Best string library ever? from spitfireaudio.com

[mazz]

As impressive as all these libraries sound in the demos, there's a few things they don't come with to keep in mind:

Composing chops
Orchestration chops (understanding how to arrange for strings and their particular performance articulations and phrasing)
Midi editing chops
Mixing chops

We stil have to provide those. There's no magic bullet.

[CHuckmott]

Paraphrasing Zen Adn The Art If Mixing, he the author probably put it best: better quality stuff does not make your music sound better. You do. WHat it does it make your job easier. On the other hand, he likes to use the Ishtak Perlman example. Give the man a cheap violin, he will still sound amazing. Give him a Stradivarius, look out. Speaking only for myself, I'll keep my copy of Garritan for now . When I write more for strings, say at least 10 string heavy numbers, I may make that leap. WOuldn't flinch for a minute spending $1000 on a really nice guitar - that price tag isn't so bad but there is definitely a commitment implied when shelling out that kind of cash. I had already been playing 30 years before I dropped that on a guitar even. But I love the sound of that high end stuff...and don't regret buying, for example, Omnisphere over some cheaper alternatives.

[jdhogg]

Make me wonder if there is in fact a "Best" string library or is it a case of personal taste.

There is also Vienna Dimension Strings http://www.vsl.co.at/en/211/442/344/2512/2516/2164.htm
Listen to Spring Celebration....very good.

All these next gen libraries were recorded at 24/96 by top engineers so they will all be very good. Personally I would like the samples raw so I control all the added artifacts....I dont know how much of the differences between the libraries are due to sound recording/editing or just the sound of the orchestra/hall.

Having listened to the three mentioned again spitfire is my fav by a distance then vsl .... I dont like the 8Dio at all....sounds a bit synthey.

I expect many will have the opposite preference.

I wonder how much preference is due to monitoring. I have been reminded recently when comparing truepianos and pianoteq that what you monitor on when checking out demos makes a massive difference. I checked out truepianos and pianoteq with my "internet" quality hi-fi speakers ( not ruler flat but acceptable +_2.5db freq resp ), flat headphones and then in my studio on pretty flat monitors....the difference was quite amazing.

[Kolstad]

The most important criteria for me is how inspiring the library is in use. What ever works for inspiration.. also works for perspiration

[remmet]

The most important criteria for me is how inspiring the library is in use. What ever works for inspiration.. also works for perspiration

I would love to find a string library that was fun, intuitive, and relatively easy to use. Between long loading times, horrendous strain on the computer, and the hours of fiddling around (no pun intended) with controllers, articulations, etc., etc. -- writing for strings, though necessary and occasionally wonderful, is typically an exercise in exhaustion.

And now back to manual for a refresher on what "2nd Violins 3 NV NV VB MV RR Ni DIV B" means.

Richard

[Cruciform]

And now back to manual for a refresher on what "2nd Violins 3 NV NV VB MV RR Ni DIV B" means.

You should find the explanation right next to the entry for "3rd Violins WTF FFS OMG".

[mazz]

I look forward to the day that samplemodeling comes out with strings. Ive been using their brass sax and clarinet every day lately on a cd project and I'm super impressed with the playability and expressiveness of the instruments. They have a small memory footprint although they do tax the CPU a bit due to the heavy scripting. It's a small price to pay. I will be the first in line when their strings come out!!!

[remmet]

I look forward to the day that samplemodeling comes out with strings. Ive been using their brass sax and clarinet every day lately on a cd project and I'm super impressed with the playability and expressiveness of the instruments. They have a small memory footprint although they do tax the CPU a bit due to the heavy scripting. It's a small price to pay. I will be the first in line when their strings come out!!!

I'd be curious what sort of control interface they'd use for strings. Using a wind controller for winds and brass makes sense, but not so much for strings. Unless you have an amazing lung capacity, you'd be likely to run out of breath sooner than a string player would run out of bow. I wonder if they could figure out a bowing control system for non string players.

R

[Kolstad]

The most important criteria for me is how inspiring the library is in use. What ever works for inspiration.. also works for perspiration

I would love to find a string library that was fun, intuitive, and relatively easy to use. Between long loading times, horrendous strain on the computer, and the hours of fiddling around (no pun intended) with controllers, articulations, etc., etc. -- writing for strings, though necessary and occasionally wonderful, is typically an exercise in exhaustion.

And now back to manual for a refresher on what "2nd Violins 3 NV NV VB MV RR Ni DIV B" means.

Richard

+1 Us rock'n rollers don't know much about the efforts involved to make realistic sounding mockups. I can't even crack the code on how to open the manual And being a guitarist makes it even worse. I just look for something in the background that can make my guitars sound sweeter. I'm interested in Albion in that quite rude perspective first, however if it can inspire me to give an orchestral mockup a try, it wouldn't hurt.

[mazz]

I look forward to the day that samplemodeling comes out with strings. Ive been using their brass sax and clarinet every day lately on a cd project and I'm super impressed with the playability and expressiveness of the instruments. They have a small memory footprint although they do tax the CPU a bit due to the heavy scripting. It's a small price to pay. I will be the first in line when their strings come out!!!

I'd be curious what sort of control interface they'd use for strings. Using a wind controller for winds and brass makes sense, but not so much for strings. Unless you have an amazing lung capacity, you'd be likely to run out of breath sooner than a string player would run out of bow. I wonder if they could figure out a bowing control system for non string players.

R

Their original (pre SampleModeling) strings created with Garritan (no longer available) used the sustain pedal for bow changes. CC11 can be mapped to any physical controller either at the hardware device or re-mapped in the DAW on the fly (in DP it's a MIDI plugin). I happen to use the D-Beam controller on my Roland V-Synth to send CC11 and it works like a charm. I play with my right hand and wave my left hand in the air up and down over the D-Beam. If I need keyswitches or other controllers I either overdub or draw them in later. For me, I can use the left hand expressively almost like a conductor and "play" the expression.

Those original instruments, the Stradivarius Violin and Gofriller Cello sound really great and are very expressive, particularly the Cello. They have since improved both their phase corrected sample technology and their scripting with a new custom interface. The clarinet and now the saxophones are super playable in their new interface. I have no reason to doubt that they wouldn't get strings right, at least solo strings to start with. Their stuff is awesome, IMO.