String Library

[KatMaestro]

I want to get a full-powered string library. But I'm torn between choices. I googled for Kontakt string libraries, and found several ones.

LA String Score or LASS, rumored to be the decent. Then Cinematic Strings, but people say stuff about it being not so powerful, I'm not sure... Then Spitfire Albion 3, heard people said it's pretty good.

I only own Session String Pro, which isn't that good and sound even worse than strings from EWQL Symphonic Orchestra Silver.

What are your suggestions? Thanks.

[Breed]

There's 3 current top libraries that I am aware of (unless someone stepped up their game and i missed it).

East West Hollywood Strings - 599USD
- Sound is very hollywood cinematic. Strong quality out of box but takes a good amount of tweaking to get good performance standards.

Vienna Syphonic Library - $???? a lot
- Most classical sounding of the bunch and probably capable of being the most believable as live. Very pricey though.

8dio Adagio Strings Bundle - 1100USD
- Somewhere in between the EW & VSL, leaning more towards the cinematic side of things. Probably the best scripting of any of them. Very fluid use, HUGE ass library, and pricey. Worth it if you can get it on some big sale.

So yeah GL.

[SmithBA]

Any feelings on the ProjectSam stuff? I've been listening to stuff from the Symphobia libraries that sound awesome, but i don't know much about them.

[JacobCadmus]

LASS is fantastic. the dry sounds are a little flat, but it's nothing you can't fix with a little convolution. Cinematic Strings is good too. it'd almost be a perfect string library, if only it had glissando/portamento, in the way that LASS does it. never tried Albion III though.

you could also hold out for some new stuff coming out soon. CineSamples is coming out with CineStrings. they released sound clips of their short articulations in the vi-control forum, and they sound amazing.

[deadlyfishes]

At 9/23/13 11:02 PM, Elitistinen wrote: I want to get a full-powered string library. But I'm torn between choices. I googled for Kontakt string libraries, and found several ones.

LA String Score or LASS, rumored to be the decent. Then Cinematic Strings, but people say stuff about it being not so powerful, I'm not sure... Then Spitfire Albion 3, heard people said it's pretty good.

I only own Session String Pro, which isn't that good and sound even worse than strings from EWQL Symphonic Orchestra Silver.

What are your suggestions? Thanks.

You might've read this somewhere but I mix everything:
LASS 2.0 Full
EWQLSO Platinum Plus
EWQL Hollywood Strings
8dio Adagio Strings (complete)
Vienna Symphonic Orchestra Full (SE)

Ehh, they all have their strengths and weaknesses. I've gotten away using only EWQLSO but there's a lack of versatility with their string samples when you want to get real technical about it.

I'd say if you really want your moneys worth LASS has so much to offer. The only thing that might turn you off is that everything is completely dry and not powerful sounding, but to those who want this kind of "neutral" string library to fine tune it on their own it's perfect. The aleotoric stuff can be automated as well which is something most people overlook and it's just fantastic, no more one-key-sample-that-everyone-has-heard for your creepy/horror/suspense stuff.

If you really want some power, the other libraries do a good job, but they're not as dry to really fine tune the sound. In most cases I find myself doubling my LASS samples with other libraries to bring it out a lot more when I need to.

I'm speaking as if money weren't really an issue. To be honest, I can't think of any more "affordable" options to achieve the sound you want. Yeah, I know it's possible with something simple as a soundfont but when you get better you'd really want to invest in better options.

[deadlyfishes]

At 9/23/13 11:50 PM, SmithBA wrote: Any feelings on the ProjectSam stuff? I've been listening to stuff from the Symphobia libraries that sound awesome, but i don't know much about them.

ProjectSam stuff sounds awesome right out of the box but there's not much you can do to fine-tune the sounds like LASS or Vienna. It's all pre-recorded ensemble patches and things like that. I mostly use it to play around with to get ideas or mess around with ideas for film scores. I see those products as kind of a "shortcut" to get a good cinematic sound.

[Bspendlove]

EWQL Strings are wicked.... (Hollywood Strings.. Although I am happy with EWQL SO gold)

(8Dio) Adagio Violins - I am happy with just the violins at the moment but I will be saving up for the others... Although the only thing I think is it lacks the length of sustain...

LASS - You can get good quality if you mix it right, it sounds not all that straight from the Instrument patch from Kontakt but I like a few patches...

Symphobia 2 is powerful for Full string phrases or to power up the cinematic feel and you can work dynamics with the mod wheel which is easy...

I recently bought action strings and I love it (It is little phrases, not sustain patches.... Different rhythmic bows and patterns... Very useful to add to a collection of strings)

Some others that I have not really tried but I would defo recommend 8Dio... Seriously... There stuff can be worthy more than a lot of libraries out there...

I have 5 8Dio products so far and I already have got addicted to start a collection from them... I am happy with each one... :)

[Bspendlove]

Symphobia 2 is powerful for Full string ****sustains***** or to power up the cinematic feel and you can work dynamics with the mod wheel which is easy...

[steampianist]

You guys are forgetting edirol

[EagleGuard]

At 9/23/13 11:02 PM, Elitistinen wrote: I only own Session String Pro, which isn't that good and sound even worse than strings from EWQL Symphonic Orchestra Silver.

That's because it isn't supposed to be used for cinematic scores... Session Strings is great if used in the right way :)

That said, Cinematic Strings 2 is quite good, and a definite upgrade over the first one. Its UI is very easy to use and it has most of the articulations you'll need (sadly no portamento / glissando, though).

