# Cinematic Studio Solo Strings - available now!



## Alex W (Sep 6, 2017)

Hi everyone,

We’re very excited to (finally!) announce the release of our brand new sample library: Cinematic Studio Solo Strings. Capturing the sound of a world-class string quartet seated in position, CSSS is the next exciting step in our Cinematic Studio Series.

Cinematic Studio Solo Strings are expressive, emotive and powerful, with a smooth realistic sound that will give your melodies that elusive human touch. CSSS is designed to beautifully complement our full-section string library Cinematic Studio Strings, or to stand on its own as a detailed, intimate and expressive solo strings library to add to your musical palette.

We've taken the simplicity, smooth workflow and authentic sound of the Studio Series and applied it to solo violins (1 and 2), viola and cello to create an incredibly realistic sample library that you can use to write expressive solo or quartet parts, or as first-chair with CSS. 

CSSS has the same wide variety of articulations as CSS, and the layout of the GUI is functionally the same, allowing the two libraries to blend seamlessly together for an even richer sound. With ultra-realistic legato and true-to-life dynamics, you’ll feel like you’re right there in the studio with this wonderfully talented quartet.

Cinematic Studio Solo Strings is available now for Kontakt and Kontakt Player at the very affordable price of $299. Existing CS2 and CSS customers will pay only $199 for this outstanding addition to their collection! Please check your inbox for your discount coupon (please contact us via the support form on our website if you don't receive your email).

Cinematic Studio Solo Strings has the following articulations:


Legato, including legato repetition and portamento
Spiccato, staccatissimo, staccato and sfz (long staccato)
Marcato / fast runs
Pizzicato, including Bartok snaps
Col legno
Harmonics
Tremolo
Trills (half and whole)
Measured tremolo (tempo sync and free sync)
Con sordino emulation (whole library)





The Cinematic Studio Series includes Cinematic Studio Strings, Piano and now Solo Strings. Future releases will include Cinematic Studio Brass, Woodwinds and Percussion. For more information please visit our website here: www.cinematicstudioseries.com


----------



## mmjohan (Sep 6, 2017)

Yesss :D


----------



## Dirk Ehlert (Sep 6, 2017)

Sounds outstanding


----------



## N.Caffrey (Sep 6, 2017)

this sounds soo good, well done!


----------



## rottoy (Sep 6, 2017)

That sounds absolutely bonkers phenomenal.


----------



## Silence-is-Golden (Sep 6, 2017)

just received the loyalty upgrade code........ fantastic Alex!

This means new playing/composing pleasure and another step towards a full CSSeries orchestra!


----------



## Puzzlefactory (Sep 6, 2017)

So when's Brass on its way...?


----------



## Killiard (Sep 6, 2017)

Ooooohhh...sounds very, very nice!


----------



## Zhao Shen (Sep 6, 2017)

Other developers take note - this is what's called living up to the hype. Best-sounding strings library followed by the best-sounding solo strings library. As if I wasn't already excited for CSB...


----------



## rottoy (Sep 6, 2017)

Zhao Shen said:


> Other developers take note - this is what's called living up to the hype. Best-sounding strings library followed by the best-sounding solo strings library. As if I wasn't already excited for CSB...


The only criticism I can give Alex is he makes me feel bad about the rest of the string libraries I have.


----------



## Grizzlymv (Sep 6, 2017)

Sounds really, really nice! I'd like to hear more of the individual instruments alone (naked) rather than dressed with other instruments to really hear in more details that beautiful sounding as a solo instrument. Hopefully in a future walkthrough video or something. But it's the first time I hear a solo string library that really sound like it should and where we don't feel the computer/synth effect. Awesome job there guys!


----------



## John Busby (Sep 6, 2017)

Grizzlymv said:


> alone (naked)


i like things alone and naked
oops sorry wrong thread...


----------



## Jeast (Sep 6, 2017)

Oh my god... Beautiful!


----------



## micrologus (Sep 6, 2017)

Beautiful!


----------



## Zhao Shen (Sep 6, 2017)

rottoy said:


> The only criticism I can give Alex is he makes me feel bad about the rest of the string libraries I have.



Yeah don't even get me started on the absurdly generous base price and loyalty discount. Get the best solo string library on the market - for less than half the price of all the others!


----------



## mac (Sep 6, 2017)

If anyone already owns the virharmonic solos too, it'd be interesting to hear how they compare in sound and play feel.


----------



## Erik (Sep 6, 2017)

Any information about the _range _of the strings?


----------



## micrologus (Sep 6, 2017)

Wow, those spiccatos are awesome!


----------



## ysnyvz (Sep 6, 2017)

$199 is very generous. Thanks, Alex.

Btw website is giving me this error on chrome:



> Some files on the server may be missing or incorrect. Clear browser cache and try again. If the problem persists please contact website author.



Also CSS 1.5 update is not uploaded yet, I guess?


----------



## phil_wc (Sep 6, 2017)

Do they have any video on their site that I can hear solo string legato runs?


----------



## Steve Martin (Sep 6, 2017)

Congratulations Alex on a beautiful and exciting new library. The solo string demo's sound fantastic!

Looking forward to using them!

Steve


----------



## BenG (Sep 6, 2017)

Sounds great, Alex!


----------



## eli0s (Sep 6, 2017)

Sounds very, very good! Can't wait to get paid, oooo hthe middle of the month looks so far from now!!!!!!!

The 1.5 update for CSS isn't online yet, right??? 

Also, I know that the standard quartet doesn't have a double base, however, CSS basses would really benefit from some extra solo base definition!!! @Alex W , are there any plans for solo Contrabase in the future??


----------



## Mihkel Zilmer (Sep 6, 2017)

Well, these really were worth the wait. Beautiful sound! Congratulations @Alex W !


----------



## rottoy (Sep 6, 2017)

Articulation rundown.


----------



## jamwerks (Sep 6, 2017)

Sounds great! The integration with CSS is really a big plus. Too bad no Contrabass!


----------



## Alex W (Sep 6, 2017)

ysnyvz said:


> $199 is very generous. Thanks, Alex.
> 
> Btw website is giving me this error on chrome:
> 
> ...




Thanks everyone!

The CSS 1.5 update is on its way, sorry for the delay - hopefully will be online in the next few hours or so...


----------



## markleake (Sep 6, 2017)

Wow! I can't believe that you guys release such a great quality sounding product, and then price it so cheaply too compared to other libs. So far I don't have any moments listening where I suddenly realise they are not "real" players... and it's all fairly exposed demo tracks not drowned in reverb... fantastic stuff!

This is a library I've been really looking forward to, and I'm so excited just now listing to the demos. Some of the moments in the demos are tear-jerk good.

(Also makes me proud that people in my home country are capable of producing such industry-leading content! Congrats to the producers and the players. Go Aussies!)

Edit: Just took the plunge.


----------



## Patrick de Caumette (Sep 6, 2017)

Sounds great + nice price!

Question: is there a non vibrato <---> vibrato option?


----------



## VinRice (Sep 6, 2017)

The stars align... I've got the perfect track for these and I've just finished the Expression Maps for CSS! Bought and downloading. Now we wait...


----------



## Justus (Sep 6, 2017)

Fantastic sound, Alex!
So, in order to get CSSS at discount price I'll have to purchase CSS or CS2?


----------



## zvenx (Sep 6, 2017)

I just realise there is no Bass. Is this 'normal'?
rsp


----------



## VinRice (Sep 6, 2017)

Yes it's normal.


----------



## ysnyvz (Sep 6, 2017)

zvenx said:


> I just realise there is no Bass. Is this 'normal'?
> rsp



Contrabass is so fat, nobody calls him to string quartets.


----------



## markleake (Sep 6, 2017)

Patrick de Caumette said:


> Sounds great + nice price!
> 
> Question: is there a non vibrato <---> vibrato option?


Yes. The "Technical Walkthough" video on their web page shows switching between non-vib/vib with CC2 at about the 1:20 mark.


----------



## Ian Dorsch (Sep 6, 2017)

I expected this to sound good, but man. Those demos are really breathtaking.


----------



## zvenx (Sep 6, 2017)

hmmmm....
http://audiobro.com/la-scoring-strings/la-scoring-strings-first-chair/
https://cinesamples.com/product/cinestrings-solo

But yes others don't have it...... but this sounds great and I instantly bought it.....and now can commit to CSS which I have been holding off of for the last year or so, now I know that the series are definitely happening 
Thanks Alex, great job.
(wish I could sell some other libraries which I never use and now sure I never will use)


rsp


----------



## eli0s (Sep 6, 2017)

Listening more carefully to the demos... Am I wrong to assume that the flute and the trumpet in "Tokyo Sunset" are from the upcoming CSW & CSB???


----------



## wbacer (Sep 6, 2017)

Great work Alex, just amazing, especially the first chair CSSS and CSS overlay.
Downloading now.


----------



## Quasar (Sep 6, 2017)

ysnyvz said:


> $199 is very generous. Thanks, Alex.



I 2nd this. I got the email too, and am sorely tempted to jump on this train and eventually have the whole orchestra as it appears over time... I already have solo strings that I like, but these do sound beautiful.


----------



## constaneum (Sep 6, 2017)

I have LASS and CS2 and i think this Solo Strings will layer nicely with either one of these 2 as well. 

One question. Possible to showcase a faster legato transition demo? It seems to sound right for string layering but would really love to hear fast legato demos like this.


----------



## Patrick de Caumette (Sep 6, 2017)

One comment about Alex's policies: I personally feel that his are some of the fairest, most honest in the business! 
Alex is not trying to bait people with the usual "loyalty discount that will expire in two weeks" but gives loyal customers a discount with no expiration date.
Refreshing


----------



## AlexanderSchiborr (Sep 6, 2017)

constaneum said:


> I have LASS and CS2 and i think this Solo Strings will layer nicely with either one of these 2 as well.
> 
> One question. Possible to showcase a faster legato transition demo? It seems to sound right for string layering but would really love to hear fast legato demos like this.




In his classic Legato Video he features passages with faster playing. Maybe you should check that out.


----------



## NoamL (Sep 6, 2017)

Thank you Alex!


----------



## Brendon Williams (Sep 6, 2017)

What Alex has done with these libraries so far is mind-blowing to me. And for such great prices! Can't wait to get the rest of the orchestra.


----------



## Silence-is-Golden (Sep 6, 2017)

downloading now............ happy to join it into my current works with CSS as added first chairs!


----------



## patrick76 (Sep 6, 2017)

Awesome and great loyalty discount. Am downloading as well. Note that this does require Kontakt 5.6.8 I have been avoiding that, but I guess I will have to look into it now. 

Does anyone know if I can install Kontakt 5.6.8 and keep 5.5 on the same machine?


----------



## AlexanderSchiborr (Sep 6, 2017)

patrick76 said:


> Awesome and great loyalty discount. Am downloading as well. Note that this does require Kontakt 5.6.8 I have been avoiding that, but I guess I will have to look into it now.
> 
> Does anyone know if I can install Kontakt 5.6.8 and keep 5.5 on the same machine?



Unfortunately not that I know, also was thinking some while ago about that.


