# Hans Zimmer strings as main strings



## Rey (Mar 26, 2018)

Hi. I am new to orchestration, been looking for my go to standard grand sounding strings library for awhile now. And I wonder if the to be released Hans Zimmer strings is what I need. So far I only have spitfire chamber strings from spitfire audio. It s a great strings library, but for some epic music it's struggling on the high notes because the solo violins*sounds seem to dominate. I still don't have other orchestral instruments and percussion, only strings. Can anyone clue me what's the specialty and song focus of Hans Zimmer strings will be? I know it has a lot of players but that's it. Thanks for any help


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## AlexanderSchiborr (Mar 26, 2018)

Rey said:


> Hi. I am new to orchestration, been looking for my go to standard grand sounding strings library for awhile now. And I wonder if the to be released Hans Zimmer strings is what I need. So far I only have spitfire chamber strings from spitfire audio. It s a great strings library, but for some epic music it's struggling on the high notes because the solo violins*sounds seem to dominate. I still don't have other orchestral instruments and percussion, only strings. Can anyone clue me what's the specialty and song focus of Hans Zimmer strings will be? I know it has a lot of players but that's it. Thanks for any help



Then go first learn some basics about orchestration, then you probably know what you need better and you ll probably safe some money.


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## Rey (Mar 26, 2018)

AlexanderSchiborr said:


> Then go first learn some basics about orchestration, then you probably know what you need better and you ll probably safe some money.





AlexanderSchiborr said:


> Then go first learn some basics about orchestration, then you probably know what you need better and you ll probably safe some money.



Thanks. But I'm done saving money. I want the best.


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## markleake (Mar 26, 2018)

It's not released yet, but I think we can be fairly certain that it won't work as your main string library.

First of all, HZS doesn't have all the usual "meat and potato" articulations that you would usually want. And second, it's not going to perform the way you need your main string library to perform. Far better to go look at something like CSS or SSS or other libraries if you want an alternative main library. CSS in particular will save you some money vs. HZS, and will suit you much better as a main library that HZS.

And Alex is right, SCS will have its limits, but it _is_ a very good library (one of the very best) and there will be pleny more you can learn with it yet before you move on. Not to say HZ Strings will _not_ be good, but I doubt it will be anything like as good as SCS as your main strings library.

I dread to think how many other people are thinking the same thing. I love Spitfire, but sometimes the siren call of their marketing I think gets in the way of clear thinking.


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## erica-grace (Mar 26, 2018)

Rey said:


> Hi. I am new to orchestration, been looking for my go to standard grand sounding strings library for awhile now. And I wonder if the to be released Hans Zimmer strings is what I need.



Now, being that it hasn't been released, how is anyone supposed to properly answer that?


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## markleake (Mar 26, 2018)

Also... get your brass, woods and percussion covered first, before worrying about a second string library.


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## TrondB (Mar 26, 2018)

Rey said:


> Thanks. But I'm done saving money. I want the best.



Hahaha


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## Architekton (Mar 26, 2018)

Rey said:


> Thanks. But I'm done saving money. I want the best.



There is no best out there for sure, but if you have money, buy whole Spitfire suite and get busy doing some music.  Spitfire Sym Strings, Sym WWs, Sym Brass and Percussion. Trust me, thats enough for most pros, so...


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## Vik (Mar 26, 2018)

I don't think the HZ Strings are meant as a main library, because it's not a 'normal' number of players. Maybe the HZ and the SF chamber strings would be a good combination, but there are several ways to make strings sound larger/more epic/massive. I also have Spitfire Chamber Strings, btw, and I often layer it with other libraries. 

If you combine some SCS patches, tweak the mic positions, and adjust the balance between them (and use the "transpose trick" if needed), even SCS can sound quite large. I just tried to layer three SCS Ensemble patches with the Berlin Strings Full Ensemble, and it certainly sounded large and epic enough for me (disclaimer: 'epic' isn't my main focus, so don't take my advice seriously!  ).
Also: if you want to create realistic mockups, you can't work with only ensemble presets of course.

