The Ultimate Brass Library

Mar 1, 2003 12:00 PM, By Rob Shrock

The December 2002 issue of EM premiered a new series highlighting top-notch titles in specific sample-library categories. The first installment focused on bass-guitar sounds. This month, we'll look at some of the best ensemble and solo brass libraries.

Using samples to realistically and musically capture the sound of brass instruments is a tall order. A lot goes on within a good live brass section: various embouchure articulations are called for, overall tone changes drastically with swells and sforzandos, and potential dynamic range is enormous. Blending within an orchestral section, carrying a solo line in a symphonic setting, or blowing in a jazz or funk group each require vastly different playing techniques. Needless to say, there are plenty of opportunities for brass libraries to fill the need for good horn sounds.

BIG FISH AUDIO

First Call Horns

First Call Horns is not yet commercially available, though it should be released by the time you read this. I had the opportunity to check out a beta version of the two-CD library, and it promises to be quite good. One of the few libraries that can function in pop/rock settings as well as orchestral, First Call Horns, in Giga format, has section and solo trumpet, piccolo trumpet, flügelhorn, trombone, soprano sax, alto sax, tenor sax, and bari sax. The final release may include more instruments than were on the beta version.

The programming was incomplete at the time that I reviewed the library, but the programs that were included were exceptionally good. Vibrato and nonvibrato versions of many instruments were provided. Mutes, falls, shakes, swells, and other idiomatic styles seemed well represented. Hopefully, the programmers will take full advantage of other techniques such as keyswitching, Mod-wheel crossfading, and release samples.

DAN DEAN PRODUCTIONS

Dan Dean Brass Ensembles

One of the newest brass libraries, Dan Dean Brass Ensembles, concentrates on exquisitely detailed sections of four French horns, three trumpets, and three trombones (see Fig. 1). Both ambient and close versions are provided for all articulations of each instrument. The Giga library comprises 12 CDs: each instrument gets 2 discs of close-miked samples and 2 discs of ambient samples. Full release-trigger implementation is provided so that you can add the natural large-room reverb to all layers and articulations.

The ambient patches are gorgeous, although I generally prefer using the close-miked versions and applying a concert-hall preset from Audio Ease Altiverb to put the sounds in the same “room” with sounds from other libraries. Still, I like the ambient samples very much.

A lot of detailed programming went into this library, which offers a huge variety of articulations and up to eight dynamic layers. This library has the best crossfades between dynamic layers that I've heard in a brass library, making the patches highly realistic and fun to play.

DAN DEAN PRODUCTIONS

Dan Dean Solo Brass

The predecessor to Dan Dean Brass Ensembles, this ten-CD library makes an excellent sonic complement. In addition to trumpet (vibrato and nonvibrato versions), trombone, and French horn, the library includes bass trombone, cimbasso (bass tuba), euphonium, tuba, and piccolo trumpet (vibrato and nonvibrato versions).

All of the samples are close-miked, which allows them to blend well with the close-miked samples in Dan Dean Brass Ensembles. The programming is thorough and the articulation choices are excellent with up to eight dynamic layers in many patches. The solo programs offer enough variety to create two- or three-part sections by combining different variations. (For more on building ensembles, see the sidebar “Sensible Ensembles.”) As in Dan Dean Brass Ensembles, the recording of the samples is excellent, making Dan Dean Solo Brass immensely useful in a wide variety of musical applications.

EASTWEST

Peter Siedlaczek's Advanced Orchestra

I reviewed the Roland and Akai versions of Peter Siedlaczek's original Advanced Orchestra library a few years ago (see the September 1998 issue of EM). The library was excellent then, but even a few years can feel like a century in the world of sound design, and sampling has improved a lot since that review was published. The newer Giga version of the library has been reworked a bit to take advantage of the current GigaStudio technology, which makes this five-CD library still viable in today's market (see Fig. 2).

Trumpet, trombone, and French horn sections are provided, along with solo versions of trumpet, piccolo trumpet, trombone, French horn, and tuba. A few solo phrases for the two trumpets are also included. (Remember that for the price you also get strings, woodwinds, percussion, and harp.)

Overall, the samples are great and clean, although they have a touch of cloudiness that I remember from the original versions. (A bit of EQ usually solves that problem.) The library offers some fine crossfading programs as well as keyswitching versions. The dynamic crossfades are second only to Dan Dean Brass Ensembles in their smoothness and playability.

The solo sounds blend well with other libraries, although they sound a little “smaller” than some of the newer libraries, which may be preferable in some settings.

