DDSWW > Sonic Control

Sonic Control - Ryan Miglierina

Overall Rating: (5/5)
Sound Quality: (5/5)
Usability: (5/5)
Programming & disc layout: (5/5)
Value: (5/5)


Dan Dean Solo Woodwinds is the latest a series of acoustic instrument libraries to be released from Dan Dean Productions (creators of the recent and also reviewed Dan Dean Solo Brass, Dan Dean Solo Strings and the Dan Dean Bass Collection). Included in this 10 CD-ROM set are instruments such as Alto Flute, Flute, Bass Flute, Bass Clarinet, Clarinet, Bassoon, Contra Bassoon, English Horn and Oboe (each instrument occupying one CD of the ten in the library. Designed with an emphasis put on realism and expression, these woodwind samples feature up to 6 sampled velocities per note, with hundreds of samples per several-hundred megabyte instrument patch.

Flutes

There are three flutes in Dan Dean Solo Woodwinds, including an Alto Flute, Flute and Bass Flute (each on a separate CD). Each of the three flutes has been sampled with and without vibrato for the legato sustains and there are also staccato and portato samples for each instrument. The Alto Flute is sampled chromatically from G3 to E6 with four velocity layers per note and three sampled velocities for the sustained legato vibrato and non-vibrato samples (pp, mf and f). The staccato and portato patches also feature four velocity layers, with samples recorded in p, pp and mf. The The Bass Flute is sampled chromatically from C3 to F5 also with three sampled velocities per note on the non-vibrato and vibrato sustains of pp, p and mf as well as on the staccato and portato samples. Now, you may be saying "But wait! There are no forte layers on the staccato or portato for the Alto and Bass Flute nor are there forte sustains on the Bass Flute!" That observation is correct and although that might be limiting depending on the situation, I actually found myself using these samples more for their lower, pp and mf velocity layers based on their thick, rough and almost darkly ethereal quality (especially the vibrato sustains). The Flute has been sampled chromatically from C4 to C7 with six sampled velocities of pp, p, mp, mf, f and ff for all of the sustains (vibrato and non) as well as for all of the staccato and portato samples.

With all three instruments, there are a variety of presets that allow you to choose just how you want to access the articulations and the sampled velocities within each articulation. Each flute has 52 presets that you can choose from, and through these presets you can choose to control the dynamics either through a multi-layered velocity switched patch or with the dynamic layers in isolation through key-switching. For instance, you can access just the pp samples, or just the ff samples by triggering the appropriate key in the key-switch. Through the use of key-switching you can also switch between vibrato and non-vibrato samples on-the-fly and a preset to allow the same function through manipulation of the mod-wheel is also available. Transition between the vibrato and non-vibrato samples through the use of the mod-wheel is actually quite smooth with all of the instruments; pressing the mod-wheel down will allow you to access the non-vibrato samples, while pushing it all the way up will access the vibrato samples. In a similar fashion, you can also switch between the non-vibrato/vibrato sustains to staccato or portato through key-switching or through the mod-wheel (or a combination of both), which is quite handy indeed.

Out of the three Flutes, I found the Alto Flute and Bass Flute patches to be slightly less expressive than the Flute patch, undoubtedly due to the fact that the Flute patch contains twice as many sampled velocities than the Alto Flute or the Bass Flute. To be honest, I would have loved to have seen more sampled velocities for both the Alto and Bass Flutes to match what is available in the superb Flute patch, but what is there is adequate and I found them to still be quite usable. The Flute patch is also almost three times the size of the Alto and Bass Flute patches (734 megabytes), with twice as many samples (over 900) and the result is a lot more in the way of detail and character for each velocity that has been sampled. I know that I'll probably end up tossing out all of my other Flute samples and using these Flute samples exclusively for legato sustains and staccato. Dan Dean has managed to capture most of the brilliance that you would expect in the higher registers of the Flute, along with a really great silvery timbre in the lower registers (without sounding too "dull").