I'm not at all saying that HZ Strings isn't a good investment, but if I should buy only one string library in addition to SCS, I'd probably go for Berlin Strings, Cinematic Studio Strings or Spitfire Symphonic Strings (or something similar) before I invested in a 344 piece ensemble. But I haven't worked with HZ Strings - so, and if what you are looking for is the sound of HZ Strings, go for it!


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## Saxer (Mar 26, 2018)

When I got my driver license I couldn't decide between Bugatti and Ferrari. I asked in a forum because I couldn't afford both.

(Sorry, couldn't resist. )


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## constaneum (Mar 26, 2018)

Rey said:


> Thanks. But I'm done saving money. I want the best.



Buy everything in the market then. Haha


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## Rey (Mar 26, 2018)

It is expensive library. But man something about it is interesting. Hows the legato any good? hope we ll get some answers in a few days time. I still gonna get HZ strings, if not now, maybe later during Christmas sale


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## Rey (Mar 26, 2018)

constaneum said:


> Buy everything in the market then. Haha



lol. but I guess ill only use a few in the end. I missed the boat on Albion Tundra, pretty mad about it. guess ill spend my money on HZ strings


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## Vik (Mar 26, 2018)

Rey said:


> I'm not sure why some of you saying HZ strings is not great as main library.


I can only speak for myself and one who hasn't heard the library in detail, the legatos, how 'un-epic' it sounds with close mics and so on. 

Sometimes, strings sound more like strings if you hear the details; the kind of sound which only can be created with strings. I like the idea of hearing individual players in a string ensemble, but also like flexibility, in the sense that i'd like to more or less get any section size I want out of the string libraries I use. So in my case, having the choice between either 20/40/60 violin 1s (in HZ strings) or 5 (in SCS) isn't the ideal solution (even if layering etc is possible). 

So for people like me, HZ wouldn't be a good solution as the only or even main string library. That doesn't mean that it wouldn't be perfect eg for composers who only write "epic" kind of film music!


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## blougui (Mar 26, 2018)

wow! 3d thread for a non out in the wild product , that is success !
To the OP, you should ask SA support about your query.
For this price, you could look toward AudioImperia ´s Jaeger. It seems toncover the needs for a trailer New Loud kind of compositions.


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## Alex Fraser (Mar 26, 2018)

If you have the money, and want it, just get it.
When you ask about a library purchase, most answers you'll relieve will be well intentioned and knowledgable. 
But they'll be biases (I brought it therefore it's great/I had an issue with it therefore it sucks) and we don't really have an idea of your preferred sound, workflow, or the musical result you're after. Only you know that.

My only "advice" would be if that you do buy it, learn the s**t out of it before buying more libraries.


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## markleake (Mar 26, 2018)

The library seems far more suited to softer, slower, textural styles. No demos Spitfire have given are "trailer" style... that should be a good indicator of what to expect from it once released.

It sounds great and I want it too, I admit. Get it if you like it (and can afford it). But don't think it's going to be especially good as a main library or at trailer music. You need something with more bite for that.


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## Farkle (Mar 26, 2018)

Rey said:


> Thanks. But I'm done saving money. I want the best.



Awesome. Then why even wait for HZ Strings? Get started right now. Today, put aside about 2 grand, and get the complete Spitfire bundle. Chamber Strings (which you have), Symphonic Strings, Symphonic Brass, and Symphonic Winds. You may as well get Albion One while you're at it, another 500 bucks.

Then, to layer for that epic sound, get Trailer Strings. I would also get Symphobia 1 for layering strings, cause you can never have too many layers.

Oh, right, I forgot about Metropolis Ark 1, by Orchestral Tools. Get that too. That's what, 800?

Then, get Omnisphere 2, and layer in some of those hybrid string patches (strings and pads) for a thicker, bigger sound. Also, layer in some low synth tones on the low stuff.

That's starting to get CLOSE to the best. And you're only out 4 grand so far.

Don't forget to get a computer with 96 GB of RAM to handle all of this.

Mike


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## Craig Sharmat (Mar 26, 2018)

I think you have underestimated it Mike...


