Ian Curtis

32 years ago today, in the kitchen of 77 Barton Street, Macclesfield, the world lost one of its most enigmatic, emotive and enthralling singers and lyricists. Gone but never ever forgotten…

But one particular range of instruments could be approximated more closely than others, and that was the string family. Although still not a faithful recreation of a bowed instrument, it not only sounded more like strings than their oboe sounded like an oboe, but it had an appealing quality all of its own, especially when played polyphonically. Its ethereal quality had an other-worldly nature to it and lent itself to the more futuristic compositions of the time. Ken Freeman, a British musician and engineer (and also composer of the theme’s to UK hit medical dramas, Casualty and Holby City) discovered the sound by taking a note and layering it with the same note but slightly detuned and modulated. And thus, the string machines were born.

Every manufacturer tried it. From the Americans to the Japanese, the French to the Italians, and they all had their own unique sounds and twist on the idea. Some were basic, some more elaborate. And musicians loved them, and then started using them prolifically, on occasion as they came, or being fed through some effects, most famously by Jean Michel Jarre who used Small Stone phasers on his Eminent 310 to create those hypnotic, evolving textures on Oxygene.

Tomita, Vangelis, Jarre and many more used string machines heavily in their work as well as many more contemporary artists. But as technology advanced at a rapid pace, more authentic string sounds were being created by the new polyphonic synthesizers of the late 70s and early 80s, and when we went digital, and the advent of sampling took hold, our synthesized string sounds were difficult to tell apart from proper orchestras. And so the one trick pony nature of the string machines consigned them to the dumpster of synth history.

But, as with all musical instruments, they were revived by bands looking for new sounds, and as resourceful as us musos are, we revisited the technology of old, finding many cheap gems with their interesting retro sounds, and we made them cool again. Of course, as soon as the cool factor hits, the prices rocket and what good examples remain, get snapped up at sky high prices. But fear not, for as the same technology advances are made in software instrumentation, some companies are gathering these past masters together and sampling them, wrapping them up in far more convenient and far less expensive virtual wrappers. The best dedicated string machine instrument out there to date, without question, is GForce Software’s Virtual String Machine. This instrument gathers together a vast array of string machines, faithfully and accurately sampling them in every possible mode or setting and then adding their own synthesis shaping and filtering and giving you phasers and ensemble modes as well as the ability to layer sounds.

With such a great string machine instrument, is there room for another? Well, it’s always good to have a choice and now we have one in the shape of UVI‘s new library, String Machines. Owning both, I will warn you now that comparisons will be made, but this is a review of the UVI library and will remain focused as such.

For this library, UVI have sampled the following string synths…

(I couldn’t find any information online about the Excelsior Strings Synthesizer K4)

The first thing I noticed when opening the library was that rather than having 11 individual instruments (that’s the number of instruments UVI have sampled for this library), I was presented with just one. And it is a big one with 1284 keygroups! Once loaded, that’s it, there’s no more loading required as all 11 instruments are now in place for you to select. On first impressions, there are a lot of similarities visually with VSM. The wood effect trim, the black panels and gold lettering and the heavy use of red trim around buttons and switches. And the similarities don’t end there. The ability to layer two sounds is available on the UVI instrument too, and they both share virtually identical filter and amplitude settings. Whilst VSM has a more detailed phaser section as well as an ensemble mode, the UVI offering utilises UVI Workstation’s copious amount of built in FX and offers these up with direct controls over phaser, delay and reverb as well as controls over stereo colour, spread and tune and a useful pitch control section. UVI have also continued their trend of using the modwheel to control a number of user controlled effects, this time giving us vibrato, tremolo and filter controls that can be combined in any number of ways with varying degrees of rate and depth. All of these settings can be set to effect individual layers or both layers identically.

Above all this sits the sample selection strip. Again, like VSM, you can select two layers, marked A & B. Each layer has its own octave selector, giving you three choices, as well as individual volume and pan controls. There are two drop down menus per layer. The first allows you to select the instrument, the second allows selection of the patch. Yet again, behind a simple and visually attractive interface, UVI tuck away a lot of depth. To the left of this strip is a switch that allows you to flick between the voice edit mode and the step programmer for the pattern function. Finally, above this is the preset selector and a master volume control.