Clarinets

Next, we have the clarinets. There are two types of clarinets that have been sampled here which include both the Clarinet and Bass Clarinet. Both instruments feature 6 sampled velocities of pp, p, mp, mf, f and ff; the Clarinet (545 megabytes) has been sampled chromatically from D3 to F6, the Bass Clarinet (451 megabytes) from Db2 to Bb4. Three main articulations are featured with both instruments, including non-vibrato legato sustains, staccato and portato/mezzo staccato. There are no vibrato legato sustains as you might have noticed with either the Clarinet or Bass Clarinet (just non-vibrato), I assume left out because playing clarinet with a vibrato seems to still be a rarity with a lot of classical players. Like the flute patches, control over the sampled articulations is handled through one of 26 presets that allow for switching on-the-fly between non-vibrato sustains and either staccato or portato through either key-switching or through use of the mod-wheel. That is not to say that you have to simply load up one of the presets with the more advanced control properties enabled for any of the instruments, if you don't want to. If you just want to start playing, the main preset that is loaded by default will allow you to play a velocity-switched patch featuring all of the non-vibrato sustains (or if vibrato sustains are available for the other instruments, you can choose to load those). With the six sampled velocities, the legato sustains and staccato samples are simply lovely; smooth and silky in the lower registers of the Clarinet with a thickly characteristic sound captured for the Bass Clarinet - overall, a really nice sounding "body" to these sampled instruments adds to the illusion that the Clarinet and Bass Clarinet aren't sampled at all.

Bassoon & Contra Bassoon

The Bassoon and Contra Bassoon also share the same types of sampled articulations, including legato vibrato and non-vibrato sustains, staccato and portato/mezzo staccato. The 412 megabyte Bassoon has been sampled in up to four velocities of pp, p, mf and f on staccato and portato, with three velocities on its non-vibrato and vibrato sustains (p, mf and f, mapped over four velocity layers). The 398 megabyte Contra Bassoon has been sampled in even more detail with six velocities across all of its sampled articulations which include pp, p, mp, mf, f and ff (mapped over 8 velocity layers). Both instruments have been sampled chromatically across all of the four basic articulations: the Bassoon from Bb1 to Db6 and the Contra Bassoon from Bb1 to Db2. Control of the articulations is again handled in the exact same fashion as the other instruments in the library, allowing you to switch between any articulation on the fly through the use of key-switching or the mod-wheel from within one of 52 presets per instrument. The Bassoon and Contra Bassoon perform and sound very well. A friend of mine who is a Bassoon player remarked on how realistic she thought both the Bassoon and Contra Bassoon sound, remarking, "They can do that with samples?"

English Horn & Oboe

Finally we have two of my favorite sampled instruments in this library, the English Horn and the Oboe. Continuing in the tradition of the other instruments in the library, both the 633 megabyte English Horn and 608 megabyte Oboe feature four basic articulations of non-vibrato and vibrato sustains as well as staccato and portato/mezzo staccato samples. Throughout all articulations, each instrument has been sampled chromatically: the English horn from E3 to A5 with five sampled velocities of p, pp, mp, mf and f and the Oboe from Bb3 to D6 with six sampled velocities of pp, p, mp, mf, f and ff. Again, switching between non-vibrato and vibrato can be done on-the-fly, as well as switching between sustains and either staccato or portato, with 52 different presets to choose from which allow for control via key-switching, mod-wheel and of course velocity switching. The vibrato sustains are just as gorgeous sounding as the non-vibrato sustains on both instruments, both with a sense of openness and purity that really shines through. I found the English Horn and the Oboe quite inspiring to work with, and in fact spent hours just noodling around with these patches and their presets alone. The only thing that I would ask for (and this is probably a matter of personal taste) is a bit more vibrato on the lower-register samples of the vibrato oboe (and maybe even a bit more on some notes in the upper as well).

The quality of the recordings here is immaculate - there is not much else to say about the sound quality, it's really that good. All of the samples are recorded in stereo, miked moderately close with minimal room reverberation. They're also not EQ'd to death. What does this mean? It means that you can put them pretty much anywhere in your mix, you have the ability to EQ them exactly how you want, and it means that they work transparently with reverb. They integrate fantastically with other instruments; underneath your strings for a delicate texture, behind your orchestra or by themselves performing dynamic solos or as part of a wind ensemble.

