Some Darned Amazing Virtual Instruments

I've been out of composing and recording for some time, but I'm beginning to prep to release my first full scale album. Now, I do all my recording and mixing on my computer - playing keyboards and guitars using a mix of digital sounds and acoustic recording.

Since my last batch of recording, which was largely done using the sounds from my Roland music workstation, the world of virtual instrumentation has come a long way. That's where music instruments are sampled and modeled as computer software that responds to keyboard playing.

It takes a lot of work to master a given virtual instrument - it doesn't come for free, but does mean I can work away on my own in the wee hours without paying session musicians heaps of overtime, and experiment with ideas

First stop, Guitars
Now the sad truth is, my guitar and keyboard chops have taken a turn for the worse out of neglect, and I really only have time to work one up. So I started looking into virtual instrumentation on electric and acoustic guitars. I've never learned to play electric, so my first hope was to find a passable electric... ideally a Stratocaster. Some google searching and review reading turned up MusicLab's RealStrat. Wow.

Check out the Rock demo...



as well as a Cleaner sound.



On the acoustic front, Vir2 offers the Acoustic Legends HD series, which I'm likely to ultimately get as well, but I'm also considering RealGuitar, also from Media Lab.

Check out this Pull Off test.



Next stop - Orchestra
Now, you can't replace a great violin player with a bunch of software, but you can sure as heck come close - I'd have never thought it, but once I heard Garritan's Stradivari Violin, well... listen for yourself... For Claire.



...and when the solo violin is used as a concertmaster and mixed with the Garritan Personal Orchestra instrument, you get a reasonable pass at Beethoven's Fifth.



I'll never produce a classical album with this stuff, but for doing "cut above" arrangements behind my middle of the road stuff - I'm all up for that.

I called about the Stradivari Violin, since it couldn't be ordered from their website. It's been discontinued to be re-released in the near-ish future as a chamber ensemble set which will include the violin, but also bring in violoas, cellos and the like.

Another thought on the solo violin (as well as some other great instruments, notably the classical guitar) might be the Quantum Leap Gypsy.



The other instrument I've always thought was completely badly done in keyboards and virtual instrumentation is flute - but check out this demo of the Vienna Symphonic Library's Flute.



The more I cruise the Vienna Symphonic Libraries, the more I'm blown away - but they aren't cheap at all.

... and slide by the Brass Section

Now, brass is actually much more of a mainstay for me - I love a great horn section on a tune - and I've often considered hiring a brass section - but wait... say hello to Chris Hein Horns.

And then there was Goliath

Now, it turns out there are tons and tons of great virtual instruments out there, but for an overall package of great sounds you really can't beat, check out EastWest's Quantum Leap Goliath.





Goliath has has a pretty amazing range of instruments, but the inclusion of the Bösendorfer 290 Concert Grand Piano is jaw dropping. Check out Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.



So, I'm sure I'll track down other cool virtual instruments and the like - and I'm already back to doing the basic songwriting - so we'll see you on here as things develop. :D