Roll out the red carpet, dim the lights and raise the curtains - it's showtime for this big jazzy production from Fable Sounds...
Thanks in part to the efforts of latter-day crooners such as Harry Connick Jr, Robbie Williams and the mighty Björk, big band and swing are far from dead in the water. Amazingly, a sound popularised by Duke Ellington and Glenn Miller in the early 1940s can still fill our living rooms on Saturday nights, as finger-snapping 12-year old boys in tuxedos attempt to pass themselves off as Sammy Davis Jr (or should that be Sammy Davis Jr Jr?) on TV talent shows. If that spectacle fails to fill your heart with joy, take comfort in the knowledge that at the hipper end of the style spectrum, the brilliant arrangements of big band composers and arrangers Bill Finegan, Quincy Jones and the late Gil Evans continue to fascinate jazz fans and music students.
If you want to recreate the rip-roaring sound of a jazz big band with samples, an orchestral brass library won't do. The timbres are utterly different: stately-sounding, formal French horns on the one hand, slinky saxophones on the other. Big band brass uses a variety of mutes rarely featured in classical pieces, and the playing styles are miles apart — orchestral brass players use little or no vibrato and struggle to produce the uninhibited growls, screams and wails which jazz horn players make, with or without their instruments. There's no getting away from it: for a truly convincing big band sound, you need authentic big band samples. Enter US company Fable Sounds, intent on bringing this timeless 20th-century timbre to your hard drives via their 100GB Broadway Big Band instrument.
Meet The Makers
BBB is the joint work of Israeli musicians Yuval Shrem and Amit Itzkovich, both resident in the USA. The multi-talented Mr Shrem supervised the recording, editing and mapping of BBB's countless samples. Software engineer Itzkovich developed the Broadway Performer control system (more of which later), performed BBB's 1st tenor saxophone samples and was also heavily involved in the sample programming. Both were classically trained from an early age — the work ethic is plain to see, but the endless hours spent practising scales in their youth must seem like a stroll in the park compared to the job of editing 100GB of samples.
The instrument works in stand-alone form and as a VST, DXi, AU and Rewire plug-in on Windows XP or Mac OS X (at the time of writing, Intel Macs were not yet supported). Three licence codes are issued (one each for brass, reeds and rhythm section) and these must be activated to download the necessary Syncrosoft licenses onto BBB's USB dongle. That procedure went smoothly for me. BBB ships with its own custom Halion Player which plays only the BBB samples; the Halion sound bank (.hsb) files can be loaded into the full version of Halion 3, but not into any third-party player. Although instruments can't be edited by users, you can at least delete unwanted ones to free up disk space. Included in the package is a separate stand-alone MIDI-processing application called Broadway Performer, which must be activated in order for the BBB Halion player to play its sounds.
To play sounds in BBB you have to first launch Broadway Performer (which accommodates multiple MIDI ports) and select one or more instruments, then duplicate the setup in the BBB Halion Player. The player is then fed control information by BP and reacts accordingly. If you like, you can open BP's 'virtual keyswitch monitor', a purely passive window which shows the currently active articulation of a selected instrument, but you don't have to do any programming — BP does its control thing behind the scenes, leaving you free to play. There's only one slight wrinkle: to run BBB and Broadway Performer on the same computer requires a virtual MIDI port. BP creates one under OS X but can't do so in Windows, so PC users will need to download the Maple Virtual MIDI cable (www.marblesounds.com). I've successfully used this freeware in the past; it runs invisibly in the background, requires no setting up and worked perfectly with BBB on my PC at the first attempt.
Broadway Big Band Instrumentation
Brass
- Trumpet (in Bb)
- Tenor trombone
Saxophones & Woodwind
- Soprano saxophone
- Alto saxophone 1
- Alto saxophone 2
- Tenor saxophone 1
- Tenor saxophone 2
- Baritone saxophone
- Clarinet
Stringed
- Banjo
- Ukulele
- Double bass
Tuned Percussion
- Xylophone
Drums
- Drum kit (sticks)
- Drum kit (brushes)
- Bongos
- Congas
- Timbalitos
Hand Percussion
- Shakers
- Shekere
- Cowbells & Agogo bells
- Triangle
- Tambourine
- Woodblocks
- Claves
- Castanets
- Vibraslap
- Ratchet
- Slide whistle
(* = Monophonic legato versions available.)
