ACTION STRINGS 2 Explained
Virtual synth expert Eli Krantzberg presents an in-depth video tutorial series on Native Instruments' ACTION STRINGS 2! If you're curious about how to get the most out of this incredibly expressive orchestral phrase player - and lend your action scores the professional realism they've been lacking - this video series is for you! After getting you up to speed with the fundamentals, Eli walks you through the impressive features of this stunning plugin, teaching you how to harness its ability to quickly and intuitively build dramatic and expansive string score parts from scratch. This video series is for new ACTION STRINGS 2 users.
Videos
• Installation & Overview (06:44) - Eli begins with a flyover of the main elements in ACTION STRINGS 2, a unique and customizable orchestral strings phrase player with options to build your own phrases, including numerous individual multi-sampled articulations.
• Working with Themes (05:55) - Explore the Theme Browser and get a feel for the different uses of the Basic, Melodic, Chromatic, and Arpeggio tagged Themes.
• Creating & Sharing User Themes (03:01) - Learn how to save, edit, and import customized Themes.
• The Phrase Browser (04:41) - Explore the Phrase Browser, which lets you decide which phrases are used in a Theme's high ensemble and/or low ensemble.
• The Module Browser (07:01) - Learn how this area on the Editor page lets you freely combine multiple recorded modules and single articulations to build complete phrases.
• Editing Modules (08:32) - Follow along as Eli builds a new theme from scratch by choosing and editing modules to create new high and low ensemble phrases.
• The Arpeggiator (05:35) - Discover how the Arpeggiator interacts with the modules and how to set the various playback modes and options.
• MIDI Export (04:42) - Learn how the simple MIDI drag-and-drop function works to export both the high and low ensembles separately and how the exported files are easily used to build a short arrangement within your DAW.
• The Mixer (07:01) - Explore the Mixer tab in ACTION STRINGS 2. Discover how to route the different mic positions to individual outputs within KONTAKT, how to use the FX Send/Return for reverb, and how to EQ the low and high ensembles separately.
• Solving the Problem (07:05) - Explore a unique workflow that uses multiple instances of ACTION STRINGS 2 and provides the ability to combine phrases and modules with individually composed parts, all while using the same raw sound sources.
• Less Is More Is Less Pt. 1 (08:55) - In these last two videos, Eli builds up a short piece from scratch utilizing a combination of the ACTION STRINGS 2 features. Learn to develop low and high ensembles using two separate instances of ACTION STRINGS 2 hosted within one KONTAKT instrument. Key switch variations are created for each, along with unique internal KONTAKT routing and effects processing for each ensemble.
• Less Is More Is Less Pt. 2 (09:28) - Follow along as Eli builds an arrangement over the ostinato strings created in the previous video. A melodic phrase using short motifs - starting at different intervals on a new instance of ACTION STRINGS 2 - is established and exported as MIDI. A call-and-response with elongated phrasing from the MIDI export is set up using orchestral ensembles. Finally, some low-range marcato chords, derived from the original ostinato, are placed at staggered positions on a third ACTION STRINGS 2 track.
• 2.1 Update (04:36) - Learn about the new loop editing, and crop loop features. See how they are used, in conjunction with the new phrase selector arrows, to easily and creatively modify the various key switch phrases associated with each preset. There are also new key switches to solo the high or low ensembles, sustain pedal support, and lots of new content.