----------



## synthpunk (Sep 6, 2017)

Thank you Alex and your team.

This will be my last ever string Library purchase, I swear!


----------



## Quasar (Sep 6, 2017)

patrick76 said:


> Awesome and great loyalty discount. Am downloading as well. Note that this does require Kontakt 5.6.8 I have been avoiding that, but I guess I will have to look into it now.
> 
> Does anyone know if I can install Kontakt 5.6.8 and keep 5.5 on the same machine?


Yeah it's potentially doable... Commercial thread probably isn't the place to discuss that.


----------



## lp59burst (Sep 6, 2017)

Oh yah... I'm in... downloading now.


----------



## Rob Elliott (Sep 6, 2017)

Stellar!


----------



## MarcelM (Sep 6, 2017)

awesome and out of nowhere without any nonsense teaser


----------



## Saxer (Sep 6, 2017)

Lovely sound and beautiful demos!


----------



## kurtvanzo (Sep 6, 2017)

patrick76 said:


> Awesome and great loyalty discount. Am downloading as well. Note that this does require Kontakt 5.6.8 I have been avoiding that, but I guess I will have to look into it now.
> 
> Does anyone know if I can install Kontakt 5.6.8 and keep 5.5 on the same machine?



Great job Alex! Thanks. Keeping older versions of the Kontakt app and plugins just involves moving them to a new folder (label it Kontakt 5.5) before updating through native access. The Kontakt app is in Apps:Native Instruments:Kontakt and plugins are Library: Audio: Plugins: vst and/or components (AU) - for mac. You can switch the plugins back and forth (then restart) or open both standalone versions at the same time as well. But 5.6.8 and 5.6.6 both work great.


----------



## synthpunk (Sep 6, 2017)

The first demo reminds me of something Sir George Martin would have written (The Family Way).



Saxer said:


> Lovely sound and beautiful demos!


----------



## midiman (Sep 6, 2017)

And the Oscar goes to....... CSS.
Hands down, my favorite sample library developer. No fuss, no muss. No Hype. No "coming soon teasers". They develop a great library, and they release it. Not only are they the best libraries, but they are also affordable, and they don't use BS pr tactics. Thank you for the amazing library, and also for showing us an ethical business model that can be very successful without any of the "hype and tease" so common in other developers. Other developers, please listen and learn. Congratulations Alex, You've got our unbound support. Yes, I am aware I am gushing.


----------



## artomatic (Sep 6, 2017)

Impressive. Well done, Alex! Really worth the wait. And thank you!


----------



## jeremiahpena (Sep 6, 2017)

Just did a rough quick test of the legato. This is all the lower 2/3rds of the dynamic range. There's a bit of added reverb.


----------



## JonSolo (Sep 6, 2017)

Very well done guys! Except I think I made my CSS purchase through Best Service. Either way, I have contacted support so I can get rolling. Looking forward to the update of CSS as well.


----------



## NoamL (Sep 6, 2017)

Can't find confirmation now but I seem to recall when entering the code that it said "for owners of CSS and Cs2." Wow, he's giving loyalty discounts to owners of a library from 5 years ago? Alex is a stand up guy. Can't wait to finish downloading.


----------



## kavinsky (Sep 6, 2017)

That's how you do it:
unbelievably great content and fair prices.
I think we have a new star here.


----------



## ctsai89 (Sep 6, 2017)

kavinsky said:


> That's how you do it:
> unbelievably great content and fair prices.
> I think we have a new star here.



haha @ the thread titled "Heaviocity just gets it"


----------



## rottoy (Sep 6, 2017)

Question to those who have it; 
Are all patches locked or can you go under the hood if you want to make custom patches?


----------



## Saxer (Sep 6, 2017)

Could become my favorite string ensemble patch: CSSS plus a touch of CSS.
Out of the box here...


----------



## artomatic (Sep 6, 2017)

Saxer said:


> Could become my favorite string ensemble patch: CSSS plus a touch of CSS.
> Out of the box here...




That's exquisite, Saxer! The 4th section @:48 is where the goosebumps materialized. Love CSS and CSSS together. Thanks for sharing!


----------



## jamwerks (Sep 6, 2017)

Yes they sound excellent together. Exactly what CSS was missing!


----------



## Johnny (Sep 6, 2017)

artomatic said:


> That's exquisite, Saxer! The 4th section @:48 is where the goosebumps materialized. Love CSS and CSSS together. Thanks for sharing!


It's excellent to see a developer who doesn't control/remove/block or discourage user posted demos too. Honesty is hard to find these days. I will absolutely be investing in you guys!


----------



## dcoscina (Sep 6, 2017)

I think part of what is so great about Alex's libraries is that he composes his own demos and they sound bloody gorgeous. Seriously these aren't just demos to showcase his samples but really wonderfully emotive works in their own right.

But I gotta reiterate the love for the fact that he doesn't do all this hype and nonsense- he just drops the library into waiting arms and lets his product speak for itself. Kudos.


----------



## kavinsky (Sep 6, 2017)

Johnny said:


> It's excellent to see a developer who doesn't control/remove/block or discourage user posted demos too. Honesty is hard to find these days. I will absolutely be investing in you guys!


nothing to be ashamed of I suppose.
one of the signs of a really great product - it behaves like it should from a get go.

I have to admit I'm a big fan of Alex Wallbank's taste in string sampling. CS2, CSS, now CSSS.
This vibrato is just right, isn't it? I hit one note and it already has a vibe and that right vibrato speed and depth.
I wanted this string quartet sound for a long time and with other products something was always just a bit off - if the vibs were good, the legato was an achilles' heel and so on
with CSSS its just emotionally right somehow and it performes great.


----------



## dhowarthmusic (Sep 6, 2017)

rottoy said:


> Question to those who have it;
> Are all patches locked or can you go under the hood if you want to make custom patches?


It looks like they are locked on my system. Great sound and playability so I don't think you will need to edit them much like many of the other solo string libraries out there!


----------



## calebfaith (Sep 6, 2017)

I just downloaded CSSS overnight and I'm blown away! Couldn't resist with at the $199 price point :D


----------



## dhowarthmusic (Sep 6, 2017)

kavinsky said:


> nothing to be ashamed of I suppose.
> one of the signs of a really great product - it behaves like it should from a get go.
> 
> I have to admit I'm a big fan of Alex Wallbank's taste in string sampling. CS2, CSS, now CSSS.
> ...


I completely agree with you. It just performs great. Not too bright like a lot of other solo string libraries. The highlight for me is the Ensemble patch. It seems to be mixed so well and performs like a mini section with just the right blend of the four solo instruments. Well done Alex!


----------



## Gerd Kaeding (Sep 6, 2017)

Great library , and of course its perfect with CSS ! Congrats to the developer . 

( _Could you please produce a Brass library with the same vibe ?! Thanks in advance _)

Best ,
Gerd


----------



## clisma (Sep 6, 2017)

Saxer said:


> Could become my favorite string ensemble patch: CSSS plus a touch of CSS.
> Out of the box here...



Sounds lovely, Saxer! Did you use a breath controller by any chance? This sounds just like what CSS needed for my taste: a little definition on top with a first chair.


----------



## jon wayne (Sep 6, 2017)

mac said:


> If anyone already owns the virharmonic solos too, it'd be interesting to hear how they compare in sound and play feel.


I love the CSSS violin. It definitely sounds like a first chair player, but I would probably use my Bohemian for solo work, considering all the extra articulation and up frontness. You won't find a better string quartet than CSSS imho.


----------



## W Ackerman (Sep 6, 2017)

jon wayne said:


> I love the CSSS violin. It definitely sounds like a first chair player, but I would probably use my Bohemian for solo work, considering all the extra articulation and up frontness. You won't find a better string quartet than CSSS imho.



I have played in real life as a soloist, in a quartet, and as first chair. Other than stage position, the only difference is, of course, the material. I'm not sure I understand why different virtual instruments would be better for these different roles. Perhaps this is not appropriate for the commercial thread, but, if there is a difference, it is an important discussion for selecting solo libraries. Maybe we can take this up on a new thread if it doesn't belong here.


----------



## calebfaith (Sep 6, 2017)

Still working on getting the Solo Violin to sit a bit better in the mix but here is CSSS and then CSSS + CSS in the second half. Combining CSS and CSSS makes a lovely sound to me


----------



## ctsai89 (Sep 6, 2017)

W Ackerman said:


> I have played in real life as a soloist, in a quartet, and as first chair. Other than stage position, the only difference is, of course, the material. I'm not sure I understand why different virtual instruments would be better for these different roles. Perhaps this is not appropriate for the commercial thread, but, if there is a difference, it is an important discussion for selecting solo libraries. Maybe we can take this up on a new thread if it doesn't belong here.



same with me I've been a first chair string player, soloist, string quartet player in real life as well. I'm often mind bogged by the fact that some people think it's ok the way LASS FC sound the way they because tehy're supposed to be "layered in unison" with other sections/libraries. In my opinion FC libraries should be able to do everything solo libraries can do with the difference in mic positions


----------



## WindcryMusic (Sep 6, 2017)

Hearing CSSS made me realize quite abruptly that I still have a gaping hole in my orchestral palette, and that would be first chair strings. Fortunately, thanks to Alex's generous discount for CSS owners, I'll be filling that gap this coming weekend (as soon as I wrap up my current project).


----------



## jon wayne (Sep 6, 2017)

ctsai89 said:


> same with me I've been a first chair string player, soloist, string quartet player in real life as well. I'm often mind bogged by the fact that some people think it's ok the way LASS FC sound the way they because tehy're supposed to be "layered in unison" with other sections/libraries. In my opinion FC libraries should be able to do everything solo libraries can do with the difference in mic positions


So, you're saying that if Itzhak Perlman was a first chair in a section, you could close mic him and he would sound like a soloist?


----------



## Steve Lum (Sep 6, 2017)

Gobstruck! After falling in love with CSS, I swore off buying any more orchestral stuff until these other libraries were available from Alex. I must admit there were days where standing by that oath was terribly difficult. But it's all paid off hasn't it. Oh, the feeling of seeing that email pop up, and the momentary whisper of disbelief, swept away by joyful certainty. Cheers Alex!


----------



## ctsai89 (Sep 6, 2017)

jon wayne said:


> So, you're saying that if Itzhak Perlman was a first chair in a section, you could close mic him and he would sound like a soloist?



Have you never heard solo parts appear out of symphonies?


----------



## NoamL (Sep 6, 2017)

I downloaded it onto my external samples drive, and got through the installation and Native Access authorization with no bugs, but when I tried to load the instruments I just get the spinning beach ball of death :(

Gonna try to reinstall on my hard drive now and move the samples later. CSS is still working perfectly and I've had no other problems with K5.6.8 so this is no doubt a dumb Native Access issue or perhaps my download got corrupted.


----------



## JonSolo (Sep 6, 2017)

Just beautiful. A real no brainer on this this one. Snagged.


----------



## holing (Sep 6, 2017)

Can't wait to try it!


----------



## NoamL (Sep 6, 2017)

Gerd Kaeding said:


> Great library , and of course its perfect with CSS ! Congrats to the developer .
> 
> ( _Could you please produce a Brass library with the same vibe ?! Thanks in advance _)
> 
> ...



