Cinematic Strings Vs Lass

[JacobCadmus]

I hope this doesn't count as an advertisement, as my intent on this post is entirely for constructive purposes.

I need some opinions on which one of these orchestral strings sounds better. Using (relatively) the same cue, I have them both mixed with ArtsAcoustic Reverb on the same preset. The CS track is programmed more meticulously (maybe an unfair comparison), but the key thing to listen for is realism/detail.

https://soundcloud.com/jacobcadmus/cs-w-aa-reverb-test/s-qgFsg

https://soundcloud.com/jacobcadmus/lass-w-aa-reverb-test/s-qObyd

[KatMaestro]

I only own Lass so I hope my opinion is not one sided.

CS is more meticulous, like you said. However LASS strings are more realistic. I believe CS is leaning more on cinematic and LASS is more of classical (borrowed the view from @Emid). LASS has the strong touch to the sound while CS is softer (probably because of the post production so again, my opinion might not accurate).

I think if you mix LASS right it can be very powerful. Just my 2 cents.

[Bspendlove]

At 12/9/13 02:07 AM, Elitistinen wrote:

I think if you mix LASS right it can be very powerful. Just my 2 cents.

I agree, I hate some of the sound in LASS... But turns out you have to work a bit with LASS more than other libraries to get that good sound, now that all my EW libraries have gone, I have to get used to LASS (looking forward to it)

[Emid]

I have been doing many experiments to find out which one is more suitable for those big cinematic scores. If this is the category you are looking after then my overall impression is as follows:

LASS is a hard nut to crack. It needs tweaking, equing as well as practise. LASS 1 was too detuned as compared to LASS 2 and at that time you had to work more on that. But I like the LASS 1 sound which used to give more expressive results. For more better result, there is a learning curve to it. Can't say about LASS 2.5 as have yet to upgrade. As far as your test for LASS goes, IMHO, it seems that the soundstage/scape is smaller but clear. There is a room for improvement to make it sound bigger. The legato sustains are exceptional sounding with that crunchy realistic Hollywood type of sound with a bit of 'metallic' image. The inbuilt attack is much more faster which contributes to more realism for fast lines.

CS is a very strong string library requires less tweaking and even sounds perfectly well out of the box. It requires less efforts to make it sound big. Learning curve is lesser than its contestant. In your test, IMHO, it has bigger soundstage/scape, rounded and fat, boomy bass, a very little bit on the muddy side and less expressive due to slower attack. It has that natural lushness and stereo image which CS always seems to claim and which is true. Less time consuming for a better result.

Its hard to sum up which one is better; both are perfect libraries on their own. Then comes your taste and choice. I will choose LASS over CS in this particular piece and many other.

[JacobCadmus]

Very insightful responses so far. Well the analysis on the sound makes the consensus very clear. But now it comes down to emotion. That piece is part of a thematic sketch for a psychotic thriller/drama film I'm working on, and I'm finding it difficult to find the most suitable sound for the task. On one hand, I like LASS because of its naturally smaller sound that fits right into the scope of the film, and the expressiveness makes it sound pretty scary and unsettling. One the other hand, I like CS because the cold, almost mechanical sound is very unwelcoming, and just as unsettling in a different way. So that brings me to ask: which sound best fits the context of the aforementioned film? Which one makes you feel the most uncomfortable?

[JacobCadmus]

Ok so here's a new comparison in the fold: this is Cinematic Strings with close mics only (except for the basses). I kinda like this sound a lot better than the "mix" mics position in conjunction with the reverb plugin, with the exception of the crazy vibrato that I'm still trying to figure out how to dumb down.

https://soundcloud.com/jacobcadmus/cs-w-aa-close-mics/s-WmStH

[Emid]

Edit: Wrote my reply before your new post but had to leave it without posting.

At 12/9/13 02:23 PM, JacobCadmus wrote: which sound best fits the context of the aforementioned film? Which one makes you feel the most uncomfortable?

Very hard to decide and the only way is to imagine the atmosphere of the film. Here is my suggestion,

Talking of LASS 2.0, you can assign CC change from NV (non vibrato) to vibrato (legato sustain patches) in real time which will help you to create mysterious arrangement. Vibrato patches can be found in many other libs but LASS vibratos' are apparently expressive in upper octaves. I am saying this because your piece have upper octaves which can get benefit from this. You will probably need to experiment with CC change while your mock up is being played. There are also infamous Aleatoric patches which will be extremely useful for this type of film. Lastly, trills are not less important to make your piece more expressive.

While CS is a bit more suitable for mellow compositions, the attack is really suited for such film. The attack is 'lazy' giving it more realism. I can however see your input in CS test in terms of CC data changes for the vibrato which is really suited in it. What is lacking is the articulations in this library specifically useful for the movie.

Finally, to be frank I am not confident to help you decide which one is more suitable. If I were in your place, I would do a mix and match, and would select what suited best. Or probably chose CS until fed up.

[Emid]

At 12/9/13 04:10 PM, JacobCadmus wrote: Ok so here's a new comparison in the fold: this is Cinematic Strings with close mics only (except for the basses). I kinda like this sound a lot better than the "mix" mics position in conjunction with the reverb plugin, with the exception of the crazy vibrato that I'm still trying to figure out how to dumb down.

https://soundcloud.com/jacobcadmus/cs-w-aa-close-mics/s-WmStH

I thought you are deliberately doing vibrato but to my ears and as I mentioned before, it seems fine.

There is an old tutorial video on youtube probably by Alex (CS owner) showing vib/non-vibrato CC assignment. If I find it, I will post the link. You can do NV by choice. As for the new mix, its seems a lot better than the older one. I find close mics in any library are better to mix.

[JacobCadmus]

At 12/9/13 05:40 PM, Emid wrote: There is an old tutorial video on youtube probably by Alex (CS owner) showing vib/non-vibrato CC assignment. If I find it, I will post the link. You can do NV by choice. As for the new mix, its seems a lot better than the older one. I find close mics in any library are better to mix.

Thanks for your input on both replies! I'll try the CC that controls vibrato. I didn't want to mess with it before, because I'd have to do it with my mouse (my next purchase will be a control surface in which I can assign a fader for breath control). As for aleatoric FX, don't worry; there will be plenty of those in the score. This little piece is just a small part that showcases a straightforward buildup that stands out from all the FX-heavy buildups that will occur in the score. ;-)