GPO5 - Tell Me What you Want, What You Really Really Want

[Gary Garritan]

GPO is due for an update.

It's hard to believe that GPO is over ten years old and still going strong. In the software world that's an eternity and almost unheard of.
Years ago I asked our community what they wanted, and you told me, and this led to Personal Orchestra.

How we can make GPO even better?

We have some ideas but I am more interested in knowing what you would like to see.
What new instruments? Greater functionality? More articulations? Let us know. Even if the idea seem outlandish I would like to hear it.Also, what do you think of price point? And media (download/DVD/USB stick)?

I would very much appreciate your input.

All my best,

Gary

[greyfox73]

Here's a quick response Gary before a much more elaborate one later. Right off, better strings in regards to more articulations and just better sounding. You have what could compete with other libraries that are much more expensive. I love GPO4 and use it all the time. The strings now need an upgrade.

One last thing before I go. I nice, flexible smooth sounding trumpet. I would love a quieter trumpet sound.

There's more I'd like to add, but this is GPO5 you're talking about and not separate libraries. That's for another time.

Great to see you back here, my friend. We miss you over at the Northern Sounds forum. Take care.

Gary A.

[Matthew K W]

What I really really want... let's see if I can remember all the ideas I've had over the years...

1. Seconded on the strings! GPO is still my go-to for woodwinds, but the strings are usually layered with something else. The solo strings sit almost completely untouched. Extra controls on the woodwinds would be nice as well, admittedly

2. Instrument browser... please replace the dropdown menus with something more easy to browse! (I guess this is an ARIA thing more than a GPO thing). Sometimes I'll be 5 dropdowns in, accidentally move my mouse too far, losing the entire cascade of menus, and then have to start from the top level again to find the instrument I want.



... was the mockup I made while back, posted over in the old Garritan subforum.

3. The brass aggressive overlays: make those a CC-controllable addition, like how the air noise is added with CC12 for the winds in World Instruments, rather than having to load them as a separate instrument.

That's all I can remember for now, but will add more if I can think of any.

[greyfox73]

Instrument browser... please replace the dropdown menus with something more easy to browse! (I guess this is an ARIA thing more than a GPO thing). Sometimes I'll be 5 dropdowns in, accidentally move my mouse too far, losing the entire cascade of menus, and then have to start from the top level again to find the instrument I want.

I definitely second this and I think Matt's idea is excellent. I, too, have had the same thing happen where I'm several dropdowns in and, by accident, lose the whole cascade of menus and have to start over. It's really frustrating at times and it happens to me almost every time I work on anything in Aria.

OK, on to other suggestions. I love the woodwinds. Flute and Oboe are my two favorites. However, there's no way to control the vibrato. It's either on or off. It sounds lovely, but it would be nice to gradually add the vibrato when you needed it for a more realistic sound, like you can with Bassoon or Trumpet.

French Horn. Lovely instrument and my personal favorite (only because I used to play it). The mutes need some work. As a horn player it's way too brassy for my taste. And maybe add sounds for the horn with the hand in the bell, not just a cup mute.

Solo strings. I have used them, but I avoid them. They sound too close to what a synthesizer makes. Having controllable vibrato similar to what the old Solo Stradivari Violin and the Gofriller Cello did would be a big plus. I'm know I'm asking for the moon, but there you have it.

Voices. Ah, voices. I know this needs to be a separate library, but maybe something can be done to make them sound more realistic. Perhaps the option of using Latin words. Gary, I remember the one time I talked to you on the phone over a Memorial Day weekend and you played for me a vocal recording you created. I can't remember what it was but it was astounding. I own EW Symphonic Choir with Word Builder and I can say it doesn't hold a candle to what you played for me that day. It was truly amazing. Whenever you decide to create that library, I will be there with credit card in hand.

I'm sure there may be other things I'd like to suggest, but I do want you to know that what you've created over the years has been outstanding, Gary. All of these libraries are fantastic! I've been able to hear music as I write "in Finale" that I never thought possible. It is a valuable tool for me in creating music. I owned the very first GPO when it came out many moons ago and have since then purchased almost all of the other libraries. They have truly been a godsend. You will always have my support and loyalty.

Thank you for opening up this dialogue. This is great! Take care.

Gary A.

[G. Randy Brown]

Hey Gary,
I'd have to agree with everything above (especially an improved browser) but I'd like to see better sounding/more articulation on the solo brass overall.
Thanks for asking,
Randy

[gogreen]

* More smooth, velvety trumpet sounds across all samples. I often have to turn down the trumpet highs considerably in the Aria player to get a smoother, more realistic trumpet sound.

* A more realistic suspended cymbal let ring sound. I currently use and it does have a decay, but it's not realistic.

* Equalized sounds across all instruments. Some are much louder/softer than others. For instance, I consistently have to turn #93 way down, and turn, say, #85 (crash cymbals 2) way up. Bass clarinet often overpowers everything else unless I turn it way down, too.

I also suggest the same changes for Concert & Marching Band 2 sounds, although I understand that's not your focus right now.

Thanks for the opportunity to offer constructive ideas!

Art

[Derrek]

Equalized sounds across all instruments. Some are much louder/softer than others. For instance, I consistently have to turn #93 way down, and turn, say, #85 (crash cymbals 2) way up. Bass clarinet often overpowers everything else unless I turn it way down, too.

I, too, would like instrument sounds to reflect their relative volumes realistically, whether this is accomplished by the volume at which they are recorded or through some (customizable?) routine that sets default mixer volumes to reflect real-world situations.

Finale percussion maps and layouts that are named in a way that makes clear which layout(s) and map(s) match which sound library packages (like a layout named "gpo5_toys_layout" and a map labeled "gpo5_toys_map").

[Jetcopy]

I starting using other samples because they sound better (to me) than GPO. I know that's not very specific, but when I compare GPO playback to another library, it's like comparing apples to oranges. The one thing that GPO does have in its favor is notation compatibility and it requires much less computer resources. But sound is the bottom line, I can justify and workaround everything else if it sounds the best.

For a newer version of GPO I would like more detailed sampling. Tom did marvelous programming with GPO to emulate different string techniques. But those sounds need to be sampled, not emulated through programming.

With current sample libraries, I can use sul tasto, sul pont., flautando, bartok pizz., sul G, col legno, true divisi, etc...... and they all sound great. I'm spoiled by all of these choices. There's no reason to use a library that doesn't offer these options. I also prefer wet samples recorded in position. When I'm writing, I don't want to mess around with panning and reverb. I just want to write and hear it. Today's libraries recorded with multiple mic positions, solves that problem easily. The user can easily choose from close, medium or far mics.

Multiple velocity layers. Round robins. Real legato.

[Fabio Biolcati]

1. Strings. A better sounding and comprehensive set of strings. Please.

2. AG patches in KS instruments. We notation people should be able to load every playing technique or sound variation as a single patch per staff, without channel switching. But leave them also available as individual patches to use as overlays.

3. Recorders. As they are already in Garritan World. (Or move harpsichord to GW for consistency: why playing baroque is meant to be ethnic?)

4. 150-200€ price tag. Making a Billion-Dollar-Good-Sounding-Sample-Library is an everybody job. Garritan can do it inexpensively.

5. Do I already mentioned strings? A better sounding and comprehensive set of strings? Please.

[marce]

I agree with the above post and the browser improvement one.