This new version of CSS is the result of 2 years of painstaking work. Features like runs and low-latency legato have been added – almost every aspect of the library has been improved, from the sound quality itself to the consistency of editing and scripting and more.
Marcato Mode (including runs)
The new Marcato articulation is much more powerful – it’s piercing, full of energy and determination, and can easily pull off fast, agile phrases with minimal editing. Play harder on the keyboard for a more pronounced attack, or to exaggerate a note in a legato phrase. You can play a sharp series of short notes, or a slower, more grandiose series of accented long notes. Playing a fast legato line activates the runs mode – you don’t need to turn anything on or off – just play quickly and the script does the rest for great-sounding runs.
Improved Sound
The new mix microphone is more spacious yet more detailed – lush yet powerful. I spent a lot of time getting the balance right and I think this mix should work well across a wide range of styles and genres. Having said that, I highly recommend you experiment with the two spot mics. They were mixed into a single stereo track in the original CSS, but in version 1.7.1 you can now control them independently, giving you much more freedom to create your own individual sound.
Low Latency Legato
I spent a (very) long time re-editing all of the legato transition samples, not only to greatly improve the timing, but also to ensure a more consistent volume envelope. This makes legato sequencing easier, particularly because it reduces the need for intense dynamic modulation sculpting. In addition to these two factors, I also introduced a new Low Latency mode, which makes it much easier to perform sections in real time.
Improved Short Notes
All short notes in CSS, both bowed and plucked, have been re-edited to ensure better timing and length consistency. I’ve also improved the relative dynamic response between short note types, making it easier to switch between spiccato, staccatissimo (etc.) without having to pay so much attention to playing speed.
Legato transitions without vibrato
Finally, I also improved the legato transitions without vibrato. In the previous version of CSS I used simulated legato transitions, and although I didn’t record any new material for version 1.7.1, I developed a technique to significantly improve the sound of these simulated transitions by editing the with-vibrato samples to create a completely new set of legato transitions without vibrato. Not only does this sound more realistic, but it also makes the x-fade system smoother and easier to use.
What’s new in the version 1.7.1 update?
Improvements:
- Improved smoothness of low latency and expressive legato
- Increased Spiccato overlay volume for 1st Violins Marcato
- Restored ppp / sul tasto dynamic layer for 2nd Violins
- Re-introduced Classic Legato patches
Fixed bugs:
- Resolved various hanging note / unexpected note behaviors
- Reduced note-skipping during timeline scrubbing in DAW
- Fixed 2nd Violins vibrato x-fade phasing issue
Please note that there are some minor changes to the legato, so we recommend waiting until you are finished any current projects before downloading the latest update. If you do download CSS v1.7.1 during a current project, you will need to reload any CSS patches used in any templates or projects saved prior to updating, please make sure you reload all CSS patches (otherwise you’ll still be using the previous version).