# What VSTs To Buy? - $3,000 Budget



## Broth3rz (Nov 9, 2020)

I've been wanting to get into *CINEMATIC * composing for a long time now and I've done a little here and there but never had the PC or VSTs to really get into it, not to mention the time.

Again, I only care about *CINEMATIC * style scoring for film, TV, and games. Everything I'll make is instrumental only. I can provide many examples of music I'd like to make, but mainly tv and film based music, here is one example of *ONE* of my more favorite songs, love the choir, strings, and that great percussion, 2:00 to the end is great.

So I will be building a studio here soon and I need to choose what I need and want to buy for my VSTs, the budget is $3,000 and thats kinda pushing it.

I will be buying the Komplete Kontrol S88 MK2, so this will of course work well with Komplete 13, if I do buy that.

I don't wanna be tied to just one type of sound with this or that library... I don't know what I like since I haven't got any EXP really, but I also don't wanna be limited because I have 100's of ideas and melodies saved up over the years.

So whats VSTs would be best to buy and in what *ORDER*?

I was thinking the entire kit from NI, the Komplete 13 ULTIMATE Collector's Edition for $1,600, so I'd just get EVERYTHING and I'd never have to worry about NI again, apart from years from now for a new Komplete release.

I guess I can pay for the East West subscription, see if I like anything there..

But then I hear about Spitfire, LASS, Soundiron, ProjectSAM, etc..

Now I know for sure this is a big part of my future as I've waited 12 years to get everything aligned to jump into this for real.

I know K13 has TONS of things but I really don't wanna get stuck paying for X item and wanting a different sound. 
The thing is I do need a complete package so I'm able to explore, learn and use in my tracks.

So what should I buy and what would the priority be? 

Thanks!


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## proxima (Nov 9, 2020)

There are countless threads here about how to spend $X. My advice: spend way less than your budget to start, because as you learn more and research more you will find things you want to have. While everyone has preferences, no one has exactly _your _preferences, and you will need time to develop yours. 

That said, you'll want Kontakt. Whether that's by itself (perhaps with a crossgrade upgrade from a sample library), in Komplete, or in one of the uber Kompletes is debatable. And those go on sale for the patient (so with discounted upgrades, you can start with base Komplete to get Kontakt and Reaktor and others and upgrade later).


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## Noeticus (Nov 9, 2020)

VSL


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## purple (Nov 9, 2020)

I would get some cheap basic stuff that you won't outgrow so that you can figure out what you need to do better... A million different recommendations for how to spend $3k will fly in and almost none of them will be very useful to you because you need to figure it out for yourself. Start with some basic (maybe even free) libraries and start writing music. Then buy stuff to fill the holes you need to fill. The only way to know what that is is to have some sort of actionable and specific critiques of your current collections.


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## Crowe (Nov 9, 2020)

I have it on good authority that it might we worth starting with PocketBlakus.


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## Broth3rz (Nov 9, 2020)

If I buy a few things like Straylight from Komplete thats $200, if I do decide in the future I want Komplete 13 Ultimate, does that get subtracted?

I have a feeling that in the end buying Komplete 13 is inevitable...

Going free is kinda not what I'm wanting to do as its usually a instrument here and there, having to search around.. I just kinda wanna be one and done for the most part, not that your ever done buying new libraries.


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## Technostica (Nov 9, 2020)

I wouldn't buy Komplete 13 ULTIMATE Collector's Edition based on your budget. 
Even when it goes half price next summer, it's debatable whether that version is worth it in this context. 
They should have some half price items over BF, but those won't give you a discount towards Komplete except for a few cases. E.g. Kontakt. 

One approach is to think in terms of which instruments are most important to you and then see how you can cover those with suitable purchases. 
Maybe working with Composers Cloud to get a sense of what you like would be a good start. 
You can cover a lot of bases and learn before you start actually spending large chunks of money.


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## hessproject (Nov 9, 2020)

It really depends on what kind of music you want to make, and I think everyone's input given the budget would be wildly different. I'll echo the "don't buy everything at once" advice. Spend just a little on some stuff you definitely want, find out what you like and don't like about certain libraries, and where they're lacking and you'd like more, etc.

EW composer cloud is a great low risk option because it has a ton of options and minimal up front investment. You can play with different stuff and say "okay I like these strings but I'd really like it if they could do..." and work from there. That being said, many of the EW libraries are quite good on their own

For NI, they offer lower tiers of Komplete and upgrade pricing to the different versions if you decide that's the direction you'd like to go and the upgrades are usually included in the 50% off sales during the summer as well, it's a good way to decide if you like the stuff that Komplete offers and build on it as you go. A large chunk of what comes with U:CE vs Ultimate is expansion packs, great content if you're doing other types of music production like pop or EDM, maybe not the best spent money for film scoring.