EASTWEST

Quantum Leap Brass

Quantum Leap Brass is the most versatile brass library in this roundup (see Fig. 3). The five-CD set works just as well in a pop/rock genre as in an orchestral movie score. You can easily mix a jazzy, Miles Davis — sounding muted trumpet with triumphant French horn ensembles.

Alto sax, bari sax, tenor sax, soprano sax, trumpet, trombone, bass trombone, and tuba are offered as solo instruments, and you can use them effectively to create pop horn sections as well as jazz and rock horn solos. The overblown muted trumpet (think “Minnie the Moocher”) is a standout. For ensembles, the library includes a three-sax split, three trombones, three trumpets, and four French horns.

Mod-wheel-controlled filtering on many of the programs adds life to the excellent collection of samples. Still, I wish there were controller crossfades of dynamic layers other than with MIDI Velocity, and I'd like to see some keyswitching programs to make the wide variety of articulations more immediately accessible.

This library is primed for some Giga articulation updates to take full advantage of its potential. Separate versions for Akai S1000 and S5000 are available to maximize the programming capabilities of those samplers.

EASTWEST

SAM Horns

When I first heard SAM Horns at a friend's studio, I was immediately impressed; the French horn sounds were phenomenal (see Fig. 4). (French horn sections are the only patches in this single-CD Giga library.) Although any individual note in the library sounds like a professional four-person section, the tones blend extremely well when playing three- or four-note chords, and the size of the section doesn't sound as though it has instantly jumped to 12 or 16 players. Both ambient and close-miked samples are provided, along with a slew of effects that include swells, rips, interval leaps, clusters, trills, and glissandos. Keyswitching, Velocity switching, release triggers, and three dynamic layers add to the library's playability.

Everything in this library sounds terrific — not a dud within earshot. The Dutch developer's Web site (www.projectsam.nl) indicates that the company is working on additional instruments, and samples of trumpets and timpani are available for free download.

Solo lines sound powerful and majestic in SAM Horns, and you can create some absolutely gorgeous soft pads; I think I'll use some in my next project instead of synths.

ILIO ENTERTAINMENTS

The Memphis Horns

Few pop/rock horn libraries match the quality of the available orchestral brass libraries, but The Memphis Horns is an exception (see Fig. 5). Samples of the real Memphis Horns — Andrew Love and Wayne Jackson — absolutely drip with personality. The four-CD library includes lots of great licks and phrases in multiple keys, and it offers sustained chords, falls, noises, and other goodies characteristic of the legendary duo.

Unfortunately, the collection doesn't include chromatic multisamples of the players individually or in unison. Part of the original Memphis Horns sound comes from the way that the players voice chords and overdub themselves, as well as from the types of licks that they play. I would have loved some multisampled instruments so that I could have fleshed out the potential of the sampled phrases; that missing feature is the biggest drawback to this library.

On the other hand, the licks are so outstanding that if you only use this library a couple of times, that will justify its price tag. If you create commercial music, you could write loads of cuts based around this collection and sound extremely hip. Moreover, the documentation includes a personal note from Jackson that explains the philosophy behind the Memphis Horns; it's a great minilesson in good pop orchestration. You also get a discography of all the cuts that Love and Jackson have played on as well as technical information on the sampling sessions.

ILIO ENTERTAINMENTS

Miroslav Vitous Solo Instruments I and II

Another of the revamped “Golden Oldies” of the '90s, the Miroslav Vitous libraries have been a favorite of composers for a long time (see Fig. 6). You can't get a complete collection of brass instruments without purchasing both of the discs, because the instrument groups are broken up between the different titles.

Solo Instruments I (one CD; two in Giga format) includes trombone, bass trombone, and trumpet (along with bass clarinet, bassoon, clarinet, contrabassoon, viola, and cello). Solo Instruments II (one CD; two in Giga format) provides the French horn and tuba (along with alto flute, English horn, flute, oboe, piccolo, violin, and contrabass). The samples sound great, and they're very musical. But the library suffers from some inconsistent programming in the Giga format.

At most, each instrument has only four or five articulations, but they're in useful bread-and-butter patches. Keyswitched programs give you access to different articulations on the fly. The Mod wheel is used mostly for volume control. (I'd rather have the Mod wheel control filtering or crossfading between dynamic layers.) The instruments are dry, so you have to add ambience to them yourself.

The library is very good, but it's not a complete collection of brass sounds. More detailed GigaStudio programming coupled with some additional content would make this library more competitive by today's standards. Nevertheless, I know several composers who love these sounds and use them regularly on commercials and in film scores.

