Violin in Gypsy - Playability

[drbassie]

I've read the praises of the violin in Gypsy in regard to the wonderful sound and I've heard the demos on the website.

Is the violin in Gypsy playable in a live situation, (i.e. articulations, etc) accessible enough for performance or would one have to go back and edit the MIDI for a suitable sound? I've seen a quick demo here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pEAQSVXIMM and I must say it sounds convincing. Is Gypsy's violin equal/better? I seem to remember a discussion on the forums about aftertouch not being used in Gypsy for vibrato, is that right?



Thanks!

[the_minstrel]

I haven't had the opportunity to try the Garritan Stradivari violin. However, I have tried the Garritan Gofriller Cello. While the portamento was a real disappointment - the violin in Gypsy sounds WAY better in this respect - I did like some things about it, like how the vibrato is controlled. Sounded pretty good to my ears as well, not as convincing as the Gypsy violin, but then again, your vibrato control for the Gypsy violin is very limited. You're right about the aftertouch, btw.

The legatoprograms in Gypsy sounds very good and natural, although you are limited to legato-articulations using these patches. In combination with the keyswitching program, you can achieve fantastic result relatively easy, not without some programming though, I would say. I find it hard to get realistic sounding performances with some of the other instruments in Gypsy, like the flamenco-guitar. This is not so much because the instrument is lacking in quality and versatility as because of my programming skills, mind you. The violin are a breeze to work with though, but if you want to be able to switch between legato/portamento and say pizicatto on the fly, I'm not sure if the Gypsy Violin is the right choice for you (although I would say it most probably is, because of the superior tone and legato articulations). Perhaps this can be done, but if so, I don't know how. The legato patches are very playable, if you don't crave for more articulations. I can literary play with these patches for hours.

By the way, I was under the impression that the Stradivari violin had been discontinued? Perhaps I've been misinformed.

Hope this was somewhat helpful to you.

- Niklas

[jloving]

Originally Posted by the_minstrel

By the way, I was under the impression that the Stradivari violin had been discontinued? Perhaps I've been misinformed.

No, you're right - it's gone.

Jon