And let’s talk about that step programmer. Once again, UVI have utilised this built in finctionality of the UVI Workstation to lend a more modern twist on an old set of sounds. Using this function allows you to create arpeggiated patterns that not only rhythmically play notes back but also have an effect on the filtering. There are two step programmers that you can draw your patterns in and then select which layer or combination of layers you want the pattern to effect, both in terms of volume and filter. There are also controls for rise, glide and delay making this a very powerful and useful device. As per usual, you can set your own tempo or have it sync with your host DAW.

So how does it sound, well, there is no doubt that it has the same UVI quality we have seen consistently in their libraries. When I first fired it up, I was concerned that there wasn’t actually that much in there, but scratch the surface and it all became apparent. There is plenty to get your teeth into and it more than delivers a really good selection of string machines sounds, all with their own unique character. At 1.27GB, it’s a much smaller download than some of the UVI libraries I’ve reviewed of late. But, it still has that same user interface that I keep banging on about. Easy on the eye, easy to learn and navigate, yet masking a great deal of depth and power. I’ve produced a review video so judge for yourself and do take a listen to the official audio and video demos that I have included down below this text.

Inevitably, a comparison must be drawn with the GForce VSM. They both retail for the same price ($99/£99) and both deliver pretty much all you’d need from a string machine library. They both look the part and the audio quality is very high. But, VSM wins hands down in the sheer size and quantity stakes. It has more machines sampled and it has over 700 presets, compared to the 30 on offer from String Machines. That’s a vast difference. Whilst the VSM doesn’t have the pattern sequencer, it does have more detailed sound shaping possibilities built in. And one thing that I’ve failed to mention in the past with the UVI system is an apparent lack of aftertouch in their products. VSM has this and allows you to control the filter with it. I’m a big fan of aftertouch so this is definitely a mark down for String Machines.

One thing definitely worth mentioning is the increased CPU load I experienced. Because String Machines loads up all of it’s samples when you load up the instrument, you may find your system having to give over a few more CPU cycles to cope. Essentially, there are 1284 keygroups to load, full of high quality samples of all 11 machines. Now, on the plus side, it makes selecting patches a breeze and very quick. The downside is that if you have a system that is getting on a bit in age, you may well find this could become more of an issue compared to those who have the latest hardware. My machine is an Intel Core2Duo PC (E6600 2.4GHz) with 3GB RAM, running Windows XP Pro SP3 and using a Propellerhead Balance and/or EMU 0404 PCI card for audio duties. I found I started to get a few clicks and pops on certain patches and upon investigation, CPU usage was in the high twenties or low thirties. I’ve yet to try it out on my i5 Quad Core PC with 4GB RAM and Windows 7 but I’m sure it would be fine on there. The fact is, it’s a sample heavy product and you may need to tweak the disk streaming settings in the UVI Workstation or the buffer settings in your soundcard (or both) to avoid any nastiness. That said, for my review, it all worked perfectly.

I might also take this opportunity to mention a string synth that I once owned but never see in any of these collections, so if GForce & UVI are listening, how about a Godwin? I owned a Godwin Symphony 849, albeit in a very poor state of repair but it had a very lovely sound to it. Here it is, pictured below, just before I sold it on. The guy who bought it from me never managed to repair it and eventually sold it on to the great Gordon Reid. I hope that he managed to work his magic on it and I’d dearly love to play it again…

Godwin Symphony 849

All in all, UVI’s String Machines is another fine example of their work over in Paris. It’s elegant, deep and satisfying. Its pattern sequencer brings the sounds and the concepts slap bang into the 21st century and there is enough material contained within to fashion your own unique patches.

Another cracking library from the UVI team and one worth adding to the collection.

String Machines is out now and can be purchased as a download or a DVD from the following locations:

Buy the DVD ► here | Download ► here

Don’t forget that, as with all UVI libraries, you will need an iLok to use String Machines and you’ll need to download version 2.0.5 of the excellent, and free, UVI Workstation or own a copy of MachFive 3 from MOTU. Check out the String Machine User Guide here.

As is now customary with my product reviews, I threw together a video overview too. I hope you enjoy it…

Sooooooooooo….