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## tonaliszt (Nov 9, 2020)

If you really only want to write in an epic trailer style something like Metropolis Ark 1 or Jaeger would be a good choice.


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## Broth3rz (Nov 9, 2020)

To buy things from NI, they are like 400-500 a piece.. I will be trying EW to explore more... Metropolis Ark 1 sounds nice.

Are there any libraries that would be like Terminator 2? The industrial sounds? Brad did amazing with that.

I do like trailer type music, but also James Horner, a few tracks from Hans, I like Brian Tyler also.. but no pop or EDM, just film and tv music really.


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## proxima (Nov 9, 2020)

Broth3rz said:


> If I buy a few things like Straylight from Komplete thats $200, if I do decide in the future I want Komplete 13 Ultimate, does that get subtracted?
> 
> I have a feeling that in the end buying Komplete 13 is inevitable...


My understanding is that Komplete upgrades only exist from 1.) previous versions of the same tier of Komplete or 2.) previous or current versions of a lower tier of Komplete. If you bought Komplete 13 (standard) for $599 right now, you could pay $599 to upgrade it to Komplete 13 Ultimate. Or, you could pay $599 to buy Komplete 13 now, and wait for a sale to upgrade to Komplete 13 Ultimate; if historical timing holds, that sale would be for 50% off and would be next summer.

That said, if you did buy Straylight and later bought Komplete, most NI products can be resold (unlike so, so many sample libraries). This could help you recoup that cost. 

Sigh. I'm going to break my own advice here and talk about a specific product. Look at Omnisphere. I'm not saying you absolutely need it or anything, but it's worthwhile to take a close look at whether you like what you hear (and listen to some 3rd party soundsets, like from the Unfinished). It is an excellent broad-based tool for so many types of music, but I think there's some overlap with what you might be seeing from Straylight.


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## shponglefan (Nov 9, 2020)

Broth3rz said:


> I was thinking the entire kit from NI, the Komplete 13 ULTIMATE Collector's Edition for $1,600



IMHO, that's a waste of money. Native Instruments has typically offered summer sales with 50% off of their upgrade plans.

While I do recommend Komplete, I'd start with the regular version of Komplete then maybe upgrade to Ultimate down the road and take advantage of a sale to do so.

Beyond that, there are countless options. $3k can disappear in an instant when buying sample libs.

I do think that Composer Cloud is a good idea, since it's a minimal investment that will let you try out a lot of EastWest products.

I also echo the recommendation for Omnisphere. It's pricey for a single library, but it's got enough sounds that you could spend a decade using it and not exhaust its capabilities. If you're interested in hybrid-style cinematic composing, imho, it's a must have.

Most companies do sales, so spend some time researching and try to get the best deal on things. While there are some exceptions (like the aforementioned Omnisphere), for the most part you shouldn't have to pay full price for much.


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## NekujaK (Nov 9, 2020)

All good advice in the above posts, I don't really have much to add except for a couple of small things:
- You may want to leave yourself a little money for mixing and mastering plugins. This is not an absolute necessity - you can do just fine with the plugins provided in your DAW or Komplete, but if you're not experienced with mixing, there are some helpful plugins nowadays that can assist, like Gullfoss, Soothe, Sonible plugins, and iZotope plugins, to name some of the more prominent ones.
- Be prepared to have the notion of "one and done" in terms of virtual instruments, gradually start to crumble over time  You're stepping into a big wide world of musical stuff that's constantly evolving, and the latest shiny new thing can be very tempting. But don't lose sight of what you already have - you absolutely don't NEED the latest and greatest orchestral library to make great music.

And most of all... have fun!!


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## Markrs (Nov 9, 2020)

If you want kontakt there are ways of getting that cheaper buy registering the free Arcane by Embertone you are eligible for a crossgrade. At the moment the crossgrade price might be a bit high. But during the summer sale it was not much over £100. This might happend during Black Friday (but I don't know for certain)


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## Rob Burnley (Nov 9, 2020)

You didn't mention your current computer setup - I'd make sure you have a few TB of SSD storage and as much RAM as your motherboard can take. 32GB or 64GB for some of the beefier libraries. Composer Cloud would be a great place to start but maybe start studying libraries by concentrating on one section of the orchestra at once.