Brass Rubbings
All the instruments in BBB play solo and were recorded in a neutral studio acoustic, mostly in mono. No riffs or melodic phrases have been performed, but the large number of stylistic variations makes it a breeze to program your own. To facilitate on-the-fly articulation changes, each instrument loads with all its playing styles in place; this makes for longer loading times, but rooting through menus to assemble all the individual articulations (as you have to do with a sample library) would take longer still. The review copy's Halion Player added to the loading times by doing a 10-second scanning routine before showing the instrument list. The makers assure me this is not normal, but their suggested fixes made no difference.
A quick overview of the brass and saxophones' playing styles reveals no-vibrato, progressive vibrato and deep vibrato sustains, marcatos, sfz crescendos, rip portamentos and a choice of staccato and staccatissimo notes, the last delivery great for playing those ultra-short, muscular stabs that punctuate big band arrangements. Crescendos and diminuendos can be simulated using the mod wheel, which (with the help of the performer software) creates subtle crossfades between the dynamic layers, while the starting dynamic remains dependent on note velocity. It's a nice idea, but in my copy it didn't work, due to a bug. Moving-note articulations include grace notes, semitone 'smear' bends and short upwards chromatic runs, all very useful.
The trumpet's jazzy rips, falls, 'doits' (aka 'rising falls') and shakes are played with delightful abandon, along with some moody flutter and growl deliveries. Thanks to some clever programming, growls can be turned on and off in mid-note with a keyswitch (see the 'Keyswitching in Broadway Big Band' box). Another nice touch is that if you select a fall while playing a growl note, the fall samples will also be played with the growl tone. On several occasions my sensitive pitch radar warned me that the intonation of the trumpet's sustains wasn't perfect; some notes start slightly out of tune and settle into pitch over a couple of seconds. This means that sustained trumpet chords can sound less then sweet, but there's nothing that would frighten the horses.
Judging by his barmy high-pitched swoops, falls and doits, I'd say BBB's trombone player was definitely enjoying himself. Played slides spanning up to a major ninth in both directions can be found amongst the trombone's legato samples, and may be instantly turned on mid-melody at the touch of a keyswitch. There are several mute options for trumpet and trombone: the plunger mute's 'wah' sound can be varied with keyswitches, and on some trumpet plunger-mute samples you can alternate between closed and semi-open mute positions, which adds to the droll, voice-like effect. The trumpet's cup-mute samples have an appealing, lo-fi vintage flavour and the thin, cutting Harmon mute is evocative of Miles Davis and Birth Of The Cool. On the uncool side, the trombone bucket-mute samples were played with an over-the-top comic vibrato reminiscent of the musical entertainer George Chisholm, a reminder of the humorous side of big band brass.
Bed Of Reeds
Once you hear the soprano sax's legato samples you'll want to book yourself a solo spot at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club and play melody lines on it all night; the Broadway Performer software chooses the correct samples for the intervals you play and joins them together seamlessly. As far as I know, Fable Sounds are the only company apart from Vienna Symphonic Library to use this highly labour-intensive, interval-specific sampling technique, and it works a treat: the soprano sounds smooth and lyrical, and as long as you remember not to lift your fingers between notes you'll hear a convincing legato transition every time. My only minor criticism is that the soprano's legatos seem to be played at one dynamic, but its tone (which strikes a nice balance between breathiness and stridency) is very attractive nonetheless.
With four dynamic layers powering its legatos, the alto sax ought to be even more playable than the soprano, but unfortunately that's not the case. The playing and programming lack consistency; the nature of the mezzo piano layer's attack is too different from that of the pianissimo samples, and stepping up to the forté dynamic on some notes produces an alarming jump in level. Although it's possible to play a great-sounding legato melody on the instrument, I found its dynamics too unpredictably volatile — so a bit of re-programming by the makers would help. A second alto player contributes some nice progressive-vibrato sustains and falls, played with a generally softer tone than the first alto.