It’s been a while! But we made it! This morning I received a mail from our judge, Marc Doty, informing me of his winner and giving me feedback on every single one of the entries. So, let’s get right to the point here and announce our winner….

Martin wins himself a copy of the Synth Nation ReFill from SampleFiends. Sedric will be in touch!!

So, what did Marc have to say about Martin’s entry?

“I heard this song, and it wouldn’t leave me. I have found myself singing it over and over again. I heard it when I’m just on my way to work, or at the store. I really think it is quality songcraft, and I love it! I love the melody. It is very compelling to me with the music. This is a great pop song. I hope it’s not offensive, but it sounds like something I would have loved in the late 80s. I would have totally bought the single. I like the stereo chord thing in verse two. The building in the verses is really effective. I found my head bobbing at the second chorus! 8675309… ha ha ha ha ha! The various parts are really effectively placed… instrumentally Cool end!”

And what of the others? Well, one of the reasons Marc took his time over the judging process, aside from carrying out his day job at Moog Music and the Bob Moog Foundation and his own work as Automatic Gainsay, is that he wanted to give constructive feedback to you all, so, in no particular order, here is what he had to say…

Doesn’t Matter
Grumbleweed

The string dynamics lend authenticity
Singer is talented.
I like the vintage sound of the portamento-y lead.
The section with the frequency-diminishing snare, and the subsequent break is really cool.
Guitar solo is a good guitar solo.
The ending was unexpected, and I liked that.

Gray Cloud
noise beats sound

The girl’s voice, the way she uses it, and the words are really cool.
The timbral choices really in line with what I like.
The simplicity is elegant.
The note choices in that sort of distorted-filter sound are interesting.
I like the vaguely-string part and how it builds.

Older
Andy Hyde

Nice vintage feel.
I like the intimacy of the vocals, I think it’s really consistent with the topic.
I didn’t expect the organ stabs, and I found them pleasing.
The high pitched thing over the organish and pianoish was nice, and then when the phasey guitar-pluck came in, I was really happy.
I like the guitar-pluck break.
I think the ending was interesting, how the vocal lines were broken up, and then the “much lighter” ending.

But the Stars
amilliontinyarchitects

I like the timbres at the beginning
I like the girl’s voice, and the melody
The harmony is powerful when it comes in
I like the unexpected nature of the little synth solo before 2nd verse
The bridge is cool and welcome… vocals are a really nice contrast… dreamy
The vocals around 3:00 are really cool
I like the octave version of the vocals and what it bleeds into… that noise. Very cool

Ceiling Fans
TheGrammarPolice

I love the honesty of the recording. I like that the piano sounds like you’re in the room with it, and I love the honesty in your voice.
When that whirry space sound comes in, it’s VERY powerful.
I like the combination of the piano and the electronics
I am really into the build that happens in this song.
Wow, the break is unexpected and beautiful… the phone… GENIUS.
This bridgey part is poignant, the backing vocals… powerful… and then the drums/synth come in. Well done.
Ha ha, the chant… unexpected, and still works.

Something Wonderful
GEM

The naming sample is a great choice
I always like those staticky-burst snares
The full-drum entrance is powerful.
The chords and realization of this head part are really beautiful.
It has a soundtracky aspect that is very compelling.
The end of the break part is really cool.
The timbral choices work well together.
That gated snare is awesome.

Keith Floyd The Wall
The Quixotes

The arpeggiator part is beautiful, and confusing time-wise in a good way.
The strings are a good choice.
The bass sound is really pleasing, and the phasey synth chords!
The thereminey part when the beat comes in is well done.
The transition to the “happiness” part is interesting, and that tiny snare sound that happens for awhile…
The vocal samples are effectively implemented.

Hatred is Foolish
The FatControlleR

Bertrand Russell? Awesome.
I like the feel of the synth parts against the drums. That syncopation is compelling.
Ooh, the dreamy EP sound is interesting, and a good choice.
Very danceable, my head is bobbing.
I like the placement and implementation of the vocal samples.
The big fat bass sound is cool.
The break is fantastic. I like the chords against the bass with the vocal samples.
I like the interplay between the two different synth parts against the beat after the break.
The drum/bass/synth/sample breakdown at end is cool.