If you started with strings, do you want a wet or dry library, how many in each group, are you using keyswitches and articulations or each articulation on a separate track. All these elements can all contribute to which string libraries you will go for - that's not even getting into which libraries you like the sound of more.

Hold on to your money, grab the full version of Kontakt with the crossgrade offer and look at some of the free versions companies offer. Spitfire, 8Dio, Fluffy, Ample Sounds, Embertone, Pianobook all have free libraries but you'll need full Kontakt for some of those.

I was in the same situation as you 6 months ago - 3,500 to spend on libraries. I studied like mad and bought things in stages. Even knowing how to compose and orchestrate with an academic backgound still means you'll have to learn all your libraries and build a template that works for you. Have fun with it all but it's a massive subject that you'll be learning from for years to come.


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## Crowe (Nov 9, 2020)

...yeaaaaaah. Don't spend 3000,-. Either get EWCC for a few months or get yourself a nice base-library (Nucleus, Inspire, Palette) and learn to work it. Slowly build up from there.

Nobody can tell you what you need, including you. You'll have to figure it out gradually and preferably before you've spent your remaining 2700 on stuff you don't want, like or need.


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## widescreen (Nov 10, 2020)

First of all: as you will buy a KOMPLETE Kontrol S88 you already have KOMPLETE Select for free as a starting point. You can search for a 2nd hand upgrade to KOMPLETE 12, then you have KONTAKT 6 Full.

As someone that has gone these steps just a few months before (and still going) I can tell about my early start:
I wasted much time with collecting free stuff that is now installed and too much effort to uninstall. I would only do that again with some very special items like the Leeds Town Hall Organ, BBC Discovery, LABS etc. Most cannot be compared to commercial tools and I regret the time spent with searching, downloading, refusing...
The real start was when I grabbed NI KOMPLETE Select for $99 and upgraded when there was a good (and cheap!) opportunity. It was no question for me that there are enough instruments included that I really wanted. If you are not after Arkhis, Cremona Quartet and Symphony Series (not Symphony Essentials!) there is no need for UCE, although I have it. Ultimate should do. And you still have the opportunity to sell KOMPLETE, if you change your mind later. There is huge demand for 2nd hand versions.

And that is what everyone has forgotten here: The 2nd hand KOMPLETE offerings of older versions 10/11/12. I made some folks VERY happy as I sold my 12 Select und 12U+UCE upgrade (as I now have an S-Series keyboard which includes Select and got a 13 UCE for free either). As a 2nd hand owner you can even sell for the same price as you bought it. So no risk at all! KONTAKT 6 Full is already included in at least KOMPLETE 12, perhaps even 11. So watch the 2nd hand market, amongst others especially here in the forum.

If I was at the starting point again I would probably have subscriped to Composer Cloud in parallel. But as I made a few fat bargains I do not feel something missing at the moment that could not be covered buy a non subscription library. I am not a fan of leasing/renting.

Another reason why not spend all your money at once: Most VSTs are not transfereable like NI stuff. Once bought and you are not satisfied, the money is lost. So I agree with most mentioned here before. Begin with low money effort and grow as your knowledge grows. I would even suggest to invest a little bit in training resources as I did and still do. Groove3 is a good starting point. When buying iZotope Music Production Suite you get a 1 year pass for free.

I agree also with the point to keep some money for mixing and mastering tools. It's a complete extra profession to be learned and we beginners cannot learn everything simultaneously, so software with assistants helps. You can now get iZotope Neutron or Ozone Elements for free if you buy sth for $1 at pluginboutique. That's definitely a no-brainer freebie to start with. There's a separate thread how to place the most ideal order there.


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## Broth3rz (Nov 10, 2020)

widescreen said:


> uhh stuff..



Thanks, good information. I didn't wanna waste time and energy searching and installing only to find I hate it. But if one has to do that, they should.

I forgot you get upgrade discount from having Komplete SELECT so that makes the KUCE $1,400.. but I get a free $250 from this new credit card I'm opening up so really I could get the KUCE for $1,150... or I can just do the KU for $750 then upgrade in the summer when the sale kicks in, if I really wanted. But for $750, it will get me everything from Komplete really, plus Kontakt. Then if i want to jump into any 3rd-party, which I will, I can.


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## Crowe (Nov 10, 2020)

I hate that I'm doing this, but... do you *need* KUCE? You want to go Cinematic, so I guess you'd want it for the Solo Strings and Symphony Series. Maybe Thrill and the *Lights. In which case there are legion other, better options out there. What else, you're getting 70-odd Maschine expansions. Do you use Maschine?

