# Your currently most inspiring library?



## Resoded (Mar 28, 2021)

So out of all the libraries you currently have, which one inspires you the most right now? What is it about it that boosts your creativity?


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## el-bo (Mar 28, 2021)

You first


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## mixedmoods (Mar 28, 2021)

Felt Instruments Helenko


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## mybadmemory (Mar 28, 2021)

BBCSO. First library I’ve got that sounds believable with just two parts playing. Other libraries I have don’t start to sound real (and never get as close) until much more is added. BBCSO sounds real to me from the first two tracks playing together.


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## borisb2 (Mar 28, 2021)

For me the biggest boost of creativity is stop talking about libraries


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## BasariStudios (Mar 28, 2021)

The weirdest thing for me is that my actual Orchestral Inspiration
almost NEVER comes from an Orchestral Library, it is usually a Piano
or most of the times it is VST Synths or my Hardware Synths, mostly
Arpeggiators or some moving SoundScapes and things...then i take
it from there and turn it into something Orchestral. There is moments
when i get stuff from Synchron Strings Pro on a Full Ensemble Patch.


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## Resoded (Mar 28, 2021)

mixedmoods said:


> Felt Instruments Helenko


Haven't come across Felt Instruments before, very interesting sounds! Got to keep my eyes on them.


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## CT (Mar 28, 2021)

Omnisphere. I can pick any patch, play it for a second, and be totally ready to write something that someone has already written ten years ago.


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## Michael Antrum (Mar 28, 2021)

BasariStudios said:


> The weirdest thing for me is that my actual Orchestral Inspiration
> almost NEVER comes from an Orchestral Library, it is usually a Piano
> or most of the times it is VST Synths or my Hardware Synths, mostly
> Arpeggiators or some moving SoundScapes and things...then i take
> ...


I just impulse bought Mrs. Mill Piano from Spitfire, and I've been having a blast with it. The best £ 29 I've spent in ages. I've been having a right old knees up and the ragtime and boogie boogie has been having an outing...

Also, Blue Street Brass - I bought it a while ago now, but that had me noodling for ages with and inspired a couple of tracks Love that library...


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## Loïc D (Mar 28, 2021)

Probably Noire.
And lately OACE.


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## Rachel (Mar 28, 2021)

My most inspiring library is always the latest one I've bought . I am always so excited to play with it, that I am always inspired... until the next purchase. At the moment it is Ethera Gold


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## Resoded (Mar 28, 2021)

Currently I have to say Cinematic Studio Solo Strings is my big inspiration. I've been looking for some solo strings for some time but haven't really felt confident with the options. Took the plunge and really like the sound and playability of CSSS. Finally I can work on some ideas I've had for a while.


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## Double Helix (Mar 28, 2021)

BasariStudios said:


> The weirdest thing for me is that my actual Orchestral Inspiration
> almost NEVER comes from an Orchestral Library, it is usually a Piano
> or most of the times it is VST Synths or my Hardware Synths, mostly
> Arpeggiators or some moving SoundScapes and things. . .


The new Bob Moog Tribute 2.0 for Omnisphere. An embarrasment of richly creative programming.


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Mar 28, 2021)

Man, Vista is one of those that does it for me. CineBrass as well.

Aside from libraries, sometimes an accidental chord or simple chord progression sets the foundation for a new song or piece. Love those moments.


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## dflood (Mar 28, 2021)

I guess the most inspiring thing for me lately is *Unify* from PluginGuru. With its quick load and easy layering capabilities it has helped me to rediscover a lot of sounds buried in my existing libraries. It’s super easy to layer sounds together from different samplers and synths. It’s also an awesome database organizer for all your plugins, libraries, and patches. Once a library is ‘Unified’ you can call up a patch in seconds no matter what its dependencies are. It also comes with a pretty generous amount of native sounds and effects plugins on its own, all for $75 bucks.


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## AndyP (Mar 28, 2021)

Rachel said:


> My most inspiring library is always the latest one I've bought . I am always so excited to play with it, that I am always inspired... until the next purchase. At the moment it is Ethera Gold


Ethera is a constant source of new discoveries. I could no longer do without Ethera Gold in particular.


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## CT (Mar 28, 2021)

Double Helix said:


> The new Bob Moog Tribute 2.0 for Omnisphere. An embarrasment of richly creative programming.


Is it pretty great? I have to look for some playthroughs to get a sense of how much what's in there will be useful for me.


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## chillbot (Mar 28, 2021)

Mike T said:


> Is it pretty great? I have to look for some playthroughs to get a sense of how much what's in there will be useful for me.


It's great.


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## Double Helix (Mar 28, 2021)

Mike T said:


> Is it pretty great? I have to look for some playthroughs to get a sense of how much what's in there will be useful for me.


Yes, I concur with @chillbot: I thought the previous version (1.4) was out of sight, but 2.0 has 500 (!) new patches, programmed by a virtual who's-who of Moog world. Now over 1300 patches overall.
I stumbled upon this somewhat abbreviated 21-minute walk-through:


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## Tice (Mar 28, 2021)

Oftentimes, whichever library is my latest acquisition. (At current that'll be AmpleSound's Qudi)
The Bernard Herrmann Composer Toolkit is one of those I love to think about using but hardly do.
The VSL libraries are my staple. I know them well and I can easily get going with them. So in that regard, being inspired by something is only half the story. I think 'effective' inspiration is the kind that leads to actually making something. And that happens most consistently with libraries I know like the inside of my pockets.


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## Alex Fraser (Mar 28, 2021)

TBH, I get “inspiration” from upcoming bills/deadlines. 