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## Farkle (Mar 26, 2018)

Rey said:


> Thanks. But I'm done saving money. I want the best.



All joking and snarky aside, Rey, the answer is; the list of library articulations for HZ shows me that *on paper*, it could be a complete string library for a composer's needs. It does have a lot of articulations, pretty broad palette.

Did you watch the Spitfire Youtube reveal of HZ's library? Many of the questions you have are answered in those youtube vids...





Try these vids, I think they'll give you an idea of what it's capable of.

Mike


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## MaxOctane (Mar 26, 2018)

My advice is to wait until after it's released, when there will be more demo and walkthroughs videos, and reviews on this forum.

The sale price will be in effect, and you'll only miss out on the free book (mostly just pictures of the orchestra, people here are saying).


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## Mr. Ha (Mar 26, 2018)

I would get spitfire symphonic Winds, brass and strings before considering Hz Strings. That way you have a full orchestra. But it depends on what kind of music you write...


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## procreative (Mar 26, 2018)

Personally I dont think HZ Strings will be nearly as useful as people think. Sure its got a huge section size, at the risk of starting to sound like a massive synth patch. But to me the very virtue of a big strings section gets lost in sample land.

Large sections sampled playing fairly rigid chopped up looping notes, to me, miss the shear beauty of a big section.

If you took 60 violins playing say a lively rhythmic line or a run, the blurry-ness of so many players trying to reach the end of the phrase/run is something I doubt this library can deliver.

To me Metropolis Ark 3 tries to capture this closest.

No doubting the quality of the players, room and design principle and the divisi choices are a new level.

Maybe one day there will be a way to simulate this? But I suppose an interesting experiment would be to play a line through all 3 divisi sections and move the midi slightly between them. It still wont have that blurry-ness.


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## Lassi Tani (Mar 26, 2018)

Rey said:


> Thanks. But I'm done saving money. I want the best.



Get brass, woodwinds and percussion first, because at the moment you'll need them more than another strings library especially when you already have one of the best strings. After that you can always get additional strings.


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## Alex Fraser (Mar 26, 2018)

procreative said:


> Maybe one day there will be a way to simulate this? But I suppose an interesting experiment would be to play a line through all 3 divisi sections and move the midi slightly between them. It still wont have that blurry-ness.


You’re right about this. I tried this experiment with the NI Symphony Series strings which has divisi sections. It didn’t really add anything to the sound and in worse cases, it just sounded like 4 samples being triggered at different times. 

But..proper divisi writing should sound great with the HZ strings.


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## kimarnesen (Mar 26, 2018)

HZ Strings looks like a niche product, so if you want the best main strings, get Spitifre Symphonic Strings. Which will sound even better if you layer it with your Chamber Strings.


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## Dr Belasco (Mar 26, 2018)

Rey said:


> Hi. I am new to orchestration, been looking for my go to standard grand sounding strings library for awhile now. And I wonder if the to be released Hans Zimmer strings is what I need. So far I only have spitfire chamber strings from spitfire audio. It s a great strings library, but for some epic music it's struggling on the high notes because the solo violins*sounds seem to dominate. I still don't have other orchestral instruments and percussion, only strings. Can anyone clue me what's the specialty and song focus of Hans Zimmer strings will be? I know it has a lot of players but that's it. Thanks for any help



These strings won't be standard string sections so I would advise against. Epic sounding strings can mean anything afaik. You can make any usual size section sound epic. SCS is for smaller, more intimate sounding work. Great for baroque sounding stuff or tv work that needs to be less and not more. One of Spitfires normal string libraries like Mural or even CSS would be more suitable for what you're talking about.


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## Ron Kords (Mar 26, 2018)

I would go with SSS first. Will work well with SCS and is a great 'standard' orchestral string group.

HZS looks great and is going to sound very big and very silky due to the size of group. I wouldn't say that's niche but it will probably cover less bases than SSS.