The programming on Dan Dean Solo Woodwinds is purposely consistent throughout. You'll find the same methods of control in all of the instrument patches for the most part and they allow for lot of intuitive control over almost every sampled property of each instrument Being able to switch between portato, staccato and non-vibrato and vibrato sustains on the fly either through key-switching and/or the mod-wheel is an excellent feature and makes the task of performing with these samples an intuitively musical one. The non-vibrato and vibrato samples on the sampled instruments don't gradually fade into one another mind you as you manipulate the mod-wheel while holding the same note, so you will have to re-trigger the note again in order for the vibrato to sound. Excellent is the ability to be able to isolate velocity layers through key-switching, so you can simply choose to play within one velocity layer at a time. There does not appear to be presets for any of the instruments to directly control attenuation/dynamics through breath control as there is in the newer Dan Dean Solo Brass library (also reviewed), although you can manually program this in yourself if you are familiar with your sample editor. I also noticed that there are on presets that utilize aftertouch.

Another feature is the ability to switch between a variety of different attacks. You can choose to switch on the fly between slow and fast attacks for all of the instruments, and this offers up yet another method of adding more realism to your performance.

Special light versions of all of the instruments (and all of their presets) have been included in Dan Dean Solo Woodwinds. These light versions are designed specifically for those who have limited resources, and feature less sampled notes while retaining all of the velocity layers and features of the full versions. I found these to be excellent for doing quick orchestral mock-ups, without maxing out the sampler. Even with one sample for every three notes or so on the keyboard, these "light" patches remain completely usable - playability has not been sacrificed, nor has musicality.

One thing that I found with Solo Woodwinds is that it does indeed take a lot of work to get the feel of the library. I have spent well over two weeks working with DDSW, getting to "know" the instruments and how to best get what I need out of them through performance and when sequencing. Right out of the box you can put the samples to immediate use, but it is absolutely worthwhile to spend time noodling with the instruments, just to get the feel right. I still don't have everything "down", but with continued work I'm confident that I'll become more and more comfortable with the samples. A similarity with Dan Dean Solo Brass is also apparent - these are the basic staples of woodwinds with vibrato and non-vibrato legato sustains, staccato and portato/mezzo staccato articulations that have been recorded. What this library is not, is a collection of effects (or even traditional articulations with a bunch of effects thrown in). So as you can see, there is an absence of abstract sounds, runs, glisses, trills and so on. The focus of the library has instead been put on capturing three or four basic articulations and capturing them well, as opposed to sampling every imaginable sound combination under the sun with limited usability in traditional situations that require solo woodwinds. If you require different types of sampled articulations that go beyond the three or four that are offered in DDSW, you may need to seek them out from additional woodwind libraries to compliment DDSW.

Each instrument in DDSW can be bought separately for just over $100 per CD, allowing you to build on your woodwind collection gradually or you can purchase the entire 10-disc set at one lump sum price (kudos to the very stylish CD-wallet keep case that the library ships in, very slick). Buying one disc/instrument at a time is a bit more expensive in the long run as opposed to buying the entire library at once, although it's just fabulous for anyone who is either at an entry level or for someone who just needs one or two instruments for a moderate price, without sacrificing quality. And if the quality of this library is any indication, the Dan Dean line of products should and will become one of the new gold standards in sample libraries. These types of libraries represent a revolutionary step in the direction of capturing absolute realism and uncompromising detail and expressiveness and in my opinion, worth every penny. These sampled instruments are a must have if your doing sample-based orchestral music and they've again raised the bar for all instrument sample libraries.


> Read the "Electronic Musician" review.

> Read the "Samplepools" review.

James Newton Howard - Film Composer

"We started using the Dan Dean Solo Woodwinds as soon as we received them. They have replaced many of our other woodwind sounds. They are laid out logically and are well programmed. It is a fantastic collection!"

Ken Harrison - Composer

"Dan, I have just completed a project where I was able to use most of your solo woodwinds. With this addition to my sample library, my tracks aresounding more live and authentic than ever before. Producers are impressed because they think I actually hired "Live" players! Wow, I love this stuff! Can't wait for the "solo horns". Bring 'em on . . . quick!!"

Danny Pelfrey - Film Composer

"They're unbelievable! They replace everything else I've ever used! This library is going to make a great difference to my work."

David Newman - Film Composer

"They are great! I love that ability to manipulate the articulations... fantastic.... can't wait for the brass!



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