If I remember correctly, Quinn Martin also insisted on labeling their programs with "Act 1", "Act 2" and "Act 3", which really didn't help with the suspension of disbelief at all!

I've also been on the quest for the perfect horn library... But I lack your level of talent. So I suspect even if I found it, I wouldn't be able to use it to its potential. But that hasn't stopped me from trying.

After being blown away by Chuck Israels online tutorial which used i]Garritan Jazz and Big Band[/i], I shelled out my hard-earned cash for a copy of JABB. My arrangements were less than inspiring, sounding more like a nest of irritated kazoos.

Randy Bowser was kind enough to put together a tutorial on using JABB at my pleading, and I was able to make better progress - but nothing that would fool anyone.

I've done a demo that mixed the RT brass in BiaB with GPO trumpets, and the results are OK.

Ever the sucker, when Session Horns came out, I picked up a copy. I've had mixed results with that. I was quite unhappy there is no way to solo instruments, which seems a money-grab to me. I've used it in a couple of places, but it lacks the "magic" I'd been hoping to find.

Somehow I managed to find an affordable used USB EWI. The library of brass instruments that it came with were pretty terrible (based on the Garritan library), so I was off looking for another set of replacement sounds. I settled on Vintage Horns, which I ended up sampling and converting to .sfz format... Then promptly didn't use them, because I'm stupid that way. But Real Soon Now I've promised myself that I'd use them on some '70s style track, once inspiration hits.

The Session Horns library isn't really sampled at multiple dynamics, but it does have that "vibe" and a bunch of solo instruments. And it was on sale, so it must have been a good deal.

You'd think this story would be over, but somehow I managed to find funds for WIVI Band (the PC version, not the iPhone version) with an educational discount. The trumpet on that is surprisingly good - I've got a track where it dovetails into a RT, and it's pretty seamless. It works quite well with the EWI, too. I suspect that if I ever do get that '70s track done, I'll end up using WIVI Band.

Then Embertone put out the Chapman Trumpet. It's got sampled legato from note to note, which makes it really awesome. Sadly, it does not work with the Kontakt player. But I took a chance, bought it, and converted it to an .sfz instrument. A huge pain... but so pretty on the EWI. Not a all suitable for jazz, though.

All right, on to the end of this sad tale of spending with little music to show for it.

There have recently been a number of companies that came out with plastic horns. Tiger decided to go the all-plastic route, and the valves ended up failing. The pBone trumpets got good reviews, but Tromba edged them out. So I picked up a black plastic C trumpet, and my family's had to put up with my trying to learn it since then.

Tromba just announced a plastic flugel. If they ever put out a C flugel, I'll start saving my pennies for that. Which reminds me: how about some flugel RTs? That would be awesome.

OK, all this writing reminds me that it's time to practice the horn again.

-- David Cuny
My virtual singer development blog

Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?