Trumpet ensemble (4 muted trumpets)  •  Horn ensemble (4 muted French horns)
Trombone ensemble (4 muted tenor trombones)  •  Wagner tuba ensemble (4 players)

Vienna Dimension Brass I features three muted brass ensembles of four players each (all trumpets, trombones, and French horns were recorded with “straight mutes”) as well as a unique ensemble of four Wagner tubas that you’ll scarcely find in any other library!

Wagner tubas were originally created for Wagner’s 16-hour epic opera cycle “Der Ring des Nibelungen“ that he composed between 1848 and 1874 (with some interruptions). Wagner was inspired by instrument maker Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone, and sought a particularly noble and somber sound like that of a trombone but with a less incisive, mellow tone, like that of a French horn. Actually, the Wagner tuba is a special type of tenor horn and the term “tuba” is therefore misleading, as the mouthpiece and the fingering are identical to the French horn. Consequently, these instruments are traditionally played by horn players in the orchestra. Besides the monumental “Ring” cycle Wagner tubas occasionally appear in orchestral works of other composers, such as Anton Bruckner (7th, 8th, and 9th Symphony), Richard Strauss (Elektra, An Alpine Symphony), Igor Stravinski (Firebird in its original version of 1910, Le Sacre du Printemps), Arnold Schönberg (Gurre-Lieder) and Edgar Varese (Arcana).

As with Vienna Dimension Brass I, the players of these ensembles were recorded in groups using dedicated microphones for each of the four players, resulting in a homogeneous sound while still allowing direct (individual) access to each voice.

Although the product works with our free Vienna Instruments player (included) we recommend using Vienna Instruments PRO in order to enjoy the full benefits of these multi-dimensional samples. With Vienna Instruments PRO you can easily change the sound characteristics, player position, volume, and performance accuracy of each individual player. The auto-divisi mode lets you split voices; play one note, and you’ll hear four players in unison, two notes will divide the ensemble in sections of two players, and so on. The tailor-made Humanize Presets let you easily control the performance accuracy in real-time, at the single touch of a fader – from subtle tuning and timing variations to heavy cluster effects.

NEW: Extended Articulations

While the Standard Library includes all basic articulations, the Full Library has been expanded with a set of all-new articulations, providing even more variations, nuances and possibilities of expression. The new performance glissandos were recorded up to a tritone for the trombones and even up to an octave for the trumpets and French horns. They can be seamlessly combined with the legato performances. The new medium sustained notes are available in six dynamic layers and are not looped, providing the instruments’ all-natural decay. You may crossfade between different dynamic layers by using a continuous controller in order to get natural and seamless transitions – from a mellow tone color to an assertive, stinging brass sound and back. What’s more, we’ve added recorded crescendos and diminuendos of one, two, and three seconds length that are absolutely crucial when it comes to ultra-realistic brass performances. Last but not least, the new long portatos of approximately half a second in length fill the gap between the existing short and long sustained notes.For more details please have a look at the Sample Content menu.