Walkthrough
22:49
Strings in motion
Spitfire takes its Evo range of products into a new realm with a series of evolving "motions" that will revolutionise the way in which you write and realise your string compositions.
Orchestrated by Ben Foskett, this product exudes class and a cool organic sound that will bring fresh Steve Reich, Terry Riley, John Adams and Arvo Part style sophistication to any composition.
- You can buy now and download any time
Listen to Evo Grid 3
Into The Woods - Oliver Patrice Weder
Dancing In Spring - Homay Schmitz
The Wisps - Oliver Patrice Weder
Return To The Cafe Del - Christian Henson
Evo Chin - Christian Henson
12:24
Overview
Evos are hyperlong articulations that change, sometimes subtly, sometimes radically over time before returning to their original state. We have organised these on a grid so you can plot which evolution sits on which key range. Composers are often asked to engage the listener by doing very little — we're asked to rarely change the note, to do almost nothing. The Evo Grid is our means of providing composers with a solution to this conundrum. Evo 3 takes this concept further by introducing tempo lockable "motions" to the Evo Grid project. From simple, shimmering textures, essential motoring evos that help to keep your simple compositions ticking along, to the most complex of polyrhythmic systems. We have to limit our time with Evo 3 — once you start, you can't stop!
Recorded in the dry but warm environment of Air Edel Studios, London, with a chamber-sized string section, Evo 3 is a sonically detailed and versatile set of recordings suitable for any number of settings.
Features
- 37 unique evolutions across the whole range of the string band, grouped into 3 different categories.
- All sounds tempo-locked to your host DAW tempo.
- Completely customisable evolutions grid, with a randomise function.
- Four individual mic signals including Close, Sweet Loops, Completely Varped, and Stretched.
Background
Are you a media composer having to produce yards of sophisticated underscore for your TV scores? Are you a games composer looking for ways of generating hours of iterative material? Are you a producer looking for cool understated orchestral textures? Are you any kind of writer looking for inspiration? That next great idea?
The genesis of Evo Grid 3 is an evolutionary story in its own right. From our original 'Scary Strings' experiment, sampling players performing 'evolutions' that change over time and over a fixed number of registers, we came to create Angular String Evolutions and Fragile String Evolutions, with an ingenious design that arranges these evolutions across your ranges with a die randomisation function, delivering a near-infinite number of
possible combinations. We also produced Woodwind Evolutions, giving you a truly original set of sonic possibilities. Since then, we have collaborated with Olafur Arnalds and Leo Abrahams, giving us their own takes on the Evo Grid.
This volume is the biggest development for the Evo Grid concept, orchestrated exceptionally by Ben Foskett. Initially the concept was to tackle one of the biggest sampling conundrums — the re-bow, i.e. repeated phrasing on the same note. So we thought, what better way to give us all options of time syncable re-bowing patterns than to put them on an Evo Grid? After two years of extended development and fiendish scripting, our alpha version arrived, and it was immediately clear that Evo Grid 3 was going to be so much more than we had originally hoped.
The Overview panel
This is the main interface for melodic instruments. Its default view displays all available playing techniques, has a simple microphone mixer and includes the main feature controllers.
The Evo Grid
Based on the EMS VCS3 synth, this extraordinary and unique interface allows for instant gratification and customisation. With 1 or 2 clicks, you will be armed with something totally unique and inspiring. Scroll the Evo Grid to discover and activate Evos that are not visible. Pan and tweak each Evo for perfect blending. Punch in or out 3 useful modulators and effects. Mix your mic positions, all from the front panel.
What's Included
Instruments
- Evo Grid 3
Curated presets
- 1-12 step down diagonal
- 1-12 step up diagonal
- 13-24 step down diagonal
- 13-24 step up diagonal
- 16s pushing top
- 25-36 step down diagonal
- 25-36 step up diagonal
- Building rhythms
- Locked wisps
- Low tense 8s with high pizz
- Persistent tense 16s
- Plucks and pizz
- Psycho scary 8s
- Pulsing sul pont crosses
- Reich 8s
- Sul pont scary 4s
Individual evolutions
- 01 straight - reich 8s hairpin
- 02 straight - measured 16s hairpin
- 03 straight - measured 16s normale to sul pont
- 04 straight - measured 16s normale to sul tasto
- 05 straight - crotchet accented downbeat hairpin
- 06 straight - quaver accented downbeat hairpin
- 07 straight - 16s accented downbeat normale to sul pont
- 08 straight - quaver accented downbeat muted normale to sul pont
- 09 straight - minim accented downbeat hairpin
- 10 straight - sul pont cross rhythm 1
- 11 straight - quaver accented detache normale hairpin
- 12 straight - 16s detache normale to sul pont hairpin
- 13 straight - triplets detache normale to sul pont hairpin
- 14 straight - triplets muted detache normale hairpin
- 15 straight - triplets normale hairpin
- 16 straight - sul pont cross rhythm 2
- 17 straight - 2 bar pizz crotchet accented double time hairpin
- 18 straight - 2 bar pizz quaver accented double time hairpin
- 19 straight - 2 bar col legno crotchet accented double time hairpin
- 20 straight - 2 bar col legno quaver accented double time hairpin
- 21 tense - quaver double stopped 5ths staccato hairpin
- 22 tense - semi quaver double stopped 5ths staccato hairpin
- 23 tense - quaver detache motion into harmonics
- 24 tense - semi quaver detache motion into harmonics
- 25 tense - still longs with quaver harmonic wisps
- 26 tense - still longs with semi quaver harmonic wisps
- 27 tense - still longs with quaver sul pont wisps
- 28 tense - quaver mandolin strummed hairpin
- 29 scary - measured quavers into detune
- 30 scary - measured 16s into detune
- 31 scary - quaver accented downbeat into detune
- 32 scary - 2 bar pizz quaver accented double time into detune
- 33 scary - reich 8s into extreme pitch shift
- 34 scary - measured quavers detache into sul pont pitch shift
- 35 scary - measured 4s into extreme sul pont detune
- 36 scary - measured quavers into added harmonics pitch shift
- 37 scary - detache 4s into gradual speed increase sul pont pitch shift
Mics
- C - Close Mix
- SL - Sweet Loops
- CV - 'Completely Varped'
- X - Stretched