Tokyo Scoring Strings: How good is it?
- Thread starter zedmaster
- Start date
Land of Missing Parts
Grumpy Monkey
Let’s have a look at Tokyo Scoring Strings by Impact Soundworks: Does TSS deserve a spot in the top strings libraries?
What's YOUR opinion on these?
If you want to support me, leave a comment on Youtube. I put a lot of work into my videos.
May a suggest using a less click-bait title? EDIT: OP has since changed the title
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gohrev
Newbie Composer
After watching parts of your video @zedmaster I would say CSS has nothing to be afraid of 
There's a warmth and humanity in CSS that I personally don't hear in Tokyo Scoring Strings — but that is solely based on what you showcased in your video.
Lovely demo at the end, by the way
There's a warmth and humanity in CSS that I personally don't hear in Tokyo Scoring Strings — but that is solely based on what you showcased in your video.Lovely demo at the end, by the way
OP
OP
zedmaster
Kevin Kuschel
Thanks for your feedback! The video title is "How good is Tokyo Scoring Strings?".
I assume you refer to the thumbnail, which on Youtube helps draw the audience into the video and usually needs to stick out from the crowd of dozens of video recommendations presented to you on the platform. It's a bit provocative and exaggerated on purpose, however I think I pick up that question in the video and give my answer.
OP
OP
zedmaster
Kevin Kuschel
Thanks!
Land of Missing Parts
Grumpy Monkey
Gotcha, but no need to do that in the forum (i.e. "The CSS Killer").
No algorithms here.People argue endlessly over new strings of their own volition, even with plain titles like "Let’s have a look at Tokyo Scoring Strings". (Just copy-pasted from the first line of your post.)
No need to put on the hard-sell for fellow composers or try to drive up clicks.
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OP
OP
zedmaster
Kevin Kuschel
Land of Missing Parts
Grumpy Monkey
They are nothing alike. The question is just to provoke people and drive clicks.
Which doesn't really do anything on this forum like it does on youtube (recommendations, rankings, etc). Thank god.
Which doesn't really do anything on this forum like it does on youtube (recommendations, rankings, etc). Thank god.
Jeremy Spencer
Senior Member
I don't hear anything groundbreaking here, sounds like any other string library IMO. Not sure why you had to target CSS though.
OP
OP
zedmaster
Kevin Kuschel
It was the question I had in my mind when starting up TSS for the first time. I'm a happy CSS user and was curious how TSS performs in legato, utility and tone. They both have smaller section size than your symphonic strings, gorgeous legato, similar price point and I love them both hehe. I adjusted the title to a less competitive one
I found out that - in my opinion - Tokyo Scoring Strings doesn't have to hide behind anyone and deserves a place with the cool kids.
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Geomir
Senior Member
I agree with the OP. When I first listened to the demos and walkthroughs of TSS, I immediately thought that this is a nice alternative to CSS. The smaller sections size, the modern interface, the Kontakt Player platform, the versatility, the price, everything made me think "wow maybe this can be a nice future purchase instead of CSS, I have to check it out"!
At the same time I agree with Jeremy, in a way that TSS don't offer anything new or groundbreaking.
At the same time I agree with Jeremy, in a way that TSS don't offer anything new or groundbreaking.
SimonCharlesHanna
Senior Member
the auto articulation is pretty ground breaking imo. It's tech that I often dreamt about - not sure how good it is in practise tho.
Henning
Composer-Musician. Gamescores. Dynamedion.
Having beta-tested this baby and witnessing how it evolved through those months I feel very happy with the current version. And there will be more updates including a patch for playing fast runs. I already heard what Nabeel did there and it sounds really close to the real thing.
I can understand why Kevin used the comparison with CSS as it's a lib used and loved by many. Soundwise both libs couldn't be more different. So this is a taste/use case thing to consider for everyone thinking about buying it.
What I personally love about TSS is the new TACT engine. You can really make it your own. There's 4 different release types to choose from which made all the difference for me as as I really dig the stacc release and the decrescendo releases. And you can edit every artic with volume control and ADSR. Set different keyswitches, etc. You can really go deep there.
Bee_Abney
How long have I been out?
Tokyo Scoring Strings has a very specific sound that other string libraries do not.
Some people seem not to hear this, and it sounds to them pretty much of a muchness with other strings.
I suspect if you are familiar with anime the difference will be more striking.
To me, anyway, it sounds distinctively East Asian. That means it breaks new ground, unless there are other libraries doing this that I don't know about. [Edit to add: this paragraph doesn't make much sense. It's groundbreaking because of how it sounds to me? I'm pretty sure I'm not the appropriate criterion! I hope you get the idea, though...]