Gerd - Cinematic Studios Brass is advertised for end of 2017! There's been no official confirmation of it, but I believe that you can hear an in-development version of CSB in the demo track "Ringworld" for CSS and "Tokyo Sunset" for CSSS.


----------



## desert (Sep 6, 2017)

Patrick de Caumette said:


> One comment about Alex's policies: I personally feel that his are some of the fairest, most honest in the business!
> Alex is not trying to bait people with the usual "loyalty discount that will expire in two weeks" but gives loyal customers a discount with no expiration date.
> Refreshing



The respect shown for the customer is why I will continue to buy from his business.

No hyped up marketing
No midi trickery (midi files provided)
No short timed-based discounts
No amazing professional midi orchestrator demos
No overpriced figure

Just one incredible quality product.


----------



## Vastman (Sep 6, 2017)

Agree... just emailed him on an issue and he responded in 5 minutes. As an owner of CS2, I finally have the money to take the plunge on both CSS&CSSS, getting discounts on both! Buying tonight!

This dude is amazing... I know where I'm getting my Brass library!

And yes... stunning!


----------



## leon chevalier (Sep 6, 2017)

Saxer said:


> Could become my favorite string ensemble patch: CSSS plus a touch of CSS.
> Out of the box here...



I don't thank you Saxer, you made me spend 200$


----------



## Johann F. (Sep 6, 2017)

When a dev does what a dev should do - no hype, fair price, true loyalty program, stellar product and support - we are all blown away. That speaks volumes about the way other devs are doing business nowadays... and if you look at similar threads, most of us encourage their bs. After spending more money than I should have on overhyped and overpriced broken libraries that are never fixed after release frenzy, I'm now immune to such practices - even an old fool like me has to learn eventually HA! And that's why webforums are great: you can always learn with the stupid mistakes of others. As always, vote with your wallets, folks.


----------



## Vastman (Sep 6, 2017)

jon wayne said:


> I love the CSSS violin. It definitely sounds like a first chair player, but I would probably use my Bohemian for solo work, considering all the extra articulation and up frontness. You won't find a better string quartet than CSSS imho.


I think this fits in perfectly with BV...which for those extremely emotional moments is a perfect complement!


----------



## jeremiahpena (Sep 7, 2017)

After a day with CSSS, I'm completely amazed. It's just as good as CSS, which was already my favorite sample library ever. It even manages to retroactively improve CSS: When the solo strings are layered in unison with CSS, it adds a great deal of clarity and air to the sound that's missing without EQ. And since the keyswitches and UI are identical, it's as simple as feeding them both from the same MIDI track.

They also sound brilliant in isolation. My biggest issue with most solo string libraries is a poor tone, poor (or fake) vibrato, or both. While at least partially subjective, I think CSSS completely nails both. There will occasionally be a sour legato transition, but since there's multiple speeds available, switching to a different one for that note usually fixes it. The legato goes decently fast, definitely slightly faster than CSS. My one complaint is the marcato articulation. It sounds robotic in comparison to CSS and the spiccato overlay doesn't sound right for these solo strings.

I never use CSS's ensemble patches (except for occasional sketching), since they don't really offer a different sound. The CSSS ensemble patches have very a nice chamber sound that I can see myself using pretty often. The vibrato sounds too thick on loud sustains, though, and in this library, vibrato is either on or off. It would be nice to have blending in-between (which CSS has) for the ensemble patches at least.


Here's some 1st Violin and Cello over a synth bed for a non-orchestral context. These strings really sing!

For reference, here's the same thing with just CSSS, completely dry: https://clyp.it/vgmk1aw3


----------



## BenHicks (Sep 7, 2017)

Never purchased a library so quickly in my life. The first chair implementation in conjunction with CSS is absolutely perfect and totally seamless. The loyalty discount was also just too good to pass up. Kudos, Alex. I genuinely cannot wait to see and hear what comes next.


----------



## Alex W (Sep 7, 2017)

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all the support and great feedback - really appreciate it; loving listening to the user demos posted so far too. 

Also just a quick word about the CSS 1.5 update - it's now online here: http://www.cinematicstudioseries.com/updates.html

I encourage everyone to download this and check out the new classic legato patches. We spent a long time on these, adding special scripting to significantly reduce the amount of legato-delay time, making it easier to play while maintaining realism. This new system is already featured in the release version of CSSS - you can hear the classic legato patches in action in this video: 

Thanks again!


----------



## Vastman (Sep 7, 2017)

jeremiahpena said:


> After a day with CSSS, I'm completely amazed. It's just as good as CSS, which was already my favorite sample library ever. It even manages to retroactively improve CSS: When the solo strings are layered in unison with CSS, it adds a great deal of clarity and air to the sound that's missing without EQ. And since the keyswitches and UI are identical, it's as simple as feeding them both from the same MIDI track.
> 
> They also sound brilliant in isolation. My biggest issue with most solo string libraries is a poor tone, poor (or fake) vibrato, or both. While at least partially subjective, I think CSSS completely nails both. There will occasionally be a sour legato transition, but since there's multiple speeds available, switching to a different one for that note usually fixes it. The legato goes decently fast, definitely slightly faster than CSS. My one complaint is the marcato articulation. It sounds robotic in comparison to CSS and the spiccato overlay doesn't sound right for these solo strings.
> 
> ...



I'm not seeing your composition in the blank space


----------



## rottoy (Sep 7, 2017)

Alex W said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> Thanks for all the support and great feedback - really appreciate it; loving listening to the user demos posted so far too.
> 
> ...



Alex, I'm curious; Are there patches for the individual articulations?
If not, is it possible to make that available for those who prefer that kind of workflow?

I totally understand and am fine with the legato patches being locked.
But not being able to tweak all the other articulations if I find a snag is a bit of a bother.
I don't want to sound ungrateful, just asking!

It's the one thing preventing me from buying this faster than my pants can catch fire.


----------



## Amey Ghule (Sep 7, 2017)

@Alex W Is it possible for you to share the MIDI file for your demo track Masquerade? Really want to understand your MIDI pgming for CSSS esp. for the part after 0.50

P.s. Many congratulations on CSSS. It's genuinely beautiful. I am a proud owner of CSS. and have bought CSSS also...eagerly waiting for Brass!!


----------



## Justus (Sep 7, 2017)

Alex, just one question: Do I have to own CS2+CSS to get the discount or either of those?


----------



## Gerd Kaeding (Sep 7, 2017)

NoamL said:


> Gerd - Cinematic Studios Brass is advertised for end of 2017! There's been no official confirmation of it, but I believe that you can hear an in-development version of CSB in the demo track "Ringworld" for CSS and "Tokyo Sunset" for CSSS.


Oh , that's wonderful , thanks for the info !!! 
Best , 
Gerd


----------



## NoamL (Sep 7, 2017)

Finally downloaded! I only had 20 minutes to play with it before I have to go to sleep, but I substantially agree with Jeremiah... TBQH, it doesn't matter if one has need for string soloists &/or if you are satisfied with other libraries; if you own CSS, this library is like unlocking a whole new color for those strings. The price is beyond fair. The way the two libraries line up with no-fuss MIDI doubling - that's just great from the little tinkering I've done; I want to really put that through its paces tomorrow... such a genius design-point for a solo strings library...

Now, considered as concert/cinematic soloists, these strings are _both_ empowered _and_ constrained by the way they are designed as an extension of CSS. Whatever CSS can play CSSS can and what CSS is inappropriate for, CSSS seems to be as well. So for instance, songlike and intimate pieces that aren't crazy _agitato_ - like _The Swan_, the Faure _Elegy_, the theme from _Schindler's_ _List_ - these all seem very much in the wheelhouse of these soloists. 



rottoy said:


> Alex, I'm curious; Are there patches for the individual articulations?
> If not, is it possible to make that available for those who prefer that kind of workflow?



Rottoy, there is a semi-hidden feature to do this with all CS libraries! 

If you option-click on any articulation square, it is disabled and the samples are unloaded from RAM. You can left-click on a disabled articulation to bring it back. So if you option-click away everything but the trills, you now have a trills patch with minimal RAM. This can be saved however you like to save instruments (snapshot, Kontakt preset, channel strip setting etc).



Justus said:


> Alex, just one question: Do I have to own CS2+CSS to get the discount or either of those?



I got the discount email and I only own CSS.


----------



## rottoy (Sep 7, 2017)

NoamL said:


> Rottoy, there is a semi-hidden feature to do this with all CS libraries!
> 
> If you option-click on any articulation square, it is disabled and the samples are unloaded from RAM. You can left-click on a disabled articulation to bring it back. So if you option-click away everything but the trills, you now have a trills patch with minimal RAM. This can be saved however you like to save instruments (snapshot, Kontakt preset, channel strip setting etc).


Damn it, I might have to buy this beautiful library after all.


----------



## Tekkera (Sep 7, 2017)

Does an impulse response of this studio exist?


----------



## jamwerks (Sep 7, 2017)

Alex, I'd love for you to do also a chamber size library (4 players each) with again identical articulations. It would be another "color" possibility for us (and be a tool for divisi writing), and I'm sure another big seller for you. Keep up the great work!!


----------



## Jdiggity1 (Sep 7, 2017)

jamwerks said:


> Alex, I'd love for you to do also a chamber size library (4 players each) with again identical articulations. It would be another "color" possibility for us (and be a tool for divisi writing), and I'm sure another big seller for you. Keep up the great work!!


Enough with the strings. We want the winds! (Brass included)


----------



## AlexanderSchiborr (Sep 7, 2017)

Saxer said:


> Could become my favorite string ensemble patch: CSSS plus a touch of CSS.
> Out of the box here...




You and the Stringsound dude :D Thats like good weather and cocktails  Great sound!!


----------



## Simon Ravn (Sep 7, 2017)

Sounds amazing! Definitely a no brainer!


----------



## higgs (Sep 7, 2017)

Price to performance value is absolutely superb - my wallet instantly went submissive. Thank you for the loyalty pricing!

The whole string lineup is well conceived with a clear, high level of forethought across the CS strings - it rivals our most expensive library options. If this was out last year, I would've saved a fortune on solo strings. CSSS plus Bohemian would easily take care of all my solo string needs.


----------



## synthpunk (Sep 7, 2017)

Just one, you should have received a discount code via your email address registered with cs, if not make sure you contact them.



Justus said:


> Alex, just one question: Do I have to own CS2+CSS to get the discount or either of those?


----------



## GtrString (Sep 7, 2017)

OMG, the solo strings sounds great!!

I can't seem to find the information, but how dry can the patches become?

I understand the Cinematic Studio Solo Strings are recorded at a scoring stage in AUS, so some ambience is expected. I have the wonderful Cinematic Strings 2 library, which has some ambience when the reverb is turned off, but I don't have the Cinematic Studio Strings (yet), so I'd just like to know the amt of ambience to expect of CSSS without reverb effects.


----------



## james7275 (Sep 7, 2017)

These solo strings sound really damn good. Definitely on my to-buy-list for down the road.


