Jeremy Spencer
Senior Member
I grabbed the Ostinato series during their generous giveaways, and I agree, very difficult to wrap your head around....definitely not intuitive.
Which Sonokinetic library to choose?
- Thread starter Akcel
- Start date
kitekrazy
Senior Member
So many of us are guilty as charged.
jbuhler
Senior Member
They frequently go on sale, often at more 50% or more off. I recommend picking up one to experiment with. Even if you never use one in a cue there’s a wealth of orchestration in them all neatly scored up and broken down inside the plugin so you can profitably learn from that if nothing else.I would really like to try a demo of one of their libraries to understand how they perform in "real life" and if they match my workflow... the demo and the potential are great, but I have doubt that i will be able to use them!
jbuhler
Senior Member
I don’t think anyone else does phrase libraries the way Sonokinetic does. And the libraries are reasonably well designed for what they do. (I say reasonably because much of the keyboard functionality is complex, even convoluted.) I agree with many that the general Ostinato libraries are harder to use in practice for some weird reason, even though their design is simpler. But I think they nailed Ostinato Noir, maybe because it allows chords other than triads.
ScarletJerry
Senior Member
I have two phrase-based Sonokinetic libraries - Vivace (discontinued) and Capriccio. I purchased Vivace because I also bought the score book that has notation for all of the phrases that are used - it's a great teaching tool. Capriccio also has that, and you can also read the score on the screen. I also like Capriccio because it has an easy to use woodwinds and strings runs library (very realistic) a simple percussion ensemble, as well as strings, brass, woodwind and pitched percussion phrases. The trick is to use their phrases to enhance your music rather than making it the focus of your composition. I think that it's very effective for that. Vivace is not available any longer, but that had phrases that truly could stand on their own. The problem is that they were very overused in commercial productions - but that's also part of their charm. I needed to quickly write a score for a pandemonium/chase scene for a presentation, and I was able to whip up something in a few minutes.
Anyway, I don't have any other phrase libraries, but Capriccio could be a good place to start. Even if you don't use it, it's fun just to noodle around with the randomizer to see what patterns it can generate and also study the scores as a learning tool. I would just echo what others have said and wait for their holiday sales because the libraries are pricey if you just want to purchase something to try it.
Scarlet Jerry
Anyway, I don't have any other phrase libraries, but Capriccio could be a good place to start. Even if you don't use it, it's fun just to noodle around with the randomizer to see what patterns it can generate and also study the scores as a learning tool. I would just echo what others have said and wait for their holiday sales because the libraries are pricey if you just want to purchase something to try it.
Scarlet Jerry
dzilizzi
Senior Member
Listening to your music, I would recommend Capriccio. I tend to use these libraries like I would use a Spitfire textural library. Only I find SK's libraries easier to work with because I can select the chords. And sometimes it is just fun to load all the different sections up and play. Spitfire's evo grids are not as easy for me to work with.
The single one I don't have and will wait for 12 days of Xmas to get it.
I was telling I had an issue with the 49 keys can't do it, so well, I expand with another one or a pad. You just need an octave.
The idea is really great but the curve is really high, because you feel that punching a chord and then doing a whole progression "with one finger" seems like a jukebox.
But the curve, I think, it's focused on being able to split the sections, change phrases and also change the orchestration sections in between while you go with the progression, so you feel like the guy doing cartoon sounds in the 50's.
But here's the sauce, it doesn't matter much, because the idea is getting the ostinatos structure and then exporting them and then forget that library and load your one and keep doing it. Not the triplets, accents, the whole chords and harmony is there too.
So that's why Ost Noire complements the tool with extended chords. You can indeed have a SUS4 chord as I and it will assist you with the whole harmony progression up to the VII.
Like OPUS orchestrator, not for end game.
*don't forget that the sustain pedal on Ostinatos work as a latching switch, it will keep the chord playing when pressed.
jbuhler
Senior Member
The harmonic shift thing is very complicated and I can't say that I've every really figured it out well enough to be comfortable with it. Generally, I've taken to just adding another instance so I can stack harmonies or output the midi so I can rescore them.
