Divisi Strings: Try this composers' technique for improving your string lines
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- čas přidán 15. 12. 2023
- Virtual Orchestration is back with a brand new bonus episode. This week, Alex Lamy guides us through the theory and practical application of Divisi Strings.
Thank you for this very clear and well explained video, also kudos to the graphic designer, the animations really augmented the lesson and were immensely helpful.
Return of The King
This video is not only educational, concise and clear but also visually stunning!! I'm so glad I found your channel 🙌🏼
I hereby give this video tutorial a 10 out of 10! The graphics were excellent and the music was superb.
Bravo! 💐💐👏🏻👏🏻
Gianni❤
Excellent video, thanks. I've watched a LOT of videos on orchestral composition and while Divisi is mentioned, this is the first time I've seen it actually explained so clearly.
Your videos are so simple and outstanding at the same time. Great explanation and visualization! 😍 Very well done, especially the synchronized visuals with the audio makes it very easy to understand.
oh i love the graphics you guys put into this one
Loved this vid! Graphics, pacing... crushed it. I would love a more in-depth exploration of uses for Divisi, taking examples from well-known passages. And how we can recreate a divisi sound with a typical sample library that doesn't come with a divisi patch. That would be so cool!
I think the best way to create divisi with non-divisi sample libraries is to basically use two different libraries. Assuming they're not wildly different in character, a symphonic sound with more parts won't sound 'massive'. This is also where spot and close mics come in, which focus the sound a bit and allow you to hear that there are multiple lines.
Thanks for provided a highly detailed explanation of Divisi in various scenarios.
Wow ! What a concise, helpful, beautifully put video ! Great job !
Great explanation of an elusive and challenging topic. Thanks.
Great explanation, thanks much for all the work to prepare and post it!
Coming back haha. Nice vid.
oh a nice seasonal surprise! I'll even forgive the advert ;-) Happy Christmas to all at OT & VO and looking forward to the new season in 2024!
love this channel
Thanks for sharing!
we need more Alex hehhe and i knew you had the Benjamin Wallfisch Strings ;) hope you show more of it in use soon!
Thanks
Wow, I just purchased Talinn from OT and I was wondering how division along the string section works. This video explains so much so well. But I am still wondering if I have a library with no Divisi and I want 3 separate lines in my violins while keeping one voice for the rest of the string sections, wouldn't this result in an unbalanced image?
Oh I just saw comments from others asking the same thing, I love this channel and community!
Are there any suggestions for achieving these results in a library such as Orchestral Tools Berklee edition? Thanks
You have a slightly tougher time with libraries that only have one perspective, but you could double the parts up on that library, and as long as you aren't using the same notes often in two parts at the same time, then you won't get any phasing. The Berklee library samples come from the main Berlin series anyway, and so the string section isn't overly large. I've always found that they were the perfect size ensembles for midi orchestration, because doubling the parts up doesn't end up sounding unrealistically large.
It's a shame that the Ben Wallfisch Strings library doesn't have the full set of articulations in its divisi sections. You just get the legatos and sustains. Not even any shorts. I just picked up Sonokinetic's Orchestral Strings in their recent sale for an absolutely incredible price. It has divisi too, but isn't limited by articulations - _everything_ in the full section patches is available in the divisi patches. It even does auto-divisi, so if you set 2 or more simultaneous notes, it will automatically divide them up between the two divisi sections. Their Sordino Strings library does the same thing too, with all articulations available with and without divisi, and auto-divisi.
It has a bit of a clunky workflow, and obviously doesn't have the non-looping samples or the separate down-bow and up-bow samples of the Ben Wallfisch Strings, but it still sounds great, and the price in the sale was so ridiculously low that it was a no-brainer.
Who determines how the strings are divided during rehearsal (e.g. an a2 1st violin part)? Is this the choice of the conductor, concert master or section principals?
Div. a2 will almost always just be automatically divided at each desk. The leaders of each section will decide in simple situations, much as they give the intended bowing to the rest of the section. Otherwise it may be the conductor who has an idea about how to accomplish a more delicate divisi, or even the composer (in the rehearsal or the score sometimes, or as a producer in a recording situation).
do I have to always use solo violin to place the divisi ?? so that it sounds wide.
No, in practice they're not usually clearly placed anyway. If they divide at each desk then the sound of two parts is very spread out.
I guess modwheel and CC11 is the only way to steer this in virtual orchestration?
No, modwheel (CC1) controls dynamic layer of the samples, CC11 is essentially volume, used for adding shape. Divisi isn’t anything to do with midi CC’s 🎻
DIVIDE AND CONQUER!!!!
Spelled “divsi” in the title. Just letting you know :)
Nice video! But the music in the backgroud is too loud for me!
It is written specifically for this video ;)
@@alexlamymusic I know 😄