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Which library would you choose...

jaketanner

Senior Member
I am in the market for a new string library...I currently have Kontakt 11 Ultimate, Omnisphere 2, Sampletank 3 (with the Miroslav 1), and a low-end string library from Sonivox "orchestral Companion" and Composer Cloud from EW.

I am looking at these 3 with my teacher discount:

Albion One $315....CSS $299 or Cinestrings Core for $200.

I would love to work on trailer music, BUT...I also have things that I would like to orchestrate as well...I am new so don't need anything major. Thanks
 
Strings only? I would say from that selection: CSS

But I throw Spitfire's Symphonic Strings and especially Chamber strings into the mix.
 
Strings only? I would say from that selection: CSS

But I throw Spitfire's Symphonic Strings and especially Chamber strings into the mix.

Nothing too large of an orchestra...I know Albion One is quite large, but if I go that route, it's also for the extras.

I will check Chamber Strings...I think they're the same price as Albion One. Thanks. BTW, I was leaning towards CSS.
 
Nothing too large of an orchestra...I know Albion One is quite large, but if I go that route, it's also for the extras.

I will check Chamber Strings...I think they're the same price as Albion One. Thanks. BTW, I was leaning towards CSS.[/QUOT

Budget is around $300...so unfortunately the Chamber String is out of reach for now.
 
I have Hollywood Strings via the CC, but not Diamond...just Gold. And I am leaning the CSS route.
I think you should go for CSS if HS isnt doing it for you then. There arent nearly as many artiuclations, and the tone is darker, but damn is it lush! Honestly? Both libs compliment eachother perfectly. Btw, I wouldnt even consider Albion ONE for the strings.
 
I think you should go for CSS if HS isnt doing it for you then. There arent nearly as many artiuclations, and the tone is darker, but damn is it lush! Honestly? Both libs compliment eachother perfectly. Btw, I wouldnt even consider Albion ONE for the strings.

You mean there are more in Hollywood Gold edition? Haven't explore them all just yet. And glad to hear they work well together. I think that's my route then.
 
First, listen to their demos. You can’t return it or sell them, at least not Spitfire.

Spitfire Chamber Strings are beautiful, but quite small (4-3-3-3-3) so in a big orchestra you might want to layer it with another library, like I do with Albion One. Both are
quite wet even with just the close mics, so if you want it dry and add your own reverb you don’t want it. Having said that, nothing beats the natural reverb from their hall though. So you get the most beautiful and natural reverb (but you can’t remove it).

You can also start with Albion One, and later layer it with something smaller. But you don’t have each section in separate patches. You can simulate the sections by having 5 patches, each one panned to where each section would sit, and reduce their ranges.
 
You mean there are more in Hollywood Gold edition? Haven't explore them all just yet. And glad to hear they work well together. I think that's my route then.
Yes, there are more arts in HS than CSS...way more. Its dryer too, which provides more flexibility. CSS is nice though, because you dont even need to add reverb.
 
I don’t have this library, but have heard really great things about it -

https://Www.lightandsoundsamples.com (Www.lightandsoundsamples.com) chamber strings - still on sale for 149 Usd.

There’s a thread on the forum about this library, and everyone who as bought is very positive....
 
First, listen to their demos. You can’t return it or sell them, at least not Spitfire.

Spitfire Chamber Strings are beautiful, but quite small (4-3-3-3-3) so in a big orchestra you might want to layer it with another library, like I do with Albion One. Both are
quite wet even with just the close mics, so if you want it dry and add your own reverb you don’t want it. Having said that, nothing beats the natural reverb from their hall though. So you get the most beautiful and natural reverb (but you can’t remove it).

You can also start with Albion One, and later layer it with something smaller. But you don’t have each section in separate patches. You can simulate the sections by having 5 patches, each one panned to where each section would sit, and reduce their ranges.

I was partial to Albion One at first, but only for the epic trailer stuff. I am going to have to do some more experimenting I see...and I've listened to all demos and YouTube videos as well...i am not a fan of the "wet" strings because as you said, it limiting...decisions decisions...lol
 
There’s a lot of praise for CSS here, but it has a certain sound that I didn’t like and it’s very different from Spitfire. So even if many people likes it it must still be up to you to choose the sound you like. For me, CSS tries to simulate a certain Hollywood sound but looses realism at this attempt.
 
I was partial to Albion One at first, but only for the epic trailer stuff. I am going to have to do some more experimenting I see...and I've listened to all demos and YouTube videos as well...i am not a fan of the "wet" strings because as you said, it limiting...decisions decisions...lol

I don’t have these, but I think both Musicalsampling and Native Instruments Symphony series have dry strings liberators.
 
There’s a lot of praise for CSS here, but it has a certain sound that I didn’t like and it’s very different from Spitfire. So even if many people likes it it must still be up to you to choose the sound you like. For me, CSS tries to simulate a certain Hollywood sound but looses realism at this attempt.

I've heard that before about CSS. What in particular makes it fake? Is it over processed?
 
SSS is great. I used to use Lass and Albion before that and the difference is massive. I've found that layering SS with the Lass shorts can really help when it comes to that trailer style spicc type thing. SSS just has the 'life' that i haven't found elsewhere.
 
SSS is great. I used to use Lass and Albion before that and the difference is massive. I've found that layering SS with the Lass shorts can really help when it comes to that trailer style spicc type thing. SSS just has the 'life' that i haven't found elsewhere.

It's out of budget at the moment unfortunately, but thanks for the info. I am sure I will take another look in the future.
 
I don’t have this library, but have heard really great things about it -

https://Www.lightandsoundsamples.com (Www.lightandsoundsamples.com) chamber strings - still on sale for 149 Usd.

There’s a thread on the forum about this library, and everyone who as bought is very positive....

Thanks, going to listen now, and find the thread.
 
I like CSS but it is a very particular sound with all that vibrato. Don't get me wrong, I've just been using the cellos in a trailer and they sound good, so I do like them.

If you had the money Spitfire Symphonic Strings offers a lot. Recorded very differently than CSS or HS.
 
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