Mini Orchestra from Genuine Soundware (GSi)

McD

Darn… no iPhone app.

thesoundtestroom

@Gavinski I too got tired of asking the dev for codes.
In fact the last time asked him for a code his response was they have changed their policy, so some plugins won’t be included in endorsement programs.
I found that really strange because no money was changing hands, I just wanted to demo the app.
It makes no difference to me wether I demo an app or not.

I really liked the apps too, however for people like me and Gavin, who make lots of videos for lots of apps it would practically impossible to buy them all.
So the deal is, as far as I am concerned is, send me a code, if I like it I’ll make a video for it.

Of course, it is entirely up to the developer if they want to give codes away or not, Apple supply the developers with promo codes so they can promote the app, if they choose not to do that what can you do🤷‍♂️

NowI I could fully understand this if the developer was making his own videos, but even then more exposure is better for an app.

HotStrange

@thesoundtestroom said:
@Gavinski I too got tired of asking the dev for codes.
In fact the last time asked him for a code his response was they have changed their policy, so some plugins won’t be included in endorsement programs.
I found that really strange because no money was changing hands, I just wanted to demo the app.
It makes no difference to me wether I demo an app or not.

I really liked the apps too, however for people like me and Gavin, who make lots of videos for lots of apps it would practically impossible to buy them all.
So the deal is, as far as I am concerned is, send me a code, if I like it I’ll make a video for it.

Of course, it is entirely up to the developer if they want to give codes away or not, Apple supply the developers with promo codes so they can promote the app, if they choose not to do that what can you do🤷‍♂️

NowI I could fully understand this if the developer was making his own videos, but even then more exposure is better for an app.

What a strange technique haha. Hoping they’ll change their policy soon because they’re honestly making some good apps but it’s hard to buy ones you’re on the fence about when there’s virtually no content about it. The few I have from them are either ones you’ve demoed or ones I knew I would like (Drum-80 for example).

Gavinski

@thesoundtestroom said:
@Gavinski I too got tired of asking the dev for codes.
In fact the last time asked him for a code his response was they have changed their policy, so some plugins won’t be included in endorsement programs.
I found that really strange because no money was changing hands, I just wanted to demo the app.
It makes no difference to me wether I demo an app or not.

I really liked the apps too, however for people like me and Gavin, who make lots of videos for lots of apps it would practically impossible to buy them all.
So the deal is, as far as I am concerned is, send me a code, if I like it I’ll make a video for it.

Of course, it is entirely up to the developer if they want to give codes away or not, Apple supply the developers with promo codes so they can promote the app, if they choose not to do that what can you do🤷‍♂️

NowI I could fully understand this if the developer was making his own videos, but even then more exposure is better for an app.

Yep... Their loss. Like you say, we're bloody flooded with apps anyway, pity though. Not sure who their marketing person is, but they take a pretty 'unique' approach for want of a better word!

McD

I was wrong about the GM file being able to assign instruments. All the parts play at the same time but the note ranges make one or more instruments come to the front of the mix.

I think the best way to control which part is playing from a given midi stream/channel is to run an instance per part.

I will test 9 instances all being fed from the Beethoven midi file and see if it can add more clarity to the results.

I did learn that Program Change commands change the selected preset so having presets ready that enable only one part can be helpful to run fever instances and send Program Changes to configure the right target instrument.

Stuntman_mike

@McD said:
This is how it can be 8.2MB and provide high quality samples:

🤣

jamietopol

@Gavinski said:

@HotStrange said:

@Stochastically said:
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.

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.

I figured that you and some of the other top-tier app reviewers/teachers had tried to engage with the developer. It's such a shame because the two apps that I've purchased (VB3m and Electrorchestra) both sound great. Vb3M is 2 years old, so I hope that means they intend to stick around for a long time. Their Red Animal and Compact DeLuxe organs are very tempting.

NeuM

@Silvertip said:
Here’s a tune you might recognize. Think DeLorean.

Whoa. That’s heavy, Doc!

Silvertip

@NeuM said:

@Silvertip said:
Here’s a tune you might recognize. Think DeLorean.

Whoa. That’s heavy, Doc!

To avoid misunderstandings, it wasn't me who was playing.
It’s a link from DSi's website. Here’s the link to the relevant page.

https://www.genuinesoundware.com/?a=showproduct&b=59

It is strange that when you watch the video on YouTube,
you notice that it is a hidden video. They apparently really
want as little attention as possible for their apps.

McD

I loaded my test GM file into StaffPad and it shows the intended instrumentation. Now that could be metadata in the file itself
From a sequencer that was used to make the file. Still it’s good to know the instruments but you still need to do detective work to find out the MIDI channel assignments.

I’m going back to work with Piano Motifs and simplify the work of assigning parts to channels 1-3.

Iskander

Deleted

McD

@Iskander said:
Deleted

Noted.

MrStochastic

@McD said:
Tomorrow I’ll look into how instruments are chosen when the midi channel gets shifted from 1 to 16 and report back.

Thanks for testing this out. I thought it might be useful for testing out orch ideas before bringing to desktop to build out. Still not sure though; I'll wait and see what you or others come up with.

McD

@Stochastically said:

@McD said:
Tomorrow I’ll look into how instruments are chosen when the midi channel gets shifted from 1 to 16 and report back.

Thanks for testing this out. I thought it might be useful for testing out orch ideas before bringing to desktop to build out. Still not sure though; I'll wait and see what you or others come up with.

I find this app useful for auditioning Piano Motifs without a lot of setup effort.

After finding something I like I add extra instruments from Beat Hawk or Module Pro.

I think several Piano Motifs with coordinated Chord Progressions which lock down the scale could make interesting projects where instruments/motifs are unmuted or increased in presence to create complex compositions. Routing the MIDI to Atom might be a good way to pass the composition into other DAWs.

