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Mini Orchestra from Genuine Soundware (GSi)
For the life of me, I can't understand this developer (GSi). They launch instrument apps but don't promote them at all. You can't find sample / evaluation videos on Youtube. They don't even bother to answer or respond to 95% of the questions that people post on their facebook page. Anyway, they have released several new apps over the past few weeks. This one claims to be sample-based, but somehow the app is only 8.2 MB. I don't know how that is possible without some type of modeling, given the breadth of instruments listed below.
Copied from their announcement:
Genuine Soundware have released Mini Orchestra, a sample based symphonic Orchestra, available for $19.99 (USD).
Mini Orchestra is a sample-playback synthesizer based on a selection of high quality stereo samples with long loops, that helps reproducing the sound of a symphonic orchestra easily and quickly.
It offers 9 sections including: bass brasses (tubas, trombones), cellos and contrabass, french horns, woodwinds (flutes, oboe, fagotto), treble brasses (trumpets and trombones), treble strings (violins, violas), choirs, glockenspiel and percussions (timpani and cymbals).
Each section can be programmed independently to have a given response to velocity, expression pedal, aftertouch, and velocity zone. The “aftertouch lag” parameter lets you adjust the response to the aftertouch messages in order to obtain smooth dynamic transitions.
Features include:
Includes 9 sections, each with adjustable volume, pan, attack, release
Individual sections can be adjusted to velocity, aftertouch and expression sensitivity
Each section can be limited to a programmable velocity range
Three mute groups allow muting and unmuting sections at the push of a button
256 voices of Polyphony
Built-in Stereo Reverb effect
Built-in programmer with unlimited Programs
Embedded user’s’ manual
Available as Stand-alone App and audio AUv3 plugin
Very low CPU and RAM usage
Comments
This is how it can be 8.2MB and provide high quality samples:
😆
If you indeed took the plunge, would you be so kind as to run one (or a few) of your Piano Motif comps through this and post it?
That explains it! It still is not too big (if the samples sound good). I own two of their modeled instruments (VB3m and Electrorchestra) and think they both are really good. I am tempted by their Red Animal and Compact DeLuxe organs, but still can't find a single sample video of either one anywhere. I have not tried any of their sampled instruments.
I was just testing it as a Piano Motif target. I’ll hit record and just let it generate 5 creations. Mini Orchestra has 5 presets for different mixes of orchestral section targets. I usually do this type of thing using KQ Sampei loaded with SF2 orchestras.
NO ADDED FX:
Sounds great! I have a few SoundFonts and other things like Module, Thumbjam, PSP, etc but this may be the end all that I’m looking for to get the symphony sound. I thought about iSymphonic but I’m not crazy about Heavy Brass (which I bought) so I haven’t been sure about that one.
Can you solo the strings or is there anything else you’d recommend?
I own about half or so of their apps and they’re all fantastic from what I’ve tried. Drum-80 I’m particularly fond of. I’ve considered those 2 as well but I already have so many organ apps, including the 2 from InsideOut which are basically modeling the same things.
I started with iSymphonic and spent way too much adding collections (a couple hundred to great a similar collection). I ended up going the StaffPad route for the best imitation of reality on IOS.
Gotcha. StaffPad is a little out of my budget (and knowledge since I can’t read/write music very well) so this may be my best option at the moment.
It sounds serviceable as long as there are ways to solo only the strings. I wouldn’t want full orchestra at all times.
They present the sections of the orchestra and you can MUTE or PLAY by mixing the volumes of up to 9 sections.
I think the description lists them. I wish they had a pizzicato option for the strings. They provide “Attack” and “Release” knobs
But the short options don’t have that pizzicato percussive quality. But Pizz is easy to find to add another app in AUM.
ISymphonic is good for providing all the articulations. Korg Module (also a money pit) has nice Pizzicato and some other articulations to avoid just the legato string section.
NOTE: StaffPad accepts MIDI imports so Piano Motifs MIDI file saving can help avoid having to write orchestral parts by hand.
I wouldn’t venture forth without the required Pencil however. So, $90 for Staffpad and $100+ for a pencil.