----------



## sostenuto (Sep 7, 2017)

*The Simon Leadley Scoring Stage* is clearly unique. Is there a different, well-known, venue with which it compares most closely/favorably ??


----------



## Saxer (Sep 7, 2017)

Alex W said:


> Also just a quick word about the CSS 1.5 update - it's now online here: http://www.cinematicstudioseries.com/updates.html


Yeah! Great improvement for creating compositions out of improvisations and for quantized arrangements (i.e. for later notation). Thank you for this update!


----------



## Daisser (Sep 7, 2017)

I picked these up, and as expected they sound amazing. Those classic legato patches have awesome playability though great for inspiration!!!


----------



## VinRice (Sep 7, 2017)

The update is not working for me (Mac, latest OSX). The update simply installs the executable in the CSS folder. If anybody else is having this problem, right-click on the installer and Show Package contents - open the Resources folder - double click the enclosed .zip and the update patches will be revealed. Replace the appropriate files in your CSS installation.


----------



## rottoy (Sep 7, 2017)

GtrString said:


> OMG, the solo strings sounds great!!
> 
> I can't seem to find the information, but how dry can the patches become?
> 
> I understand the Cinematic Studio Solo Strings are recorded at a scoring stage in AUS, so some ambience is expected. I have the wonderful Cinematic Strings 2 library, which has some ambience when the reverb is turned off, but I don't have the Cinematic Studio Strings (yet), so I'd just like to know the amt of ambience to expect of CSSS without reverb effects.


This should give you a pretty good idea of the ambience. https://clyp.it/vgmk1aw3


----------



## wbacer (Sep 7, 2017)

Alex W said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> Thanks for all the support and great feedback - really appreciate it; loving listening to the user demos posted so far too.
> 
> ...



I ran the CSS 1.5 updater and it appears to have worked but I don't see anything in the CSS folder or in Kontakt or in the GUI that says version 1.5
How can we tell if the update was successful?


----------



## Batrawi (Sep 7, 2017)

Alex W said:


> Existing CS2 and CSS customers will pay only $199 for this outstanding addition to their collection! Please check your inbox for your discount coupon



Does this apply to owners of both libraries? or owners of either CS2 or CSS?

I only own CSS and checked my inbox for the coupon and ironically found this...





Edit: found my coupon. (if youre stupid like myself, the coupon applies to owners of either CS2 or CSS )


----------



## Batrawi (Sep 7, 2017)

jamwerks said:


> Alex, I'd love for you to do also a chamber size library (4 players each) with again identical articulations. It would be another "color" possibility for us (and be a tool for divisi writing), and I'm sure another big seller for you. Keep up the great work!!



+1

Unfortunately, this will be another series called Chamber Studio Strings.. so when abbreviated will be called CSS which already exists so they wont do it


----------



## Sid Francis (Sep 7, 2017)

rottoy said:


> This should give you a pretty good idea of the ambience. https://clyp.it/vgmk1aw3



Thank you, Rottoy, very helpful. And in the last quiet part I could nearly cheat myself enough to think they were real players. Enough "human factor" to be convincing (at least without having a direct comparison  )


----------



## rottoy (Sep 7, 2017)

Sid Francis said:


> Thank you, Rottoy, very helpful. And in the last quiet part I could nearly cheat myself enough to think they were real players. Enough "human factor" to be convincing (at least without having a direct comparison  )


Just so there's no confusion, I just re-posted what Jeremiah Pena posted earlier.


----------



## Erick - BVA (Sep 7, 2017)

This sounds incredible. Does anyone own both Virharmonic's Bohemian violin and this? I would like to know how they compare in playability. I'm a sucker for strings. I would love to be able to find some old project files and replace my EWQL Orchestra samples with these. I've done a few "String Quartet" style pieces, but never had a proper, full solo strings library.


----------



## Michael Antrum (Sep 7, 2017)

I'm still using C2 which I adore. I kept meaning to get CSS but never got around to it - largely because CS2 was so flipping nice. But those solo strings are seriously beautiful- but I'm stuck in a hotel for 5 days with mediocre wifi - so I'll have to wait till I get back home. 

A shame as I would have five uninterrupted evenings where I could put it through its paces.

I wonder how fast macdonalds wifi is ? 

Actually how big is the library to download - I couldn't find it on the site ...


----------



## ghandizilla (Sep 7, 2017)

Il seems it's 45gB, a little heavier than CSS.


----------



## Michael Antrum (Sep 7, 2017)

Is that the compressed size ? 

If so, that seems a bit big in the hugeness department.


----------



## ghandizilla (Sep 7, 2017)

It's the compressed size. According to the website, it requires 90gB for the installation.


----------



## synthpunk (Sep 7, 2017)

Don't worry, from what I hear brass and Woodwinds is on the Fire next. After that, double bass please Alex 



Jdiggity1 said:


> Enough with the strings. We want the winds! (Brass included)


----------



## Batrawi (Sep 7, 2017)

ghandizilla said:


> It's the compressed size. According to the website, it requires 90gB for the installation.



That's surprising! 
Yet not surprising! As what I can hear from the demos, CSSS has surpassed CSS in quality sonically and even from a programming/scripting perspective...it sounds more fluent (as a soloist should be)

@Alex W 
On that note I have an imoportant question: I heard you saying in the demo that the portamento won't work if the vibrato is switched off. Does this imply that all other legato speeds will work perfectly when vibrato is off? (unlike CSS which doesnt play real legato when Vb is off -which I hope can be improved in a future update)


----------



## prodigalson (Sep 7, 2017)

Tekkera said:


> Does an impulse response of this studio exist?



Altiverb has an IR for Trackdown Studios


----------



## ghandizilla (Sep 7, 2017)

CSSS is a bit more deep sampled than CSS, but we're talking about solo strings. Some of the most challenging instruments to sample, ever. It's reasonable to be amazed at the quality of the library, since it's amazingly agile in only 45gB for such exposed instruments !


----------



## JohnBMears (Sep 7, 2017)

Tekkera said:


> Does an impulse response of this studio exist?


There is an impulse of Trackdown in Altiverb.


----------



## jamwerks (Sep 7, 2017)

synthpunk said:


> Don't worry, from what I hear brass and Woodwinds is on the Fire next. After that, double bass please Alex


+1, Yes need also the solo double bass!


----------



## ghandizilla (Sep 7, 2017)

The impulses are very different of the reality (as Mike Verta says in his Virtuosity masterclass). So the question is: which ER to make CSSS sit with other libraries ?


----------



## Sid Francis (Sep 7, 2017)

rottoy said:


> Just so there's no confusion, I just re-posted what Jeremiah Pena posted earlier.



Oh wow...I listened to the dressed version and did not even recognize it naked  So thanks to you both haha.


----------



## Vik (Sep 7, 2017)

jamwerks said:


> Alex, I'd love for you to do also a chamber size library (4 players each) with again identical articulations.


Make that 5 (or 6) please. 
The solo strings demos sound great btw, especially the long notes.


----------



## midiman (Sep 7, 2017)

jamwerks said:


> +1, Yes need also the solo double bass!



+2 for Double Bass!!


----------



## NoamL (Sep 7, 2017)

Erik said:


> Any information about the _range _of the strings?



The ranges are the same as CSS; so the cello plays up to G4, C5 for the viola and D6 for the violins.


----------



## dcoscina (Sep 7, 2017)

Saxer said:


> Could become my favorite string ensemble patch: CSSS plus a touch of CSS.
> Out of the box here...



Geez this is really nice stuff.


----------



## NoamL (Sep 7, 2017)

sostenuto said:


> *The Simon Leadley Scoring Stage* is clearly unique. Is there a different, well-known, venue with which it compares most closely/favorably ??



As a matter of pure size/dimension, it reminds me of Teldex, just a bit drier. And when I looked it up: Trackdown is 440 square meters, while Teldex is 455. The photos below also show how similar the spaces are. When Grim and I were working on the Harry Potter mockup, we had little trouble blending CSS with Berlin Winds and Brass.


----------



## Batrawi (Sep 7, 2017)

Those who have played with it, can you please confirm that the slow/medium/fast legatos play smoothly when vibrato is off


----------



## sostenuto (Sep 7, 2017)

NoamL said:


> As a matter of pure size/dimension, it reminds me of Teldex, just a bit drier. And when I looked it up: Trackdown is 440 square meters, while Teldex is 455. The photos below also show how similar the spaces are. When Grim and I were working on the Harry Potter mockup, we had little trouble blending CSS with Berlin Winds and Brass.



Thank-you so much !! Teldex, AIR, were of interest as someone quite new to much of this. 
Native So. Californian, but not so aware of venues there in spite of many fine facilities. 

THX for Harry Potter _ CSS / Berlin Winds_Brass comment !


----------



## wbacer (Sep 7, 2017)

wbacer said:


> I ran the CSS 1.5 updater and it appears to have worked but I don't see anything in the CSS folder or in Kontakt or in the GUI that says version 1.5
> How can we tell if the update was successful?


FYI, I emailed Alex regarding the 1.5 update and this is what he said;
If the update worked, you should see "version 1.5" down the bottom of Kontakt when you load one of the patches. You can also click the "C" part of the logo on our GUI to display the message again if you have already loaded a patch.

I hope that helps!

Best,
Alex


----------



## jeremiahpena (Sep 7, 2017)

Batrawi said:


> Those who have played with it, can you please confirm that the slow/medium/fast legatos play smoothly when vibrato is off



The legato works great at all three speeds without vibrato, a nice improvement from CSS.


----------



## sherief83 (Sep 7, 2017)

wish I could get this soon...sounds fantastic and now I'm counting the seconds to own it!


----------



## tabulius (Sep 8, 2017)

Weird. When adding CSSS library to Kontakt it crashed. Anyone else had this issue? I have a 5.6.6 version of Kontakt. I never had this problem before. I don't want to try out any updates now when I'm middle of a project and I've heard that there have been some issues with latest Kontakt updates.

But without going too off-topic, the library sounded really great in the demos. After few songs, I pressed the buy button :D


----------



## Saxer (Sep 8, 2017)

tabulius said:


> Weird. When adding CSSS library to Kontakt it crashed. Anyone else had this issue? I have a 5.6.6 version of Kontakt. I never had this problem before. I don't want to try out any updates now when I'm middle of a project and I've heard that there have been some issues with latest Kontakt updates.
> 
> But without going too off-topic, the library sounded really great in the demos. After few songs, I pressed the buy button :D


Needs Kontakt 5.6.8


----------



## Christof (Sep 8, 2017)

I just did a very simple short demo piece which features CSSS 2nd violin as soloist, the short articulations are wonderful, legato is okay but anyway great for a solo string sample library, which is probably the hardest thing to sample besides vocals.
Funny that the 2nd violin sounds far better than the 1st violin, it's probably a player with a nicer tone.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/1r9llywyrysnp94/CSSS%20tiny%20walz_1st%20violin%20solo.mp3?dl=0 (Here) is the same piece with the 1st violin playing the solo.


----------



## tabulius (Sep 8, 2017)

Saxer said:


> Needs Kontakt 5.6.8



Right. After I have finished this project I'll try out the upgrade.


