Alina String Ensemble app

[Steve Beach]

Back in the 70-80's I owned an ARP String Ensemble which I used a lot including on some recordings.  Anyways, recently I've purchased the Alina String Ensemble app to run on my I-pad Mini 2.  It has some buttons that allow turning the MODULATION on/off, and a MODULATION amount and MODULATION depth.   All three seem to do absolutely nothing.  I've had the app for a couple of years, but only recently have started to play with it again.

 

Has anyone else had any experience with this app, and does MODULATION have any affect on your sounds.

 

Thanks,

Steve

[Baldwin Funster]

4 minutes ago, Steve Beach said:

Back in the 70-80's I owned an ARP String Ensemble which I used a lot including on some recordings.  Anyways, recently I've purchased the Alina String Ensemble app to run on my I-pad Mini 2.  It has some buttons that allow turning the MODULATION on/off, and a MODULATION amount and MODULATION depth.   All three seem to do absolutely nothing.  I've had the app for a couple of years, but only recently have started to play with it again.

 

Has anyone else had any experience with this app, and does MODULATION have any affect on your sounds.

 

Thanks,

Steve

Yeah I recently messed with Alina in search of a decent string machine ipad app and found about the same thing. Some of the buttons don't do much. And I found the note release hard to work with. When you let off a note the sound is almost gated. I've never had the real thing here but I don't recall hearing that on any albums or demos. I layered it with a solina preset in another synth app and got some interesting sounds but alone I find alina un workable. And the Gforce solina isn't available in iOS. There's several at least decent 'tron apps, someone out there write a good solina. Heck, I'd even pay $10 for it. Maybe even $20.

[Baldwin Funster]

So there is IK MM Syntronik for ipad. It's not too old and was updated in 2020. I've had less than perfect results from some older IK MM stuff and the in app purchase thing makes me wonder if I'll get a decent solina for $15 or will I shell out another $20? I'm a compulsive synth app buyer so no doubt I'll get it sooner or later. Or in 5 minutes. 

 

Edit. After reading a couple reviews, my worst fears about IKMM have been bourne out. You gotta pay like $70 or more to get beyond a handful of demo presets. No thanks IKMM.

[obxa]

The Korg Module expansion pack:  KApro  "Dreamy Synth's Expansion".  has  tons of stuff, plus it's easy enough to roll your own from its analog synth and strings presets.

FYI the demo is horrible- Search YT for better ones.

 

https://www.korg.com/us/products/software/korg_module/modules.php

 

That and the Triton pack are the two I use most when I use Ipad. 

 

They also have  a nice Melotron expansion pack that goes on and off sale  for free, or cheap.   I'm not doing prog- rock, but it's been more useful than I thought.  Use it filtered and layered under other pads/string sounds. 

 

 

[Baldwin Funster]

I messed with Alina a little more. The crescendo and release setting are critical but I got it sounding pretty good with no artifacts. But the OP is right that the modulation sliders do almost nothing and if you turn off the Ensemble you still hear it but quieter. So if you want the flat unmodulated sound you can't get it. I doubt any body wants that sound anyways.

The Korg is $40 right now.

[Steve Beach]

Jr. Deluxe, thanks for sharing your observations.  Your notes about the crescendo and release are right on.  Also, the use of an expression pedal makes a huge difference in the realism you can create on swells, accents and fades.   I've also noticed I had to EQ the top end a lot to get the sound where on violins and violas..... you can mimic the sound of the bows going across the strings.   A built in treble and bass adjustment would help the app a lot.  

       Back in the 70's, I had a tech put an output before the modulation circuit on the back panel of my ARP Solina String Ensemble.  This allowed me to route the unmodulated sounds through the filter and envelope generator of my ARP Odyssey for brass type sounds.  Apparently, I was on to something because ARP released the ARP Omni shortly thereafter which could do all those things on board.  

      Cheers!

Steve B.

[Baldwin Funster]

GSI announced a new string machine app on FB. It's not released as of my post but the demo on FB sounds like a winner.

[David Emm]

I look sideways at how fascinated people become with the Solina when I can make that sound drop out of me arse quite easily. Its too simple a thing to argue about the same way we do over other vintage remakes. Stringers are part of Synth 101 and right there with most organs in being readily recreated. I love that spot in 70s synth works for its own sake, but string emulation is a separate line of keyboard history.

 

Its amusing to consider how Mellotrons were dropped like hot bricks in favor of divide-down strings and those were booted when samplers made the situation much easier to address. Here we are, full-circle. What's old is new again. All I have to do is rinse out the part of my brain that hears that sound and thinks "disco" too easily. 🤨  

[Baldwin Funster]

Gsi Electrorchestra string mach ipad  app is released. About 14 bucks.

It's good but I think I like Alina a little better. Sorry Guido.

Both don't and won't save presets. Alina won't retain settings in AUM. I assume Electrorchestra will.

Guido says this stringer is the same as in the Gemini. 

[Garubi]

On 10/2/2022 at 8:35 PM, Jr. Deluxe said:

GSI announced a new string machine app on FB. It's not released as of my post but the demo on FB sounds like a winner.

Yes, sounds awesome! 

They states that it's the same engine (modeled, not sampled) that is inside the Gemini

[Baldwin Funster]

I just found that Alina has an android version at the play store. Something like $3.

 

Edit.

I have to add that it sees my midi controller but makes no sound when selected. 

Hulk sad.

 

Edit part deu.

It works with my iRig 37 pro

And arturia essential but so far not with the Roland a800, both drivers.