GPO, EastWest, other libraries question

[leonid]

Hi, I'm just getting started with sample libraries. I've recently upgraded my AMD 2.2 ghz PC to around 3 GB RAM. I've heard much about Garritan and EastWest silver edition which are within that 150-300 price range. I've heard that EastWest samples are better quality and more easy to use, but Garritan is more flexible and works well if you learn to tweak some stuff.I'd like professional sounding samples that would be good for film/tv. However, I'd like to work with notation programs and do the controls not using a midi controller keyboard. Any suggestions about this?ThanksLeon

[aimusic]

Hey Leon,I've got the EWQL Symphonic Orchestra Gold and have been getting used to it. I ain't gonna lie, I love it, the sounds are excellent and when you get used to the software, there's tons to it and extremely flexible.I have no opinion about the Garritan as I don't use it.Take CareB

[mazz]

Leon,Garritan is set up to work in tandem with Sibelius. I haven't tried it but apparently they've got it worked out so that it will respond to crescendos, dynamic markings, etc. I'm getting ready to try using Sibelius with Eaast West and I'll see how they work together, they're not designed to work with each natively like Garritan but hopefully it will work out.East West sounds are going to be much better out of the box to use for Film/TV. If at all possible, try to go for the Gold library, it will give you more flexibility as far as articulations go. Garritan also needs reverb and the cheap reverb that comes with it probably won't give you the depth you're gong to need. Gold has the reverb of the concert hall sampled in and believe me, it makes a huge difference in the way the orchestra samples sound. I got the Garritan and realized right away that it wasn't going to do what I wanted or give me the sound I needed for pro work, so I went with East West and I'm glad I did.For a bit more money, Gold will take you further in your career once you learn how to use it.Good luck,Mazz

[crystallions]

I also have both GPO and EW and I only use EW. (and Mazz - I am using it with Sibelius so if you end up having any questions maybe I can return the favor of all the advice you have given me over the last few months) EW sounds much more realistic. It is easier to use GPO with Sibelius but once again - for film/ TV it is not as good as EW.I have sent in some pieces here that I wrote using GPO and they were all returned because of lack of realism with the samples. The times I have had pieces returned after I started using EW it was because of missing the listing or the composition wasn't good enough - never because of the samples or realism of play back.~ Lydia

[stevebarden]

GPO is a really great tool for learning, is easy to use, and not a memory hog. You can easily load most of the library at one time on a single computer, even your 3 GB setup. But it's not a high-end library in terms of realism. Even thought Jeff Beal supposedly uses it for Monk I don't think it's widely used in many professional applications.EWQLSO Silver is a very limited library in terms of articulations that are included. You would really need to go with Gold, but it sounds awesome right out of the box. Vienna is another high-end product but is quite expensive. Many people actually prefer the natural ambiance of the EWQL samples over the close-mic'd Vienna samples.Steve

[fusilierb]

Ditto on everything said on GPO. It was the first library I bought and it really doesn't sound that convincing. But it is super light on resources and a great way to sketch out scores as you can virtually stream an entire orchestra out of it in real time on a decent system. I still use it in Sibelius for that reason. And it is very well integrated into Sibelius and does respond to all the articulations and swells. So for Sibelius users and people who write with dots, its a great little app. But I always export the Sibelius file out to a DAW and replace everything with East/West for the final version.B

[leonid]

Thanks for the suggestions and feedback so far.I'm leaning towards the EastWest silver or gold edition.However, I'm kind of concerned about the computer requirements.Would I be ok with 3 gb RAM and 2.2 ghz athlon PC?Also, I'm a guitarist and prefer not to use a midi keyboard. Could I just work through notation programs easily with EastWest? I've also heard good stuff about Overture for its flexibility.Do you folks use mostly notation programs and then make adjustments in a sequencer?Any feedback on this and ease of use would really help.ThanksLeon

[fusilierb]

You might be alright with that setup. You will need a fast hard drive. Really at least 2 of them, one to run your DAW software and the other to stream your samples. And don't expect to get too many of these instruments to play simultaneously. There will be a lot of rendering to audio and then turning on more midi tracks. It's a total pain, but unless you really dump the cash into a bunch of hardware, ie multiple machines) you will not be able to hear your entire score played back at once. I don't know anything about Overture, but I use Finale and Sibelius, neither of which integrate with East/West out of the box. Sibelius has been "working" on a sound set for this library for over a year now and I'm personally in touch with the guy at Sibelius who is overseeing this project. Don't hold your breath. I mostly use Sibelius to write in and then dump the midi file out to Cubase to load up East/West to work on the performance. I look at it like I'm a composer for phase one and a conductor for phase two. And when writing in Sebelius I use Garritan cause you can stream an entire orchestra at once, it is integrated with the notation program so all the articulations and dynamics translate back to the library seamlessly and it sounds good enough to let you know whether your writing is working or not.B

[slideboardouts]

Apr 2, 2009, 10:45am, leonid wrote:Also, I'm a guitarist and prefer not to use a midi keyboard. Could I just work through notation programs easily with EastWest? I've also heard good stuff about Overture for its flexibility.Do you folks use mostly notation programs and then make adjustments in a sequencer?LeonHey Leon,I'm a guitar player as well, and I can tell you that if you are planning on doing a lot of midi work for libraries, from orchestral to hip hop, you need to learn to use a keyboard.I've heard that for recording purposes the midi controller guitars are pretty awful. Plus, the guitar just isn't optimal for doing the things you're going to need to do. And manually putting in the notes or using notation software will be too cumbersome, take too long, and you aren't going to get the realism you need. You need to actually play the notes and use the mod wheel to get the right sound. Otherwise your music will sound stiff and programmed, no matter how awesome your samples are.If you're serious about composing, I suggest that you pick up a midi controller and learn to play the keyboard. Its really not that hard to learn, especially for what you will be doing. You don't have to be a virtuoso...you just need to learn the basics and you will be fine. -Steve

[leonid]

Thanks B. Could your playback work without using multiple machines for EastWest, if you're using a more fancy system?For example 64 bit PC 8gb RAM multicore, fast hardrive,etc.I'd like to be able to hear realistic playback of compositions and export them to audio.Hi Steve, thanks for the input. I've heard lots of people say a keyboard is necessary. On the other hand, I've heard lots say it isn't if you know how to make adjustments in a sequencer.I could play basic chords and know how to construct chords on the keyboard and have even recorded some simple parts for an instrumental rock guitar cd I did. However, what if there are some fast tricky string parts that you can't play on the keyboard?I'm open to getting a keyboard midi controller but just thought I could get do it otherwise. Appreciate your feedback on notation or keyboard controller, PC suggestions, playback. I'm new to this stuff, so lots of questions:)ThanksLeon