Session Horns and Session Horns Pro: A Practical Guide

Session Horns: High-Quality Horn Section Sounds

Native Instruments’ Session Horns is a virtual instrument offering a modern, tight horn-section sound.
It is included in the Komplete series. Its main features include:

• A four-player horn section: trombone, tenor saxophone and two trumpets
• Smart Voice Split automatically distributes chord notes across the parts
• More than 170 ready-to-use phrase samples

Here we explain how to use Session Horns.
Let’s start with the basic functions.

Session Horns Video: Basics and Sound Design

Selected Questions and Answers from the YouTube Video

I’m thinking of buying this on its own, but Cubase isn’t listed among the compatible products. Can I use it in Cubase?

You can download the free Kontakt Player and load the product in Kontakt. It can be used in Cubase.

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I own SESSION HORNS, but I can’t switch articulations in the velocity switch section. When I select Marcato or Grace Note, the sound doesn’t change when I play the keyboard. What could be wrong?

Did you choose Single Articulation when you first loaded it? If so, select Performance to switch articulations. Please check that setting.

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I’d like to buy Session Horns. Is there a trial version? I’d also appreciate videos about orchestral instruments.

At the time of the original answer, there was no Session Horns trial. For orchestral material, see the following tutorials: Programming Strings 1: Instrument Characteristics and Voicing https://sleepfreaks-dtm.com/produce-recipe/strings_entering/ Emotive Strings 1: Basic Operation and Loading Phrases https://sleepfreaks-dtm.com/softsynth/emotive-strings-1/ BRASS COLLECTION 1: Overview and Performance Expression https://sleepfreaks-dtm.com/softsynth/brass-collection-1/ We hope these are useful.

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Performance and Single Articulation

• Performance: switch articulations using velocity or the pitch bend wheel
• Single Articulation: use one articulation, which can be useful for reinforcing a part

Section Setup

Section Setup defaults to Full Section, using all four players, but you can change the lineup here.

Click Full Section and select the desired lineup to reduce the number of particular instruments.

Velocity Switch

Session Horns lets you switch articulations according to velocity.

• Rip: slide into the specified note
• Grace Note: add an ornament
• Shake: oscillate above and below the sustained note
• FoPiCre: short for forte-piano-crescendo—strong, then soft, then gradually louder
• FoPiCre Time: play forte-piano-crescendo in time with the DAW tempo
• Staccatissimo: play notes even shorter and sharper than staccato
• Marcato: play each note with clear emphasis

Doits and Falls

Move the MIDI keyboard’s pitch bend wheel up or down to use Doits and Falls.

In the Control tab, select Doits/Falls on release to add the Doit or Fall after releasing a key.

Voicing Assistant

When Polyphonic is selected, each note plays the full section, multiplying the number of voices. For chords, Smart Voice Split is recommended.

When you play a four-note chord with Smart Voice Split, the notes are automatically assigned from lowest to highest to trombone, tenor saxophone, trumpet 2 and trumpet 1.

Octave

Octave makes it easy to create open voicings.
In conventional drop 2 voicing, the second-highest note is lowered by one octave. The Drop function in Session Horns works a little differently.

With Full Section selected in Section Setup, the options work as follows:

• Drop 1st: lowers the trombone by one octave
• Drop 2nd: lowers the tenor saxophone by one octave
• Drop 3rd: lowers trumpet 2 by one octave
• Drop 1st+2nd: lowers the trombone and tenor saxophone by one octave

Using Session Horns in a Track

Next, we use a track to demonstrate several programming techniques.

Session Horns Video: Programming Techniques

Creating Staccato with Velocity Switch

You can load several instances of Session Horns and use Single Articulation for different articulations. Alternatively, program short notes and use FoPiCre in Velocity Switch to create a staccato effect.

Using Expression CC #11 to Shape Dynamics

In the Control tab, choose DYNAMIC CONTROL > Expression CC #11.

In Cubase, choose Controller Lane > CC 11 (Expression).

• Velocity Switch: use it to change articulations
• Expression CC #11: use it to control dynamics

Using Doits and Falls

To use Doits and Falls, select Controller Lane > Pitch Bend.

Falls offer two speeds:

• Slow Falls: lower pitch bend slightly
• Fast Falls: lower pitch bend all the way

Doits have only one speed; the speed options above do not apply.

Session Horns Pro: The Expanded Version

Now let’s look at Session Horns Pro, the expanded version.

Session Horns Pro offers:

• Improved sound quality and a larger library
• Detailed adjustments for individual instruments
• Enhanced keyswitches

These make it an appealing upgrade.

Session Horns Pro Video: Its Unique Features

Choosing Instruments

Click the instrument area to select the instruments you want to use.

Select COMBI to load two instruments.

Adjusting Instruments

Under SOUND, you can set each instrument’s volume, pan and pitch, including lowering it by an octave.

Adjusting Instruments

Session Horns Pro supports multiple keyswitches.
These let you control articulations freely within a track.

Programming Articulations in Session Horns Pro

After introducing the additional features, we’ll use an actual phrase to demonstrate how to control them.
Compared with the standard Session Horns, you can hear and feel differences in sound, expression and control.
Try using these features to create a realistic brass sound.

Session Horns Pro Video: Programming Articulations

Controlling Articulation with Velocity

For articulations such as Doits and Falls, changing velocity lets you set the speed of the pitch change.

Articulations That Cannot Lead into Doits or Falls

Some Session Horns Pro articulations, shown below, cannot transition into Doits or Falls.

Controlling Articulations with Keyswitches

A major strength of Session Horns Pro is its enhanced keyswitch system.
You can easily switch among different articulations using keyswitches.

Doit and Fall Speeds

Raising pitch bend produces a Doit. In Session Horns Pro, two speed settings—Quick and Slower— are available.

Lowering pitch bend produces a Fall. In Session Horns Pro, three speed settings—Quick, Slower and The Slowest— are available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What does Smart Voice Split do in Session Horns?

When you play a four-note chord, it automatically assigns the notes from lowest to highest to trombone, tenor saxophone, trumpet 2 and trumpet 1. This avoids the excessive number of voices that can result in Polyphonic mode and gives the section a natural voicing.

Q2. Which articulations are available with Velocity Switch?

The seven options include Rip, Grace Note, Shake, FoPiCre, FoPiCre Time, Staccatissimo and Marcato. Velocity switches articulations, enabling expressive performances without loading multiple instances.

Q3. What are the main differences between Session Horns and Session Horns Pro?

Session Horns Pro offers improved sound quality and library, detailed instrument adjustments, enhanced keyswitches and instrument combinations via COMBI, allowing more advanced horn expression.