On the technical side... Pretty different and special there too. I don't know if the end results are marked improvements on skilled use of some other libraries though.
Some people seem not to hear this, and it sounds to them pretty much of a muchness with other strings.
I suspect if you are familiar with anime the difference will be more striking.
To me, anyway, it sounds distinctively East Asian. That means it breaks new ground, unless there are other libraries doing this that I don't know about. [Edit to add: this paragraph doesn't make much sense. It's groundbreaking because of how it sounds to me? I'm pretty sure I'm not the appropriate criterion! I hope you get the idea, though...]
On the technical side... Pretty different and special there too. I don't know if the end results are marked improvements on skilled use of some other libraries though.
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OP
OP
zedmaster
Kevin Kuschel
Works pretty well with shorts. Just record/program/step record your MIDI and keep it in the upper half of the velocity (to trigger the Shorts mode). You think the shorts articulation is too long for that note? Simply make the MIDI shorter until you like the sound. Easy peasy
Same for bowed vs slurred legato. Simply lower the velocity if you want it slurred or raise it if you want it bowed. DAW's that support "remove overlaps" like Studio One are especially valuable here, because Lookahead mode detects Legato based on notes that are connected but do not overlap.
Enjoyed this video. And the contrast with CSS is a valid journalistic technique. I thought the contrast in workflow was particularly helpful.
However the perennial danger of such a comparison is that you reduce TSS to the dimensions of CSS.
And I agree that, treated as a CSS clone, or a library that plays exactly the same kind of high romantic lines as CSS, there's nothing ground breaking in TSS.
But I also don't think that, quite fundamentally, this is what TSS is. The video mentions the jrpg tone as a major contrast. But I think the difference goes a lot deeper than tone.
Where TSS comes into its own is in its different stylistic dimensions from CSS, it's a great deal more than tone. CSS bakes in a very western, very high romantic arc into both the expressiveness of it's legato and the progressive vibrato of the arc. I'm still trying to get my head around exactly what it is TSS does, but it's very different.
So I guess I'd argue there's a point at which this device of contrasting TSS with CSS becomes a real hinderance to exploring and understanding TSS. And that CSS just isn't useful as a gold standard when it comes to something as different as TSS.
However the perennial danger of such a comparison is that you reduce TSS to the dimensions of CSS.
And I agree that, treated as a CSS clone, or a library that plays exactly the same kind of high romantic lines as CSS, there's nothing ground breaking in TSS.
But I also don't think that, quite fundamentally, this is what TSS is. The video mentions the jrpg tone as a major contrast. But I think the difference goes a lot deeper than tone.
Where TSS comes into its own is in its different stylistic dimensions from CSS, it's a great deal more than tone. CSS bakes in a very western, very high romantic arc into both the expressiveness of it's legato and the progressive vibrato of the arc. I'm still trying to get my head around exactly what it is TSS does, but it's very different.
So I guess I'd argue there's a point at which this device of contrasting TSS with CSS becomes a real hinderance to exploring and understanding TSS. And that CSS just isn't useful as a gold standard when it comes to something as different as TSS.
OP
OP
zedmaster
Kevin Kuschel
In a focused experience video, you can never cover all aspects of a library. For that you'd need to compose pieces in various genres, go ham with the deep editing options that the library features and do a review after perhaps half a year to really have mastered it.
Those content creators who do 2-3 hour streams even can't even explain all facets of the library. Even though, 2 or 3 times I mentioned CSS, I'd assume 90% of the video are about TSS, and TSS alone. Personally, I think a catch-phrase is good for grabbing attention, but shouldn't be taken too seriously
Another content creator from a different background might compare it to another Impact Soundworks product from a technical standpoint (the evolution of the TACT engine etc.). And it will be also valid, but also very selective and not paint a *complete* picture.
A content creator from Japan might give other insights yet again. Someone compared it to LA scoring strings for example. With all these perspectives and slices of insight, one can build a more complete picture themselves. For entertainment purposes, education, or as a purchase decision.
Those content creators who do 2-3 hour streams even can't even explain all facets of the library. Even though, 2 or 3 times I mentioned CSS, I'd assume 90% of the video are about TSS, and TSS alone. Personally, I think a catch-phrase is good for grabbing attention, but shouldn't be taken too seriously
Another content creator from a different background might compare it to another Impact Soundworks product from a technical standpoint (the evolution of the TACT engine etc.). And it will be also valid, but also very selective and not paint a *complete* picture.
A content creator from Japan might give other insights yet again. Someone compared it to LA scoring strings for example. With all these perspectives and slices of insight, one can build a more complete picture themselves. For entertainment purposes, education, or as a purchase decision.