But there’s something special about the way BBCSO all comes together like gravy without any real effort or fiddling.


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## Petrucci (Mar 29, 2021)

I'm currently using VSL BBO so that's what inspires me this moment)


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## mcalis (Mar 29, 2021)

N.


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## PeterN (Mar 29, 2021)

I dont have it, but most inspring library *I wish I had* is Arkhis from Orchestral Tools. Can someone say its crap, so mind can be at peace.


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## Paul Owen (Mar 29, 2021)

PeterN said:


> I dont have it, but most inspring library *I wish I had* is Arkhis from Orchestral Tools. Can someone say its crap, so mind can be at peace.


So crap. Poorly made with lo-fi recordings. You'd hate it 😉


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## PeterN (Mar 29, 2021)

Paul Owen said:


> So crap. Poorly made with lo-fi recordings. You'd hate it 😉


Thanks *brother*. if you need some help one day, let me know.


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## scottstarrett (Mar 29, 2021)

*Spitfire Contemporary Drama Toolkit* continues to inspire me over and over again. Really fresh modern sounds:








Spitfire Audio — Contemporary Drama Toolkit


Less theory — more feeling



www.spitfireaudio.com





Same for *Output Analog Strings. *A million ways to use it in your own voice & style.








ANALOG STRINGS by Output | Modern Strings Engine | Where Beauty Meets the Machine


Analog Strings is a virtual instrument for the modern music maker. It enables you to craft and perform string sounds that are insanely unique and cutting-edge, yet beautiful and creative.



output.com


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## d4vec4rter (Mar 29, 2021)

As a number of others have already stated, it tend to be the latest acquisition. My current inspiration is the cello which has always been my favourite solo classical instrument. I've had Emotional Cello for some time but have recently emptied the wallet on Virharmonic's Bohemian Cello, Spitfire's Solo Cello and Chris Hein's Solo Cello libraries. Have to say, although Bohemian Cello plays great out of the box, I'm well impressed with Chris Hein's Solo Cello. Just loving the deep rich tones of the Romantic Cello and the variety of articulations.


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## daviddln (Mar 29, 2021)

For me, it's the Big Bang Orchestra from VSL.


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## Zamenhof (Mar 29, 2021)

I love to load up my Garritan CFX Concert Grand and just drift off to another universe. It's my starting point for all my pieces.

A close second is the performance patch from Strezov Storm Choir Ultimate. I use it when I want 20 angry people to yell at me...


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## SupremeFist (Mar 29, 2021)

Currently for me it's VSL Blüthner.


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## John Longley (Mar 29, 2021)

Probably the Walker Steinway from Embertone, or Chris Hein Solo Strings. I buy a lot, but these two never let me down.


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## EgM (Mar 29, 2021)

John Longley said:


> Probably the Walker Steinway from Embertone, or Chris Hein Solo Strings. I buy a lot, but these two never let me down.



Same here, Walker with hammer mics, some room


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## jeremyr (Mar 29, 2021)

Strezov Choir Essentials. I've been using it so much this past month I already feel the need to get new syllables, but as a hobbyist it's really hard to justify the cost of getting the full versions of those choirs. I guess I have to wait for the summer sale.


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## Rachel (Mar 29, 2021)

jeremyr said:


> Strezov Choir Essentials. I've been using it so much this past month I already feel the need to get new syllables, but as a hobbyist it's really hard to justify the cost of getting the full versions of those choirs. I guess I have to wait for the summer sale.


Same here. I bought it recently and it really inspires me, especially the children choir


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## TomislavEP (Mar 30, 2021)

It depends on what I'm currently working on. Since the piano is my main instrument, I most often use the piano libraries and those from Native Instruments (minus "Alicia's Keys") are my go-to option. I also have a number of orchestral and other libraries from SA that I'm always returning to.


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## doctoremmet (Mar 30, 2021)

My current inspiration is Xsample Contemporary Saxophones. An incredibly well recorded collection for modern classic SATB composing (and more). Who knew I needed saxophone samples, which back in the rompler era were easily my most hated patches. Ever.


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## ShikiSuen (Mar 30, 2021)

NotePerformer, saving me from wasting a hell lot of time dealing with MIDI mockup hassles.


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## doctoremmet (Mar 30, 2021)

@Saxer That 90s hit “All that she wants” has a little sax lick in it which to this day makes me sick to my stomach (I do love real saxes, just saying haha)


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## Saxer (Mar 30, 2021)

doctoremmet said:


> @Saxer That 90s hit “All that she wants” has a little sax lick in it which to this day makes me sick to my stomach (I do love real saxes, just saying haha)


I got used to sax samples as an own sound as it is really far off the original in most cases. In "All that she wants" I still really like it... it is a kind of a clavinet job done by a sax sample. What offended me most was the way sax samples are often played. Like string players try to avoid portamento by live long practising: in sample world it is overused. Same with sax samples: don't do a lot of pitch bending up into the target note, especially not into blue notes. It's not 'bluesy', it's amateurish.


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## Alchemedia (Jul 29, 2021)

My secret weapon is Soundiron's Flatulus. It's a Swiss army knife that cuts the cheese, er, through the mix every time!


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## Casiquire (Jul 29, 2021)

Lately, MSS + the rest of the Berlin series. Everything "just works" with the exception of a tiny bit of nudging for Berlin's legato delay.


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## PaulieDC (Jul 29, 2021)

Zamenhof said:


> I love to load up my Garritan CFX Concert Grand and just drift off to another universe. It's my starting point for all my pieces.


This.


