Brief Review of Miroslav Philharmonic 2 (MP2) posted on VI-Control I’ve updated a quick little review I wrote after having worked with MP2 for a week-end right after getting it in December. I’ve edited for clarity and removed a few things that have since then been resolved.
Original post from Dec 20, 2015:
http://vi-control.net/community/threads/miroslav-philharmonik-2-reviews.50437/ ---The install went fine, following the directions on how to overcome the path limitations on Windows. MP2 installs in the SampleTank3 folder structure and inherited some, but not all of ST3's settings. I had to change audio to ASIO and set/reset buffer sizes etc. IK released an update 2.0.1 that fixed some of the most obvious problems. A second update 2.0.2 was released in February of 2016.
The samples are recorded and presented dry, i.e. without reverb. This is especially obvious for the strings. The samples are clear and detailed and sound good. I prefer relatively dry recordings as they mix better with other instruments, and essentially allow me to add reverb that is consistent across instruments.
I do want to point out that the brass has some room-sound built in, so they are not “completely dry”.
There are both Ensemble and Solo version of the instruments – they sound good together and are consistent. Some of my favorite MP1 are also included and have been updated to fit within the MP2/ST3 infrastructure.
Things to be aware of:
1) I’m used to using CC1 to transparently switch between velocity layers (sometimes called dynamics). MP2 instead provides one or more independent recording of e.g. ff, mf, and p and expect me to switch between them as different articulations. To me, this is a huge limitation and makes it very difficult to use the instruments. A bit disappointed.
2) Everything is velocity based, so contrary to how most orchestral libraries work, I have to pick e.g. a mf string sample, use key-velocity (i.e. hit harder) to increase volume and then switch to a ff-sample when appropriate. For e.g. brass, where the tonality changes the harder one blows, MP2’s approach is highly inaccurate as there is much more to the sound than just volume. I realize some of this can be addressed by mapping CC1 to “expression” (which I did), but it does not address the dynamics. A bit disappointed.
3) The interface is a skinned version of Sample Tank 3, and is thus familiar. A plus.
4) Nit-pick: In my opinion, “sustain” means “hold until I release the key”. This is not consistently the case in MP2. In MP2, “sustain” often means “3-5 seconds then stop playing”. Historically, in MP1, the “hold until released” was called “looped” (now “LP”) so there is some precedence for MP not using the commonly accepted definition of sustain.
5) On the FX tab, I really like the “EQ Comp” that is on by default. I promptly turn the “Comp” to 10 db, as it adds great presence. The “ConvoRoom” reverb is excellent. ConvoRoom is OFF by default, but adds great reverb if no external verb is needed.
6) I’m happy to see the MP1 instruments updated and included. Those “oldies” are still fantastic.
On a daily basis I use East West QL Hollywood Orchestra Diamond and Albion One/I. MP2 is sonically different from both, and sounds more “intimate” or like a “small/nimble ensemble”. I can see a place for it when I need a smaller and clean/clear sound.
In summary: I like the sound. I miss having CC1-switching for dynamics, and I think this ultimately will result in me not using it much. If I did not have experience with the “bigger” libraries I would likely have been pretty pleased with the upgrade.
Please recognize that this is one person’s current opinion. Hope this was helpful.
Allan
February 2016 – UpdateSome of my initial issues have been addressed, which is why I updated the review. I have just a few more observations:
1) Playability remains excellent for a Pianist, but it’s definitely difficult not having CC-controllable dynamics. I do find the velocity-driven approach in MP2 to work well for solo instruments.
2) The lack of CC-dynamics makes it difficult to create intra-note crescendos. There are ways to address this through the controls provided (see item 2 above).
3) There are still a number of inconsistencies in the sampling. I’ve reported a few, but IK does not, as far as I can tell, acknowledge or communicate on such issues.
I still like the sound and have begun using MP2 fairly consistently.
Hope this post is of value.
Allan