----------



## Steve Martin (Sep 8, 2017)

Saxer said:


> Could become my favorite string ensemble patch: CSSS plus a touch of CSS.
> Out of the box here...



hi Saxer - Beautiful -beautiful. this sounds amazing. so expressive. Loved listening to your track


----------



## Christof (Sep 8, 2017)

Steve Martin said:


> hi Saxer - Beautiful -beautiful. this sounds amazing. so expressive. Loved listening to your track


Steve said it all.Very good string programming and great music!


----------



## rottoy (Sep 8, 2017)

Christof said:


> I just did a very simple short demo piece which features CSSS 2nd violin as soloist, the short articulations are wonderful, legato is okay but anyway great for a solo string sample library, which is probably the hardest thing to sample besides vocals.
> Funny that the 2nd violin sounds far better than the 1st violin, it's probably a player with a nicer tone.
> 
> 
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/1r9llywyrysnp94/CSSS%20tiny%20walz_1st%20violin%20solo.mp3?dl=0 (Here) is the same piece with the 1st violin playing the solo.



I love how the transition between each articulation is so fluid in this library. 
First time I've experienced that.


----------



## SoNowWhat? (Sep 8, 2017)

Christof said:


> I just did a very simple short demo piece which features CSSS 2nd violin as soloist, the short articulations are wonderful, legato is okay but anyway great for a solo string sample library, which is probably the hardest thing to sample besides vocals.
> Funny that the 2nd violin sounds far better than the 1st violin, it's probably a player with a nicer tone.
> 
> 
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/1r9llywyrysnp94/CSSS%20tiny%20walz_1st%20violin%20solo.mp3?dl=0 (Here) is the same piece with the 1st violin playing the solo.



I'm waiting to hear The Robber with CSSS 

I've been waiting for this for so long while at the same time knowing Alex and team needed to get it done right. Sounds fantastic. Well worth the wait and not sorry I held off any sample library purchases recently (wasn't easy).


----------



## axb312 (Sep 8, 2017)

Christof said:


> Steve said it all.Very good string programming and great music!


Hi Christof ,

Is it possible to pan the violin to the center?


----------



## axb312 (Sep 8, 2017)

Saxer said:


> Could become my favorite string ensemble patch: CSSS plus a touch of CSS.
> Out of the box here...



Is the background noise intentional?


----------



## markleake (Sep 8, 2017)

SoNowWhat? said:


> I'm waiting to hear The Robber with CSSS


He already posted it. I think it was in the Sample Talk thread.


----------



## Christof (Sep 8, 2017)

markleake said:


> He already posted it. I think it was in the Sample Talk thread.


Yep, here it is again(CSSS only),

and both libraries together:


----------



## Arbee (Sep 8, 2017)

This sounds exquisite. Are there vibrato variations in the articulations list (e.g. with, without, progressive)?


----------



## SoNowWhat? (Sep 8, 2017)

Christof said:


> Yep, here it is again(CSSS only),
> 
> and both libraries together:



Brilliant! I love this place.


----------



## Christof (Sep 8, 2017)

Arbee said:


> This sounds exquisite. Are there vibrato variations in the articulations list (e.g. with, without, progressive)?


Well, you can crossfade from non vibrato to vibrato by midi cc, but no dedicated patches.


----------



## Saxer (Sep 8, 2017)

axb312 said:


> Is the background noise intentional?


No.


----------



## Erik (Sep 8, 2017)

Herewith a small piece for string trio, that I wrote years back: _Horo staccato_. Traditional rhythms form Bulgaria but in a modern version, the time signature is 11/16 (4+3+4). It was a delight to hear this piece with these fabulous solo strings, a bit intentional roughly performed. Never got this better with other stuff. I hope you'll enjoy.
I was so pleased with the abundance of shorts of these strings. 
So here we go on the shorts...


----------



## Dirk Ehlert (Sep 8, 2017)

Here's the track that I did a year ago in my CWVI stream on CSS - now layered with CSSS:  

CSSS + CSS (-6dB) + CSP + a touch of Slate VSC Boston hall A 

They work so freaking perfect together. Awesome job Alex & team


----------



## rottoy (Sep 8, 2017)

So I finally caved and bought these super sexy strings.
Decided to try them out on the opening of "Bittersweet Symphony"
It just further confirmed what I heard earlier; 
Sampled solo strings have NEVER sounded as good.

Since the constellation lacked a contrabass, I took the liberty of adding the Cinestrings Solo Bass to the mix.
Worked splendidly!


----------



## sostenuto (Sep 8, 2017)

rottoy said:


> So I finally caved and bought these super sexy strings.
> Decided to try them out on the opening of "Bittersweet Symphony"
> It just further confirmed what I heard earlier;
> Sampled solo strings have NEVER sounded as good.
> ...




Cinestrings Solo Bass or Contrabass from CORE ?


----------



## rottoy (Sep 8, 2017)

sostenuto said:


> Cinestrings Solo Bass or Contrabass from CORE ?


Cinestrings Solo Bass.


----------



## sostenuto (Sep 8, 2017)

rottoy said:


> Cinestrings Solo Bass.



THX. Overlooked no Bass in CSSS ...


----------



## NoamL (Sep 8, 2017)

No wonder this library took forever. Alex and his team did some _*really*_ good programming on this. Check it out!



I think for me this library will become an indispensable "component" of CSS (loaded into the same Kontakt instance, not on separate tracks as shown here). Twice the RAM, but it's worth it.

EDIT: it's funny, I just realized something... for a long time I've thought that the CSS basses were just a tiny bit too loud at the same point on the modwheel as the other strings, and now I realize that's by design because they don't have a soloist. CSS was designed with CSSS in mind from the very beginning. Amazing.


----------



## muziksculp (Sep 8, 2017)

Hi,

A bit late to the party, I just ordered CSSS 

So many great sounding demos here, CSSS sounds wonderful. Thanks for all the user feedback on the forum.

Congratulations to Alex, and his crew, for producing this great sounding library, and Thanks for the discount offer for CSS owners, An Awesome Library, at an Awesome Price !

Cheers,
Muziksculp


----------



## Robo Rivard (Sep 8, 2017)

I have a little question: on the FAQ page, it says that we need 45 GB of hard drive space for the library, but my fully installed folder reads 38.7 GB.

Is there any material missing?... The installation went well and the product is authorized.

That library is to die for, congrats!


----------



## BenG (Sep 8, 2017)

rottoy said:


> So I finally caved and bought these super sexy strings.
> Decided to try them out on the opening of "Bittersweet Symphony"
> It just further confirmed what I heard earlier;
> Sampled solo strings have NEVER sounded as good.
> ...




This sounds fantastic!

At first, I was a bit skeptical since I have heard many (not so good) renditions of this piece. The library is really exposed in this context and it sounds surpisbgy good. 

Great job!


----------



## Sid Francis (Sep 8, 2017)

Christof said:


> I just did a very simple short demo piece which features CSSS 2nd violin as soloist, the short articulations are wonderful, legato is okay but anyway great for a solo string sample library, which is probably the hardest thing to sample besides vocals.
> Funny that the 2nd violin sounds far better than the 1st violin, it's probably a player with a nicer tone.
> 
> 
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/1r9llywyrysnp94/CSSS%20tiny%20walz_1st%20violin%20solo.mp3?dl=0 (Here) is the same piece with the 1st violin playing the solo.




Thank you so much for this: right you are: much more expressive and much better for solo work.


----------



## synergy543 (Sep 8, 2017)

wbacer said:


> FYI, I emailed Alex regarding the 1.5 update and this is what he said;
> If the update worked, you should see "version 1.5" down the bottom of Kontakt when you load one of the patches. You can also click the "C" part of the logo on our GUI to display the message again if you have already loaded a patch.
> 
> I hope that helps!
> ...


Hmmm....well my update didn't work. So then how do we fix it? I tried Vin's suggestion though apparently that didn't work.


----------



## Thorsten Meyer (Sep 9, 2017)

Saxer said:


> Could become my favorite string ensemble patch: CSSS plus a touch of CSS.
> Out of the box here...



Amazing, love it.


----------



## Thorsten Meyer (Sep 9, 2017)

Christof said:


> Yep, here it is again(CSSS only),
> 
> and both libraries together:



Thank you, Christof


----------



## axb312 (Sep 9, 2017)

Guys ,

Is there a way to change the panning of individual instruments here? If I want to use V1 or V2 as a solo violin, center panned?


----------



## rottoy (Sep 9, 2017)

axb312 said:


> Guys ,
> 
> Is there a way to change the panning of individual instruments here? If I want to use V1 or V2 as a solo violin, center panned?


I found to my delight that the close mics are COMPLETELY pannable.


----------



## mac (Sep 9, 2017)

@NoamL In all the years I've used logic, I've never seen those green circles to the right of the track names, what are they?


----------



## Fer (Sep 9, 2017)

This was me while composing this:Pure joy; i cant belive how good this library is. Alex: 
One question.. the levels of the library are very quiet, i supose that they are the natural relative levels in relation to CSS? i havent tried to use both at the same time yet.


----------



## Steve Martin (Sep 9, 2017)

Christof said:


> Yep, here it is again(CSSS only),
> 
> and both libraries together:



Chris, your original music here and your programming of these strings is just absolutely brilliant. It sounds great! thanks for sharing this. You're music and programming of sound libraries is always amazing sounding and inspires me!


----------



## NoamL (Sep 9, 2017)

Fer said:


> This was me while composing this:Pure joy; i cant belive how good this library is. Alex:
> One question.. the levels of the library are very quiet, i supose that they are the natural relative levels in relation to CSS? i havent tried to use both at the same time yet.




LOL that sneaky Elgar reference!  Love it!



mac said:


> @NoamL In all the years I've used logic, I've never seen those green circles to the right of the track names, what are they?



Those just show which tracks are outputting audio. Not sure how to turn them on or off..


----------



## Harry (Sep 9, 2017)

muziksculp said:


> Hi,
> 
> A bit late to the party, I just ordered CSSS


A bit late to the party??!! Its only been out a couple of days ..


----------



## muziksculp (Sep 9, 2017)

Harry said:


> A bit late to the party??!! Its only been out a couple of days ..



haha.. A couple days is late for this party


----------



## SoNowWhat? (Sep 9, 2017)

Harry said:


> A bit late to the party??!! Its only been out a couple of days ..


#instabuy

Having said that I'm still sorting mine out. Should be all go soon.


----------



## muziksculp (Sep 9, 2017)

Hi,

Can someone check this, I hear a weird string snap type of sound when playing the notes E1 then G#1 when using the *Classic Legato Cello (sustain Art.)* patch. The snap sound is very audible, most likely the legato transition sample needs some editing to fix it. Maybe Alex can test this as well. 

Thanks,
Muziksculp


----------



## SoNowWhat? (Sep 10, 2017)

d/l now...(went all in with CSS and CSSS).


----------



## midiman (Sep 10, 2017)

Fer said:


> This was me while composing this:Pure joy; i cant belive how good this library is. Alex:
> One question.. the levels of the library are very quiet, i supose that they are the natural relative levels in relation to CSS? i havent tried to use both at the same time yet.




Very cool piece! CSSS sounding very good.