Then I'm taking it (more like trying) to BBCSO. Forcing myself to that recipe or I'll never stay focused.


But if you made me choose something else at gunpoint, my first real library always scratches the itch: SCS Pro.


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## PaulieDC (Jul 29, 2021)

TomislavEP said:


> It depends on what I'm currently working on. Since the piano is my main instrument, I most often use the piano libraries and those from Native Instruments (minus "Alicia's Keys") are my go-to option. I also have a number of orchestral and other libraries from SA that I'm always returning to.


I do like Noire and Grandeur. It's just that Garritan and VSL CFX get in the way.


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## Futchibon (Jul 29, 2021)

Petrucci said:


> I'm currently using VSL BBO so that's what inspires me this moment)





daviddln said:


> For me, it's the Big Bang Orchestra from VSL.


Yep, finally got into VSL after finding a good deal on a Steinberg dongle; Murphy's Law means they'll change to ilok any day now and render it obsolete  Andromeda and Lyra are awesome!



PeterN said:


> I dont have it, but most inspring library *I wish I had* is Arkhis from Orchestral Tools. Can someone say its crap, so mind can be at peace.


On the bright side, it's a NI not OT release, meaning you can get it second hand. Check the FS here and KVR audio, you can get it for 50-65% off RRP.



d4vec4rter said:


> As a number of others have already stated, it tend to be the latest acquisition. My current inspiration is the cello which has always been my favourite solo classical instrument. I've had Emotional Cello for some time but have recently emptied the wallet on Virharmonic's Bohemian Cello, Spitfire's Solo Cello and Chris Hein's Solo Cello libraries. Have to say, although Bohemian Cello plays great out of the box, I'm well impressed with Chris Hein's Solo Cello. Just loving the deep rich tones of the Romantic Cello and the variety of articulations.


I recently got CH cello as well. It's great, and complements Bohemian nicely as they are quite different. Disappointed with the SF Cello tho, but I've never minded keyswitches so finding CH very inspiring!


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## Alchemedia (Jul 29, 2021)

doctoremmet said:


> My current inspiration is Xsample Contemporary Saxophones. An incredibly well recorded collection for modern classic SATB composing (and more). Who knew I needed saxophone samples, which back in the rompler era were easily my most hated patches. Ever.


Looking forward to your David Jackson tribute album!


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## wsimpson (Jul 29, 2021)

It is a toss up between Heavyocity Vocalise 2 or Spitfire Olafur Arnalds Chamber Evolutions. I could (and have) played with them individually and together for hours, and I am not a very good player and I still love what happens.


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## robgb (Jul 29, 2021)

They all inspire me in one way or another.


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## Trash Panda (Jul 29, 2021)

Aaron Venture Infinite Brass and Woodwinds. They inspired me to free up a lot of hard drive space taken up by other brass and wind libraries that aren’t getting used anymore.


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## Rich4747 (Jul 29, 2021)

having enough legos never to be bored again. My current favorite, the tools that make all my Libraries work together in bliss.


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## Futchibon (Jul 29, 2021)

Trash Panda said:


> Aaron Venture Infinite Brass and Woodwinds. They inspired me to free up a lot of hard drive space taken up by other brass and wind libraries that aren’t getting used anymore.


Just got the brass and am loving it, are you using any external controllers? Leap motion looks pretty cool.


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## Rudianos (Jul 29, 2021)

So many. Soundiron Theremin really hit me last week. All the Ample products ... Orange Trees Famous Electric is my go to for teaching demos.


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## Trash Panda (Jul 29, 2021)

Futchibon said:


> Just got the brass and am loving it, are you using any external controllers? Leap motion looks pretty cool.


I usually program everything by hand, but when I try to play parts in, I like using a keyboard and MusiKraken to serve as a poor man’s Leap Motion.


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## Double Helix (Jul 29, 2021)

Rudianos said:


> So many. . .


+1
Changes daily, even a couple of times a day
Recently acquired Arkhis (thanks, Chris), which then layered nicely with Puro (ManMakesNoise Omnisphere set) + Vinyl (RMS) = joie de vivre


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## hoxclab (Jul 29, 2021)

Lately the literal library. Reading helps inspire me a bunch.


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## wahey73 (Jul 29, 2021)

Symphobia or Orchestral Essentials. I go to the Multis and play a little around with them...and inspiration hits me nearly always.


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## Alchemedia (Jul 29, 2021)

hoxclab said:


> Lately the literal library. Reading helps inspire me a bunch.


Ditto! However, when I find myself actually agreeing with you I have to question reality.


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## PeterN (Jul 30, 2021)

Futchibon said:


> On the bright side, it's a NI not OT release, meaning you can get it second hand. Check the FS here and KVR audio, you can get it for 50-65% off RRP.



I got it, for like 50 EUR here, after I was curious about it. Picked it up in sale section like in a flea market. Very nice seller, from beautiful Taiwan. If you think about something, or wish something, you dont always need Santa Claus around, things can just happen. The *magic* of *life*.

Havent checked it out yet, even its 2 months ago installed it. Thats the irony part. Been busy yes, but atr least not bothered anymore I NEED it.


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## JonS (Jul 30, 2021)

Resoded said:


> So out of all the libraries you currently have, which one inspires you the most right now? What is it about it that boosts your creativity?


Synchron Bosendorfer Piano.


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## holywilly (Jul 30, 2021)

Just got Skybox hammers + waves, I’m so excited to explore this library for instant inspiration.


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## Casiquire (Jul 30, 2021)

JonS said:


> Synchron Bosendorfer Piano.


Which one?


