Synchron Solo Cello

• Captured on Stage A of Synchron Stage Vienna
• Natural flow of captivating performances
• Emotional depth & technical precision
• Vast arsenal of articulations
• 11 Microphone positions
• Several positions on stage (center, solo, 1st chair)
• Perfectly mixed with production-ready presets

A string instrument is arguably the most expressive among classical orchestra instruments, especially when it takes center stage as a soloist. The interplay between the bow, the fingers and the instrument opens up a vast and varied panoply of sound and performance possibilities. That’s why creating a solo strings virtual instrument is one of the ultimate challenges of sampling artistry, having to balance two key aspects: capturing the instrument’s full expressive complexity without imposing limitations, while simultaneously providing a software instrument that is easy to use and sounds authentic from the get-go.

The crucial factor that fundamentally determines the quality of a library is, above all, the musicians themselves. Sampling sessions are inherently demanding, requiring endurance and intense concentration. Over the years, we have refined our recording process to create the ideal conditions for our musicians. Striking the right balance between providing guidance and allowing musicians to find their own flow has been key. It is to our significant advantage that the musicians have become highly specialized session players for scoring recordings, while also bringing extensive experience in sampling to the studio.

The Synchron Solo Violin was performed by the concertmaster of the Synchron Stage Orchestra, Marina Dimitrova. Hailing from Bulgaria, she studied in Sofia, London and Vienna and was a member of the London Symphony Orchestra and the Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna. She regularly performs with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and played at festivals such as Salzburg and Wien Modern as a soloist and chamber musician.

The Synchron Solo Cello was performed by acclaimed soloist and one of the first chair players of the Synchron Stage Orchestra, Florian Eggner. Since founding one of today’s leading piano trios in 1997 with his two brothers Georg and Christoph, the Grammy-nominated “Eggner Trio” has performed numerous concerts all over the world (Vienna Musikverein, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Wigmore Hall London, Cité de la Musique Paris, Carnegie Hall New York).

Both musicians demonstrated extraordinary dedication and focus in one of the most extensive sampling sessions in the large hall of Synchron Stage Vienna, evidenced by the enormous number of available articulations. Short notes include a variety of spiccatos, staccatos, détachés, ricochet, and saltando. Long notes come with various vibrato styles, different attacks and releases as well as various slides. Legato variants include normal, agile, slurred, portamento, and lyrical styles. Playing techniques such as sforzato, several crescendos and diminuendos, tremolos, trills, harmonics, pizzicatos and col legno add a host of styles, tonal colors and dynamic nuances to the expressive possibilities of these software instruments.

To better match the capabilities of these instruments, the functionality of the Synchron Player has been expanded. A new Crossfade Editor allows for seamless blending and layering of two or more articulations, enabling users to fine-tune their preferred settings, such as defining the exact transition area between vibrato and non-vibrato or setting precise breakpoints between normal and rapid note sequences.

Another new feature, familiar to Vienna Instruments Pro users, is the Sequence Controller, which automates switching between two or more articulations. The presets include several suggestions, but the possibilities are virtually limitless. We highly recommend experimenting with your own creations, as this is not only enjoyable but also an inspiring tool that can significantly enhance your musical expression. Of course these new features are now available to all users of Synchron Player based libraries.

Multiple Microphone Positions

In order to capture the performances in the large Stage A, our recording engineers used multiple high-end microphone arrays, affording an abundance of options for creating your individual sound. The Full Library features three different sets of close microphones with tube, ribbon and condenser mic options, two pairs of mid mics, another ribbon pair a bit further away, as well as the Decca tree with additional surround and high surround outriggers.