----------



## muk (Sep 10, 2017)

First test run with my new library. It rocks for the romantic music @Saxer gave such a wonderful example of. And it rocks as first chairs to give definition and intimacy to CSS. But I wanted to know how well it fares for more classical music, so I arranged a bit of Beethoven for String Quartet.

CSSS out of the box:

https://app.box.com/s/76rawzphhwcmbp7j6dv6x9lranltg3fp

CSSS treated:

https://app.box.com/s/dtscufmycwp0aw0r8d9sp9d1675milic

I am very happy with my purchase.


----------



## rottoy (Sep 10, 2017)

muk said:


> First test run with my new library. It rocks for the romantic music Saxer gave such a wonderful example of. And it rocks as first chairs to give definition and intimacy to CSS. But I wanted to know how well it fares for more classical music, so I arranged a bit of Beethoven for String Quartet.
> 
> CSSS out of the box:
> 
> ...


It literally has no equal in this area.


----------



## N.Caffrey (Sep 10, 2017)

muk said:


> First test run with my new library. It rocks for the romantic music Saxer gave such a wonderful example of. And it rocks as first chairs to give definition and intimacy to CSS. But I wanted to know how well it fares for more classical music, so I arranged a bit of Beethoven for String Quartet.
> 
> CSSS out of the box:
> 
> ...


Love it! How did you treat it? sounds like a lot of the noise has gone away.


----------



## muk (Sep 10, 2017)

Thank you Mr. Caffrey!



N.Caffrey said:


> How did you treat it?



There is very little I did. I switched off the main mic and used the close mic and room mic. The wide stereo spread comes from the main mic mainly. That's great for first chair use, but a string quartet would be seated a bit more closely together. So using only the other two mics I could get that. Other than that I applied a gentle bit of reverb, and that's all. No eq, no compression applied.


----------



## rottoy (Sep 10, 2017)

Some observations about the close mic;
* Roughly half the RAM usage compared to the other mics, which I really enjoy.
* As dry and close as it gets in a studio setting.
* Mono, so completely pannable.


----------



## Fer (Sep 10, 2017)

Hey @NoamL! haha cannot say about the Elgar connection, im not very familiarizated with his music but thanks hah 
Thanks midiman!

Im finding this library VERY easy to use; and again like in CSS the consistence is a key factor. I m also finding that with all the available resources of the library you can fine tunning your expression intentions a lot with good results


----------



## kavinsky (Sep 10, 2017)

Fer said:


> Im finding this library VERY easy to use; and again like in CSS the consistence is a key factor. I m also finding that with all the available resources of the library you can fine tunning your expression intentions a lot with good results


great demo!
all of the user demos in this thread are sounding really good.


----------



## Harry (Sep 10, 2017)

Saxer said:


> Could become my favorite string ensemble patch: CSSS plus a touch of CSS.
> Out of the box here...



Really nice piece this. Is it simply the CSSS Full Ensemble and the CSS Full Ensemble playing together? Out of the Box?


----------



## Saxer (Sep 10, 2017)

Harry said:


> Really nice piece this. Is it simply the CSSS Full Ensemble and the CSS Full Ensemble playing together? Out of the Box?


Yepp... nothing else. And it's not really a 'piece'. It's trying a few section-compatible chords in different ranges of the ensemble patch.


----------



## Christof (Sep 10, 2017)

Saxer said:


> It's trying a few section-compatible chords in different ranges of the ensemble patch.


Well, thats what most good music is made of!


----------



## SoNowWhat? (Sep 11, 2017)

Robo Rivard said:


> I have a little question: on the FAQ page, it says that we need 45 GB of hard drive space for the library, but my fully installed folder reads 38.7 GB.
> 
> Is there any material missing?... The installation went well and the product is authorized.
> 
> That library is to die for, congrats!


I have the same here. Anyone else checked the size of the install folder?


----------



## jononotbono (Sep 11, 2017)

Just pulled the trigger. Really excited about this and thank you so much for the Loyalty discount Alex!


----------



## muk (Sep 11, 2017)

Ok, I made another mockup to test CSSS as soloists in a string section and as first chairs for CSS. Here is a link if anybody is interested in hearing it:

https://vi-control.net/community/th...inor-arranged-for-strings.64913/#post-4128284


----------



## JPComposer (Sep 12, 2017)

Bought. Great library and great developer.


----------



## galactic orange (Sep 12, 2017)

SoNowWhat? said:


> I have the same here. Anyone else checked the size of the install folder?


Still no official word on this? I'd like to be sure I have all the files I'm supposed to have.


----------



## LamaRose (Sep 12, 2017)

Sounds wonderful, Alex... and thanks so much for the unrestricted loyalty discount! As soon as I get out of debtors prison, I'm skipping Disney World and heading straight for CSSS!


----------



## rottoy (Sep 12, 2017)

A short original piece made entirely with CSSS.


----------



## muziksculp (Sep 12, 2017)

rottoy said:


> A short original piece made entirely with CSSS.




Hi rottoy,

Very nice track ! Thanks for sharing. 

Q. What Reverb are you using ? or is this track out of the box ? 

Cheers,
Muziksculp


----------



## rottoy (Sep 12, 2017)

muziksculp said:


> Hi rottoy,
> 
> Very nice track ! Thanks for sharing.
> 
> ...


ValhallaRoom is my bae.


----------



## muziksculp (Sep 12, 2017)

rottoy said:


> ValhallaRoom is my bae.



Thanks. ValhallaRoom sounds very nice here. Sounds very warm. 

Have you experimented with other reverb options on this track ?


----------



## rottoy (Sep 12, 2017)

muziksculp said:


> Thanks. ValhallaRoom sounds very nice here. Sounds very warm.
> 
> Have you experimented with other reverb options on this track ?


I decided several years ago that I was going to get the most out of ValhallaRoom when I bought it, since I enjoyed the sound so much. So that means I never invested in any other reverbs, other than dabbling with freebies such as Ambience and MatrixReverb.

To answer your question; No, I didn't try any other reverbs on this track.


----------



## muziksculp (Sep 12, 2017)

rottoy said:


> I decided several years ago that I was going to get the most out of ValhallaRoom when I bought it, since I enjoyed the sound so much. So that means I never invested in any other reverbs, other than dabbling with freebies such as Ambience and MatrixReverb.



Interesting. ValhallaRoom sounds great here, I need to use it more myself. I tend to go for Exponential Audio's PheonixVerb as my first option for Strings. 

Thanks,
Muziksculp


----------



## Sid Francis (Sep 12, 2017)

Wonderful, Rottoy...


----------



## midiman (Sep 12, 2017)

rottoy said:


> A short original piece made entirely with CSSS.



Fantastic piece. And boy does CSSS sound good here or what. Great job Rottoy.


----------



## SoNowWhat? (Sep 13, 2017)

rottoy said:


> A short original piece made entirely with CSSS.



Really like the style of this one. You've inspired me. All I need now is some time to try and convert that to output.


----------



## synthpunk (Sep 13, 2017)

I instantly thought of John Adams and Desplat well done.



SoNowWhat? said:


> Really like the style of this one. You've inspired me. All I need now is some time to try and convert that to output.


----------



## rottoy (Sep 13, 2017)

Glad you guys and gals enjoyed it!
I kept CC1 dialed almost all the way back for the legato passages.
Also I don't know if it's Kontakt 5.6.8, my computer or the library itself, but using CSSS makes my DAW sweat like there's no tomorrow.


----------



## LamaRose (Sep 13, 2017)

rottoy said:


> A short original piece made entirely with CSSS.




I say, a rather ripping cue. Well done, old man.


----------



## LamaRose (Sep 13, 2017)

rottoy said:


> CSSS makes my DAW sweat like there's no tomorrow.



Can you share which DAW you are using and the basic computer specs? Thanks.


----------



## rottoy (Sep 13, 2017)

LamaRose said:


> Can you share which DAW you are using and the basic computer specs? Thanks.


To be honest, the likely culprit is my current mere 10 gigs of RAM. But that's going to be remedied soon, I hope.


----------



## Pedro Camacho (Sep 14, 2017)

Patrick de Caumette said:


> One comment about Alex's policies: I personally feel that his are some of the fairest, most honest in the business!
> Alex is not trying to bait people with the usual "loyalty discount that will expire in two weeks" but gives loyal customers a discount with no expiration date.
> Refreshing


100% correct.

I remember speaking with Alex long ago. He was very kind and offered me his first library, CS, to test out.
It had some issues that were then solved with CS2.
I purchased CS2 and didn't regret it.

The loyalty discounts alone on CSS and CSSS now were worth the purchase of CS2.
Thank you @Alex W .


----------



## Daisser (Sep 14, 2017)

It really is a beautiful sounding library and the patches are very fun to play. This is what I came up with when messing with the library. The melody lines are played by CSSS and I support the piece with some pad strings / CSS bass. Some of the other demos are really amazing (I'm not at that level) but I hope this helps to highlight some of the good parts of this library.

EDIT: I made a few changes that should allow for a smoother flow of the melody.


----------



## constaneum (Sep 14, 2017)

rottoy said:


> I decided several years ago that I was going to get the most out of ValhallaRoom when I bought it, since I enjoyed the sound so much. So that means I never invested in any other reverbs, other than dabbling with freebies such as Ambience and MatrixReverb.
> 
> To answer your question; No, I didn't try any other reverbs on this track.



mind to share the ValhallaRoom reverb setting if you dont mind? hehe


----------



## theiss1979 (Sep 14, 2017)

muziksculp said:


> Hi,
> 
> Can someone check this, I hear a weird string snap type of sound when playing the notes E1 then G#1 when using the *Classic Legato Cello (sustain Art.)* patch. The snap sound is very audible, most likely the legato transition sample needs some editing to fix it. Maybe Alex can test this as well.
> 
> ...



Could you please provide an audio example?


----------



## prodigalson (Sep 14, 2017)

anyone have an idea about how to re-add a library to the library pane in Kontakt 5.6.8?? I've been having huge issues with the download and installation of CSSS from the installer stopping itself to incomplete downloads and now I finally got it all downloaded and installed but the GUI showed up all effed up on loading the first patch. I tried to remove the library with the idea of trying to readd it but now every time I try to 'add library' in kontakt, Native Access shows up asking for the same serial number every time and when I put in that serial number it registers it but no library shows up in the pane. Selecting the library in native access shows it as installed and up to date so there's no option to add it to the library pane. I just want to play with these sounds!! 

Thanks Native Access and Kontakt 5.6.8!!


----------



## synergy543 (Sep 14, 2017)

I don't have Kontakt open now but check in the Kontakt preferences (gear icon), there is a new Library pane and I think you can turn removed libraries back on there.


----------



## eli0s (Sep 15, 2017)

muziksculp said:


> Hi,
> 
> Can someone check this, I hear a weird string snap type of sound when playing the notes E1 then G#1 when using the *Classic Legato Cello (sustain Art.)* patch. The snap sound is very audible, most likely the legato transition sample needs some editing to fix it. Maybe Alex can test this as well.
> 
> ...



I can confirm that. It is audible on the regular patch (CSSS Cello.nki) also. It happens in the transition on the upper dynamics with vibrato.