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## PeterKorcek (Jul 30, 2021)

I think *this library is amazing*, and it's right here in Prague!





(Strahov Theological Hall)


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## JonS (Jul 30, 2021)

Casiquire said:


> Which one?








BÖSENDORFER IMPERIAL - Vienna Symphonic Library


The Bösendorfer Concert Grand 290 Imperial represents the pinnacle of the famed Austrian piano manufacturer’s precious heritage. Its extraordinary, orchestral sound is rich in expression and resonance, thanks to the enormous resonance board and the nine additional sub-bass notes, extending the...




www.vsl.co.at





The Synchron Bosendorfer Imperial. Sorry I did not specifically mention that as I realized after the fact that there are more than one Bosendorfer pianos in the Synchron series.


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## Casiquire (Jul 30, 2021)

JonS said:


> BÖSENDORFER IMPERIAL - Vienna Symphonic Library
> 
> 
> The Bösendorfer Concert Grand 290 Imperial represents the pinnacle of the famed Austrian piano manufacturer’s precious heritage. Its extraordinary, orchestral sound is rich in expression and resonance, thanks to the enormous resonance board and the nine additional sub-bass notes, extending the...
> ...


Thanks for clarifying! I ask because I'm curious about the 280VC one. What is it that you like about the Imperial?


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## Rudianos (Jul 30, 2021)

JonS said:


> BÖSENDORFER IMPERIAL - Vienna Symphonic Library
> 
> 
> The Bösendorfer Concert Grand 290 Imperial represents the pinnacle of the famed Austrian piano manufacturer’s precious heritage. Its extraordinary, orchestral sound is rich in expression and resonance, thanks to the enormous resonance board and the nine additional sub-bass notes, extending the...
> ...


that one attracts me - the reviews tend to lean to the other pianos ... I am also curious about your impressions of that one. I did not take this past sale but maybe next LOL


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## GMT (Jul 30, 2021)

After initially not being convinced by their merits, the Tina Guo 1 & 2 always get my juices bubbling. I've been going through a sort of Viking music phase, and these along wth the Fisher viola, Joshua Bell violin, Damage, Gravity, and some Maleventum always inspire me. Sometimes a little Requiem Pro choir too.


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## John R Wilson (Jul 30, 2021)

Casiquire said:


> Thanks for clarifying! I ask because I'm curious about the 280VC one. What is it that you like about the Imperial?


I don't have the imperial but I have the 280VC and the Yamaha CFX. I really like both of these ones.


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## RSK (Jul 30, 2021)

Resoded said:


> So out of all the libraries you currently have, which one inspires you the most right now? What is it about it that boosts your creativity?


It's not a library per se, but Output's Arcade never fails to get me going.


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## el-bo (Jul 30, 2021)

Most inspiring library? 

All of them. None of them...

Whether I'm inspired is down to my mood and general feeling of well-being. When all is good, I find it only takes the slightest spark to ignite the creative flame, and that like most of us I have many libraries, synths and sound-sources to provide such a spark.

When things aren't going so well, even the best sounds in the world couldn't inspire me to play/write.


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## el-bo (Jul 30, 2021)

RSK said:


> It's not a library per se, but Output's Arcade never fails to get me going.


I tried the free demo a couple of years ago but didn't really 'find my feet' with it. I'm guessing it's probably a bit more of a refined experience, these days, along with having a much larger amount of content.

One of the things I've been doing in my current creative drought is to look to making cover songs/tracks. And the other thing I thought to try was to assemble/collage music, either in whole or in part, from pre-fab material.

Curious to know about your workflow with it. Do/have you created entire tracks from the material or do you only use the content as a starter-point? In the case of the second option, do you replace the original loops/content with your own material or just keep the Arcade content as is?

Cheers


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## JonS (Jul 30, 2021)

Casiquire said:


> Thanks for clarifying! I ask because I'm curious about the 280VC one. What is it that you like about the Imperial?


I normally much prefer the sound of Steinway grands to anything else and then gravitate toward Yamaha. I am not normally a Bosendorfer guy but this Bosendorfer Imperial just sounds like the most realistic sounding piano I have ever played in a virtual instrument. I own the Synchron Pianos Bundle Full Library and I think this piano sounds the best of all of them.


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## Jk86 (Jul 30, 2021)

EDNA Earth by Spitfire Audio. I find so much good stuff in there and love tweaking it!


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## dpasdernick (Jul 31, 2021)

My Korg Kronos.


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## Jish (Jul 31, 2021)

el-bo said:


> When things aren't going so well, even the best sounds in the world couldn't inspire me to play/write.



Exactly.

You give any number/fraction of musicians/composers/whatever on here the right gig that for whatever specific reason (if one's lucky a good/inspiring project) with something approaching an actual deadline and watch the creative process start to unfold in them. I can't think of any single library that can ever take the place of that- regardless of the qualities of a library, it always seems to lend itself to some form of complacency after a while. Then it's on to the next purchase, ect. You learn all this eventually in 'Sampler's Anonymous' and a little before that, there was "Rompler's Anonymous".

I would love to have a library/VST contradict the above sentiment, but my experience is much closer to that of el-bo's...it's a good practice in many ways to write as regularly as possible, but that becomes a double-edged scimitar in it's own particular way.


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## muziksculp (Jul 31, 2021)

dpasdernick said:


> My Korg Kronos.