I got KUCE because I don't limit myself to Cinematic and I got *everything* on sales and summer-sale upgrade paths. I didn't pay more than 700,- for everything. Worth it, but *only* because I use quite a bit of it, including Reaktor, the basses, guitars, drumsets and Maschine expansions.

Do yourself a favor and get yourself a Komplete Kontrol keyboard with whatever basic package is included these days. Wait until summer for your big upgrade. Get better, more specific *Orchestral* libraries that work in Kontakt Player with the 700,- you save by doing this.

This is why you shouldn't be spending 3000,- when you're getting started. You don't really know what you need yet.

I really don't think KUCE for full price is it.


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## yiph2 (Nov 10, 2020)

If you are really into orchestral stuff, KU13 orchestral stuff just isn't good enough. Might as well invest in CSS/CSB, Spitfire or OT


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## widescreen (Nov 10, 2020)

Broth3rz said:


> Thanks, good information. I didn't wanna waste time and energy searching and installing only to find I hate it. But if one has to do that, they should.
> 
> I forgot you get upgrade discount from having Komplete SELECT so that makes the KUCE $1,400.. but I get a free $250 from this new credit card I'm opening up so really I could get the KUCE for $1,150... or I can just do the KU for $750 then upgrade in the summer when the sale kicks in, if I really wanted. But for $750, it will get me everything from Komplete really, plus Kontakt. Then if i want to jump into any 3rd-party, which I will, I can.


I would say, do not go over the Ultimate, it's more than enough for a beginner. Better wait for the sales or search for 2nd hand. Full price is too much.
Where you find weaknesses you are ready to buy some additions from 3rd party. From my view 8Dio has a really broad catalogue which is often on sale (as for now till end of November) where you can get cheap enough supplements if you feel the need. Look for the Century Series for example.
Most other developers have their specialties but are either low-price so is the quality (SoniVox stuff is always on a sale around $20 or bundled with $100-hardware) or very expensive, like VSL. And beginners do not need such high-end.


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## widescreen (Nov 10, 2020)

Shiirai said:


> Do yourself a favor and get yourself a Komplete Kontrol keyboard with whatever basic package is included these days. Wait until summer for your big upgrade. Get better, more specific *Orchestral* libraries that work in Kontakt Player with the 700,- you save by doing this.
> 
> I really don't think KUCE for full price is it.



I totally agree with that as alternative.


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## Broth3rz (Nov 10, 2020)

I wouldn't mind skipping Komplete but even to just to third-party like Spitfire... that's like 2 grand for their full package, and even piecing it all out is more then Komplete. Hm. Wish there was more trials with these things.


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## widescreen (Nov 10, 2020)

Broth3rz said:


> I wouldn't mind skipping Komplete but even to just to third-party like Spitfire... that's like 2 grand for their full package, and even piecing it all out is more then Komplete. Hm. Wish there was more trials with these things.


Why not start with CineSymphony Lite? I saw it in a training about MIDI orchestration and it can do quite a lot for $199 in the actual sale. And works with free Kontakt Player.


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## yiph2 (Nov 10, 2020)

Broth3rz said:


> I wouldn't mind skipping Komplete but even to just to third-party like Spitfire... that's like 2 grand for their full package, and even piecing it all out is more then Komplete. Hm. Wish there was more trials with these things.


FYI, there are black Friday sales coming soon


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## Crowe (Nov 10, 2020)

I think you really need to let go of this 'full package' obsession.


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## Broth3rz (Nov 10, 2020)

I will wait for BF deals. I wanna have a full package of all the different instruments like Woodwinds, strings, brass, cello, violin, percussion, etc. But I want something thats good quality.


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## brek (Nov 10, 2020)

I would consider Komp


Broth3rz said:


> I wouldn't mind skipping Komplete but even to just to third-party like Spitfire... that's like 2 grand for their full package, and even piecing it all out is more then Komplete. Hm. Wish there was more trials with these things.



Komplete and Spitfire are apples and oranges.

Don't get Komplete for the "bread and butter" orchestral sounds.

Do get it for the shear variety of sounds: synths, world instruments, pop/rock instruments, "sound design" instruments, "cinematic" percussion, pianos, etc. All of these are sounds that most working composers are going to need at some point. Plus, you get the full version of Kontakt.

To echo what has been said: there are better options than KUCE for the money.