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## Lawson. (Mar 26, 2018)

Farkle said:


> Awesome. Then why even wait for HZ Strings? Get started right now. Today, put aside about 2 grand, and get the complete Spitfire bundle. Chamber Strings (which you have), Symphonic Strings, Symphonic Brass, and Symphonic Winds. You may as well get Albion One while you're at it, another 500 bucks.
> 
> Then, to layer for that epic sound, get Trailer Strings. I would also get Symphobia 1 for layering strings, cause you can never have too many layers.
> 
> ...



You may as well get the entire Berlin series for that Teldex sound for more variation than just AIR, and then the Cinesamples Orch for Sony too. Oh and then the Hollywood Orchestra for that EW sound!

SPOILER: You're gonna need more than 96GB of RAM for this.


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## FriFlo (Mar 26, 2018)

You dudes are all wrong! The best combination will be HZ strings layered with v8p 8w! 
This has to be the best, as it is 340 plus 240 players. This is the hugest number of players. No doubt it will be the fattest sound ever!
_(Disclaimer: I am an underage person and don't have a clue about music)_


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## SyMTiK (Mar 26, 2018)

FriFlo said:


> You dudes are all wrong! The best combination will be HZ strings layered with v8p 8w!
> This has to be the best, as it is 340 plus 240 players. This is the hugest number of players. No doubt it will be the fattest sound ever!
> _(Disclaimer: I am an underage person and don't have a clue about music)_



big number = big loud = big good = big oscar


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## SyMTiK (Mar 26, 2018)

in all honesty though none of us can truly tell you if it is a great all around library until it actually comes out. However, I think this is a library that would best benefit from someone who already has a good understanding of proper string writing, since it is in no way a traditionally arranged string library. When I think of all around library, I think of something that can cover a wide range of styles and sonic characteristics. Something that has a good selection of typical articulations, and a wide dynamic range, capable of intimate soft writing and loud, in your face, fast passages. In this case, I think that the best "all around" string libraries would be EWQL Hollywood Strings, CineStrings, Cinematic Studio Strings, Spitfire Symphonic Strings, and Berlin Strings. These are all your run of the mill, standard size high end string libraries with loads of articulations and excellent programming, all capable of realistic and satisfying results, in a wide range of styles.

Simply judging off of the unique arrangement of this library (and the size) I think it was designed to be a unique library that captures not only the huge, in your face sound of 340 players, but it also captures the lush and intimate beauty that comes from such a large ensemble playing soft, and using unique articulations that typically dont sound good in smaller ensembles. I for one pre ordered it, but this will be my third string library, with EW Hollywood Strings being my main go to string library. 

Its up to you what you do with your money, but my recommendation to you is that if you are starting out, invest in some standard orchestral string/brass/winds/perc libraries first before buying niche products. no matter what, these libraries will remain useful to you in a huge range of different writing styles. That is not to say that Hans Zimmer Strings isnt going to be versatile (im sure i will find a way to incorporate it into a lot of my work) but Im just not entirely sure it will be the best library to use as a "main" library. 

We will find out though, once it is released


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## Farkle (Mar 26, 2018)

Lawson. said:


> You may as well get the entire Berlin series for that Teldex sound for more variation than just AIR, and then the Cinesamples Orch for Sony too. Oh and then the Hollywood Orchestra for that EW sound!
> 
> SPOILER: You're gonna need more than 96GB of RAM for this.



Oh, Lawson, you and your giant RAM... 

Mike


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## Rey (Mar 26, 2018)

Can hans zimmer play this kind of orchestral music with its lushness? I tried with scs but the solo violins sticking out like hardened nip***s. Any good orchestral library with lush violins can play like that Bare with me I'm no sound engineer or orchestral expert, but like something out of the box that works most of the time with minimal tweaking


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## Vik (Mar 26, 2018)

Try to count the total number of string players in that ensemble. The result will give you a hint about what kind of string library you need, except that string libraries often are in a crossfade position - meaning that you will listen to twice as many players as the ensemble has.