The main tenor sax's legatos also suffer from leaps in level at quiet dynamics, but the louder dynamics meld together well. Blistering fast runs sounded very realistic, and leapt out of the speakers as if possessed by the spirit of an avenging jazz warrior. I also found some nice overblown legato notes not listed in the manual. A second instrument delivers some heavy-vibrato samples which sound funny on first hearing but reveal a rather eerie, ululating soft layer when played quietly. Both tenors deliver lusty falls and doits.
If played in fifths, the baritone sax's upward semitone grace notes can do a passable imitation of the Pink Panther theme — well, it will keep your granny amused! The instrument's legatos are available in vibrato and non-vibrato flavours, which helps it deliver tasty melody lines. Deliveries such as double and triple staccatos, three-note chromatic runs and various gracings really bring this bari to life. Taken as a whole, the two tenors (that's £20 to you and me) and baritone sound good and strong, and their robust sustains, tough sforzandos and jabbing staccatissimos will add a lot of energy and drive to the low and mid range of your horn arrangements.
Like the soprano sax, BBB's clarinet is highly playable, operates at a single dynamic and has a nice round, easy-on-the-ear tone that sits well in both quiet and loud passages. The instrument's legatos handle Benny Goodman-style quicksilver runs with aplomb. The Broadway Performer does a great job handling the clarinet's trills; if you hold down a note and play a rapidly repeated second pitch, the program creates a highly realistic trill in which the held note conforms to the dynamics of the trill note, which means you can play crescendo trills. This expressive, animated musical effect holds good for all upward and downward intervals up to a major ninth.
Keyswitching In Broadway Big Band
Broadway Big Band's innovative keyswitching facilities are a great aid to expression. For those new to the concept, keyswitches are used to switch instantly between a sampled instrument's performance styles in much the same way that program changes call up different patches on a synth. A keyswitch is a key outside the playing range of the instrument (usually found at the bottom end of the keyboard) which changes the currently active patch when pressed. It's not unusual to find multiple keyswitches within a single instrument, so you could press C1 to play sustains, C#1 to play staccatos, D1 to play trills, and so on.
A keyswitch-triggered sound change usually endures after you release the key, but many of BBB's keyswitches are only active while the keyswitch key is held down. When you release it, the sound immediately reverts to its previous state. This is very useful for turning growls, falls and the like on and off on the fly. Another twist introduced by Fable Sounds is the use of 'shift' and 'option' keyswitches: these modify the effect of a keyswitch so that (for example), pressing the tenor saxophone's G#1 keyswitch in conjunction with the A1 option key accesses its 'marcato plus dirty vibrato' samples; G#1+B1 triggers 'marcato plus mild vibrato'; G#1+C#1 calls up 'sfz with fast crescendo' and G#1+D#1 gives you 'sfz with slow crescendo'.
At first I found this system rather puzzling, but with the help of the manual I began to learn the keyswitches for certain performance styles and was relieved to discover that these follow the same pattern on all keyswitchable instruments. With such a large variety of styles available, using the conventional 'one switch per articulation' system would have seen the keyswitches sprawling over a three-octave span; that would have forced players to use large master keyboards to reach them, so for all its relative complexity, the option and shift keys device seems a sensible solution.
Rhythm Section
I had a lot of fun playing the double bass. All its samples are played pizzicato and as you'd expect, they work supremely well for the jazz walking-bass style, combining a nice powerful thump on the front of the note with a decent amount of sustain. Vibrato sustains with a slight note bend provide a nice lyrical melodic option, semitone bends add to the expression, and the ever-popular 'Bartok' snap pizzicato style is thrown in too. Best of the bunch are the 'Walk On The Wild Side'-style octave slides, which I immediately earmarked for future use.
In the drum department, a pleasantly open-sounding Pearl kit played with brushes and sticks has been nicely recorded in stereo, and its plethora of hits can be woven together into very realistic-sounding performances. The only slight problem is that some drum-kit samples seem to speak late, possibly because their front end isn't trimmed tightly enough. An extensive array of Latin percussion includes some very nice cowbells and woodblocks, as well as bongo, conga and timbalito (small timbale) drums offering a large variety of hand, stick and shell hits, rolls and skin rubs, distributed seemingly at random over the keyboard. In the review copy, the percussion's global 'play-till-sample-end' programming was a handicap — once a long roll started playing, there was no way of stopping it! BBB's makers intend to fix that in an update by providing monophonic keygroups in which a roll can be cut off by a final hit.
