AAS String Studio

I bought String Studio last year on sale. It was one of those "no brainer" sales, but I really should have switched on my brain first because I've never found a single use for it since.

It is a clever bit of programming, though. Does a great koto, but strange as it may seem I have never actually needed a koto.

Woa!...Thanks for the compliment, PasterBelvedere :).  I enjoyed making those patches.  Physical modeling synths can be quite inspiring, particularly when trying to make abstract material and blatantly synthetic sounds.

For those interested, a sound designer by the alias "Electric Himalaya" also made a bank for String Studio and he does good work.

And another "Thank You" to Mario D :).  A good word is much appreciated and I make it a point to personally acknowledge it everytime I catch one.  Encouragement and knowing that there are people out there who have faith in my work is what keeps me going despite the obstacles.  I have big plans for this business and some ambitious goals, even toying with the idea of learning VSTi programming to build and sell my dream synth.  The hard part is getting the time to learn those skills. 

XenosSoundworks.com
 

For those interested, a sound designer by the alias "Electric Himalaya" also made a bank for String Studio and he does good work.

Thank you for the mention, Brian! :)

Maybe you're right, himalaya. I think I'll go back and give it another chance. I'll start by listening to your demos...

OK, so I downloaded your demos and I am listening to them now. I think I see what I've been doing wrong: my reverb tails are under 8 seconds' duration!

I see the AAS String Studio as a great and versatile instrument. Capable of a wealth of sounds and definately with a different texture and feel. With or without reverbs large or small it sounds excellent.

Yes the plucked sounds are one of its highlights and it does that with a great deal of realism. I find the patches inspire me all the time and can easily form the basis of an idea, or you have got a piece of music already well complete and you need some touch that AAS String Studio can bring so well.

But Himalayas patches are very good indeed.  And I love the way they divert into some very interesting ambient and soundscape and other territory. Well done there. I have just been playing with the arpegiated patches and they too are quite beautiful in their own way. It is good to invest in a few sound banks from different sources they all sound quite different. And I am only talking about preset patches so far as well, once you start editing them then they can take on a whole new level.

I find that playing different patches takes you into entirely different music genres. eg  Greek Philosophers for example (I love that sound himalaya) I start playing all this Irish Dulcimer type folk Music. But some of the ambient patches take you into dark complex worlds and so on. Plucked sounds into their Asian roots etc..The arpegiated patches into a world of electronic music. You can spend quite a bit of time just exploring those arpeigeted patches. (love those too himalaya)

The other AAS stuff is excellent too. I highly recommend the free AAS player even if it's for the great free Swatches you get with that.  A great cross section just there. I have also bought Cinematheque and Angelicals for the great Ultra Analog VA -1 synth and yes it sounds fat. Even though you cannot edit these sounds on the player as such they are great to play and have as part of your sound arsenal.

The reason I mention it is that the type of music I do, whether my own or others' compositions, never has a place for an 8-second Vangelish reverb. Ever. It's just not that open. Consequently, any demos laden with long lush reverbs are simply not applicable to me, pretty though they may be to listen to.

I fully understand and agree. Myself, I don't have a need for copious amounts of reverb in every patch, but I do like a huge wash of creamy reverb now and again, since I love ambient music. However, my demos have sounds with lots of reverb, with no reverb at all, and with intimate, small room reverbs, so to have noticed only the long reverb is strange. That's all.

I also fully understand why others may not like String Studio or perhpas why it may be too difficult to coax other sounds than koto. Personally I like these type of sounds a lot, no trace of koto anywhere ;-)

http://www.electric-himal..._Auto-Drone_String.mp3
(a kind of ethnic drone emulating Tambura plucking, but with a different sound)

or this

http://www.electric-himal...otlight-Bowed_Reed.mp3
(notice the reverb, a mid size dark hall, definitely under 8 minutes ;-) )