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## prodigalson (Mar 26, 2018)

Rey said:


> Can hans zimmer play this kind of orchestral music with its lushness? I tried with scs but the solo violins sticking out like hardened nip***s. Any good orchestral library with lush violins can play like that Bare with me I'm no sound engineer or orchestral expert, but like something out of the box that works most of the time with minimal tweaking




Even without HZ Strings being released I can confidently say that any number of libraries would be more appropriate to provide that sound than HZ Strings. (the musicality and expression is a different story).

If you want lush, cinematic strings that just sound great out of the box with bread and butter articulations I think Cinematic Strings 2.0 is a phenomenal investment and far cheaper than HZ Strings


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## markleake (Mar 26, 2018)

@Pedro Camacho himself may give some good insight here, since that's his piece you've given as an example. But I don't expect HZS to be the best fit for trying to reproduce that sound. Not as it is recorded there in that Star Citizen track at least. You need a symphonic sized string section, or one that will sound roughly that size. HZS probably won't, as best we know currently.

The best symphonic sized options:

- *Cinematic Studio Strings (CSS)* - good all rounder, dark-ish romantic sound, very good at emotional tracks, excellent legato and short articulations
- *Cinematic Strings 2 (CS2)* - good all rounder, cinematic sound, great sounding lush and solid/confident tone, excellent price
- *Spitfire Symphonic Strings (SSS)* - softer in tone, romantic and more classical sounding (won't do bombastic trailer style so well unless doubled with another library), great amount of articulations, great "performance" patches which makes writing with it fairly fast
- *CineStrings (CS)* - more bite to the sound, Sony Scoring Stage sound (ie. sounds hollywoodish/cinematic) but probably does less well at smoother or emotional style tracks due to the harsher tone, maybe legato is less capable
- *Berlin Strings (BS)*- more bite to the sound, especially good at faster phrases but is versatile (although won't match CSS or SSS for slow/soft emotional work), may require a bit of tweaking to get right, great list of articulations, may be closest to the Star Citizen example you give above, is more expensive than the others, RAM hungry
- *EW Hollywood Strings* - cinematic/hollywood sound but also good at classical, driest recordings in this list, very versatile and great selection of articulations (but badly organised), some people don't like the Play engine, requires some knowledge to get it to play and sound the best, RAM hungry but not so bad as Berlin Strings depending on which version you get, only worth getting when on sale (it goes on sale a lot!)

There are other options too, like LASS, but the above I think are the best choices for a full symphonic sound with little effort.

Of the above CSS and SSS are easily my own _personal_ favourites, and I sometimes go back to CS2 also. CS2 is easily the best value and bang-for-your-buck, and is up there with the rest in terms of quality results (don't let the price fool you).

(Disclaimer: I don't have CineStrings or Berlin Strings, so I'm just going by demos and other people's comments on these.)


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## Rey (Mar 26, 2018)

Vik said:


> Try to count the total number of string players in that ensemble. The result will give you a hint about what kind of string library you need, except that string libraries often are in a crossfade position - meaning that you will listen to twice as many players as the ensemble has.



Thanks for the tips. Didn't know that


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## markleake (Mar 26, 2018)

Rey said:


> Thanks for the tips. Didn't know that


Also be aware that even the above sizing comparison is touch-and-go. Often you just go with what sounds good with samples. It's much harder to make big recorded sections sound small than it is to get a small section to sound bigger by doubling, etc.


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## Vik (Mar 27, 2018)

markleake said:


> The best symphonic sized options:
> 
> - *Cinematic Studio Strings (CSS)* - good all rounder, dark-ish romantic sound, very good at emotional tracks, excellent legato and short articulations
> - *Cinematic Strings 2 (CS2)* - good all rounder, cinematic sound, great sounding lush and solid/confident tone, excellent price
> ...


I have Berlin Strings and I don't quite agree in the description, but never mind.  All these libraries have qualities the others don't have, but among the libraries I have it may be the one that requires the least amount of tweaking to get things right, but the OP can judge for himself in this video: 



Berlin Strings have:
- 1st Violins (8 players)
- 2nd Violins (6 players)
- Violas (5 players)
- Celli (5 players)
- Basses (4 players)

That's 28 players, HZS has 344, and still sound symphonic to me, but maybe not as 'epic' as you want it to sound.



