

Click to enlarge

The Interface

On the left is the main interface for Espressivo. This particular screenshot is showing number 1 of the 4 available presets. Each of them operates in the same way. The orchestral sections are color coded consistently both within the interface and on the virtual Kontakt keyboard: Strings, Woodwinds, Brass and Percussion.

Presets

Espressivo has 4 user presets and these relate to 4 different octaves of the keyboard. Each octave has 12 keys which relate to 12 different phrases: 3 string, 3 woods, 3 brass and 3 percussion. The mapping of these 12 phrases is the same for every octave and color coded for easy recognition.

Strings C, D & E

Woodwinds C#, D# & F

Brass G, A & B

Percussion F#, G# & A#

The presets can be selected by simply playing within that preset’s octave on the keyboard, or by clicking the preset number in the interface.

Purging

You can purge the samples from an individual preset field with Cmd / Ctrl left-click on a preset number. You cannot purge the currently selected preset. Use this function to free up system RAM.

Quick Controls

Click the inner ring in the centre of the interface to display the quick control menu window.

This window shows the most common options for adjusting the playback and functionality of the currently playing, or last played phrase. This makes it easy to audition phrases and then tweak them quickly using simple controls.

Microphone Mixing

Click the outer ring in the centre of the interface to display the microphone mixing controls.

The samples for Espressivo have been recorded in the same hall as sister libraries Ostinato, Maximo, Woodwinds Ensembles, Sotto, Capriccio, Grosso, Minimal, Da Capo, Tutti and Vivace. As such, Espressivo has similar options for microphone mixing; Close, Decca Tree, Wide and Far (balcony). It is possible to use just one microphone position or mix between two different positions.

These different positions can be selected by clicking on the microphone position name.

Mixing is controlled by dragging the slider. The crossfade operates in such a way that the central position will play both microphone positions at full volume.

Microphone mixing options are global and apply to the entire instance of Espressivo including all phrases and presets. Note that activating multiple microphone sections puts additional strain on CPU usage.

and apply to the entire instance of Espressivo including all phrases and presets. Note that activating multiple microphone sections puts additional strain on CPU usage. If you plan on using just one microphone position, set the other position to NONE to conserve CPU and RAM.

Espressivo Lite

We have included a ‘Lite’ version of Espressivo. This patch function in exactly the same way as the full version but does not have microphone-mixing options. Instead, the samples have been pre-mixed from the four recorded positions. Use this patch when you only need just one pre-mixed version of Espressivo, which will conserve RAM and CPU.

Picking Phrases

Once you’ve chosen a phrase, the high, mid and low versions of it will be assigned to the relevant 3 keys of your keyboard, depending on the orchestra section and preset. Be aware that with a few patterns there may not always be 3 phrases available, and 1 or more of the 3 keys may not have a phrase assigned. This is normal and reflects that there is not necessarily an obvious high, mid and low split for that phrase.

Sometimes there will be variations of the phrase available. These variations are derived from the original recording sessions and are usually different takes of the same kind of phrase.

Randomize

Options

On the main interface, clicking one of the keyboard graphics of each orchestral section will open the options menu for that set of phrases. Here you can adjust mod wheel, volume, panning, tuning, fade time, release tail and access the score. More information on each of the options below:

The small keyboard graphic at the bottom of the options window indicates which preset you're currently editing (preset 2 is shown here).

MOD

By default the MOD wheel of your MIDI keyboard will control the output volume of all playing phrases. However, it’s possible to disable MOD wheel control for one or more phrases. This allows greater expression as you can keep the volume of one or more phrases constant whilst changing others with the MOD wheel. Use this to create interesting, constantly changing phrases and crescendos / decrescendos. Click these buttons to toggle MOD wheel on / off.

Volume

For each of the high, mid and low phrases, drag the buttons up and down to adjust the overall volume of that phrase. Left-click whilst holding cmd / control to reset to default.

Panning

For each of the high, mid and low phrases, drag the buttons left and right to adjust the panning of that phrase. Left-click whilst holding cmd / control to reset to default.

