Hello Composers! Mike here, with my review of NOVO Modern Strings by Heavyocity.
My Overall Impression: NOVO is a silky dream for people like myself, who love the expressiveness, dynamic range and emotional power of orchestral strings. The amount of control over the tone, character and sound design in NOVO is remarkable. And the pads you can create in the String Designer are beyond this world!
Main Specs and Features
- 38 GB (21,254 Samples)
- MACRO knob for dynamic multi-parameter control
- CYCLE page for advanced granular & rhythmic playback
- 6 Traditional Sections
- String Designer
- Designer
Learn more about NOVO – Modern Strings here. Get a full overview and specifications, listen to audio demos etc.
Sound & Features
As a composer I have lots of string libraries, so why should I bother with yet another one?
Well…first of, every string library will be unique, just like every vocalist will have a different character and style with his/her voice. But furthermore, NOVO is in fact very original in its approach.
NOVO had a very specific mission when being developed, “make strings new again”. It is indeed an orchestral string sample library, recorded at the East West Scoring Stage for that big, bold Hollywood sound. But it is more, much more.
It goes deep into sound design and hybrid sounds, giving you the richest most inspiring pads, as well as rhythmic motion…all controllable by you in the very beautiful user interface.
The sound and character of NOVO is very strong, bold and powerful. It has a very rich and deep overall sound that of course becomes even more noticeable in the low range.
Basically, NOVO seem to have a desire to be in the front of the mix. And I don’t mind, because it sounds amazing. However, if you want a light background bed of strings, you might need to do some EQ’ing and filtering to push it back.
The big macro control is genious. With this single knob you can control many aspects in the sound, to add movement and expression. And you can also set the range of movement for each parameter you control.
The CYCLE mode is another amazing feature, which gives you a way to create rhythmic pulses, swells, glitches, and much more. And you can switch between up to 8 patterns in the interface.
The Loop Designer sounds amazing, and gives you over 400 loops to choose from. I am not usually a fan of loops and phrases personally, but I have to say that NOVO’s approach is something I could see myself using. Because you get quite a lot of control to customize the loops, mix the layers etc.
Playability & Workflow
The sound design options are very powerful, but what got to me the most was the inspiration factor. I love instruments that make me WANT to make music, as soon as I play them. And this was the fact with NOVO. Almost every preset I tried gave me that creative spark.
I can see NOVO becoming one of my main “composition starters” just because of this fact. Inspiration is not something you should undervalue. In my humble opinion, inspiration, is the very essence of why I make music.
The user interface is very well designed, and easy to navigate around in, even with the great amount of features it includes. Of course you get control over the mic positions and mix. But you can also design the velocity and dynamics range.
My Final Thoughts
NOVO is not your go to strings library for classic vintage sounding orchestral strings. With NOVO, strings have evolved. To something more powerful, customizable and flexible. A sound designer’s dream, and a composer’s inspiration source. Yet, at its core, still a fantastic orchestral string ensemble library.
I will personally use NOVO – Modern Strings as a staple in my Master DAW Template, not only for strings…but for pads, drones, soundscapes, and rhythmic paradise.
Learn More
Learn more about NOVO – Modern Strings here. Get a full overview and specifications, listen to audio demos etc.