Rey said:


> Can anyone clue me what's the specialty and song focus of Hans Zimmer strings will be? I know it has a lot of players but that's it.


If you have time, Rey, and want to experiment with the effect of section sizes, I could always send you this file
If you have time, Rey, and want to experiment with the effect of section sizes, I could always send you this file:

...and could could try to layer each of the 12 violins on top of each other and try to figure out how many you need to get the sound you're looking for.


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## nas (Mar 27, 2018)

I think for you basic bread and butter string library SSS may be the way to go (along with the chamber strings which you have). It's difficult to comment on HZ strings and get a full picture yet, but it would seem to me to be more of an add-on library for certain styles or effect rather than a basic foundational set. You may find that you get more mileage out of SSS.

Just my impressions at this point.


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## Cinebient (Mar 27, 2018)

I will use it as my main string library 
Not that it matters but just saying.......do whatever you think fits your style and workflow. It´s exact that what HZ (Strings) is about for me.
It´s about what YOU can imagine.


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## JohnG (Mar 27, 2018)

Rey said:


> Thanks. But I'm done saving money. I want the best.



In that case, why not consider a couple of "regular," excellent string libraries and then you'll have a nice palette from which to choose? HZ strings sounds very "big" and wonderful in its way, but possibly you would want something in between the chamber strings and the HZ very large ensemble.

I like Spitfire's Symphonic Strings, Hollywood Strings from East West, CSS, and LASS -- for starters. But 8dio has string libraries that I've heard people use, and of course there are many others.

Most here have a favourite one or two and tend to be a bit ignorant about how well alternatives might serve.

By all means, if you have some money, consider getting the "everything" bundle from Spitfire (assuming it includes HZ strings). You would undoubtedly end up with things you don't need but hey, life is short. The most important resource we have is time, not money.

Kind regards,

John

[note: I have received free products from East West]


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## InLight-Tone (Mar 27, 2018)

markleake said:


> Also... get your brass, woods and percussion covered first, before worrying about a second string library.


REAL composers don't use woods/winds silly...


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## SyMTiK (Mar 27, 2018)

InLight-Tone said:


> REAL composers don't use woods/winds silly...



yeah only nerds use woodwinds 

like Mozart

HUGE nerd


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## JohnG (Mar 27, 2018)

Thomas Newman uses winds all the time, just not in a boring way.


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## Parsifal666 (Mar 27, 2018)

SyMTiK said:


> yeah only nerds use woodwinds
> 
> like Mozart
> 
> HUGE nerd





Check out what Bernard Herrmann did with winds. Even HUGER nerd.


Or not.


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## SyMTiK (Mar 27, 2018)

Parsifal666 said:


> Check out what Bernard Herrmann did with winds. Even HUGER nerd.
> 
> 
> Or not.



what a dork, that Herrmann guy


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## Mr. Ha (Mar 27, 2018)

I use winds constantly, even when doing more modern scoring!


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## ghandizilla (Mar 27, 2018)

At this point, I'm surprised I didn't read a "Fagotts are for fagots" thing yet :-D

It would be nice to hear some productions from the OP, so we would have a better idea what would fill his needs. The request seems odd, I know, but we're here to help (aren't we?)


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## Pedro Camacho (Apr 5, 2018)

markleake said:


> @Pedro Camacho himself may give some good insight here, since that's his piece you've given as an example. But I don't expect HZS to be the best fit for trying to reproduce that sound. Not as it is recorded there in that Star Citizen track at least. You need a symphonic sized string section, or one that will sound roughly that size. HZS probably won't, as best we know currently.
> 
> The best symphonic sized options:
> 
> ...



I wasn't expecting a quote, Thank you!
I never forgot what Maarten Spruijt once wrote 11 years ago in his blog: Don't try to force a library do what it wasn't designed to do.
Every single library can be EXCELLENT in a particular situation, HZS is excellent in many situations.

In my case I have a private sample library created with the help of many incredible and talented people (Jasper Blunk and Blake Robinson) that is way better than anything available at the moment.