Yep, great as a tool, I keep paying attention to the harmonies and try to understand when it decides to do inversions, anyway, this is how it feels like playing it live at the beginning xD
Double Helix
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Same here
Plus, I tend to slow the patterns down when adding another instance: seems to work better/cleaner as underscore
. . . and Ostinato Brass also accepts chords other than minor & major, similar to Osinato Noir (min7 & maj7/dom7 and augmented & diminished)
jbuhler
Senior Member
It’s been a long time since I used and I don’t love the tone of Ostinato Brass—flabby rather than cutting as I remember. I forgot that it had that extended chord functionality.
ed buller
Senior Member
I have a lot of their Libraries. They tend to get used when I am in massive hurry and need some loops. They all sound decent in that situation. However if I have the time then I'll make those textures myself and prefer them.
Espressivo is my fav as it has a lot of techniques that add an instant realism to certain cues. But there's not a lot of of dynamic range and the interface is a ball ache as you HAVE to have WW, Br, Perc, and Strings all the time. Very hard to recall and program......proper pain.
The sound quality is generally excellent . Mod Wheel just makes it quieter, I don't hear any dynamic ranges in a lot of the samples. If You are new to orchestration though the pre-recorded patterns are very useful and can add proper realism if you are in a hurry.
The interfaces are VERY byzantine and annoying. They really need to re-think that
Best
ed
Espressivo is my fav as it has a lot of techniques that add an instant realism to certain cues. But there's not a lot of of dynamic range and the interface is a ball ache as you HAVE to have WW, Br, Perc, and Strings all the time. Very hard to recall and program......proper pain.
The sound quality is generally excellent . Mod Wheel just makes it quieter, I don't hear any dynamic ranges in a lot of the samples. If You are new to orchestration though the pre-recorded patterns are very useful and can add proper realism if you are in a hurry.
The interfaces are VERY byzantine and annoying. They really need to re-think that
Best
ed
Sus2 and Sus4 for instance. I think Noire has 7Sus4 and minorMajor where others have Majorminor? (like we'll use it constantly lol)
Roger Newton
Senior Member
Sonokinetic are almost always for underscore or ornamentation in my case. Their libraries in my case are always mixed up with a lot of other stuff. Indie is good for adding detail and is more or less the same as a live instrumental player providing you're happy with the phrases. They make listeners think you're using live players quite often. That may or may not matter to most but adds a certain ambience to a track on occasion.
Braveheart
Senior Member
Big sale right now, maybe no need to wait for Christmas
Kyle Preston
I Think, Therefore I Ambient
Hard agree ism! You've now inspired me to consider buying Minimal
I've used Espressivo and Capriccio for years, there's nothing quite like the real thing is there? But I'd say 75% of the time, I end up replacing (if I have time) with more traditional libs like Berlin WW or Spitfire Chamber, cuz I'm a masochist.
But they're fun ways of testing out orchestration ideas. Even if only to have more of your background textures contain more movement and rhythm (instead of just soft pads).
But like Ed and others have said, the UI is aggressively awkward (at least for the two SK libs I own). Half the time, I just bounce to audio immediately and edit the wavs, instead of using Midi. Tho I do really love the drag to Midi option they've included, that's really pretty cool, illustrative, and helpful.
Justin L. Franks
Senior Member
All of the Ostinatos do a lot more than triads.
They all recognize:
major
minor
diminished
half diminished
dominant 7th
major 7th
minor 7th
augmented
minor major 7th
sus2
sus4
7sus4
All with different inversions, and all with multiple voicings.
It's really quite powerful.
I just wish they would update Strings and Brass with the inversion sequencer. Woodwinds and Noir has it, the others don't. And if you could change the length of each block in that sequencer. And if there was a 4th row so you could sequence all the inversions of 4-note chords.
EDIT: Didn't realize I was bumping an old thread. Had too many tabs open, and thought this was the Sonokinetic holiday sale thread. Oh well, it's still good info for anyone looking into SK.
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