So if you spend $600 on Komplete (full price for Standard, or half off Ultimate), that leaves $2400 for dedicated orchestral sounds.

There are 3 general paths you can take:


1) You can piecemeal it using a variety of vendors. This allows you to get the "best" ("best" is a relative term) of a given instrument family, but at the expense of having to learn multiple workflows. An example might be:
Cinematic Studio Strings, Cinematic Studio Brass, Cineperc, Infinite Winds

2) You can go all-in with one vendor and stick with one workflow. There are less options here. Some examples:
Hollywood Orchestra
CineSymphony
Vienna SE
Spitfire BBC Core or Pro
Spitfire Symphony
Spitfire Studio
Orchestral Tools 


3) You can eschew a complete orchestra and go with one of these libraries that has a variety of "pre-orchestrated" patches/ensembles and, usually, fewer articulations and instruments. These tend to be more beginner/CPU/wallet friendly. Examples:
Albion One
Berlin Inspire
Symphobia
Audio Imperia Nucleus
Metropolis Ark



A couple odds and ends:
Omnisphere is definitely something to consider in your budget.
Cinesamples is selling *all *of their libraries for just over $3k. There is more than enough there to have you covered.


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## Yogevs (Nov 10, 2020)

I would say don't spend $3000 at once...


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## Tim_Wells (Nov 10, 2020)

Whatever you do, be sure to purchase N. It's life changing.


But seriously... lot's of good advice above. Especially those who are saying, don't spend it all. As you you compose, you will continually learn and grow. What may seem important now, may not in a few years. Get a few good tools and just start doing it.


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## MartinH. (Nov 10, 2020)

Broth3rz said:


> I wanna have a full package of all the different instruments like Woodwinds, strings, brass, cello, violin, percussion, etc. But I want something thats good quality.



You could start with Cinematic Studio Strings and use that for a while to see if you like their approach and the sound of the room. If you do, you can buy CSSS and CSB to have that "full package" for strings and brass at least. Woodwinds will follow in the next months or years, and imho it's not a big deal to use another percussion library till CSP is released in a couple of years or so.


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## brek (Nov 10, 2020)

Yogevs said:


> I would say don't spend $3000 at once...



Yes, this too. But, if someone has already committed to the idea of spending that much there is a lot to be said for just getting on with it. I think a lot of the GAS we experience comes from buying a little thing here, another little thing here, and so on with the idea of gradually building up to the "perfect" set of gear. Then we end up chasing unicorns: discussing the minutiae of these libraries, scouring Youtube for reviews, etc.


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## shponglefan (Nov 10, 2020)

Broth3rz said:


> I do want the 'best'



There isn't really a singular "best" library though. All libraries have their strengths and weaknesses. Once you start composing and playing around with different libraries, then you'll have a better idea of what you need to achieve your own goals.

And a better library doesn't automatically make one a better composer. The results one can achieve will more likely be limited by skillset as opposed to library quality (at least at the start).


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## Broth3rz (Nov 10, 2020)

shponglefan said:


> There isn't really a singular "best" library though. All libraries have their strengths and weaknesses.
> 
> And in the end, a better library doesn't automatically make one a better composer. One's skillset matters significantly.



Alright, so lets forget Komplete. I do want the 'best', but I do need to get all of the instruments like I mentioned before. Woodwinds, strings, brass, cello, violin, percussion, etc. Everything really so I can really dig into this and see what I like and what sounds like what, etc.

I do know there is no best. Never could be I guess.


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## shponglefan (Nov 10, 2020)

Broth3rz said:


> I do want the 'best', but I do need to get all of the instruments like I mentioned before. Woodwinds, strings, brass, cello, violin, percussion, etc. Everything really so I can really dig into this and see what I like and what sounds like what, etc.



If I were in your shoes, I'd just go for the aforementioned Composers Cloud subscription. And then if you like EastWest's stuff, you can always outright purchase anything during one of their frequent sales.

For example, I picked up the complete Hollywood Orchestra Diamond (Strings, Brass, Woodwinds and Percussion) from them last year for only $500 USD. It's probably one of the best bang-for-buck options out there.

Audio Imperia's Nucleus is another good starter option, since it will include everything without breaking the bank. And I would expect it to be discounted in a few weeks thanks to BF.

Then you can just supplement as you go, picking libraries once you figure out what you really need/want.


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## Broth3rz (Nov 10, 2020)

I'm getting EastWest no matter what. It's only $30 a month.