ILIO ENTERTAINMENTS

Miroslav Vitous Woodwind & Brass Ensembles

This single-CD library of ensemble patches has the sectional French horns, trombones, and trumpets in addition to bassoons, clarinets, flutes, and oboes (see Fig. 7). The samples are clear and punchy, and looped as well as unlooped versions are provided. See the previous entry for details on the programming.

ILIO ENTERTAINMENTS

Synclavier Brass and Winds

A bit long in the tooth, the Synclavier Brass and Winds single-CD library is available only in its original Akai and SampleCell versions. Nevertheless, there is something about this library's mix of solo patches and two- and four-player sections that works well in a variety of settings.

When they're soloed, each instrument may not sound particularly stellar, but when combined with other tracks, I'm often pleased with how well the sounds cut through a mix. This collection does not offer many articulations, and it doesn't provide any clever programming tricks. But Synclavier Brass and Winds is a good basic library to turn to for doubling instruments, adding a different “player” to an ensemble, or simply fattening orchestral or pop sections.

According to Ilio, Synclavier Brass and Winds may be discontinued in the next few months, although copies may still be available.

PYRAMID SOUND PRODUCTIONS

Prosonus Orchestral Collection

Prosonus Orchestral Collection is another older library that has been reedited, reprogrammed, and remastered for the Giga format. The upgrade has really blown new life into the original source material, which sounds great overall.

The solo instruments are bass trombone, cimbasso (an overblown version only), cornet, flügelhorn, French horn, trombone, trumpet, “pop trumpet,” piccolo trumpet, tuba in C, tuba in F, and “tuba FX.” A few brass ensemble programs are provided as full sections in octaves, so they're limited in their functionality. However, they are a lot of fun to experiment with, and I spent ten minutes just playing a bunch of “brappy”-sounding Danny Elfman — like spooky brass melodies.

The programming is good overall, though inconsistent in spots. I noticed some pretty bad tuning in the cornet and some incorrectly assigned samples in a few places. On many patches the Mod wheel introduces release samples of ambience that can be dialed in to taste. That's a hard thing to get right, and it's well done in this library. Keep in mind that the price of the library includes strings, woodwinds, and percussion, which are also very good.

IN THE STUDIO

Other titles are available for creating pop/rock brass sections, but they generally pale in comparison to the titles spotlighted in this roundup. I wish there were more high-quality pop-brass sample libraries to choose from, but until there are I'd turn first to Quantum Leap Brass. First Call Horns will undoubtedly be another good choice for pop sections and solo horns in the future, and The Memphis Horns is in a class by itself if you don't mind being limited to the available phrases and licks.

On the orchestral side, there is a lot more to choose from. I would put Dan Dean Brass Ensembles at the top of my must-have list, closely followed by Dan Dean Solo Brass, SAM Horns, and Advanced Orchestra. Quantum Leap Brass and Prosonus Orchestral Collection are excellent choices as well. Their main drawback is that the programming is not quite as detailed, so it takes more effort to manipulate the articulations authentically.

I can't wait for First Call Horns to be completed; it will really augment the great brass libraries that already exist. I would not discount the usability of Prosonus Orchestral Collection and the Miroslav Vitous libraries, because the “right” sound for a project is different every time. As doubling agents and to add depth to sections created by building up individual solo instruments, these libraries, along with Synclavier Brass & Winds, are immensely useful.

Some of the libraries combine especially well with other libraries, depending on the musical context. I prefer the sound of mixing libraries because that ultimately creates a more animated character that minimizes the sound of each library. I like that some instruments sound bigger in size than others, because it gives me choices in contrast. As hard as brass is to emulate with MIDI, we're finally getting to a point at which things sound pretty darn good.

---

Producer and musician Rob Shrock has worked with Burt Bacharach, Elvis Costello, Dionne Warwick, George Duke, Faith Hill, and many others. He currently serves on the Board of Governors for NARAS.

COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION

Big Fish Audio
tel. (800) 717-FISH or (818) 768-6115
e-mail info@bigfishaudio.com
Web www.bigfishaudio.com

Dan Dean Productions
tel. (206) 232-6191
e-mail dandean@dandeanpro.com
Web www.dandeanpro.com

EastWest
tel. (800) 969-9449 or (310) 271-6968
e-mail sales@eastwestsounds.com
Web www.soundsonline.com

Ilio Entertainments
tel. (800) 747-4546 or (818) 707-7222
e-mail info@ilio.com
Web www.ilio.com

Pyramid Sound Productions
tel. (800) 631-1346 or (303) 458-7154
e-mail info@pyramid-sound.com
Web www.pyramid-sound.com

SENSIBLE ENSEMBLES

I wish sample developers would address how brass sections are created in real life and give us that option. What we need more than unison ensemble samples are multiple “players.” For instance, a typical trumpet section consists of three players. When they play in unison you hear three distinct players on a single note. When they play a triad, you still hear three individual players, this time making up the chord with one player per note.

