First Look: Big Bang Orchestra: Hercules by Vienna Symphonic Library
Fantastic Sample Set
Nice offering of Articulations for a Starter Edition
Great selection of Mixer Presets
"Stretch" synchronization CPU heavy
Developed to hold the weight of the world on its shoulders, Hercules delivers an amazing low brass ensemble instrument with a superb sample set and flexible sound sculpting thanks to multiple microphones, extra ƒƒƒ layers and options for playback with a contrabass tuba down the octave!
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First Look: Big Bang Orchestra: Hercules by Vienna Symphonic Library
Big Bang Orchestra: Hercules sells for €95 from Vienna Symphonic Library
At the time of posting Hercules was on an introductory offer of €65 through June 30, 2020.
Thoughts
Vienna Symphonic Library recently added 4 new Brass Packs to their ever-expanding Starter Edition library collection, the Big Bang Orchestra. With the announcement the developer added Kopernikus, a library of trumpets, Izar, a collection of low brass clusters, Jupiter, covering the horn section and Hercules, covering low brass.
Big Bang Orchestra: Hercules is an ensemble library sampled from four bass trombones, one bass tuba, and one contrabass tuba that plays an octave below the other instruments. As with all the Big Bang Orchestra releases the library was recorded in Vienna‘s Synchron Stage so all BBO instruments blend naturally together.
For delivering realistic energy and power of the low brass Hercules comes with extra fortississimo layers that can be added in the Synchron Player for that brassy and striking sound we are used to hearing on Hollywood film scores.
Even though Big Bang Orchestra: Hercules, and the entire Big Bang Orchestra are listed as Vienna‘s “starter edition” the instruments come with a healthy selection of articulations that cover most all aspects of cinematic recording including long sustains with soft, marcato, and expressive, shorts for “bold” as well as as “agile” performances, long and soft legato as well as expressive and marcato legatos.
Big Bang Orchestra: Hercules goes beyond standard articulation fare with additional dynamic performance articulations including sforzato, sforzatissimo, short and longs wells. soft swells and diminuendo.
A collection of Specialty articulations really add to the depths of this instrument included flutter tonguing, half and whole tone trills and glissandos in minor and major 2nd and 4th with both up and down options.
For those writing action cues the inclusion of fast staccato repetition articulations will be a welcome sight. The library contains repetition performances at 120, 140 and 160 BPM. With the Synchron Player’s ability to “Stretch” or lock to your DAW tempo. These are a fast and flexible way to get a natural realistic performance out of the fast repetition articulations.
It is important to note that many of the patches included in Hercules allow for the articulations to be enhanced with a contrabass tuba performance playing down an octave that delivers such a rich and meaty sound to any performance.
Right away the quality of this instrument stands out thanks to the fantastic sample set courtesy of the acoustics of the Synchron Stage and talent of chief recording engineer Bernd Mazagg.
One of the strengths of the Synchron Player that Hercules takes advantage of it the Mixer Presets. These Mixer Presets are consistent across Vienna‘s Big Bang Orchestra Andromeda and Black Eye for easy access to blending and controlling a consistent sound across the libraries.
The included mixer presets utilize the multiple microphone positions the library comes with and can be adjusted or altered to emphasize a section. For example by adding more of the close microphone to the low brass section I found I was able to get more splat and bite so altering the mixer with the included microphone presets will allow you to dial in just the sound you are looking for.
In this first look we have a listen through the instruments, articulations, as well as the mixer, presets.
Facts
Hercules downloads as 7.81 GB and is an ensemble low brass instrument sampled from 4 Bass Trombones, 1 Bass Tuba, 1 Contrabass Tuba recorded on the Synchron Stage Vienna.
The library comes with articulations including Legatos, Glissandos, Swells, Flutter Tonguing, Trills & more with up to 5 velocity layers sampled from Pianissimo to Fortississimos with an Extra Fortississimo.
Multiple Mic Positions & Additional Close Mic Positions are included in the Mixer panel of the instrument.
Big Bang Orchestra: Hercules sells for €95 from Vienna Symphonic Library
At the time of posting Hercules was on an introductory offer of €65 through June 30, 2020.
