Nord Wave Realistic Strings

[Maus]

Anyone tips how to make a very realistic string sound? which sample(s) do you use and do you layer them? do you use effects?

thnx, Maurits

[fibreman]

Depends on what the strings are for. A lot of the preset string sounds (some from factory, some from the 'supersounds' collection I think) are excellent and cover nearly all the bases. I mean, you have to work the vibrato in a bit for some of them but it's nothing impossible.

There's two solo cello sounds on there with slightly different characters and I like them both equally. A couple of the string quartet and orchestra patches are excellent too. If you're recording then the trick is in the arrangement, it's often best to layer up a section gradually using individual instrument sounds rather than bound in with a big two handed chord on an ensemble patch. Live performance is a bit different, anything complex like a full philharmonic string section I prefer to farm out to a dedicated hardware sampler.

[mhmm]

The trick to getting any close approximation of real instruments on a synth is to have control over the dynamics. The wave is great for this because it allows you to morph parameters via velocity and also scale them up the keyboard.

Play around with morphing the OSC MIX, ADSR, and Filter Env. Amount with the velocity source.

Think about how string instruments change tone as they get higher in pitch and replicate this with the keyboard morph source. Use the mod wheel to add some swirl.

Norm~