Nice!

Note:

When I made the comment about Axxe getting praises for the way the samples were recorded with full upstroke/downstroke - I made an error thinking this set was using sampled chords. My comments about enhanced guitar chord methods were actually thinking of:

http://www.boldersounds.net/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&products_id=111

Which samples the chord. I got my wires crossed because Axxe uses a common left hand/right hand control for the up and downstroke - although Axxe still assembles the guitar in bits and pieces using internal waveforms. Which, although great, does not match the nuance/realism of a sampled guitar which includes all the noises in a single strum sample.

Therefore, given there are no samples included in Axxe - what you are getting are parameter tweaks. Tweaks done by experts - so I am not diminishing the work / talent / etc of professional programmers providing better versions of PARTs already in your Montage. It's just important to understand the limits of this method are given by what the parameters (envelopes, effects, layering different waveforms, etc) can give you. Beyond adding different waveforms together, adding effects, or subtracting (filtering) say with an "XYZ"-pass-filter, etc - the character of the guitar sounds is not going to change beyond those "levers". That's a lot of character changing, but it's not as altering as can be accomplished by having new samples of the instruments as a starting point.

I just wanted to be sure I didn't steer folks in the wrong direction by my earlier comment - as it has been correctly pointed out that the existing Axxe set does not include any new samples.

david wrote:

I sent Peter an inquiry concerning this possibility and I also requested a realistic and responsive pedal steel for Montage while he's at it. Once I hear something I'll post back concerning his reply.

I just stumbled across this posting by Dave P himself detailing how to play realistic pedal steel sounds on any synth. Check it out and add your comments:

"You can use this to simulate pedal steel guitar. Select a guitar voice.

Say your song is in E major. Place your thumb over G#3 on the keyboard, and your smallest finger over E4. Don’t play anything yet.

Bend the pitch bend wheel down almost all the way, and press on G#3. Hold the note, bring the pitch wheel slowly forward and before it reaches its original position, press E4, then release the pitch bend wheel. Instant pedal steel. Practice this technique while moving a volume pedal (I assume you have one attached to your Motif, if you don’t go out and get one).

Try doing the same thing in other keys, starting always with the major third of the triad whose root is the key you’re in. For the key of A, you’d start with C#4 and end up on A4. It’s a sixth interval, actually. After you get more used to it you can start with the fifth note of a triad and move up to the major third (inverted).

The technique works with any guitar-ish sound, actually.
I learned it from an old piano salesman who sold Yamaha PSR keyboards to retired customers. They always wanted a pedal steel - actually, they always called it “Hawaiain guitar”. He’d just choose any guitar sound."

Stu: I did see that tutorial. The complaint I have is not with a moving part - it's the exposed long-tone-single-note lines without bends ("naked" sound) that I have problems fixing using any technique.

Jason wrote:

Stu: I did see that tutorial. The complaint I have is not with a moving part - it's the exposed long-tone-single-note lines without bends ("naked" sound) that I have problems fixing using any technique.

Ah, I see.

I asked Dave P. if he would pay particular attention to the pedal steel sound when he converts his libraries to Montage.

Stu wrote:
Ah, I see.

I asked Dave P. if he would pay particular attention to the pedal steel sound when he converts his libraries to Montage.

On the MO6, I created a pedal steel voice which instead of using "pedal steel" as the basis, I used a guitar instead. Maybe single coil - I'd have to look it up. Then I played with the envelopes and effects until I got something more passable. Still not happy, but better. The "Pedal Steel" voice was too far out for me. Given Axxe is parameter and not sample based - he'd be doing the same thing (although by a more experienced hand). I believe this was my first venture into envelope editing way back when. If so inclined, you may also try your hand at it. Mixing more than one guitar - or pedal+another guitar, or guitar+FM, or ... is another option. So there is plenty that could be done - would be interesting to see what both commercial add-ons and the community can come up with.