VST strings library recommendations?

[Merryband1]

I'm saving up for a good strings library. I'd love to have some input from those of you who use them. Pros, cons, price (especially price at this point!), availability, operating systems, learning curve, how well it interfaces with with programs like PrintMusic or Sibelius, how much hard drive space it takes... I'm open to suggestion. Thanks in advance!

Merry

[mojobone]

8DIO's Adagietto, when it's on sale would probably be my first pick, and it's on sale, right about now. But you need the full version of Kontakt.

https://8dio.com/instrument/adagietto-v ... s-samples/

[waveheavy]

Except for string libraries like LASS, you'll find they're all pretty close price range-wise. Most all of them (except for East West and Vienna Instruments) use the full version of the Kontakt 5 player.

East West Quantum Leap - inexpensive, sound good. Uses their own PLAY engine (which can be buggy on PC; I can't speak for MAC). Platinum is 24 bit samples; Gold is 16 bit samples.

I like Spitfire Albion because of their being recorded in AIR studios in London (so you can't put a lot of reverb on them, there's enough atmosphere already recorded with the samples). These can be a bit more expensive if you go for the separate string sections like Sable.

Cinematic Strings 2 sound great straight out of the box, but they take up a lot of memory.

The 8 Dio string libraries sound great, and are very reasonable price-wise, and are moderate on memory requirements, and they sound great.

Symphobia 2, sound great.

Cinestrings by Cinesamples - moderate cost, sound great.

Cinematic Studio Strings - quick and easy out of the box, sound great.

LASS - (LA Scoring Strings) - most intense library with many options and articulations, hardest learning curve, very expensive, best sounds, most pro.

Vienna Instruments Special Edition 1 is their basic orchestra kit, priced about the same as just the string libraries above. These are pretty old samples; the strings don't sound as lush as the above libraries (IMHO). The winds are good though. And these samples are a lot smaller memory wise than any of the above.

Miroslav - OK, but a dated library.

Garritan Personal Orchestra - cheaper, dated, not pro quality.


NOTES: the goal should be the best sounding library you can afford. For someone using string sections a lot in their compositions, more than one library is often needed. Where one library may have a great sounding legato, but lack good staccatos, another library may be the opposite, and you'd mix or layer the two. Most of these string libraries don't offer demo software-downloads, so you'll have to use something like YouTube if they don't have video demos on their sites.

Hope that helps,
Dave

[annayarbrough]

Where one library may have a great sounding legato, but lack good staccatos, another library may be the opposite, and you'd mix or layer the two.

Dave, on this note, do you have any recommendations for a good legato? I've found ways to limp around this (different layering, lengthening in different spots) but no really good legato strings in their own right

[mojobone]

Kirk Hunter Strings are another option; the interfaces are ah, somewhat inelegant, but the strings sound great and I theenk the Pop Strings does not require the full version of Kontakt, just the player. Embertone is another outfit worth a look.

[orest]

The new Anthology Strings by 8Dio

[Merryband1]

Thanks, everyone! Those are some great recommendations. I don't have the Kontakt player, so will have to budget for that, too, it looks like. I'll be listening to a lot of samples while I'm saving up. Meanwhile, I hope to go for some listings where I can play live instruments, because that's what I currently have. Which reminds me, I need to check the listings more often! You guys are awesome!

Merry

[waveheavy]

Where one library may have a great sounding legato, but lack good staccatos, another library may be the opposite, and you'd mix or layer the two.

Dave, on this note, do you have any recommendations for a good legato? I've found ways to limp around this (different layering, lengthening in different spots) but no really good legato strings in their own right

The Cinematic Strings 2, Cinestrings, and 8 Dio (Majestica) are all very good in my opinion. They're lush plus they have the right attack, probably the Majestica might be the best, excepting LASS which is just too far out of my pocket range. Berlin strings fits in there too.

[Kolstad]

It's hard to suggest anything untill we know more about what music you are looking to do. Strings libraries comes in many different flavours, and lend to use for different types of music. Not sure if there is any all purpose strings libraries.

Personally I've been through a few. I do mostly guitar based tv/film tracks, and full songs in several mainstream genres (pop, rock, singer/songwriter). So I record guitars, vocals, light percussion and bass live, and use mostly software for drums, keys and orchestral elements. I got the ProjectSam Symphobias last christmas, and was astonished how light they are on cpu, compared to say Cinematic Strings that I also have. What I like about especially Symphobia 1 and 2, is that they are quite "live" sounding due to the way the samples are recorded, so if you are looking for a good easy to use strings library that blends well with live instruments, I'd suggest Symphobia 1. It has a bit softer attack, but I like that as I'd like to feature the attack from the live instruments in my mixes, but have the incredible lushness from the samples come in after that. You may find it expensive for software it's actually quite reasonable. The trio pack I got is an incredible instrument in its own right, yet even together cheaper than any one guitar I use.

Other libraries lend themselves more to cut through in big epic productions, with lots of layers, and also more classical uses, which is great. But it's about finding something that fits into the music you already do, or hear, and look for ways to incorporate it. Different strokes for different folks, and different sweets for different peeps, imo

[orest]

Sorry, but I just had to say to this one:

"Different strokes for different folks, and different sweets for different peeps, imo "