Uniting the Best of Both Worlds

Two Ensembles, One Limitless Experience

Enter Synchron Duality Strings, a brand-new series of string libraries that comprise two string ensembles that were sampled at once, playing in separate rooms at Synchron Stage Vienna. While the larger ensemble played in the famous main hall, Stage A, the smaller ensemble was recorded in the relatively dry Stage B. Both ensembles performed together, with the conductor on the podium in Stage A also directing the ensemble in Stage B via video monitors.

And that’s where the magic happens! With the musicians’ ability to hear each other from different rooms, all musical aspects of every performance are perfectly in sync, such as volume, timbre, vibrato, note length, and phrasing, for every articulation. Thanks to Synchron Stage Vienna’s unique size, flexibility, and technical capabilities in combination with the wealth of experience from countless sampling and film music recordings, Synchron Duality Strings Collections are truly unique virtual instruments.

Section sizes
Stage A	Stage B	total
14 1st Violins	8 1st Violins	22
12 2nd Violins	6 2nd Violins	18
10 Violas	5 Violas	15
10 Violoncellos	5 Violoncellos	15
6 Basses	3 Basses	9
52	27	79

Multiple Microphone Positions

To capture the spectacular ambience of Stage A and the signals in the dryer sounding Stage B, our engineers employed separate phase-coherent microphone configurations that were recorded simultaneously to provide a broad range of room options. All sections were recorded separately at their designated positions.

The Dark and Bright microphone signals consist of a mix of two pairs of microphones, respectively:

• Dark Mics: Royer SF24 + Sennheiser MKH 8040
• Bright Mics: Neumann M149 + Ehrlund EHR-M

The additional Ribbon L/R microphones that come with each Full Library add an extra warm, low-mid layer to the transparency of the Decca Tree for an even lusher string sound.

The main surround microphone settings may also be used instead of the main stereo room mics in order to achieve a wider and more ambient mix. Blending surround signals with the other microphone signals creates a denser, more lush overall sound, even in stereo applications.

Room Mix Presets feature an excellent mix-down to stereo from the Decca tree and surround mic positions for a CPU and RAM-saving sound that’s perfectly balanced right out-of-the-box. A host of Mixer Presets is available in the categories of “Decca Tree Multi-Mic”, “Surround to Stereo Downmix”, and “Surround”.

Due to the comprehensive selection of discrete audio channels you can mix your string sound in stereo, 5.1 surround or even Dolby Atmos (or any other immersive audio format, such as 9.1 Auro 3D).