Berlin Brass vs Spitfire Brass
- Thread starter zeng
- Start date
M
mac
Guest
I don't think anyone can answer really until they've had chance to use BB. What I do know is that as nice as the amount of control you get with BB is, it would slow down my workflow. It does sound nice in the demos though!
Lee Blaske
Senior Member
Always hard to tell before you actually get to play it yourself. I had most of the Spitfire brass libraries already, to the upgrade for me was inexpensive and I went for it. I have to admit, though, that after playing with the new library, a lot of the problems I had with the original libraries were still there. For me, articulations across instrument ranges and between ranges feel inconsistent, and some of the intonation makes my teeth stand on edge (especially some of the longer trombone notes). I doubt I'll be using this library much at all. I still REALLY like all the VSL brass libraries. I can really make them do what I need to do. They are very nimble and consistent, and they are IN TUNE.
Berlin Brass sounds really good, though. But again, hard (at least for me) to tell until I get it under my fingers. But if I was going to buy only one at this point, I think I'd have more hope for Berlin Brass.
Don't know why the Spitfire brass is such a disappointment to me. I absolutely LOVE their new chamber strings library, and use it often.
Berlin Brass sounds really good, though. But again, hard (at least for me) to tell until I get it under my fingers. But if I was going to buy only one at this point, I think I'd have more hope for Berlin Brass.
Don't know why the Spitfire brass is such a disappointment to me. I absolutely LOVE their new chamber strings library, and use it often.
muziksculp
Senior Member
I could see this topic popping up soon. 
cadenzajon
Active Member
Spitfire's design of allowing me to keep a variety of articulations within a single patch appeals to me. I don't have any of the Berlin libraries so far, but is that same option possible there, or would I be signing up for a monster number of template tracks with BB (like I see in the video)?
dcoscina
Senior Member
Not sure but OT use Capsule which allows multiple articulations in most of their instruments.
Curious about the lack of divisi since they do have that option in their older Berlin Brass Exp C Horns library which also sounds terrific
dcoscina
Senior Member
I also own a fair bit of Spitfire brass and really kept hemming and hawing over upgrading because of their terrific loyalty pricing. In the end, I did actually upgrade so I could add the trumpets from the BML line which I didn't have. It's nice having everything under one roof.
OT Berlin Brass sounds very good and clear. After hearing three of the walkthroughs, it sounds amazing but I'm happy with the brass I have and really cannot afford the price tag thanks to the awful Canadian dollar...
OT Berlin Brass sounds very good and clear. After hearing three of the walkthroughs, it sounds amazing but I'm happy with the brass I have and really cannot afford the price tag thanks to the awful Canadian dollar...
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Karl Feuerstake
Senior Member
Berlin Brass sounds absolutely incredible! But then, so does Spitfire Brass. And for me the choice was a no-brainer; as an owner of previous Spitfire libs, my upgrade was ~$270 CAD. Berlin Brass looks like it'd be $890 pre-order, $1180 full price for me, so I'm not regretting my buy on Spitfire; especially as a student, I simply cannot afford to shovel out that kind of cash.
Which is better? They both are very versatile, both are capable of doing solo, small ensemble, and medium / large ensemble. One of the quick differences I see is Spitfire Brass includes the 6-player "phalanx" ensembles with a really "epic" sound, while Berlin Brass provides additional soloist spots for more realistic 3-4 voice chords. Another thing is that Berlin Brass provides a quick way to change accents on sustained notes (very cool) - while for Spitfire you have to play around with the Marcato patches paired with sustains.
In in a perfect world it'd be great to own both, as they're both peak quality libraries. And if you're not a Spitfire owner, the price point might be nearly the same; and I'd say look at which library seems to fit your style better. Berlin looks more focused on that "classical" sound, while Spitfire offers additional ensembles and instruments not otherwise available in Berlin Brass (for now. I suspect Cimbassi + Contrabass Trombones will be available in Berlin's additional instrument expansions, which I am looking forward to.)
Which is better? They both are very versatile, both are capable of doing solo, small ensemble, and medium / large ensemble. One of the quick differences I see is Spitfire Brass includes the 6-player "phalanx" ensembles with a really "epic" sound, while Berlin Brass provides additional soloist spots for more realistic 3-4 voice chords. Another thing is that Berlin Brass provides a quick way to change accents on sustained notes (very cool) - while for Spitfire you have to play around with the Marcato patches paired with sustains.
In in a perfect world it'd be great to own both, as they're both peak quality libraries. And if you're not a Spitfire owner, the price point might be nearly the same; and I'd say look at which library seems to fit your style better. Berlin looks more focused on that "classical" sound, while Spitfire offers additional ensembles and instruments not otherwise available in Berlin Brass (for now. I suspect Cimbassi + Contrabass Trombones will be available in Berlin's additional instrument expansions, which I am looking forward to.)
Just downloaded Spitfire Symphonic Brass. I have Spitfire Chamber Strings, and Berlin Woodwinds. All I've done is just poke around a bit in this new library, but it sounds gorgeous, and feels very playable. I would love it if a later update brought the performance legato to the solo instruments (and stopped solo horn!), but overall I have a feeling this is going to be a great library for me. Also, because the patches aren't unbearably huge (not small either, mind you), they won't push my single computer 16gb of ram setup past the breaking point. Berlin Brass will be great I'm sure. But I've struggled incorporating their woodwinds, which I know everyone loves, into my set up. This feels far more playable.