Xylophone isn't an instrument one immediately associates with big band jazz, but should you need one, BBB offers a choice of plastic and rubber mallets, the former producing a very bright, almost brittle sound. The rubber mallets give a rounder, more marimba-like tone, though in the top octave the notes degenerate into a wooden thump. Broadway Big Band's instrumentation is completed by the pleasant, mellow nylon-string sound of a ukulele (hard to find in sampled form) and the cheerful plunk of a banjo. I would guess the two are included to help recreate the sound of a small pre-war dance band. Unfortunately, both of these stringed instruments play very late, due (I suspect) to the loose sample-trimming noted above. In this case I found that the resulting latency rendered the instruments virtually unplayable — which is a shame, as their samples are rather attractive.
Conclusions
It's sobering to reflect that Duke Ellington was born in 1899, but the jazz big band sound he helped to create looks set to survive into the indefinite future. Broadway Big Band helps keep the tradition alive and kicking by providing its authentic musical timbres in one highly versatile, well thought-out package. It's a big, ambitious project, and despite its relatively high price tag a few rough edges were evident in the review copy. However, the makers have made it clear they are committed to fixing the faults by the time you read this. Thanks to them, samplists can now experience at first hand the smooth, explosive, subtle, brash and occasionally comical timbres of a Broadway big band — and I don't mean Tooting Broadway!
Multi-miking
BBB's instruments were recorded simultaneously through different microphones, to give users control over timbre. Most offer four or five microphone choices, with six used on the trumpet. (This accounts for BBB's 100GB size, since each microphone creates its own unique set of samples.) With the exception of the ambient-sounding Neumann U87 room mic placed high above the instrument, the mic positioning is generally fairly close — and combining close and room mics produces good results, with no phasing artifacts. As some instruments use a very large number of samples, multi-mic setups might put strain on your RAM. Happily, the Halion Player can help with that, as its RAM-save function 'learns' which samples are used in an arrangement and discards the rest, reducing instruments to a more manageable size.
Pros
- Contains authentic big band instruments, articulations and mutes not found in orchestral libraries.
- True legato samples produce smooth, convincing melody lines.
- Flexible keyswitching options are an aid to expression.
- Multiple microphones provide control over timbre and room ambience.
Cons
- Having to open two separate applications to play the instruments is a little clunky.
- No flute, bass trombone or tuba (not essential, but can be useful in big band arrangements).
- The review copy's Halion Player made a meal of loading sounds.
- Pricey.
Summary
BBB offers a complete solution to those needing to create authentic big band and jazz arrangements, and its horns have all the styles and attitude required for a pop/rock/R&B brass section. Its technical subtleties would be a challenge to a virtual instrument newbie, but as the stunning on-line demos prove, it can sound amazing in the hands of a skilful programmer. Once you've mastered its keyswitching techniques, the musical possibilities are endless.
Fable Sounds Broadway Big Band £1389
pros
- Contains authentic big band instruments, articulations and mutes not found in orchestral libraries.
- True legato samples produce smooth, convincing melody lines.
- Flexible keyswitching options are an aid to expression.
- Multiple microphones provide control over timbre and room ambience.
cons
- Having to open two separate applications to play the instruments is a little clunky.
- No flute, bass trombone or tuba (not essential, but can be useful in big band arrangements).
- The review copy's Halion Player made a meal of loading sounds.
- Pricey.
summary
BBB offers a complete solution to those needing to create authentic big band and jazz arrangements, and its horns have all the styles and attitude required for a pop/rock/R&B brass section. Its technical subtleties would be a challenge to a virtual instrument newbie, but as the stunning on-line demos prove, it can sound amazing in the hands of a skilful programmer. Once you've mastered its keyswitching techniques, the musical possibilities are endless.
information
£1389 including VAT.
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