Awake
Neilq

I like the rhythm sounds at the beginning, and how you don’t expect it to have a swing feel at first.
Really creative feel.
I like the verse melody, and your voice. Especially that triplet chord thing happening in the verse.
That weird chord synth sound that separates the second verse is really cool, and an effective connection.
The solo is really effective and suits the song very well.
The electric piano part at the end: EXCELLENT

lifted
bgh

I like the low end, the drums and bass.
That synth sound during the verse is cooler than crap.
Also, vocals and your voice are really cool.
I like how well the basic bass-snare-bass-snare works!
This is just a great pop song all around.
The various parts work well together, and it’s a nicely crafted song, too.

Welcome Back Home
wilson75

The string-sounds and the music they’re playing are very nice
This reminds me of the sort of balladesque electronic pop I loved in the 80s, very well emulated!
The way it builds is fantastic. The instruments that are added are great additions.
Claps are FANTASTIC
Backing vocals… very well done.

Life
electricfusion

Juicy synth sounds!
I like the chord progression and how it’s realized with the synth implementations
Very creative use of timbre and articulation
When the beat started, it got my head bobbing!
The portamento lead is pleasantly haunting over that bass.
The timbres are so present and textural…
I like the triple feel of the end!

How Can She Be Sure
Joumb

The aggressive beat is compelling
That growing sound scared the shit out of me, very cool!
I loved when the echo dropped out of the drums
The syncopated bass part is hardcore, and the sort of thing I love
I like the extensive drum experimentation that happens… it is always changing!
The weird pitch thing that is happening on that last sound is really interesting!

Echo Chamber
Bureau of Broken Sounds

This reminds me of a band I was obsessed with in 1986. I hope that’s a compliment!
Okay, yes… once the verse starts, and yeah!
This is a good pop song, and appeals to me because this is very much what I liked.
The snare sound post-Chorus is very cool.
Love the chord sound that comes in in second half of second verse
Solo at the end is very moving to me!
I like how the equalization and delay happens at the end! Cool!

Funky One
mastertonyd

This is definitely the right combination of timbres for funk!
Yep, and it’s danged funky on top of that. The bassline is REAL funk.
The production is a fresh change from much of what has been submitted, it stands out!
Great funk feel and sound, had a great time listening

energie(monotone galaxie mix)
Cr68

I am always a sucker for vocoder.
The bassline grabs me already!
The place the drums lie in regard to equalization and timbre is AWESOME and unique
Uh oh, my head is bobbing.
If I were on a dancefloor, I’d be dancing.
The background synth with the filter is really cool.
You are great at using basic elements and arranging them in a compelling way

Synth Mania
jdavison67

I like the nonMoog sounding choices right off the bat
also, nice beat!
There is a DX-ish thing going on that is catchy
The chorus is a nice combination of the synth sounds! Great
A nice laying and combination of motifs
I like the solo sound and part at the end!

Sexy Sax
GeorgeFeb

Oooh, Drum and Bass sound! I love it.
I like the bass wobble deal… that is VERY cool and unexpected
Then, of course, the sax is very nice
The breakdown part is welcome and compelling
The synth sound in the breakdown with the LFO is excellent
I like the vaguely choral sound underneath the sax in the second breakdown
the drum fill that brings the beat back in is SO cool

Waiting
Dig Team One

Nice lead up to where the dreams come in, and then once the drums come in, cool!
Verse vocals are extremely cool
I like the swelling synth sounds behind the vocals in the verse
The pitch-dropping bass drum is SO cool
I like the string break
Echo on verse 2 vocals… superb
Excellent and moving song
Ending feel, timbre, and chords- beautiful

Boxing Day
somedesperateglory

Cool robotic bassline- filter work with it is interesting
Guitar sound… powerful!
Vocals are nice
OH GOD, yeah… the doubletime is just FANTASTIC
Is that a real drummer?? Awesome drums

Come and Go
Ray Man

I like the Dead Can Dance vibe at the beginning
When the beat and synth come in… very cool
I am into this feel, nice vocals, too
I like that synth sound implementation in the break
The bridge section with the broken-up vocals… oh, wow. I love it
BEAUTIFUL ending

No Boundaries
robhornsby

I like the intro sounds chosen, and the realization.
The phasey synth is very cool. I like the focus on it.
This is a cooooool build. I like the Numan-esque synth part, and when the bass starts doing its thing.
I like the moody string part towards the end.

