each
was useful in its own way. I loved using
the woodwind 'flutter' and string 'whisper'
voicings for ambient backgrounds, since
they provided a delicate gloss along
with whatever harmonic changes I
was making. Conversely, the spiccato
articulations leaped out of the speakers,
providing strong melodic lines and
countermelodies when necessary.

Conclusion

Working with Orchestral Swarm is
a unique experience, because you've

probably never worked with an orchestra
like this. The ability to have sustained
notes that avoid artificial-sounding loops
means that you can take completely new
approaches to your compositions.
Orchestral Swarm works for many
occasions; audio-for-video, interesting
backgrounds behind spoken word, or
glossy pads in a music production.
This library delivers a beautiful sound
with a unique flavor, which makes it a
great value!
Delivery: Web download (29.7 GB)
Formats: Windows 7+ or macOS 10.10+,

Native Instruments Kontakt or Kontakt
Player (5.6.8 or higher, latest version
recommended)
Copy Protection: serial number
authorization via NI Service Center
License: Sounds can be used royalty-free
in original music recordings; no resale
or repackaging in products for resale
permitted
Documentation: inline contextual help,
PDF user manual
Price: $249
More from: Spitfire Audio,
www.spitfireaudio.com
http://www.spitfireaudio.com http://cras.edu
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - June 2018