My Yamaha Montage 7


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## Tim_Wells (Jul 31, 2021)

dflood said:


> I guess the most inspiring thing for me lately is *Unify* from PluginGuru. With its quick load and easy layering capabilities it has helped me to rediscover a lot of sounds buried in my existing libraries. It’s super easy to layer sounds together from different samplers and synths. It’s also an awesome database organizer for all your plugins, libraries, and patches. Once a library is ‘Unified’ you can call up a patch in seconds no matter what its dependencies are. It also comes with a pretty generous amount of native sounds and effects plugins on its own, all for $75 bucks.


Have to admit that this looks very cool, especially for the price..


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## dijon (Jul 31, 2021)

It's almost always the last library I purchased, but Spitfire Albion Solstice (about 3 libraries ago) is still just so deep and fun and rewarding that I keep coming back to it as the basis for tracks.


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## RSK (Jul 31, 2021)

el-bo said:


> Curious to know about your workflow with it. Do/have you created entire tracks from the material or do you only use the content as a starter-point? In the case of the second option, do you replace the original loops/content with your own material or just keep the Arcade content as is?


In some instances I think you could make an entire song with little else than Arcade, but that's never what I do. I'll noodle around and find one or two loops that set off an idea in my head ("Hey, that would sound great if I did this to it.....") . From there it's usually making stuff up to go along with that idea.


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## el-bo (Jul 31, 2021)

RSK said:


> In some instances I think you could make an entire song with little else than Arcade, but that's never what I do. I'll noodle around and find one or two loops that set off an idea in my head ("Hey, that would sound great if I did this to it.....") . From there it's usually making stuff up to go along with that idea.


Thanks!

Once you have the piece going, do you replace the loops with your own material, or just keep them in place? (Perhaps you've processed them to such a point that they no longer resemble the original?).

No judgment. At this point in time, I'm not above just playing the role of producer/curator and using 100% prefab. I just some low-commitment musical fun. Hopefully, it'll spark something within me, once again


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## dpasdernick (Jul 31, 2021)

muziksculp said:


> My Yamaha Montage 7


I also have a MODX8.  Love it too!


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## Soundbed (Jul 31, 2021)

Resoded said:


> So out of all the libraries you currently have, which one inspires you the most right now? What is it about it that boosts your creativity?


Just got Infinite Brass and Woodwinds. I like being able to "just play" and not worry about keyswitches or finding articulations.


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## shponglefan (Jul 31, 2021)

Right now been having a lot of fun with Forest Kingdom 3 and OT Ore.


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## Futchibon (Jul 31, 2021)

Soundbed said:


> Just got Infinite Brass and Woodwinds. I like being able to "just play" and not worry about keyswitches or finding articulations.


How are you finding the sound? The playability loooks awesome, and the sound seems to have improved leaps and bounds since initial release. Is it good enough to compare with your other brass libs?


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## Crowe (Jul 31, 2021)

Imma be a heathen and confess to not actually doing a lot of orchestral anything at the moment.

Instead, I'm heavily into Sound Design and currently, Luftrum's Bioscape is where it's at.


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## RSK (Jul 31, 2021)

el-bo said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Once you have the piece going, do you replace the loops with your own material, or just keep them in place? (Perhaps you've processed them to such a point that they no longer resemble the original?).
> 
> No judgment. At this point in time, I'm not above just playing the role of producer/curator and using 100% prefab. I just some low-commitment musical fun. Hopefully, it'll spark something within me, once again


It's not the same every time. Sometimes the original loop is just right and changing it would be detrimental. Other times I find that, as the music has developed, the original loop has outlived its usefulness.


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## Soundbed (Jul 31, 2021)

Futchibon said:


> How are you finding the sound? The playability loooks awesome, and the sound seems to have improved leaps and bounds since initial release. Is it good enough to compare with your other brass libs?


Yes first impression is that it’s now (I have v 1.6) good enough sonically. Esp. for exposed solo parts where phrasing and expressiveness is paramount. I’m guessing I’ll use a combination of regular sampled brass and Infinite Brass for a while still, esp if ensemble samples are going to be a faster workflow (I guess?) but there are so many subtle things you can achieve with IB that are “in between” the sampled articulations of other products.

So IB will be for anything where I want more of an “infinite” amount of control in a phrase. It definitely allows you to play with the same phrases over and over and potentially play them differently every time. So I feel like I can practice and finesse a part rather than change the part to fit the sampled articulations.

Plus the variety of instruments (like the 6 horns) means I can flip through each player and seating position to dial in the sound I want.

EDIT: example from this morning --

Final comparison starts at 1:34


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## Bman70 (Jul 31, 2021)

RSK said:


> It's not a library per se, but Output's Arcade never fails to get me going.


Is it only available as the $10/mo subscription, or is there a buy option?


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## dcoscina (Jul 31, 2021)

Resoded said:


> So out of all the libraries you currently have, which one inspires you the most right now? What is it about it that boosts your creativity?


Output Analog winds and Brass. Not a dog in the entire patch list. Amazing


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## Futchibon (Jul 31, 2021)

Soundbed said:


> Yes first impression is that it’s now (I have v 1.6) good enough sonically. Esp. for exposed solo parts where phrasing and expressiveness is paramount. I’m guessing I’ll use a combination of regular sampled brass and Infinite Brass for a while still, esp if ensemble samples are going to be a faster workflow (I guess?) but there are so many subtle things you can achieve with IB that are “in between” the sampled articulations of other products.
> 
> So IB will be for anything where I want more of an “infinite” amount of control in a phrase. It definitely allows you to play with the same phrases over and over and potentially play them differently every time. So I feel like I can practice and finesse a part rather than change the part to fit the sampled articulations.
> 
> Plus the variety of instruments (like the 6 horns) means I can flip through each player and seating position to dial in the sound I want.


