Go To String Libraries

[mteezykeys]

Hey, just wondering what everyones go to string libraries were. I have the Spitfire BBC Symphony Orchestra Core and Native Instruments: Session Strings. I typically go for the BBC library when I need realistic sounding strings, but I tend to not like the violin patches in that library. They usually sound kind of thin and fake to me.

What are your go to string libraries?

[psteege]

Hey!

I use Cinematic Studio Strings quite a lot they do a solo strings library too. I find them pretty good and like the legatos. Ive used quite a few libraries some have pretty bad phase issues and some i find sound a bit 'midi-esque' or a bit blocky when changing notes.

i wrote a bit about CSS here - topic148896.html. I quite like the Spitfire Albion series and the Symphonic Strings library which i use now and again, I also use the Tina Gou Acoustic cello. But yes CSS is probably my most used library.

Pete.

[mteezykeys]

Hey!

I use Cinematic Studio Strings quite a lot they do a solo strings library too. I find them pretty good and like the legatos. Ive used quite a few libraries some have pretty bad phase issues and some i find sound a bit 'midi-esque' or a bit blocky when changing notes.

i wrote a bit about CSS here - topic148896.html. I quite like the Spitfire Albion series and the Symphonic Strings library which i use now and again, I also use the Tina Gou Acoustic cello. But yes CSS is probably my most used library.

Pete.

Thanks Pete, I'll check out that library.

[GBall]

Caveats for opinions and all of that. I have trouble saying "this one" or "that one" because it depends on the sound you're looking for at a particular time. I know that is not incredibly helpful, so ... UVI IRCAM solo instruments are a secret weapon for me for something that is really exposed where I'm trying to add that "this is a real violin player" kind of sugar. I use it like a solo-ist who can never quite stay between the lines you know? I used to use an older library within Opus (Gypsy Violn) but UVI has some extended techniques.

Spitfire Abbey Road collection (Like Legendary Low Strings) can be awesome for out of the box bigness. I like Spitfire Abbey Road in general because they are comparatively easy to work with - at least for me. I used Opus and its forerunners for many years - IMO it has sort of a John Williams-y sort of vibe - great if that is needed, but I had to be careful not to get feedback that it's "dated", or at least when I use it. Not that Opus itself is dated, but has a certain sound, whereas as with Abbey it kinda screams modern film out of the box. I wish they would separate out it out more rather than high and low strings, so I've used Opus layered in sometimes for probably what you use BBC for. I've not warmed up to BBC yet.

Spitfire's "Intimate strings" is very inexpensive, but it's already "there" when I need low drama, soft, dreamy etc. Maybe I just like it.

All this is very much just me - so, keep or sweep, you know?

[Paulie]

Are you talking about solo instruments, or sectional stuff?

[chartzog]

I've not warmed up to BBC yet.

Interesting. I splurged to purchase Spitfire’s BBCSO Core edition and I have had nothing but trouble since! Spitfire has been great in trying to solve the problem for me, but we’ve been working on it since early December and it’s still not resolved. For some weird reason at a certain point BBCSO Core suddenly disappears and reverts to the Discover (free) plugin. It’s VERY frustrating because after I have gotten the sounds that I want with Core when it reverts to Discover my session is completely messed up. I don’t know if this is a problem other osMac Ventura M1 users are experiencing or if it’s just me, but I have no more patience for dealing with this. I have asked Spitfire if they will agree to exchanging my BBCSO license of their new Abbey Rode One sample library.

Has anyone else had similar problems with Spitfire Audio products?