Instruments & Articulations

*The following are the lists of instruments and articulations included in the first edition of the Broadway Big Band™ series. Additional instruments and articulations will be available on future editions.

The Broadway Big Band™ instruments are divided into 2 groups:
Polyphonic instruments & Legato instruments (using the Broadway Performer™)

LEGATO INSTRUMENTS:
(including real prerecorded note-transitions using the Broadway Performer™)

TRUMPETS:

- Solo (Bb) Trumpet

TROMBONES:

- Solo Tenor Trombone

SAXOPHONES & WOODWINDS:

- Soprano Saxophone

- Alto Saxophone

- Tenor Saxophone

- Baritone Saxophone

- Clarinet

RHYTHM SECTION:

- HH prerecorded legatos for perfect realism in transitions between the 5 levels of openness.

POLYPHONIC INSTRUMENTS:

TRUMPETS:

- Solo (Bb) Trumpet 1

- Solo (Bb) Trumpet 2

TROMBONES:

- Solo Tenor Trombone

SAXOPHONES & WOODWINDS:

- Soprano Saxophone

- Alto Saxophone 1

- Alto Saxophone 2

- Tenor Saxophone 1

- Tenor Saxophone 2

- Baritone Saxophone

- Clarinet

RHYTHM SECTION:

- Upright Bass

- Banjo

- Ukulele

- Drum-kits

- Xylophone

- Latin Percussion

ARTICULATIONS for Wind Instruments (Partial list) :
*Most of the Articulations of the Broadway Big Band instruments include multiple alternate samples for improved realism.

- Sustains (Various Dynamics) : >With Normal Vibrato > No Vibrato > Deep Vibrato > Progressive Vibrato

- Sforzando (Various Dynamics)

- Staccato (Various Dynamics)

- Staccatissimo (Various Dynamics)

- Falls (Up & Down) + Various speeds

- Flutter Tonguing

- Growling

- Rip into note

- Smear / Glide into note

- Plunger (Wah-Wah effects) : Various patterns + Static positions

- Shakes

- Triplets

- Grace Notes

- Alternate Fingering

- Mutes (Trumpet & Trombone)* : > Straight Mute > Harmon Mute > Cup Mute > Bucket

NOTE TRANSITIONS (Partial list) :

- Legato

- Glissando

- Rip Portamento

- Chromatic Runs

- Smear Legato

- All the above note transitions recorded both into sustained notes and into short notes, most in various dynamic layers.

- All wind instruments were recorded in at least 4 microphone positions, to provide various sound choices.

* Not all articulations available for all instruments.

ARTICULATIONS for Upright Bass:

Pizzicato Articulations:

- Sustains no vibrato

- Sustain with vibrato

- Short notes - half muted

- Muted

- Slap

- Slap FX

- Overtones

- Glissandos (various intervals)

ARTICULATIONS for Banjo:

- Staccato (Down stoke) - Various dynamics

- Staccato (Up stoke) - Various dynamics

- Sustain (Down stroke) - Various dynamics

- Sustain (Up stroke) - Various dynamics

- Muted (Down stoke) - Various dynamics

- Muted (Up stoke) - Various dynamics

- Half Muted (Down stoke)

- String muting release samples

- Grace notes

- FX

ARTICULATIONS for Ukulele:

- Sustain (Down stroke) - Various dynamics

- Sustain (Up stroke) - Various dynamics

- Muted (Down stoke) - Various dynamics

- Muted (Up stoke) - Various dynamics

ARTICULATIONS for Drums:

- Kick drum
(normal + Gain up)

- Snare drum
(Center, off-center, rim-shot, rim, buzz-roll-components, double-hit, stick-click, roll-to-hit, cross-stick, various brush swishes)

- Tom x2
(Center, rim-shot, rim, muted)

- Floor drum
(center, rim, muted)

- HH
(Edge, tip, open, half-open, loose, closed, tightly-closed, splash, stomp, legato-stomp-from-open, legato-stomp-with-hit-from-open.)

- Cymbals X5
(16"Crash, 19"Crash, 20"K-Ride, Crash-Ride, Splash. Tip, Edge, Bell, Harmonics, Scrapes)

Up to 16 dynamic levels for each (sometimes more)

Right & Left hand versions + Alternate samples

Sticks / Brushes

Various areas of the drums and cymbals (center, off-center, rim-shot, rim, cross, edge, tip, bell...)

Component - loops (various brush-loops for easier workflow)

& more...

ARTICULATIONS for Xylophone :

Plastic Mallets - single stokes + Alternates in 4 dynamic layers (PP, MP, MF, FF)

Plastic Mallets - single stokes - Muted + Alternates in 4 dynamic layers (PP, MP, MF, FF)

Plastic Mallets - Scrapes

Plastic Mallets - Glissando effects

Soft Rubber Mallets - single stokes + Alternates in 4 dynamic layers (PP, MP, MF, FF)

Soft Rubber Mallets - single stokes - Muted + Alternates in 4 dynamic layers (PP, MP, MF, FF)

Soft Rubber Mallets - Scrapes

Soft Rubber Mallets - Glissando effects

ARTICULATIONS for Hand Percussions :

- Congas

- Bongos

- Timbalitos

- Cowbells

- Agogo

- Woodblocks

- Claves

- Castanets

- Ratchet

- and more...

Drums were recorded in drumset position, using 25 microphones onto hi-definition multi-track-channels at 192KHz and were down-converted to 44.1KHz and mixed-down to stereo to improve usability.

Xylophone was recorded using 3 stereophonic microphone setups (Top, Buttom & Room).

Hand Percussions were recorded separately using 3 stereophonic microphone setups (Close, Loose & Room).