A Reason to This Rhythm
Opabobby

I like the triplet feel of the initial melody, and the production is really nice.
Nice production
Ooh, nice guitar solo!
The Electric Piano-ish part is very expressive.

Ablaze
BlazeRProds

Nice feel, and I like the surging production
The melody is cool, and I like how the harmony in that voice interplays with the melody
The “more bass!” part is awesome
The momentary break is compelling!
I like the portamento lead.
The end nicely features the timbral texture of that bass sound

All the entries can be heard here…

So, there you have it! Another challenge over and another bumper crop of incredible talent on display. My thanks to Marc for judging and to Sedric for providing the sound palette. And my deepest thanks to all of you who took part. Without you, this stuff wouldn’t happen. A big thank you to you all

So, a little time to regroup and Song Challenge VI will be upon us soon!

Until next time….

Electro Suite

Well, whatever it is, it’s bearing sumptuous fruits. This particular offering, entitled Electro Suite, is a particularly large one, weighing in at over 4GB and retailing for a cool $199 USD/€179. It works with UVI’s own UVI Workstation (which allows you to run it as a standalone onstrument as well as a VSTi/AU/RTAS plugin) and MOTU’s MachFive 3 sampler. The name implies a large collection, but of what? Let’s take a look and see what our investment yields.

Electro Suite is billed as “a unique compilation of powerful instruments and a huge sound library – featuring construction kits, loops and single elements – exclusively dedicated to Electronic Dance Music. Simple use, rich sounds and inspiring tools” And there is no fear of UVI being pulled up under the Trades Descriptions Act as this is no lie at all. It is a huge collection of stuff. But, in typical UVI tradition, it is packaged and sorted in an incredibly intuitive way, making it easy to get results fast, but also equally rewarding for the digger, wading their way through a myriad samples & loops.

So, let’s start from the top. (Click on the thumbnails for more detailed images)

First on the list are construction kits. I always shudder at that term. It smacks of amateurish teenagers assembling loops in pre-determined keys and thinking they’re the next Daft Punk or David Guetta (like the world needs another David Guetta… funnily enough, the team behind Electro Suite are the same team behind Guetta’s iOS app, Electrobeats). So, I opened up this folder with some trepidation. What you get presented with are five further folders. These contain Drum Construction Kits, Musical Construction Kits, Elements, Loops and Samples. Select a construction kit folder, be it Drum or Musical and you are then presented with a choice of folders with names that hint at the style of the contents, along with their root BPM and key. Open these up and you can then choose an instrument that contains a selection of loops, or you can choose the Elements or Loops folder to gain access to the individual WAV samples. And this is where the kits become very useful. Find a particular element you like? Then the UVI Workstation allows you to drag and drop it outside of the application and into anything you like. So, you could drop it directly into Ableton Live, ReCycle or an audio editor. Furthermore, selecting one of these elements or loops in the UVI Workstation (I do wish they’d chosen a shorter name for it!) and you can open up an audio editor to further tweak the sound. This is a side to the instrument I had not yet seen before and it certainly was a pleasant surprise.

The Musical Construction Kits are the same, but the instrument you load up, rather than having the individual drum hits mapped across the keyboard, has three sections mapped out. One for single drum hits, one for drum loops and one for instrument loops. It’s very quick and easy to start making simple music right here. There is also a selection of controls that allow you to tweak such parameters as loop volume, filter frequency and a button marked “Xtra Power” that gives the whole sound a nice, big, fat boost. Quite how you might use all these loops is anyone’s guess. Some might use them as inspiration, delving into the elements later to construct their own, unique loops. Some might use them as a basis for a complete track. I’m no fan of this type of musical creation, but I do see how UVI have given the user carte blanche to mess around with this stuff as they see fit, and that deserves some credit.

The elements, loops & samples are sorted very neatly, ensuring quick access and speedy navigation, the samples being given their own instrument patch, with controls over amp, filter, LFO, pitch envelopes, modulations and other parameters. The depth of control is pretty awesome.

Ok, so that’s the construction kits. Next up we have the five big, sample based instruments of the package, starting off with the UES CarminePoly Synth.