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## Markrs (Nov 10, 2020)

You can get EastWest Hollywood Orchestra - Diamond Edition for $316.88 once you add it to your cart (it auto adds a promo code that takes 15% off). You can get nearly everything you are looking for at almost 1/10 of what you price you are looking to pay. Great thing is you can get a month of the composer cloud to trial it before buying! It really is the best bang for buck out there when it comes to orchestral music









EastWest Hollywood Orchestra - Diamond Edition


Includes Hollywood Strings, Brass, Woodwinds and Percussion Diamond HOLLYWOOD ORCHESTRA is the combination of Hollywood Strings, Hollywood Brass, Hollywood Orchestral Woodwinds, and Hollywood Orchestral Percussion; collectively the most detailed and comprehensive orchestral virtual instrument...




www.audiodeluxe.com


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## Dirtgrain (Nov 10, 2020)

widescreen said:


> Leeds Town Hall Organ



Thank you for mentioning this. I think I tried to download it a year ago and failed. I succeeded today, and wow--I might just be playing for the next few weeks. My poor wife and son. They will surely worry that I've gone Chief-Inspector-Dreyfus level insane.


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## Markrs (Nov 10, 2020)

Broth3rz said:


> I'm getting EastWest no matter what. It's only $30 a month.


That's a great idea, I am a student so I got it for only $10 a month for 12months. Which is a crazy deal for all you get


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## PuerAzaelis (Nov 10, 2020)

EW CCX! The ultimate try before you buy. Or just keep trying ... forever.


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## proxima (Nov 10, 2020)

Of course EWCCX is a good way to try before you buy. Navigating that collection (even just navigating the patches in HS) can be daunting, but you did say you wanted to explore...

Certainly Hollywood Strings and Hollywood Brass are more liked around here than the Symphony series in KUCE, but they definitely have a learning curve.


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## Broth3rz (Nov 10, 2020)

Honestly, Spitfire Symphony Orchestra sounds amazing, but wish it had more instruments included.


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## labornvain (Nov 10, 2020)

What's the catch? Out of curiosity I just check to see what comes with complete 13. Then I noticed the price is $600? It says save $6000.

Unless I'm missing something, that sounds like a no brainer.

Here is the link








Included products







www.native-instruments.com


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## proxima (Nov 10, 2020)

labornvain said:


> What's the catch? Out of curiosity I just check to see what comes with complete 13. Then I noticed the price is $600? It says save $6000.
> 
> Unless I'm missing something, that sounds like a no brainer.
> 
> ...


The catch is that no one will pay $6000 for all of the products. Most of us like part of the package and ignore the rest. The name, though, has become rather goofy, as they keep adding versions that are more complete (Komplete Ultimate, Komplete Ultimate Collectors Edition). 

It's a good deal for many, no doubt, especially when it's on sale for 50% off (soon before a new version). I have K11 Ultimate, and I'm looking forward to getting K13 Ultimate next year with the likely 50% off sale.


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## Dex (Nov 10, 2020)

Do you already have everything else you need? Audio interface, studio monitors + acoustic treatment for mixing, mixing plugins, computer with enough RAM, midi controllers, etc? There are a lot of places your money can go.


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## asherpope (Nov 10, 2020)

Broth3rz said:


> To buy things from NI, they are like 400-500 a piece.. I will be trying EW to explore more... Metropolis Ark 1 sounds nice.
> 
> Are there any libraries that would be like Terminator 2? The industrial sounds? Brad did amazing with that.


I'm pretty sure the T2 score was produced on a shoestring budget with Fiedel using simple techniques like pitch shifting generic samples (the creepy low brass for the T 1000 was a jazzy brass rip tuned down if I remember correctly) and recording pots and pans. Basically if you're going for that sound I'd be experimenting with a DAW before shelling out a lot of cash on sample libraries. I've got heaps of Spitfire libraries and I can't produce anything close to what Andy Blaney et al can, so just having the tools won't be enough without the mockup chops!


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## Yogevs (Nov 10, 2020)

brek said:


> Yes, this too. But, if someone has already committed to the idea of spending that much there is a lot to be said for just getting on with it. I think a lot of the GAS we experience comes from buying a little thing here, another little thing here, and so on with the idea of gradually building up to the "perfect" set of gear. Then we end up chasing unicorns: discussing the minutiae of these libraries, scouring Youtube for reviews, etc.



I don't think that giving GAS as a counter is a good example. I would also encourage not to fall to that trap as well.
You shouldn't do that either.
I've become really good at doing that. Being cheap helps


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