Orchestral Templates
tools for media composers
Vienna Ensemble Pro 6 is out - and we are ready!
After several years with a gigantic number of free updates to Vienna Ensemble Pro 5, the fine folks at VSL have released Vienna Ensemble Pro 6, the next generation of the venerable plugin host and best tool on the planet for building templates.
VE Pro 6 comes with a completely redesigned interface that now uses tabs for all the instances to keep everything in one window.
The list of changes and new features is absolutely gigantic. VSL have really listened to their user base and added a plethora of much-requested features.
Just a small part of the change list (and my personal favourites):
- Instances can be freely reordered and this order reflect in the plugin inside the sequencer.
- The plugin now lists instances sorted per the machine they are on, which is great with lots of slave machines.
- Instances can be coloured and in general the colour selector is much improved. And you can colour multiple items at once, yeah!
- Metaframes can now auto-save and will only do so when no played is active, thus making sure they only save when not in the way.
- Plugin instances can now be raised directly from the host, jumping to the correct instance without having to click "raise". Even greater, this setting can also be automated!
- Folder Support!
And, here is the single most greatest invention:
Channels can now be disabled, preserving their content and settings, but completely unloading them from memory. This allows hosting tons of instruments within VE Pro, ready to be activated when needed. The enabled/disabled state can be automated, thus making it possible to load pre-assigned plugin instances remote into VE Pro as needed. No more "hosting rarely used stuff directly in the sequencer just so it does not consume memory when not needed".
So - should you use it?
Yes, wholeheartedly YES. VE Pro 6 is a great step forward for template building and if the past is any indication, VSL will provide a plethora of updates to polish it to perfection.Compatibility with existing projects is extremely good. In my tests here, all existing templates connect and disconnect much faster, thus saving quite a lot of time when switching sequencer projects. Performance in idle has been improved quite substantially, with playback/recording performance being in line or slightly better than with VE Pro 5. Since VE Pro now manages graphics resources much better, a substantial improvement can also be seen when switching between instances/plugins.
Introducing "Checklists"
Many clients voiced their wish for short, concise instructions how to do certain things. I’m happy to deliver :)
These checklists contain step by step instructions, along with references to other checklists if something goes wrong or if some special action needs to be taken.
We’re kicking things off with the Startup List, available for free download from the Resources section. This list leads you though loading a template and makes sure everything loads correctly.
Stay tuned for other lists, some of which are already referenced in the Startup List.
Resources: BWW Exp & CS2 Expression Maps
That brand-new section of OrchestralTemplates.com will host a number of additions helping you build your template. Kontakt Multis, Expression Maps, Template files and many more things.
I’d like to kick things off with Expression Maps for the recently released Berlin Woodwinds Expansion A (adding Eb Clarinet, Bass Clarinet and Contrabassoon to the library) as well as Cinematic Strings 2. Both sets are free downloads from the Resources section, so head over and grab `em while they are hot!
New Website
New layout, new design, same unique counseling service as before :)
You may notice the new novatlansound Network bar at the top of the page, which leads to to other sites run by me. Just in case you want to learn a bit about my work as a composer and educator or read about Music in Middle-earth.
There’s a lot of template goodness to come in 2013, so watch this space!