Don't forget to check these wonderful wonderful devs:
http://performancesamples.com/ (Jasper Blunk) @Jasper Blunk 
https://8dio.com/instrument/century-strings-bundle/ (Troels Folmann) (still learning and being amazed by their fabulous Century Strings...)
http://www.musicalsampling.com/soaring-strings/
https://www.projectsam.com/Products/Symphobia-Series/1390 
etc...
etc.


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## Lionel Schmitt (Apr 5, 2018)

Pedro Camacho said:


> In my case I have a private sample library created with the help of many incredible and talented people (Jasper Blunk and Blake Robinson) that is way better than anything available at the moment.


Maestro!! :D
I actually recognized this library after you posted a snipped on twitter. I immediatly thought - Blake Robinson sound! Then you posted the screenshot of the library (sofia... not sure how exactly it was called). Henri Vartio uses it as well I figured. Yep I even identify private libraries haha 

I find Soaring Strings sound pretty similar to the strings from library (from the demos).


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## markleake (Apr 5, 2018)

Pedro Camacho said:


> I wasn't expecting a quote, Thank you!
> I never forgot what Maarten Spruijt once wrote 11 years ago in his blog: Don't try to force a library do what it wasn't designed to do.
> Every single library can be EXCELLENT in a particular situation, HZS is excellent in many situations.
> 
> ...


Thanks Pedro for chiming in. I hope the OP appreciates the advice. Especially as your music seems to be what is inspiring him to learn.

Some of these other developers you mention I have been watching with interest. I personally have too many string libraries currently that I have only half learned yet, but I'm sure your advice will be useful.

Regarding HZS now that the library is released, many of the patches do indeed sound fantastic. It's on my list to get at some point, so long as I can justify the load it will put on my poor old computer. Disregarding all the debate about the library, it certainly does give us something unique and very usable.


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## Pedro Camacho (Apr 6, 2018)

DarkestShadow said:


> Maestro!! :D
> I actually recognized this library after you posted a snipped on twitter. I immediatly thought - Blake Robinson sound! Then you posted the screenshot of the library (sofia... not sure how exactly it was called). Henri Vartio uses it as well I figured. Yep I even identify private libraries haha
> 
> I find Soaring Strings sound pretty similar to the strings from library (from the demos).


We call is SE (Sofia Ensemble). Henri, Blake and Jasper are so talented... No matter what libraries you throw at them they will make something incredible out of it.

I own most commercial libraries and they do complement for several situations. What makes me avoid HZS is the fact that it is non-Kontakt. If it was I would have it already. I am 100% sure it will be useful for several situations!


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## Pedro Camacho (Apr 6, 2018)

markleake said:


> Thanks Pedro for chiming in.


My pleasure, sir!


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## KEM (Apr 6, 2018)

SSS is gonna probably be your best bet, Hollywood Diamond is also good, and there are plenty of other options, but SSS is a great all around option, but of course since you want and epic sound I’m gonna have to recommend Jaeger or some of the 8Dio stuff, those do that better.


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## Rey (Apr 6, 2018)

@Pedro Camacho sir any chance of sharing star citizen main theme midi or project file? I'm loving your music


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## luckiest_charm (Apr 7, 2018)

I would vouch for Novo Strings (Heavyocity). While I haven't got SSS so far, or any of the Spitfire Symphonic Orchestra instruments, I have plenty of other Spitfire libraries, including Chamber Strings (as you do).

I just got Novo and instantly realised that it can be used in way more situations than a usual strings library can be, from lush orchestral arrangements, to hybrid, to industrial music, due to it's two faces, Traditional and Modern. I especially love it's Strings Designer patches. Definitely a go as your daily driver strings library. They recently released it's first pack for chamber section but you have SCS so you you can skip that. 
They also include lots of finished scores in the form of string loops, basically a full orchestra playing fully mixed sections you could just put in as it is. No doubt they sound fantastic but I kind of feel like leveraging on someone else's creations using those so I avoid their loops. Some might not mind that.
SSS might require a fair bit of processing to be used in hybrid trailers and similar hard hitting genres.


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