Virtual instruments are an accepted part of modern music production, whether it’s drums, guitars, bass, pianos or whole orchestras. Pretty much everyone uses them, from the user of a modest home studio up to the top-end of the music production tree. However, where things get ‘interesting’ is when the excellent sounds those instruments can offer get combined with performance components with the software; it’s not just an instrument, it’s also – in part – a ‘performer’. Toontrack’s EZ instrument line is a prime example, but there are plenty of others.
In the main, the music tech world has become comfortable with the existence of these ‘virtual musicians’. They can offer convenience, speed or use, quality of sound and, if your own skills with a particular instrument are a little basic, a way of getting polished performance into your track. However, the last couple of years has seen a new addition to this category within the market; virtual singers.
Yes, vocal synthesis has been around for quite a long time (think Vocaloid) but, thanks to some very bright minds, the technology has advanced very rapidly over the last couple of years….. and to the point where the output from these tools is undeniably impressive and, frankly, scarily realistic.
How realistic? Well, check out the review of ACE Studio on the SOS website and find out…..