----------



## rottoy (Sep 15, 2017)

constaneum said:


> mind to share the ValhallaRoom reverb setting if you dont mind? hehe


I'm not sure I can be arsed. There's several instances on the master, all tweaked custom.

Sorry, I might jot it all down some day.


----------



## prodigalson (Sep 15, 2017)

synergy543 said:


> I don't have Kontakt open now but check in the Kontakt preferences (gear icon), there is a new Library pane and I think you can turn removed libraries back on there.



Great thanks!!


----------



## DocMidi657 (Sep 15, 2017)

prodigalson said:


> anyone have an idea about how to re-add a library to the library pane in Kontakt 5.6.8?? I've been having huge issues with the download and installation of CSSS from the installer stopping itself to incomplete downloads and now I finally got it all downloaded and installed but the GUI showed up all effed up on loading the first patch. I tried to remove the library with the idea of trying to readd it but now every time I try to 'add library' in kontakt, Native Access shows up asking for the same serial number every time and when I put in that serial number it registers it but no library shows up in the pane. Selecting the library in native access shows it as installed and up to date so there's no option to add it to the library pane. I just want to play with these sounds!!
> 
> Thanks Native Access and Kontakt 5.6.8!!


I did the exact thing as you and had the same exact issue and thought doing what you did would fix it as well and yes it was super frustrating when it did not and I could not load the Library back in. I called Native instruments and in short Native Access is confused and does not know you deleted the library in Kontakt. I know this should not be the case 

Here's the fix ..you have to delete the Preference file for Cinematic Studio Strings, empty the trash and restart your mac. it will be the prefernce file that has Native Instruments and Cinematic Studio Strings in it's file name inclusive. ....here's the path (see below) and hope that helps you! After you do this you can add the file again as Native Access now knows it's removed and will let you reinstall. Also why you may have had an issue I think in the beginning not loading is you need to do a Batch resave right away, as my first time loading a patch took a zillion years with this library (beach ball for awhile) , not sure why? as I have done this a zillion times with others and though slow before a batch resave not long like this one was.

Macintosh HD > Library > Preferences > com.native-instruments.*Product Name*.plist


----------



## prodigalson (Sep 15, 2017)

DocMidi657 said:


> I did the exact thing as you and had the same exact issue and thought doing what you did would fix it as well and yes it was super frustrating when it did not and I could not load the Library back in. I called Native instruments and in short Native Access is confused and does not know you deleted the library in Kontakt. I know this should not be the case
> 
> Here's the fix ..you have to delete the Preference file for Cinematic Studio Strings, empty the trash and restart your mac. it will be the prefernce file that has Native Instruments and Cinematic Studio Strings in it's file name inclusive. ....here's the path (see below) and hope that helps you! After you do this you can add the file again as Native Access now knows it's removed and will let you reinstall. Also why you may have had an issue I think in the beginning not loading is you need to do a Batch resave right away, as my first time loading a patch took a zillion years with this library (beach ball for awhile) , not sure why? as I have done this a zillion times with others and though slow before a batch resave not long like this one was.
> 
> Macintosh HD > Library > Preferences > com.native-instruments.*Product Name*.plist



Thanks but actually Synergy453's advice worked like a charm. just go into the librarie's pane in kontakts preferences and recheck the box for CSSS and there it was back again. And somehow the GUI issues were also resolved. very strange.

Anyway, finally playing around with CSSS and indeed it adds a whole new layer of detail and dimension to CSS. this will definitely be the bulk of how I use it I think.


----------



## muziksculp (Sep 15, 2017)

theiss1979 said:


> Could you please provide an audio example?



Here you go, it happens when playing the notes E1 then G#1 Legato Style, on the Classic Cello Sustain, and the standard Cello Sustain Articulation, at the highest dynamic range, with Vibrato Enabled.


----------



## YourMasters (Sep 15, 2017)

Hey guys!
I know, first post on VI-Control  but I've been following a lot of threads for quite some time. So "Hello all"! 

Reason I'm writing: *NKS-implementation*. Has anyone of you managed to import CSSS into Komplete Kontrol? I had no issues with downloading the library and no issues adding the library into Kontakt Version 5.6.8. And usually, when opening the standalone-version of Komplete Kontrol, it adds an NKS-ready library automatically (had no problem with CSS and CSP back then). But not this time. No matter what I do and how many rescans I make, it won't be added into KK. I can add it in the User-Library-Tab but that's not where I want it... 

I've already checked the list on Native Instruments for NKS-partners and under Cinematic Studio Series there are only CSS and CSP. Maybe the NKS-support for CSSS is not ready yet?

I've also checked all my NI-relevant directories on my MacBook (like Application Support and Preferences) and it looks all good. CSSS, CSS and CSP are all showing up correctly everywhere.

I just wanted to ask here first before getting in touch with CS-support. Maybe some of you had no problem adding the library into KK so the problem would definitely be on my side.

Thanks for any comments about this.

Cheers, Stefan


----------



## theiss1979 (Sep 16, 2017)

muziksculp said:


> Here you go, it happens when playing the notes E1 then G#1 Legato Style, on the Classic Cello Sustain, and the standard Cello Sustain Articulation, at the highest dynamic range, with Vibrato Enabled.




Yep, there's definitely an annoying click within that transition. As eli0s said, it's also in the regular Cello patch. Best option would be to directly inform Alex about this.


----------



## col (Sep 16, 2017)

Is everyone getting their normal download speeds for this product through the Cinematic Series Installer ?
I have a reasonable connection here but showing really slow download speed via the installer.
Cheers


----------



## YourMasters (Sep 18, 2017)

YourMasters said:


> Hey guys!
> I know, first post on VI-Control  but I've been following a lot of threads for quite some time. So "Hello all"!
> 
> Reason I'm writing: *NKS-implementation*. Has anyone of you managed to import CSSS into Komplete Kontrol? I had no issues with downloading the library and no issues adding the library into Kontakt Version 5.6.8. And usually, when opening the standalone-version of Komplete Kontrol, it adds an NKS-ready library automatically (had no problem with CSS and CSP back then). But not this time. No matter what I do and how many rescans I make, it won't be added into KK. I can add it in the User-Library-Tab but that's not where I want it...
> ...



To answer my own question and in case anybody is interested in NKS-support as well, I just got a reply from Alex telling me the following:

"Hi Stefan,

Sorry about that - we're releasing an update shortly that will add Komplete Kontrol support - we just had to tweak a couple of minor things. Won't be long!

Best,
Alex "

So I simply need to be a little bit patient.


----------



## JTJohnson (Sep 18, 2017)

Saxer said:


> Could become my favorite string ensemble patch: CSSS plus a touch of CSS.
> Out of the box here...



Chord progression is something else here. So good


----------



## lumcas (Sep 19, 2017)

I just couldn't help it and bought the library as my birthday present today. Still downloading...

Thank you Alex not only for a generous but also - and let me stress this once again - NON EXPIRING - loyalty discount. I can't wait to get my hands on CSS soon and thanks to your policy I'll be able to make it happen!


----------



## col (Sep 26, 2017)

rottoy said:


> Having used this library for a while now, there's something that sounds like a *crossfade *in the *sustain / legato articulation.*
> Instead of a *rebow*, it sounds like a grafted on *sustain* part that has a markedly *different vibrato*.



Not sure if I read you right but :
If you leave the sustain pedal on and repeat the note you want to hold you get a change of bow and at different speeds depending on velocity. Sounds more natural than holding a note longer than a real player can actually play.

I also find longs not quite as intuitive as the shorts but with midi massaging they come up pretty good.


----------



## rottoy (Sep 26, 2017)

col said:


> Not sure if I read you right but :
> If you leave the sustain pedal on and repeat the note you want to hold you get a change of bow and at different speeds depending on velocity. Sounds more natural than holding a note longer than a real player can actually play.
> 
> I also find longs not quite as intuitive as the shorts but with midi massaging they come up pretty good.


You are correct, activating the sustain pedal fixed all my issues. Thanks.


----------



## ZenFaced (Sep 26, 2017)

col said:


> Not sure if I read you right but :
> If you leave the sustain pedal on and repeat the note you want to hold you get a change of bow and at different speeds depending on velocity. Sounds more natural than holding a note longer than a real player can actually play.
> 
> I also find longs not quite as intuitive as the shorts but with midi massaging they come up pretty good.



Good tip!


----------



## eli0s (Sep 27, 2017)

Hello all!

I've just finished a piece using CSSS and I must say that I have mixed feelings about the library. The solo in the second half is Embertone's Joshua Bell violin.



So, I was expecting a set of instruments that will replace any other library for all of my needs in solo strings writing, just as CSS replaced everything and became the staple in my orchestral template! I am afraid that CSSS has some weaknesses that limit their capability when used exposed.
Now, please bear in mind that this is the first time I used the instruments, my skill-set isn't the best and that perhaps the library isn't as suited for my slow paced writing.

Here are some of the more noticeable problems I encountered:

1) There is some cross-fading in dynamics, especially in the 1rst transition (from p to mp).
2) There is even more noticeable cross-fading between non-vibrato and vibrato transitioning.
Both of the above can be hided by trying different legato speed transitions and CC2 envelope timings, however there is need for some trial and error.
3) The marcato articulation doesn't sound good like the legato articulation, however, the latter feels like it is struggling in faster passages.
4) Just like in CSS, there are inconsistencies in volume between the different short articulation styles. I feel that this is by design because some techniques are louder than others, however, the same velocity note can have very different volume and alternating between spiccato / staccatissimo / staccato / Sforzando also needs some trial and error.

All that being said, I really like the sound of the library! I haven't tried yet as 1rst chairs with CSS but I trust it will be adding detail and a "higher frequencies flavor" that I tend to compensate with EQ in CSS.
The recordings are consistent, there isn't any phasing issues and the mixing options are there! If enough effort is put, the library can sound fantastic as a quartet (in my piece I used 2 cellos, I wish there was a Contrabass)! The 2nd violin and the lower register on the viola are amazing!
Rebowing sounds very good (better than CSS in my opinion) and the legato, with a bit of work, can sound great!

I do own Samplemodeling's strings and I was using these up until now. Performance wise they are top-notch, nothing can beat their expressive capabilities, however their sound leaves something to be desired. CSSS blends this gap for me. On a side note, Embertone's new violin does deliver something special! It has it's quirks but this is for an other topic!

Sorry for the long post!

Elias


----------



## N.Caffrey (Sep 27, 2017)

eli0s said:


> Hello all!
> 
> I've just finished a piece using CSSS and I must say that I have mixed feelings about the library. The solo in the second half is Embertone's Joshua Bell violin.
> 
> ...



I really like your composition, very original writing! was it for something? btw strings sound amazing


----------



## eli0s (Sep 27, 2017)

@FGBR Thank you!
@N.Caffrey , I'm glad you liked it! Yes, it's for an educational video presenting Akropolis in Athens, Greece.


----------



## rottoy (Sep 27, 2017)

eli0s said:


> Hello all!
> 
> I've just finished a piece using CSSS and I must say that I have mixed feelings about the library. The solo in the second half is Embertone's Joshua Bell violin.
> 
> ...



