I've been trying lots of different combinations of strings on the pc3, mainly using tutti,lead,adagio, and single violin etc all mixed in and yesterday at a gig the band members mentioned that I need to make them less harsh sounding and softer.
I think they are referring to a couple of songs I did . So what sound or combo should I se for strings that are playing riffs so need fast attack etc but sound warmer/more synthy I guess?
My advice is to layer soft strings (you may find them not only in the "classic" orchestral banks, but also in the synth strings category) with a more aggressive sound taken from the banks you mentioned, and to setup the latter to sound only when you strike your keys harder (KeyVel page in setup edit mode). I cannot go more in detail because my PC3 left me alone a couple of weeks ago and I'm still waiting for the replacement from the dealer. If it comes to me tomorrow as the dealer sweared I will post something more.
EQ'ing string samples is crucial to getting a good sound, especially at loud volumes. Rolling off treble and high mids is where I start. You may have to assign these modifiers to the algorithm. The PC3K8 was voiced to sound good in a studio. Live is a different environment.
The PC3 has tons of stringsounds ant they usually sound good the way they are crafted. To my experinece it´s just about to find the right one and play it with moderate velocity. Sometimes in a setup I set the velocity depht on low values and the offset to a value I want to hit mostly. So less fingercontrol is needed.