Iskander

@McD said:

@Iskander said:
Deleted

Noted.

Just to be sure, I deleted my posting, not the app.

rs2000

@McD How would you compare it to AudioLayer's included free orchestral sounds?

McD

@rs2000 said:
@McD How would you compare it to AudioLayer's included free orchestral sounds?

I can try to setup a fair comparison but Audiolayer can only load 1 part and not 9. So I will need to load at least 5 audiolayers. Listening critically to these samples they are highly optimized and probably use tight looping which makes sense given the size of the app and lack of resource drain.

BS-16i with its ability to load 16 parts is a better competitor feature wise or my new favorite Sound Canvas replacement KQ Sampei that also loads SF2’s and has 16 slots.

What GSi has done with their velocity sensitive mixing is pretty clever for full orchestra emulation. They also have mute groups so 3 ensembles can be set up for changes that fit the song form.

For people that hate complex setups this is a winner. But the price will hold most back.

HotStrange

I’m definitely tempted by this to have everything all in one. Between PSP, Taqsim, Module, etc I don’t really NEED it. But a dedicated all-in-one would be great.

jamietopol

I just noticed that GSi does offer Windows and Mac versions that you can download and use for free in "trial mode" (trial mode cuts all sound at random intervals). Downloads available here: https://www.genuinesoundware.com/?a=showproduct&b=59

jamietopol

@McD said:

@rs2000 said:
@McD How would you compare it to AudioLayer's included free orchestral sounds?

I can try to setup a fair comparison but Audiolayer can only load 1 part and not 9. So I will need to load at least 5 audiolayers. Listening critically to these samples they are highly optimized and probably use tight looping which makes sense given the size of the app and lack of resource drain.

BS-16i with its ability to load 16 parts is a better competitor feature wise or my new favorite Sound Canvas replacement KQ Sampei that also loads SF2’s and has 16 slots.

What GSi has done with their velocity sensitive mixing is pretty clever for full orchestra emulation. They also have mute groups so 3 ensembles can be set up for changes that fit the song form.

For people that hate complex setups this is a winner. But the price will hold most back.

Can you confirm if this app supports polyphonic aftertouch or just channel pressure (mono aftertouch)?

McD

@jamietopol said:
Can you confirm if this app supports polyphonic aftertouch or just channel pressure (mono aftertouch)?

Can you recommend a good app that generates these events? If there’s a MIDI file I can use I could do that, too.

The App’s embedded manual mentions AfterTouch as an input:

I think this app benefits from complex layers of sections. Each section stripped down exposes that the quality of that sample does not compare with a similar choice from BeatHawk or Module Pro.

McD

@rs2000 said:
@McD How would you compare it to AudioLayer's included free orchestral sounds?

I started setting up multiple AudioLayers for a comparison and it won but the setup was time consuming… thankfully AUM can save the setup to a Project File and recall it quickly. But I had to start making many decisions about the mix and channel assignment and Piano Motifs only uses 3 channels but still. If you want control and the best rendering AudioLayer is the way…
It you just want to audition Piano Motifs or live play into an orchestral set up then MiniOrchestra is quick and still very customizable for tweaking using the velcity, expression, AfterTouch and velocity zone programming.

McD

NOTE: I was hoping to use Network Session between Piano Motifs and MiniOrchestra and it works but MiniOrchestra must be open. It does not have the option to run with BackGround Audio. Probably not a huge detail however because you have you must stop Piano Motifs to generate new patterns.

rs2000

Cool, thanks a lot @McD!
I don't worry having many AudioLayer instances and saving them as a DAW template so I guess I'm set for the few occasions that I'd like to play with orchestral sounds.

McD

I tested MiniOrchestra on my 2018 iPad 9.7” and it ran 3 instances at 30% DSP so I bumped it to 6 and changed the presets on the new 3 and it showed 33% so I started to go to 9 and in instance 9 it crashed. 3 is really plenty to be honest but you could go in and set each instance to one of the orchestral parts and even set each instance to a unique MIDI channel.

HotStrange

Definitely still high on my list but it’ll probably be a couple of weeks before I grab it up. I think I already have enough of “this sound” to get by but I really would like to have a specific app just for orchestral stuff. And it does seem to sound really good.

jamietopol

@jamietopol said:

@McD said:

@rs2000 said:
@McD How would you compare it to AudioLayer's included free orchestral sounds?

I can try to setup a fair comparison but Audiolayer can only load 1 part and not 9. So I will need to load at least 5 audiolayers. Listening critically to these samples they are highly optimized and probably use tight looping which makes sense given the size of the app and lack of resource drain.

BS-16i with its ability to load 16 parts is a better competitor feature wise or my new favorite Sound Canvas replacement KQ Sampei that also loads SF2’s and has 16 slots.

What GSi has done with their velocity sensitive mixing is pretty clever for full orchestra emulation. They also have mute groups so 3 ensembles can be set up for changes that fit the song form.

For people that hate complex setups this is a winner. But the price will hold most back.

Can you confirm if this app supports polyphonic aftertouch or just channel pressure (mono aftertouch)?

Genuine Soundware answered my question on their facebook page: channel only (no support for polyphonic aftertouch).

Simon

MrStochastic

@McD said:
my new favorite Sound Canvas replacement KQ Sampei that also loads SF2’s and has 16 slots.

Thanks for reminding of that one. Just got it and like it a lot. I'm not so sure I need or want 'big' orch sounds for what I try here anyway.

HotStrange

So I’m currently doing the free trials of the orchestral stuff within Module Pro and it has me wondering if this is even worth. Can anyone speak to this in comparison to the Module IAPs? @McD any thoughts?