This is, as its name suggests, a polyphonic synth that comes with its own front panel. It contains two oscillators, each with a choice of 23 waveforms and each can be pitched across three octaves as well as coming with their own volume, tuning, pan and coarse controls. Then there’s and amp & filter section, both with velocity > Attack controls and envelopes. Then there’s an LFO section with 7 waveforms and some other tools such as Glide, Phaser, Delay & Sparkle that are applied to the entire sound. It comes with 20 useful presets, all of which are very capable sounds. But, of course, you can play around to your heart’s content and come up with your own sounds.

The UES DirtyMono is, as its name implies, a monophonic synth. Like its polyphonic brother, it has 2 VCO’s but also a Sub & Noise level control as well as filter, LFO and envelope controls. VCO 1 has a choice of 13 waveforms. But more interestingly, it has its own FX and Phraser sections. The former gives you direct control over bit crushing, delay & sparkle as well as a phaser. The Phraser is a very neat addition. Essentially, it’s a 16 step pattern sequencer with a groove and gate function. Very quickly, you can create neat little phrasings that make this synth superb for bass lines as well as leads.

From synths, we move on to drums and the UES DrumShaper. This is one of my favourite devices in the whole suite. Quite simply, you get a kick, snare, clap and hi-hats. But there is so much more to it. Basically, you get to tweak each of those, and in some detail too. For example, the kick drum. You get to choose a sample for the attack and another separate sample for the body. Each of those samples can be tweaked individually to suit. Then you can mess with the tone and volume as well as its own amplitude envelope. There are nearly 100 kick samples to choose from too. Now the snare is a whole new kettle of fish. Again, you can choose three samples to combine, with individual tuning and filtering, plus global filtering and tuning and well over 150 snare samples to choose from. The clap function is a bit more simplistic, but it still allows you to combine two clap samples and mess with their filtering and tuning on an individual level as well as globally, and then throw on some delay and sparkle. Finally, the hi-hats give you similar degrees of control for closed and open hats. It’s enough to get lost in for hours. You could become your very own version of Tears For Fears and spend 6 months getting your snare drum “just right” And then there’s the pattern sequencing for each of these four parts. 808 style interfaces abound for all the sounds and added groove and clap shift functions. Once again, visual simplicity belies amazing depth and power.

The fourth instrument is Mission Control. Not so much an instrument but more of a pattern and phrase sequencer. Basically, you have six areas. Kick & Snare, Hi-Hats, Percussion, Bass and two synths. Each of these has a strip in Mission Control, with their own individual volume, pan, low & high pass filter and tune/octave settings. You can also solo or mute each element. Finally, you can pick from any of the hundreds of loops to populate each of the elements, with the combinations running into their thousands. Hitting a key on the highlighted area of the keyboard gives you the full 12 semitones, which you can also select at the top of the instrument. What seems to be quite simplistic at first, becomes very deep once you start digging in to it. A seemingly familiar characteristic of UVI instruments. I envisage this being used either as an inspiration tool or possibly a live performance tool in the right environment.

Here’s UVI’s own tutorial video on how to get the best out of Mission Control…

Finally, we come to the last instrument, the UES SweepMachine. Noise sweeps are a staple of many dance floor anthems and this device allows you to create your own unique noise sweep or use one of its own. You can choose from white, pink, brown, blue, violet, band, sample & hold, Rossier & Lorenz noise, add a sub noise and also a metallic effect before determining the length of the sweep in bars, using an LFO to modulate it and then feeding it through a flanger, delay and sparkle FX devices. you can create up to four sweeps and flick between them all at the click of a button. Whilst it’s a very limited device musically, it does what it sets out to do very well indeed.

In Conclusion…

So, that’s it. Electro Suite is a huge instrument and makes use of the fantastic abilities of the free UVI Workstation. This scores highly in the visual stakes, being typically intuitive and easy on the eye as all UVI instruments are. There is significant depth in all of the functions and even if electronic dance music isn’t your thing, I still think you could get something from this. Dismiss this as a loop/hit machine at your peril. There is much more to this than meets the eye. And with the UVI Workstation’s own layering and FX capabilities, as well as its arpeggiator, this is a formidable tool.

As has been customary of late, see below for a review video and some sonic examples.
(Apologies for the very brief and occasional audio anomalies… Not sure what was going on!)