Published 14/11/08
Audio Impressions refine their masterpiece
It’s fair to say that DVZ Strings by Audio Impressions is one of the most extensive applications for string orchestration available on the market. With control over a total of 70 individual instruments, it uses multiple networked computers and bespoke software to process samples and produce what the developers say is a superior sound to conventional sample libraries, which “eliminates the organ-like timbre of sampled string recordings”.
The latest news from Audio Impressions is that version two of DVZ Strings has been announced.
There have been numerous iterations of the system since its first release around three years ago. Some of the first involved a mainframe of five or six computers, which raised the price of a full system out of reach of many prospective clients. With DVZ 2.0, however, just two dedicated PCs are required to handle sample-processing duties, working alongside the user’s host machine, which can be a Mac or PC.
Further refinements in version two come with Audio Port, technology that does away with the need for dedicated audio interfaces for each ‘sampler’; instead sending audio down gigabit Ethernet cables to the host machine. Also new in DVZ Strings 2.0 is the facility to edit in real time up to five stems simultaneously with separate MIDI tracks displayed; and key-switching, which allows the user to flick between styles on-the-fly using a variety of MIDI key combinations.
DVZ Strings 2.0 comes with numerous other features that enable the user to tweak the sound of their ensemble to suit their application. Space lets you place the different instruments of the virtual ensemble anywhere in the soundstage using an intuitive GUI, while various banks of virtual faders give real-time control over a multitude of different parameters, from mic placement to stem volume; bowing style to glissando and pitch spread.
Audio Impressions' DVZ Strings 2.0 costs $2399 but, for a limited time, it's available for $1999. At the time of writing a UK price was unavailable.
Turnkey systems can be purchased from various PC manufacturers, details of which you can find on the Audio Impressions web site.
www.audioimpressions.com
The latest news from Audio Impressions is that version two of DVZ Strings has been announced.
There have been numerous iterations of the system since its first release around three years ago. Some of the first involved a mainframe of five or six computers, which raised the price of a full system out of reach of many prospective clients. With DVZ 2.0, however, just two dedicated PCs are required to handle sample-processing duties, working alongside the user’s host machine, which can be a Mac or PC.
Further refinements in version two come with Audio Port, technology that does away with the need for dedicated audio interfaces for each ‘sampler’; instead sending audio down gigabit Ethernet cables to the host machine. Also new in DVZ Strings 2.0 is the facility to edit in real time up to five stems simultaneously with separate MIDI tracks displayed; and key-switching, which allows the user to flick between styles on-the-fly using a variety of MIDI key combinations. DVZ Strings 2.0 comes with numerous other features that enable the user to tweak the sound of their ensemble to suit their application. Space lets you place the different instruments of the virtual ensemble anywhere in the soundstage using an intuitive GUI, while various banks of virtual faders give real-time control over a multitude of different parameters, from mic placement to stem volume; bowing style to glissando and pitch spread.
Audio Impressions' DVZ Strings 2.0 costs $2399 but, for a limited time, it's available for $1999. At the time of writing a UK price was unavailable.
Turnkey systems can be purchased from various PC manufacturers, details of which you can find on the Audio Impressions web site.
www.audioimpressions.com