Thanks! Can't wait to see how it blends with Caspian and Century Brass


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## Trash Panda (Jul 31, 2021)

Futchibon said:


> Thanks! Can't wait to see how it blends with Caspian and Century Brass


If your experience is anything like mine, it will replace them completely.


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## el-bo (Aug 1, 2021)

RSK said:


> It's not the same every time. Sometimes the original loop is just right and changing it would be detrimental. Other times I find that, as the music has developed, the original loop has outlived its usefulness.


That's great! Thanks!


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## RSK (Aug 1, 2021)

Bman70 said:


> Is it only available as the $10/mo subscription, or is there a buy option?


Subscription only.


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## thesteelydane (Aug 1, 2021)

Ravenscroft 275 oddly enough. It's "just" a piano, but I never get tired of playing it, so it is where all recent ideas where originated. And then Bunker Strings Vol. 2 but I have already said too much...


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## dunamisstudio (Aug 1, 2021)

Omnisphere
My latest library
Or quit looking at Youtube videos comparing new libraries to what I have. So I can get to writing.


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## Emmanuel Rousseau (Aug 1, 2021)

Landforms it is!


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## Wally Garten (Aug 2, 2021)

Impact Soundworks' Pedal Steel. I went on a little bit of a guitar bender recently, between the OTS and ISW sales, and everything I got is cool, but man, that Pedal Steel is really special. Between the automated slides and what you can do with the pitch and mod wheels, it's an instrument that feels really alive, just using a midi keyboard. That's not easy to find.


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## muziksculp (Aug 2, 2021)

Libraries with Zero, or very minimal number key-switches. That allow fluid, and very expressive real time performance. So rewarding compared to using Key-Switch heavy libraries.

i.e. SWAM Instruments, Sample Modeling Instruments, Aaron Venture Infinte Instruments.


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## kevinh (Aug 2, 2021)

Nami Audio Hammer and Felt, Skybox Hammers and Waves, Spitfire Hammers, and Landforms Hammers. Okay Landforms is just Landforms but just realized everything I’m liking and getting inspired by right now is called Hammers hahah


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## el-bo (Aug 2, 2021)

kevinh said:


> Nami Audio Hammer and Felt, Skybox Hammers and Waves, Spitfire Hammers, and Landforms Hammers. Okay Landforms is just Landforms but just realized everything I’m liking and getting inspired by right now is called Hammers hahah


Perhaps you are best placed to verify whether Maslow was correct


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## NekujaK (Aug 2, 2021)

I just picked up Modern Animated Percussion (MAP) during Sample Logic's sale, and wow!

With most libraries that have a Randomize feature, I find the results to be mostly hit and miss, and you usually need to wade through a lot of misses until a decent combo pops up. That's not the case with MAP - I haven't encountered a clunker yet! The results are always interesting, and it's practically impossible to make this thing sound bad.

Of course, there's more to this library than just randomization, but the Randomize feature is so good and so much FUN that I haven't gotten around to digging deeper yet. But most importantly, at its core, this is a great sounding percussion library (I believe the samples come from Soundiron).


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## Colin66 (Oct 2, 2021)

dpasdernick said:


> My Korg Kronos.


I'm seriously thinking of buying one. I want an instrument that has all of the inspirational sounds, as well as the combi and Karma functionality, that I can just sit down and play around with. When I say "play", I mean as in like a child plays, explores, gets excited by the possibilities, has fun.....but I also want a seriously good instrument that I can compose on, play for enjoyment/improvement. Also I know I can go deep 'under the hood' if I wish and explore endless possibilities.
I have heard a few negative comments about the Kronos from various people around the internet, do you have any regrets about buying yours? Apparently some of the sounds such as the guitars aren't that great?
@Double Helix also has 1 I believe? I'd love to hear your thoughts too!


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## Rossy (Oct 3, 2021)

Zamenhof said:


> I love to load up my Garritan CFX Concert Grand and just drift off to another universe. It's my starting point for all my pieces.
> 
> A close second is the performance patch from Strezov Storm Choir Ultimate. I use it when I want 20 angry people to yell at me...


I am learning to write on piano and then convert to orchestra, I have Garritan CFX lite and it is so inspiring, looking to upgrade to the full professional version. I also love to write with BBCSO core and have just discovered the "con sordino" patch in Areia which is inspiring me to write very lush pieces.


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## zimm83 (Oct 3, 2021)

Colin66 said:


> I'm seriously thinking of buying one. I want an instrument that has all of the inspirational sounds, as well as the combi and Karma functionality, that I can just sit down and play around with. When I say "play", I mean as in like a child plays, explores, gets excited by the possibilities, has fun.....but I also want a seriously good instrument that I can compose on, play for enjoyment/improvement. Also I know I can go deep 'under the hood' if I wish and explore endless possibilities.
> I have heard a few negative comments about the Kronos from various people around the internet, do you have any regrets about buying yours? Apparently some of the sounds such as the guitars aren't that great?
> @Double Helix also has 1 I believe? I'd love to hear your thoughts too!


+1 for the Kronos.
And don't miss WAVESTATE. This is one of a kind...very cinematic/sound design.


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## doctoremmet (Oct 3, 2021)

October update: Orchestral Tools Whisper (creative soundpack for SINE).


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## porrasm (Oct 3, 2021)

mybadmemory said:


> BBCSO. First library I’ve got that sounds believable with just two parts playing. Other libraries I have don’t start to sound real (and never get as close) until much more is added. BBCSO sounds real to me from the first two tracks playing together.