Tuning

Each of the high mid and low phrases in can have its tuning adjusted by +/- 2 semitones. This adds some more variety and flexibility to the instrument and is handy for creating a more dissonant sound. Drag the buttons up and down to adjust the tuning of a phrase. Left-click whilst holding cmd / control to reset to default.

Tail

Espressivo features release tail samples for all phrases. These give a realistic and appropriate release note or reverb tail when keys are released. The release samples become especially important if you choose to truncate the playback of a phrase, where a realistic end note will be played. The release tail offset of the 3 phrases can be adjusted by using the 3 vertical sliders. Decrease the level of the slider to begin playback further into the release samples. To turn the release samples off completely just lower a slider completely. Left-click whilst holding cmd / control to reset to default.

Fade

This is one of the most interesting aspects of Espressivo. By default every time you hit a key a phrase will trigger with playback from the beginning of the phrase.

However, using the fade sliders you can sync the playback of one phrase to another. This second phrase will gradually fade in at a speed dictated by the slider value. The two (or more) phrases will play in sync, regardless of when they were triggered.

Some key points here: This syncing is limited to a single preset and a single orchestral section (for example preset 1: strings or preset 3: woodwinds). Also, the first phrase you play of that preset / section will always trigger straight away, with no fade in, regardless of the fade slider setting. The next phrase (or two) will fade in, the speed dependant on the slider value.

Speed Control

Phrases in Espressivo have been recorded at 130 BPM - although not all phrases have an obvious rhythm, some being sustained notes or improvised phrases. If there is a rhythmic element to the phrase you’ll see this icon in the options window.

Click the ITM icon to change the playback speed of the phrase, relative to your DAW’s BPM. The phrases will always sync to your host DAW tempo, being time-stretched in Kontakt to match the BPM of your composition.

1X : Original recorded speed, relative to DAW BPM

2X : Playback at 2 x speed, relative to DAW BPM

/X : Playback at ½ speed, relative to DAW BPM

ITM : Automatic - “Intelligent Tempo Mapping” - Playback at recorded speed, but at automatic half / double time at extreme tempi. This is generally the best speed setting. However, if your project has a tempo change mid-phrase, you may find that an alternative speed setting may be more useful. Also, when you are doing gradual tempo changes across a large range, it might be a good idea to opt for one of the fixed values instead of ITM.

Global Reset

If you want/need to reset all of your adjustments for mod wheel, volume, panning, tuning, fade time and release tail then that is possible, all in one go. This is useful if you find the instrument is sounding strange due to tweaking, or if you simply want to start with a clean slate.

Score View

The phrases in Espressivo are represented by graphics instead of actual notations. However, clicking on the score icons shown here will access the original notation. This will open a large Score View, where you can view the currently selected phrases in a notated form.

From this window you can directly access the scores for all 4 presets, the 4 orchestral sections and high, mid and low phrases.

It is also possible to open the score view directly from the main interface by clicking the second S of ESPRESSIVO

Playing Espressivo

The basic method of playing Espressivo is very simple, just press a key in the range C1 to B4.

Depending on which key you press, it will trigger a tempo-synced string, brass, woodwind or percussion phrase from one of the 4 preset fields. Sustain the phrase either by holding the key down or using a sustain pedal. When the phrase finishes a release sample will normally be played.

For every new note you press, the phrase will start playback from the beginning, unless you have opted to adjust the FADE parameter as outlined on page 13.

Release Samples

Espressivo features release samples for all phrases. These give a realistic and appropriate release note or reverb tail when a phrase ends. The release samples become especially important if you choose to truncate the playback of a phrase, where a realistic end note will be played.

If you find that the release samples are too obvious or are not needed at all then it’s easy to change the sample offset of each individual phrase’s release sample. Open the OPTIONS window as outlined on page 12, or an even easier way is to click the inner ring and use the QUICK CONTROL window to adjust the release tail level quickly

A note on percussion

Although the 3 keys each of strings, brass and woodwinds are roughly split into high, mid and low sections, the percussion cannot be categorised in the exactly same way. Instead, there are graphics representing the percussion used to make it easier to find what you’re looking for in the phrase picker. We have tried to stick to some form of low-mid-high for similar patterns, which means you can for instance have a low drum on F#, small drum on G# and glockenspiel on A#.