If you play a triad with an ensemble brass sound, you suddenly get the sound of nine “players” (three players per note), which causes an unsatisfactory shift in timbre. Using multiple copies of a single solo instrument to play each note of a triad is a poor substitute because the ear can hear that the subtle differences between players are missing and the voices are identical and therefore unnatural. What's more, you can't shift between harmony and unisons because of phasing on the unisons. The solution is to give us multiple solo instruments (First, Second, Third, and so forth) for those of us who like to build up sections one instrument at a time.

That approach is being taken already in many string libraries that offer completely different First and Second Violins with the same amount of detail provided for both. The result is an organic timbre that more closely rivals live recordings. Of course, that means a lot more work for the developers and repeated duplication of all of the available articulations, but today's technology supports that amount of data manipulation. For the most part, the lack of multiple individual solo players remains the biggest missing link in orchestral and ensemble simulations with samples.

Sample Libraries

Distributor	Title	Formats	Description	Price
Big Fish Audio	First Call Horns	Giga	2 CDs. Solo and section: trumpet, piccolo trumpet, flügelhorn, trombone, French horn, soprano sax, alto sax, tenor sax, bari sax.	$299.95
Dan Dean Productions	Brass Ensembles	Akai, Giga	12 CDs. French horn, trumpet, trombone.	$599 Akai; $699 Giga
Dan Dean Productions	Solo Brass	Akai, Giga	10 CDs. Bass trombone, cimbasso, euphonium, French horn, piccolo trumpet, trombone, trumpet, tuba.	$549 Akai; $649 Giga; $119 per instrument
EastWest	Peter Siedlaczek's Advanced Orchestra	Akai, E-mu, EXS-24, Giga, Roland	5 CDs. Solo: trumpet, piccolo trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba. Section: 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, French horns. Also string ensembles, woodwinds, percussion, harp.	$495
EastWest	Quantum Leap Brass	Akai, E-mu, Roland, Giga, Kurzweil, Unity	5 CDs. Solo: trumpet, piccolo trumpet, flügelhorn, trombone, bass trombone, tuba, soprano sax, alto sax, tenor sax, bari sax. Section: 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 3-sax split, 4 French horns.	$395
EastWest	SAM Horns	Giga	1 CD. French horn sections.	$99.95
Ilio Entertainments	The Memphis Horns	Mixed set: Audio/WAV, and Akai	4 CDs (2 mixed format/2 Akai). Trumpet, trombone, bari-sax, and tenor-sax phrases.	$299
Ilio Entertainments	Miroslav Vitous Solo Instruments I and II	Akai, E-mu EOS, Giga, Kurzweil, Roland, SampleCell	I: 1 CD (2 in Giga). Trumpet, trombone, bass trombone. Also bass clarinet, bassoon, clarinet, contrabassoon, viola, cello. II: 1 CD (2 in Giga). French horn, tuba. Also piccolo, flute, oboe, alto flute, English horn, violin, contrabass.	$795 each
Ilio Entertainments	Miroslav Vitous Woodwind & Brass Ensembles	Akai, E-mu EOS, Giga, Kurzweil, Roland, SampleCell,	1 CD. 3 trumpets, 3 trombones 4 French horns. Also 3 flutes, 3 bassoons, 3 oboes, clarinets.	$795
Ilio Entertainments	Synclavier Brass and Winds	Akai, SampleCell	1 CD. Trumpet, trombone, tuba, flügelhorn, 2- and 4-trumpet unisons, 2-trombone unisons, French horn, saxes. Also flute, oboe, clarinet, English horn, bass clarinet, bassoon, and exotic winds.	$249
Pyramid Sound Productions	Prosonus Orchestral Collection	Akai, Giga, Kurzweil	1 CD; 2 CDs in Giga format. Solo: Trumpet, piccolo trumpet, flügelhorn, French horn, trombone, bass trombone, tuba, cimbasso, cornet. Brass ensemble, brass orchestra. Also flute, piccolo, clarinet, obe d'amore, English horn, bassoon, contrabassoon, strings, percussion, harp.	$295