It's truly sad for me that the workflow with BBCSO is so painful for me that I can't use it effectively. Buy I do love the sound, alot.


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## from_theashes (Oct 3, 2021)

Albion Neo never disappoints. The patches for sound-design and pads are just awesome and inspiring.


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## mybadmemory (Oct 3, 2021)

porrasm said:


> It's truly sad for me that the workflow with BBCSO is so painful for me that I can't use it effectively. Buy I do love the sound, alot.


What with the workflow is painful for you?


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## Casiquire (Oct 3, 2021)

porrasm said:


> It's truly sad for me that the workflow with BBCSO is so painful for me that I can't use it effectively. Buy I do love the sound, alot.





mybadmemory said:


> What with the workflow is painful for you?


Same question. The only complaints i tend to see are about timing inconsistencies, is that the issue or is there something else?


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## GuyM (Oct 3, 2021)

Casiquire said:


> Same question. The only complaints i tend to see are about timing inconsistencies, is that the issue or is there something else?


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## GuyM (Oct 3, 2021)

OK I love this tyolean harp - https://www.weyrerton.com/tyrolean-harp-kontakt-library

It's really useable but has lots of character. Ive used it in all kinds of stuff.

Ben Osterhouse produces wonderful stuff

https://www.lootaudio.com/category/kontakt-instruments/ben-osterhouse
In general interesting different stuff like Spitfire's Solstice and OT's Tallinn


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## Rossy (Oct 3, 2021)

porrasm said:


> It's truly sad for me that the workflow with BBCSO is so painful for me that I can't use it effectively. Buy I do love the sound, alot.


Out of curiosity, what issue are you having with BBCSO workflow?


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## porrasm (Oct 3, 2021)

mybadmemory said:


> What with the workflow is painful for you?


Inconsistent timings and volumes, requirement to use expression with dynamics, extra slow loading times, quick movements CC1 causes ear explosion level sound bug, very bad GUI, to my ear shorts don't pair well with legato articulations (need manual labor), difficult to get accurate high speed runs or melody.

It just doesn't work for me :/ I'm currently using Infinite series and they work well for my workflow. I'll give BBC another shot some day, I've gotten my best sounding stuff with that library but I just hate working with it.

I have to mention that I haven't used it in more than a year so some points might be invalid today.


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## mybadmemory (Oct 3, 2021)

porrasm said:


> Inconsistent timings and volumes, requirement to use expression with dynamics, extra slow loading times, quick movements CC1 causes ear explosion level sound bug, very bad GUI, to my ear shorts don't pair well with legato articulations (need manual labor), difficult to get accurate high speed runs or melody.
> 
> It just doesn't work for me :/ I'm currently using Infinite series and they work well for my workflow. I'll give BBC another shot some day, I've gotten my best sounding stuff with that library but I just hate working with it.
> 
> I have to mention that I haven't used it in more than a year so some points might be invalid today.


I can understand most of your concerns. I agree many other libraries load faster, are more consistent, and works better for faster playing. Even though, I still feel that it’s sound inspires me the most and gives me the best results in the end.


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## porrasm (Oct 3, 2021)

mybadmemory said:


> I can understand most of your concerns. I agree many other libraries load faster, are more consistent, and works better for faster playing. Even though, I still feel that it’s sound inspires me the most and gives me the best results in the end.


With that I agree, the sound inspire me too. But I've got ADHD and my attention is lost if I have to spend a lot of time fine tuning. If music was my career then I would plow through it but since it's only a hobby I stop when I get bored.


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## Kevin Fortin (Oct 3, 2021)

For me that would be "Elements" by Stefano Maccarelli, distributed by Zero-G.


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## Russell Anderson (Oct 3, 2021)

I just got RCD Acoustic and Uke, they are tremendously inspiring to work with for both composition and sound design. But any pad, or rhythmic or textural thing like a pad, a piano, strings shorts, percussion by itself, those are very inspiring for me. Also the effects, a reverb can easily make things more inspiring. Opening MXXX and/or resampling into especially Padshop or Harmor, that’s very inspiring, too.


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## Futchibon (Oct 3, 2021)

from_theashes said:


> Albion Neo never disappoints. The patches for sound-design and pads are just awesome and inspiring.


Yep, having a blast with it!



Kevin Fortin said:


> For me that would be "Elements" by Stefano Maccarelli, distributed by Zero-G.


Probably my next purchase, looking forward to it!


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## Akarin (Oct 3, 2021)

Right now, it's Ashlight. It may change in a day or two.


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## ControlCentral (Oct 3, 2021)

muziksculp said:


> Libraries with Zero, or very minimal number key-switches. That allow fluid, and very expressive real time performance. So rewarding compared to using Key-Switch heavy libraries.
> 
> i.e. SWAM Instruments, Sample Modeling Instruments, Aaron Venture Infinte Instruments.


When I got Sample Modeling Tuba I just used it on everything because it was such a joy to have such an expressive instrument. It was the only time I've ever felt like I wasn't just left-brain sample-wrangling. My producer had to have a talk with me. So if I did orchestral stuff on any sort of regular basis I'd definitely go the Aaron Venture route.
Currently the OT Patina- Living Room Piano is the sauce. It's so neutral, and casual, yet so satisfying, closest thing I've found to just sitting down at a spinet and finding inspiration in just playing without the sound imposing it's own direction, like you can hear the music you're creating, not just notes on staffs. YMMV, what can I say.
Also, quite an outlier, but finding Loom II synth very inspiring at the moment partly bc my current project jibes with it so well, just a gold mine for me and I got it in a bundle for like $10 at Plugin Boutique, so that's a win. Reason Parsec II is another one that is in that sweet spot for sound-designy sounds for me rn. It also has an audio input so I've been putting other synths through it as well as other audio. If you spin through it it's like, duh, additive synth, sounds ok, but if you dig into it just a bit it just keeps on giving. Another plus is that you don't need a Ph. D to figure out how to use it. Again, YMMV _by a lot_. But hey, that's just me.
​


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## zimm83 (Oct 3, 2021)

Kevin Fortin said:


> For me that would be "Elements" by Stefano Maccarelli, distributed by Zero-G.


