Insideout ltd. has introduced Alina String Ensemble, a music app for iPhone/iPad/iPod touch that emulates the Solina String Ensemble.
Here’s a video preview, via Synth Anatomy:
Features:
- Pre-loaded with 6 instruments including Viola, Violin, Brass, Horn, Cello, Contra Bass
- 49key, 4-octave Keyboards with scrollable
- iOS7/8 compatible
- Optimized appearance on iPhone 6/6 Plus
- Core MIDI and MIDI over Bluetooth LE compatible
- Supports Audiobus and Inter-App Audio (requires iOS 7 or later)
- Scrollable Keyboard & dual Keyboards(Only iPad)
- BASS tone(Cello, Contra Bass) is assigned on lowest 20 keys
- Built-in Reverb that simulates a spring reverb
- Modulation that can adjust the rate and depth
Alina is based on a sampled Solina String Ensemble (Serial number “SERIES 22, No.0093158”) manufactured by N.V. EMINENT BODEGRAVEN HOLLAND in the 70’s.
Alina is available in the app store for US $2.99 (half off the normal price.)
Nice sounds, great price. In the above demo, it’s easy to hear the problem of new notes cutting off existing notes, often unpredictably. This has been discussed on the Facebook iPad Musician page. More obvious in some voices than others, but it certainly prevents nice pad sounds from flowing. Solution, best I’ve found, is to run it through a pretty dense reverb to cover the sudden release of the sounds.
Can certainly hear the notes being cut-off throughout this video.
Didn’t the original stringers suffer from this same thing due to having a single envelope shared between the voices? I’m actually happy this behavioral quirk has been emulated. 🙂
Yep. I think the Solina had one envelope generator was was paraphonic.
Love Arturia’s VST of Solina. Not sure if I’ll get this, but good price and cool overall.
forgot audiobus , was on their site last night
I like it because it’s so immediate. Push a button, drag a slider. No dicking around with menu after menu. Very refreshing.
I didn’t see a way to set a MIDI channel. Why some devs don’t have this is beyond me. It cant’ be difficult to implement since many apps do have it.
This sounds even better through any number of iOS effects. I like it FWIW!
Irresistable..Well I am a surviving victim of the 80s…got my membership of the Hacienda on the first day ,spent my student grant money on cheap synths, listened to Joy division and New Order continually.The sound of the Solina was the sound track to me in stupid long Russian Army Surplus Rain coat,lop sided haircut walking in the pissing rain across the motorway foot bridges that linked Hume with Mosside ,the concretions of Mancunian grey despair . Okay I will get it just so I can play Isolation ,Ceremony and Atmosphere on my Ipad with headphones in the Coffee shop ,forgetting the vast amounts of money I have squandered on original technology…
As someone with zero memory or understanding of this synth and its legacy, I can still hear that this synth has a particular personality and tone, but I don’t really find it that inviting standing on its own, sans the nostalgia boost.
For me it was most prominent on Jean Michel Jarre’s Oxygene. I loved the swirly phased string sound. I’ve tried the Arturia recreation and that has some really nice sounds. Would like it on iPad but I’m concerned about the notes ending early as Robert Goldberg described above.
Have a listen to Solina string machine on youtube.
I’m with Stubb on this one. Its quite easy to recreate that sound on anything remotely in the same arena. I don’t subscribe to big arguments over filters, especially when even MoogerFoogers can be had as software and detailed EQs abound. That famous Solina/Omni cream can be dialed in with three competing phasers, maybe some bit reduction for graininess and a dab of reverb. Its a divide-down design, so any modern polyphonic can emulate it well. Its fine if you like it for nostalgia’s sake or have a big Jarre jones, but try programming your own Solina first. It might hit the mark better than you think.
App crash on iOS 9. Not good.
Works fine on iOS 9 for me. While this can be emulated in many ways, the “directness” of the app is big part of its appeal.