Dominus - Legato, Timing and Volume

The trick in all vocal libraries is to try for some level of realism in the words and phrases. This has only really become possible since the rise of 'real' legato. I actually tried to do a spoken words using vowels and syllables instrument in Kontakt years ago as an experiment. It was horrible. It sort of worked for very short words, but once you got to those pesky two and three syllable words forget about it. When we speak or sing we do not sep-a-rate eve-ry syl-la-ble and give roughly the same emphasis to each.

So the issues for a singing simulator are :

1. Use legato to get most if not all the the syllables after the first one to sound smooth instead of choppy.

2. Get the timing down so it sounds like natural singing and not just rhythmic chanting in the same cadence (unless you are trying for rhythmic chanting of course).

3. To get the volume of each syllable right to add emphasis to the syllables that need it and allow the less emphasized ones to gentle on by.

Now this clever chap can do it in real time, well after using word builder to make the words.

It takes a bit more time than that to get it just so in my DAW, but that is true of every word builder I've tried. Like any VSTi, once you get the hang of Dominus it starts going faster. With a word builder you have the extra learning experience of verbal language  on top of musical language, but I think Dominus makes it relatively easy.

For me it is good to know something of what I want so I might google up Latin Mass or phrases to get a good phrase to start with. Then see if the words are on the pre-built list or use Word-builder to get them into Dominus. Next I hold a single note for the whole word just to hear the pronunciation and the general sound of the word. Next is the tricky bit, I can't sing so I look both ways to make sure there are no innocent victims and then softly sing the Latin word.

Try different tempos and notes. So I'm doing Gloria as my first word on the top line of the wordbuilder. At first I try it kind of fast and each syllable as one note. Not good. Then I try Glo and hold the O as I go up. A quick descent on Re and down to AH. A bit of a hold on Ah. Much better.

Now to translate that into the DAW. I make a long note and let the word play to see where the vowels kick in. Then I break the one long note into three notes, one for each syllable. The first being really long versus a short Re and a slightly longer Ah. Also Re needs a slight volume boost. Now to bust up the O in Glo and move up a note at a time from C to G.

Now it is starting to sound like a real choir! I think the reverb is a bit much and go to the shorter church reverb and drop the verb volume a bit. Wow now I have a church choir singing Gloria right on my computer and I am smiling as I listen to it half a dozen times. Of course you can do it faster, but if you put a little bit into it you can really get a wonderful result.


Fluffy Audio is becoming known for their legato. It is heavily and carefully sampled and sounds really good. Legato is what separates the men from the boys in things like choral and string packages. You can sort of do vowel and Mm choirs without it, but there is no way to do word builders without good legato.

As one of the boys, I'm amazed just at looking at what Fluffy has done here. Take a gander at the various vowel sound groups inside Kontakt. It will blow your mind. There is Sustain, Variable Sustain, Release, After Legato and of course Legato with hundreds of samples all sort of packed tightly in what looks like a microscopic game of Tetris with only flat pieces. And it is repeated for both male and female and for four mic positions. You are getting your money's worth out of this.

Actually it is fun just to watch the different groups trigger and release as you play through a word. Starter sounds trigger and play part way before going into vowels that go into vowel sustains and legatos before playing part of another consonant, another vowel legato combo and seguing into an outro syllable. It is crazy and it all sounds so seamless. Sometimes when you look behind the curtain of a magic show it loses its magic (if you hold the ropes just right they appear to be the same length), but here if anything the magic impresses you more.

If that doesn't do it take a look at the script. Just reading through some of it gave me carpel tunnel syndrome. It is a never ending list of definitions, properties, positions, control settings and case statements. A labor of love folks. Yeah it costs some cash and the guys like to eat and even splurge on some gelato on occasion, but there are easier ways to make a living than this.

And all those samples triggering through hundreds of groups controlled by endless scripts... they sound bloody amazing! Well done Fluffy!

Dominus - Overview

Dominus - The Samples

Dominus - Latin is a Snap