+1.


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## tmhuud (Oct 3, 2021)

Double Helix said:


> The new Bob Moog Tribute 2.0 for Omnisphere. An embarrasment of richly creative programming.


Isn’t it wonderful. So inspiring. So well done.


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## CT (Oct 4, 2021)

Michaelt said:


> Omnisphere. I can pick any patch, play it for a second, and be totally ready to write something that someone has already written ten years ago.


Why do you people keep liking this?! Omnisphere is great, I love it, old sounds are awesome and new again.


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## Marko Tica (Oct 4, 2021)

Audio Imperia stuff is almost in all my projects: They have both simple but incredibly tweak-able stuff. Every time I get stuck I dive in there. Especially in their legacy stuff. Maybe it's just a force of habit for me, but it kinda always my go-to thing.


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## Jordan1566 (Oct 4, 2021)

Don't have them yet, but it would be OACE and hz strings. From how I hear others use them, they give me so much musical ideas on how I can implement them to my own compositions and the emotion they can provoke.


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## mybadmemory (Oct 4, 2021)

porrasm said:


> If music was my career then I would plow through it but since it's only a hobby I stop when I get bored.


Haha, my thinking is the exact opposite! If I were a pro with actual deadlines I probably wouldn’t have the time for it, but since I’m just a hobbyist without any rush, I can take my time.


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## porrasm (Oct 4, 2021)

mybadmemory said:


> Haha, my thinking is the exact opposite! If I were a pro with actual deadlines I probably wouldn’t have the time for it, but since I’m just a hobbyist without any rush, I can take my time.


Maybe I should rephrase this as "because it's a hobby I stop when I don't enjoy it". Boredom is not perhaps the correct term to use since boredom can still be "enjoyable" at times!


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## David Baran (Oct 5, 2021)

You guys are talking about inspirational libraries? THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL RIGHT HERE: https://www.indiginus.com/copernicus and its free. Try it now (if you have Kontakt retail). It's fantastic.




Also for me personally Albion Solstice, and Ethera 2.5G with the Cyberpunk expansion.

Solstice because there is just so much unique content in there that is different and interesting and refreshing that I can noodle in it for days.

Ethera because it just instantly sends me to some combination of Gladiator and Tron like universe the moment I start playing around with it.


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## Baronvonheadless (Oct 5, 2021)

Just got OT's Whispers and Sounddust's Plastic Ghost Piano, Orgone 2 and Flutterdust module.

All 4 of them are extremely inspiring and Whisper in a way that I did not anticipate...I love all the weird sound effects and non traditional wind aspects of it...I played with it for a half hour trying to jokingly write some kind of commercial pop sounding thing with it and just couldn't...this psychedelic folk piece just flew out of me and I sketched it all out real fast with my acoustic guitar.

def recommend whispers if yr thinking of picking it up, especially pairs well with sound dust


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## tim727 (Oct 6, 2021)

Metropolis Ark II


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## rroc (Oct 8, 2021)

I think I have to go with Orange Tree Samples' *Evolution Mandolin*. Currently sprinkling it on top of every track, like fairy dust.


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## Welldone (Oct 8, 2021)

Baronvonheadless said:


> Just got OT's Whispers and Sounddust's Plastic Ghost Piano, Orgone 2 and Flutterdust module.
> 
> All 4 of them are extremely inspiring and Whisper in a way that I did not anticipate...I love all the weird sound effects and non traditional wind aspects of it...I played with it for a half hour trying to jokingly write some kind of commercial pop sounding thing with it and just couldn't...this psychedelic folk piece just flew out of me and I sketched it all out real fast with my acoustic guitar.
> 
> def recommend whispers if yr thinking of picking it up, especially pairs well with sound dust



I just love your track!


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## Ben H (Oct 8, 2021)

Really enjoying the new Native American flutes in *Forest Kingdom 3 *


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## Evans (Oct 8, 2021)

Since it's on sale right now, I'll mention again the Xperimenta Kantele.


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## easyrider (Dec 29, 2021)

tim727 said:


> Metropolis Ark II


Do you have other Arks?


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## tim727 (Dec 29, 2021)

easyrider said:


> Do you have other Arks?


I have all 5. I only just got 4 (the Kontakt version) and now that I have that there's a part of me that thinks that 4 edges out 2 a bit. Haven't had enough time yet to come to a definitive conclusion on that though. Either way 4 and 2 are both wonderful. Ark 1 is as well. Ark 3 less so ... and Ark 5 dramatically less so.


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## Mike Fox (Dec 29, 2021)

Solstice


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## filipjonathan (Dec 29, 2021)

Noire and TSS! Oh and MA5 High strings playable runs patch


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## Crevalation (Dec 29, 2021)

I would say Infinite Brass for me. Allows to to just play and write lyrical, unique and expressive lines in whatever limited time I have for music. That means a lot as I am actually _writing _music.


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## jamayo514 (Dec 29, 2021)

Definitely Omnisphere. There is a lifetime of inspiration in there.


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