Chris Hein Ensemble Strings – The Designed String Ensemble

Chris Hein – Ensemble Strings is an incredibly detailed, flexible and musical string-ensemble-library. A special characteristic of this library is the fact that the ensemble-sounds have not been recorded in a group. Instead, the carefully selected and matched instruments have been recorded separately and edited. Consequently, each instrument is perfectly in tune, offers excellence in timing and still (or thereby) seamlessly fits the ensemble’s sonic character. You won’t find a wrong note that ruins the whole ensemble.

Recorded with greatest care, precisely edited and combined into ten useful Kontakt Player instruments with a custom made user interface and comprehensive scripting, Chris Hein – Ensemble Strings offers highest sound-quality, lots of articulations and incredibly realistic results.

Library Content

Chris Hein – Ensemble Strings have been compiled out of a pool of over 120,000 samples of violins, cellos and double basses being combined to harmonic ensembles. Each individual recording was carefully adjusted in tuning and timing as well as placed in the stereo panorama. Subsequently, these files were mixed with other recordings (naturally in 24 bit resolution) to build up an ensemble. Because of this procedure, articulations such as pizzicato or col legno can be played in “loose“ and “tight“ versions.

2 Ensemble sizes “Full“ & “Small“

Available are two ensemble-sizes for different applications:

  • “Full“ offers a big and wide sound experience
  • “Small“ provides a tinier, more delicate character

Both sections offer up to eight dynamic layers. As in Chris Hein – Solo Strings, Ensemble Strings offer four “dynamic modes“, functions such as “note-head-designer“, “key-vibrato“, “hot-keys“ as well as the practical concept of articulation-presets which, in combination with the user-interface, really give the musician the feeling and impression to play these instruments live. Chris Hein – Ensemble Strings and Chris Hein – Solo Strings perfectly play together. The string ensemble provides the best possible background for solo instruments.

The Articualtions

Chris Hein – Ensemble Strings offers no less than 32 different articulations and play-styles for its instruments. Thanks to a straightforward key-switching-system, these can be easily used with highest musicality while playing. The articulation tempo, especially for repetitions and runs, can easily be adapted to the host-tempo of your DAW.

  • Sustain
  • Sustain Vibrato
  • Dynamic Expression Long
  • Dynamic Expression Short
  • Accent Vibrato
  • Flautando
  • Ponticello
  • Trill 1 Minor
  • Trill 2 Major
  • Tremolo
  • Repetition
  • Pizzicato Tight
  • Pizzicato Loose
  • Col Legno Tight
  • Col Legno Loose
  • Effects
  • Short 1
  • Short 3
  • Short 5
  • Short 6
  • Spiccato 1
  • Spiccato 3
  • Spiccato 5
  • Spiccato 6
  • Run Up
  • Run Sown
  • Octave Long
  • Octave Short
  • 1 Octave Up
  • 2 Octave Up
  • Cluster Cloud 1
  • Cluster Cloud 2

Ensemble Maker

Although offering ensemble-sounds, this library features the so called Ensemble Maker known from Chris Hein’s solo-libraries. Here, several voices can be layered to create an even huger sound-impression. A voice-partitioning in the stereo-panorama and fine detuning increase the effect. Needless to say, that all articulations are still available here.

DSP-Effects

The library-sound is brought to perfection by a DSP-section containing ten effects. There are two independent convolution-reverbs available offering 63 high-quality impulse responses.

Who´s it for?

Chris Hein – Ensemble Strings delivers outstanding, detailed and primarily musical results. Especially in film-scoring and for cinematic purposes, the flexible ensembles can be used with the highest level of expression. However, pop-music-productions and ballads also truly benefit from the exceptional sounds and options of this library.

In addition, Chris Hein – Ensemble Strings has even more to offer. The library brings you special effect-sounds and extraordinary articulations such as cluster clouds, octaves, repetitions, runs, flautando and ponticello which are ideally suited for sound-designs, game-sound-production and musical experiments.

Features Overview:

  • 10 Instruments
  • 2 Ensemble sizes „Full“ & „Small“
  • 30 GB Content
  • 53.000 Samples
  • 32 Articulations
  • Up To 8 Dynamic Layers
  • 4 Dynamic Modes
  • Dynamic Expression Sustains
  • Special „designed“ articulations
  • Note-Head Designer
  • Hot-Keys
  • Intelligent Legato & Portamento
  • Glide-Mode To play realistic runs
  • 10 built in DSP-Effects
  • 2 independent Convolution Reverbs
  • 63 high class impulse responses
  • Ensemble Maker
  • Micro-Tuner
  • Adjustable Fader Settings in the UI
  • Intelligent LFO-Vibrato including EQ
  • Customizable Auto-Vibrato
  • Key-Vibrato

Library-producer Chris Hein has more than 30 years experience in sampling. This knowledge has been brought into this library, resulting in a maximum of flexibility, configurability and practical use.

Kontakt Player 5.7 or newer required.