On that (side) note, I so wish that you could get trial versions of sample libraries for 2 weeks or something. It is so clear to me so quickly when a library is going to be meaningful to me. I recently bought SoundIron Olympus and within an hour I knew it just wasn't a good fit for me (too big sounding, too many syllables I don't need, too unwieldy in many ways). A try-out would have revealed that very quickly.
Anyway - big thumbs up in the early going for Spitfire brass. Also - the dry sounds actually sound pretty dry to me - seems like this would be blendable in a lot of contexts.
Throwing this out there in case anyone is still on the fence as the intro and edu discounts are about to evaporate.
On that (side) note, I so wish that you could get trial versions of sample libraries for 2 weeks or something. It is so clear to me so quickly when a library is going to be meaningful to me. I recently bought SoundIron Olympus and within an hour I knew it just wasn't a good fit for me (too big sounding, too many syllables I don't need, too unwieldy in many ways). A try-out would have revealed that very quickly.
Anyway - big thumbs up in the early going for Spitfire brass. Also - the dry sounds actually sound pretty dry to me - seems like this would be blendable in a lot of contexts.
Throwing this out there in case anyone is still on the fence as the intro and edu discounts are about to evaporate.
As you may all know, I love VSL's "online play/try libraries" option. I bought many of their libraries after trying them online (playing libraries before buying on your own setup with very low latency is wonderful). I wish all developers had this option 
I bought spitfire chamber strings last week, and now (after reading your posts) just got spitfire brass. But I would really like to try Berlin brass' legato types online...
I bought spitfire chamber strings last week, and now (after reading your posts) just got spitfire brass. But I would really like to try Berlin brass' legato types online...
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EvilDragon
KSP Wizard
I bought Spitfire Brass. After the RT fix, I am extremely happy. Phalanxes sound huge, and those performance legato patches are INSANELY well done.
jononotbono
Luke Johnson
Wish I could afford Berlin Brass. It sounds great. However, I have just bought SSB and absolutely loving it. I have to wait till I get some better paying work and then I'll buy the whole Berlin Orchestra. All of it sounds great. Incredible choice out there now!
M
mac
Guest
I love the tone of SSB. It's an absolute steal for Komplete owners, and I never understand why it doesn't get much love.
Edit: just realised you're probably referring to spitfire, doh!
tack
Damned Dirty Ape
I'm more than a little annoyed with myself that I'm considering Berlin Brass. As it usually happens, I was resolved to pass on it, heard the walkthrough, and am beginning to feel my resolve buckle. It doesn't help my case that disposable income isn't an issue.
My annoyance comes from the fact that I have some very good libraries (namely BML and SM) and I know I'm not even remotely tapping their potential (given I am a talentless hack), but for the frustrations I do have with those libraries, I'm not hearing the same faults in the BB intro.
On the other hand, that's what I always say. The honeymoon period with new sample libraries is shockingly short. It is almost always the case -- even with Orchestral Tools libraries -- that I'm terribly impressed by the demos and walkthroughs, pick up the library, and before long and muttering "oh dear" and must remind myself how difficult instrument sampling must be.
But on the other other hand, the pre-order discount is nontrivial.
My annoyance comes from the fact that I have some very good libraries (namely BML and SM) and I know I'm not even remotely tapping their potential (given I am a talentless hack), but for the frustrations I do have with those libraries, I'm not hearing the same faults in the BB intro.
On the other hand, that's what I always say. The honeymoon period with new sample libraries is shockingly short. It is almost always the case -- even with Orchestral Tools libraries -- that I'm terribly impressed by the demos and walkthroughs, pick up the library, and before long and muttering "oh dear" and must remind myself how difficult instrument sampling must be.
But on the other other hand, the pre-order discount is nontrivial.
The one note I've found in Spitfire Brass so far that is crazy out of tune is F2 in the solo bass trombone marcato. It's totally an F#. I know someone else was posting about intonation in the low brass. Seems like this is probably a simple update. Other than that, I haven't heard too many problems, and I really think the tone is beautiful.
tack
Damned Dirty Ape
It can be, certainly.
Probably my biggest criticism of BML brass is the playability of the solo horns with anything more than a timid application of the modwheel. This may well be an intrinsic problem with sampling horns in very reverberant spaces, but I didn't hear anything quite like this in the Berlin Brass intro walkthrough. (Granted, Teldex isn't quite like Air Lyndhurst in that respect.)
I probably ought to repeat this with the new SSB patches and see if things have improved.
Karl Feuerstake
Senior Member
If you think Bass Trombone is out of tune in SSB.. don't play the Contrabass Tuba.
I sent Support a message regarding it and they said it'll get addressed.. but yea, be warned.
I suspect they recorded a non-compensating valve Contra Tuba, possibly even with only 4 - valves. You get some intonation problems with non-compensating valves in your lower range... that's just how the instruments are.
Ha - I haven't quite gotten down there yet... but now I can't resist!
(still, I'm not hearing many intonation problems in the horn/tpts, and even in the tbn patch where I heard it (bs. tbn) it was only one note on one artic. - though let's see what I find way down below)