Here’s a tune you might recognize. Think DeLorean.
"I Guess You Guys Aren't Ready For That Yet. But Your Kids Are Gonna Love It."
@McD thank you. Sounds….not bad!
😎
The midi-sound font character gives it a Mario world theme vibe for me.
Very cool demo.
I do have the pencil, but compared to how often I would use it, I’m not sure I could justify $90. $20 on the other hand, is easier to swallow. And I do have a couple of more than decent options for the pizzicato sound. Just nothing for the pure orchestral sound. Thanks for the input tho! Glad to know StaffPad at least accepts midi import just in case I have the extra funds and wherewithal some day.
Sounds great!
Hmm, questions: It only receives one midi channel into it and then you must mute out sections you don't want to hear? And each section plays all instruments in unison? So the woodwinds, for example, are all playing at once all the time?
Wondering this as well. Hoping maybe Doug, Gavinksi, Jakob, etc will make a video about it before I make the plunge. Seems to sound great though.
Every unmuted sections listens on OMNI unless to change the settings to listen on a specific channel. KQ Sampei is better allowing you to define an instrument (from an SF2 library) on each channel.
It does seem to do filtering on a section by velocity settings so you can set the brass to play notes above a threshold for example. I have not tried this yet.
Workarounds:
Use multiple instances of the AUv3 app and set each to channel or control channel input via AUM.
Use additional apps for required instruments… iSymphonic, Module Pro, Pure Platinum, etc.
Piano Motifs outputs 2 or 3 channels (parts). Today I noticed someone had multiple instances of Piano Motifs.
For $20 I’m sure this would be a showstopper for some. If someone has the interest I can try some multi-instance testing
On an iPad 2018 9.7” and an M1 iPad Pro just to set expectations and help someone get off the “Go/No Go Fence” .
UPDATE on M1 iPad Pro: I ran 3 Piano Motifs feeding 3 Mini Orchestras and 3 iSymphonic instances. The DSP display in AUM Stayed below 30% but I did get hung notes in iSymphonic.
So, I switched to 3 Mini O’s and 3 Module Pros driven by 3 Piano Motifs. That peaked around 36% and was less fragile.
Ah so you can’t sequence each channel individually? That’s a bit of a bummer.
I got tired of asking this dev for codes. They have no idea how to promote their stuff, and yet release it at a mad clip, as the op mentioned, which doesn't give me much faith that they'll stick around on the platform very long. I hope I'm wrong about that but for apps that are) priced highly for the platform b) released too quickly in succession c) not promoted at all, I think it is a valid fear.
True. But you can assign multiple instances of the AUv3 Mini Orchestra and configure each on a channel and have more control w.r.t. MIDI channels.
I’m going to send in a typical General MIDI file and see if the app assigns across channels just in case they intended to be a good target for GM files.
BINGO! It does channel assignments based upon GM standards (with the usual flakiness around drums).
I will share a Beethoven Symphony that just played right out of the box without any assignments by me.
It does get the cymbal crashes right!
SoundCloud demo on the way.
Try reaching out in Italian.
They are aligned with the people that make the Crumar Piano/Synth. Lots of apps on desktop and quickly porting to IOS.
Really not bad! What do you use to send the MIDI file? Can you load the file directly into the app?
The JAX Module Player Extension app. There is NOT a MIDI player in MiniOrchestra.
I’m wondering of the GM files I’m using are sending metadata for instrument assignments. Has anyone made any General Midi files?
Totally understandable. Shame they don’t seem to want to work with you guys. I hope they don’t abandon iOS as I really like a lot of their apps. Just wish there was more info on them.
Ah yeah that’s not a bad way to do things. Thanks for providing the demos and examples! Glad someone else has been able to try it. Think it’ll be the next app I buy. Really like the sound of this one.
Tomorrow I’ll look into how instruments are chosen when the midi channel gets shifted from 1 to 16 and report back.
Awesome. Looking forward to it! Thanks for being the crash tester haha 🫡
I had $20 in credit so a $19.99 app fit.