[Bspendlove]

At 9/24/13 07:31 AM, steampianist wrote: You guys are forgetting edirol

Edirol Orchestral has been sitting on my computer for a while and I don't ever use it no more, I used to use it all the time, I developed a habbit of not using it because I started to not like a lot of the sounds and I did not like it even more because of the key range....

The key ranges of the instruments allow any key to be played.. It can be interesting and useful..

I would not thought about comparing Edirol to the libraries above, the only libraries I would compare this to is something like GPO.... (GPO is pretty much.... ummm?? Terrible.. :( I don't like it.. )

[JosephAS1]

Well... all I use for strings is Spitfire Albion I & II, and L.A. Scoring Strings 2...
I think everyone underrate the real potential of LASS... It's a great library if used properly.

BTW...
I've seen some demos of this new series of string libraries called BML Sable Strings and man, they're just so awesome!
Here's the Link to the libraries http://www.spitfireaudio.com/browse-range-bml
BML Series has some cool brass and woodwind libraries too :)

I used LASS 2 and AlbionI &II in this piece.
http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/550900

Hope I was helpful!

[MetalRenard]

Yeah, Session Strings is great for pop and electronic if you want strings that have a strong character and bite. NOT for classical. ;P

Great suggestions so far... Not much more for me to add.

[deadlyfishes]

Hmm it's pretty hidden these days:

http://www.spitfireaudio.com/air-project-symphonic-strings.html
www.spitfireaudio.com/great-british-brass.html
http://www.spitfireaudio.com/british-wood.html

Apparently not commercially available to everyone...

Their BESPOKE RANGE lineup is not listed on the website anymore and it used to show some ridiculous prices. Everything started at about 7,000$ just for one section of the orchestra... and I think the brass one was about 10,000$

Now you have to apply to use them, I guess they only want professional studios and whatnot to have these but sure land yourself a gig in a production studio with decent work and try to get a hold of one of these, they are freaking amazing.

Also they seem to still be working on them so that might be part of it too.

I tried them out once when I was helping out a studio in LA and it just put everything else mentioned here and everything I owned to shame TT___TT

[KatMaestro]

At 9/23/13 11:38 PM, Breed wrote: 8dio Adagio Strings Bundle - 1100USD
- Somewhere in between the EW & VSL, leaning more towards the cinematic side of things. Probably the best scripting of any of them. Very fluid use, HUGE ass library, and pricey. Worth it if you can get it on some big sale.

So yeah GL.

My current budget is just little over $1000 and all the powered string libraries are nastily pricey... (T.T)

I guess, I'll go with either Hollywood Strings or Cinematic Strings 2.

Listening to demos of Spitfire Abion III and 8dio Adagio Strings, made me wanna cry.

I'd say if you really want your moneys worth LASS has so much to offer. The only thing that might turn you off is that everything is completely dry and not powerful sounding, but to those who want this kind of "neutral" string library to fine tune it on their own it's perfect. The aleotoric stuff can be automated as well which is something most people overlook and it's just fantastic, no more one-key-sample-that-everyone-has-heard for your creepy/horror/suspense stuff.

If you really want some power, the other libraries do a good job, but they're not as dry to really fine tune the sound. In most cases I find myself doubling my LASS samples with other libraries to bring it out a lot more when I need to.

A lot people have been suggesting the same thing. At first I thought LASS is around $700 then look back and the current price consume my whole budget. I just have enough budget to afford it. Been watching LASS demos on Youtube so far. The spiccato and pizzicato are so attractive. Though the legato and tremolo sound a bit too dry. Still, it seems to be worth the money.

I'm speaking as if money weren't really an issue. To be honest, I can't think of any more "affordable" options to achieve the sound you want. Yeah, I know it's possible with something simple as a soundfont but when you get better you'd really want to invest in better options.

Been saving a lot of money lately just to shop something for my music inventory. Right now I feel pretty empty because of the prices. They're truly throat cutting...

Money won't be an issue, if I start getting a better career in live. For now, let music composition be my hobby...

[KatMaestro]

At 9/24/13 07:05 AM, Bspendlove wrote: Symphobia 2 is powerful for Full string ****sustains***** or to power up the cinematic feel and you can work dynamics with the mod wheel which is easy...

But I only want the string, not the whole orchestra. So far, I'm quite impressed from its demo. EWQL Symphonic Orchestra is nowhere matching Symphobia, not just for the strings but the brass.

At 9/24/13 12:42 PM, Bspendlove wrote:

At 9/24/13 07:31 AM, steampianist wrote: You guys are forgetting edirol

Edirol Orchestral has been sitting on my computer for a while and I don't ever use it no more, I used to use it all the time, I developed a habbit of not using it because I started to not like a lot of the sounds and I did not like it even more because of the key range....

Edirol is my first orchestra library I ever owned. Still have it on my desktop, only use it whenever I need a quick orchestra mockup.

The key ranges of the instruments allow any key to be played.. It can be interesting and useful..

I would not thought about comparing Edirol to the libraries above, the only libraries I would compare this to is something like GPO.... (GPO is pretty much.... ummm?? Terrible.. :( I don't like it.. )

GPO sounds a lot like stuff came from Sonatina Symphonic Orchestra (which is free). A version of Garritan is bundled with scoring program Finale.

Guess there's not good and cheap stuff lately...