Sonuscore LUX Orchestral Strings

The Main page, showing the core articulation set. Choose from 12 preset articulation sets (13 for Violins 1), or you can create and save your own custom selections.

Sonuscore’s latest instrument offers luxury in both sound and features.

Renowned for their multi‑faceted compositional tools The Orchestra, Elysion and The Score, LUX is Sonuscore’s first deeply sampled orchestral library dedicated exclusively to strings. LUX is very much a ‘no expense spared’ passion project for Sonuscore, its aim being to evoke the sound and experience of a grand Hollywood‑style string orchestra playing right in front of you. There are no arpeggiators, sequencers or other generative compositional aids. Together with its sonic aspirations, LUX’s compelling attractions include performance‑enhancing features rarely, if at all, found in other string libraries.

Core Blimey

All section instruments load by default, with the Main page showing a set of eight Core articulations that can be selected by keyswitches in the C0‑G0 range, or by clicking on the articulation buttons on screen. Just above these buttons is one labelled Core Articulations. This opens a drop‑down menu of 12 preset collections of articulations (13 for Violins 1), each offering a selection of techniques appropriate to various musical applications such as Action Scoring, Special Textures, Shorts — you get the picture. You are not restricted to Sonuscore’s choice, though; you’re free to create custom articulation sets and save them as snapshots. Just select an existing articulation on the Main page, open the Find tab and choose a different one from the extensive list. Repeat as required to replace other articulations. Completing the Main page are options to engage a simulated Con Sordino effect, a button labelled SAT (which we’ll come to later) and a +8va button to add a layer one octave above. If such doubling of players is the opposite concept to divisi, maybe it could be called raddoppiati?

Jamboree Bag

To say ‘extensive’ is no exaggeration. The first violins alone offer 115 articulations! Other instruments are only slightly less detailed. If I’ve counted correctly, the second violins offer 87, violas 109, celli 108 and basses 106. Core articulations (legato, sustains, various shorts, tremolo, etc) are present for all instruments, with appropriate variations for particular instruments across the different sections. For example, only Violins 1 include tempo‑sync’ed octave runs; Celli feature tempo‑sync’ed triplet arpeggios. Violins 1 and Celli each provide eight types of legato; the others five or six. Fluid, natural‑sounding legato is a pivotal aspect of any orchestral library; the full range of eight options are Full Legato, Whisper Legato, Legato, Adaptive Legato, Legato Acc Marc, Portamento, Whisper Portamento and Harmonics Legato. Some are essentially variations on the Core legato, for example focusing on a particular timbral dynamic range, or by overlaying shorts that adapt to your playing for accented detaché notes. Harmonics Legato is a welcome texture not often seen in string libraries. This one is delightfully slithery, ideal for scoring scenes of insidious microbial infestation.

Customise your articulation sets on the Find page — shown here are 18 articulations from the first violins’ array of 115.

LUX has an additional trick up its sleeve called Natural String Change Legato. When an interval would require players to change string, the ‘departing’ string resonates for a moment longer, creating a more naturalistic flow between notes, rather than immediately cutting off that previous note. It’s subtle, yet adds to the realism. As for the fluid aspect, legato transitions across all instruments feel clean, smooth and natural — subjectively on a par with the best legatos found in other libraries.

Specialised performance articulations include Soft Interval Trills (any interval from a minor second to a perfect fourth), Harmonics Tremolo, Soft Motion, Triplet Trill Figures (fixed speed,...