Wonderful composition, Elias!


----------



## eli0s (Sep 28, 2017)

rottoy said:


> Wonderful composition, Elias!


Thank you rottoy!


----------



## Batrawi (Sep 28, 2017)

eli0s said:


> Hello all!
> 
> I've just finished a piece using CSSS and I must say that I have mixed feelings about the library. The solo in the second half is Embertone's Joshua Bell violin.
> 
> ...




Wonderful piece. Almost forgot that im listening to a virtual instrument with this Joshua Bell!!! (wondering if I should get it if I already have Bohemian Vilon). 
What percussion is this btw Elias?


----------



## eli0s (Sep 28, 2017)

@Batrawi , Thanks! From what I hear, the Bohemian series can produce some amassing stuff! JB violin has a great sound and flexibility, this is the first time I tried using it (one of the reasons the solo is on the second part is because that's when it come out at the time I was composing the piece), so, I barely scratched the surface of it...

The percussion are a Bendir and a Davul from Ancient Era Persia!

@FGBR , thank you again, perhaps I will!


----------



## yhomas (Sep 28, 2017)

eli0s said:


> Hello all!
> 
> I've just finished a piece using CSSS and I must say that I have mixed feelings about the library. The solo in the second half is Embertone's Joshua Bell violin.




Great!


----------



## germancomponist (Sep 28, 2017)

Today I had the time to experiment more with CSS and I had found out how important it is to use the pedal (CC-64-sustain). Just amazing!

Maybe it is also important to use it with the solo instruments, what I have not bought yet.


----------



## shenrei (Sep 30, 2017)

Just purchased this library yesterday after hearing it and being persuaded by everyones' opinions here! However, I'm running into something strange. Has anyone here tried using it with Ableton Live? I cannot adjust the individual instrument/mic levels, and the panning follows suite.

Note that this only happens for me in Ableton Live. No problems at all in standalone mode, in Sonar, and in Maschine.

Wish I didn't have to update to Kontakt 5.7 but I had to for this lib :(

Watch below:


----------



## Alex W (Oct 1, 2017)

shenrei said:


> Just purchased this library yesterday after hearing it and being persuaded by everyones' opinions here! However, I'm running into something strange. Has anyone here tried using it with Ableton Live? I cannot adjust the individual instrument/mic levels, and the panning follows suite.
> 
> Note that this only happens for me in Ableton Live. No problems at all in standalone mode, in Sonar, and in Maschine.
> 
> Wish I didn't have to update to Kontakt 5.7 but I had to for this lib :(



Hi Shenrei, thanks for purchasing CSSS.  Sorry for the hassle - we know about this issue and are working towards a fix. In fact, we believe we may have one - if you could please contact us via the support button on our website, I'll send you a link to an updated set of patches that will hopefully resolve the issue.

Thanks,
Alex


----------



## shenrei (Oct 1, 2017)

Alex W said:


> Hi Shenrei, thanks for purchasing CSSS.  Sorry for the hassle - we know about this issue and are working towards a fix. In fact, we believe we may have one - if you could please contact us via the support button on our website, I'll send you a link to an updated set of patches that will hopefully resolve the issue.
> 
> Thanks,
> Alex


 
Great to know! Thanks Alex!


----------



## mojamusic (Jan 16, 2018)

Beautiful sound from this library. I thought I had enough strings with Embertone, LASS and Albion ONE oh yeah and VSL solo and chamber, but CSSS... Really tempting


----------



## muziksculp (Jan 16, 2018)

muziksculp said:


> Here you go, it happens when playing the notes E1 then G#1 Legato Style, on the Classic Cello Sustain, and the standard Cello Sustain Articulation, at the highest dynamic range, with Vibrato Enabled.




Hi Alex,

Any plans to fix this issue via an update ?


----------



## Tekkera (Jan 16, 2018)

muziksculp said:


> Hi Alex,
> 
> Any plans to fix this issue via an update ?


CSS also has this at the low range starting on D and through to the G legato transitions. Isn't this just a normal side effect of bowed instruments? It even happens on Symphonic Strings.


----------



## thesteelydane (Jan 16, 2018)

That’s the string hitting the fingerboard, normal in high intensity and passionate playing, when you hit strings with all the force of your left hand. Especially the lowest string has a tendency to that. Apart from that it’s a hallmark of a strong left hand technique, so us players don’t mind, its almost a badge of honor. Maybe not ideal in a sampling session, but difficult not to do when you’re playing with passion.


----------



## paoling (Jan 16, 2018)

While it can be an issue on repeated notes, this is the sound of the strings hitting the board. So that's completely natural and, in my opinion, adds to the realism of the sound.


----------



## Tekkera (Jan 16, 2018)

thesteelydane said:


> That’s the string hitting the fingerboard, normal in high intensity and passionate playing, when you hit strings with all the force of your left hand. Especially the lowest string has a tendency to that. Apart from that it’s a hallmark of a strong left hand technique, so us players don’t mind, its almost a badge of honor. Maybe not ideal in a sampling session, but difficult not to do when you’re playing with passion.


I figured as much, I'm not a cellist so I don't know much about that, but I assumed it had something to do with it. Besides, I think it sounds way better with it as well. I always loved when the strings hit the board from either the bow or hand due to force. Thanks for clearing it up, learn something new everyday


----------



## muziksculp (Jan 16, 2018)

thesteelydane said:


> That’s the string hitting the fingerboard, normal in high intensity and passionate playing, when you hit strings with all the force of your left hand. Especially the lowest string has a tendency to that. Apart from that it’s a hallmark of a strong left hand technique, so us players don’t mind, its almost a badge of honor. Maybe not ideal in a sampling session, but difficult not to do when you’re playing with passion.



Interesting, although this might add some realism if heard once, but in a repetition figure, it would sound odd, and fake. I have not heard this string hit sound in other Solo Cello libraries, and in other cello section libraries, so imho. it is not the norm as far as sample libraries are concerned, and I personally could do without that sound.


----------



## Tekkera (Jan 16, 2018)

muziksculp said:


> Interesting, although this might add some realism if heard once, but in a repetition figure, it would sound odd, and fake. I have not heard this string hit sound in other Solo Cello libraries, and in other cello section libraries, so imho. it is not the norm as far as sample libraries are concerned, and I personally could do without that sound.


I can confirm that it's in symphonic strings and CSS. Which both have or use fingered legato style.


----------



## thesteelydane (Jan 16, 2018)

muziksculp said:


> Interesting, although this might add some realism if heard once, but in a repetition figure, it would sound odd, and fake. I have not heard this string hit sound in other Solo Cello libraries, and in other cello section libraries, so imho. it is not the norm as far as sample libraries are concerned, and I personally could do without that sound.



Its very common. I just did this to show you, that even on viola (as here) and violin, its the same. Sorry for the video being out of sync, used the shitty webcam in my laptop.


----------



## muziksculp (Jan 16, 2018)

thesteelydane said:


> Its very common. I just did this to show you, that even on viola (as here) and violin, its the same. Sorry for the video being out of sync, used the shitty webcam in my laptop.




Hi @thesteelydane Thanks for showing it with a live example.

Cheers,
Muziksculp


----------



## NoamL (Jan 16, 2018)

muziksculp said:


> Interesting, although this might add some realism if heard once, but in a repetition figure, it would sound odd, and fake. I have not heard this string hit sound in other Solo Cello libraries, and in other cello section libraries, so imho. it is not the norm as far as sample libraries are concerned, and I personally could do without that sound.



It's an aspect of playing style. The more "emphatic" the sound, the more likely you will hear those hammer-on sounds from the fingers and from the string bouncing against the fingerboard.

As for instance here, with the great Jacqueline DuPre playing Elgar:



Yo-Yo Ma too:



Without a strong hammer-on, you risk a weak sounding note (because of course the cello has no frets). So the tendency is to really "nail" your notes down especially if you're in the middle of an emotionally intense or technically difficult passage.


----------



## robgb (Jan 16, 2018)

NoamL said:


> As for instance here, with the great Jacqueline DuPre playing Elgar:


Such beautiful playing and this makes me sad since her career was cut short by MS... Sigh.


----------



## ctsai89 (Jan 16, 2018)

I've been teaching cello for 10 years now but I think the primary reason for the hammer on is so that the harmonic or screech sounds that happen when the finger touches the string without going down all the way, could be avoided by hammering on hard or fast.


----------



## Vik (Jun 27, 2018)

Hi all, I have sent this to support as well, but in case that takes time - maybe someone here knows the answer?
I just installed CSSS. When I load both CSS and CSSS into the same Kontakt instance (in Logic Pro), they will after short time switch to show the SAME GUI! They both show the GUI of CSSS. Anyone here seen that and have a solution? Thanks.


----------



## CT (Jun 27, 2018)

Something similar has happened to me using multiple Spitfire libraries in the same instance of Kontakt. I don't think they change to completely identical GUI's, but the mic positions on one will change to those of the other library, as an example.

If it's at all related, it seems to be a Kontakt thing rather than a CS or SF problem.


----------



## Vik (Jun 27, 2018)

Thanks, Miket. The weirdest thing her sis that the GUI changes once I play a MIDI Note. How is that even possible?


----------



## CT (Jun 27, 2018)

I'm not positive, but I think the same thing applies to what I mentioned! Playing a note, or using a controller.


----------



## Vik (Jun 27, 2018)

Do you remember how long ago that was? I just wonder how long that bug has been around.


----------



## CT (Jun 27, 2018)

I only first noticed it within the last several months.


----------



## Vik (Jun 28, 2018)

miket said:


> I only first noticed it within the last several months.


Thanks. Do you also use Logic, or Logic and High Sierra, like me? Maybe it started with High Sierra?

I just tried Kontakt in standalone mode, it doesn't happen then.

I found that it doesn't happen if one instrument is set to Legato mode, while the other isn't. But once I enable Legato for the other instrument as well, they get the same UI.


----------



## Vik (Jun 28, 2018)

Update: tried in Cubase now, the same happens there. And since you have it in a different Library, Miket, it isn't a CSS (only) problem either.


----------



## Vik (Jun 28, 2018)

miket said:


> Something similar has happened to me using multiple Spitfire libraries in the same instance of Kontakt. I don't think they change to completely identical GUI's, but the mic positions on one will change to those of the other library, as an example.
> 
> If it's at all related, it seems to be a Kontakt thing rather than a CS or SF problem.


Hi Miket, it seems that a new Kontakt update (5.8.1) have fixed this. Which version are you using?


----------



## CT (Jun 28, 2018)

I run Logic on Sierra, but I'm still using Kontakt 5.8.0. I'll update soon, and see if it disappears for me.


----------



## NeonMediaKJT (Mar 30, 2020)

Sorry for bumping an older thread, but just wanted to point out something regarding CSS and CSSS. I love how CSSS added legato transitions for non-vibrato. Is there any chance we'll get non-vibrato legato transitions in CSS? I think that would make them even more consistent with each other.


----------



## constaneum (Mar 30, 2020)

NeonMediaKJT said:


> Sorry for bumping an older thread, but just wanted to point out something regarding CSS and CSSS. I love how CSSS added legato transitions for non-vibrato. Is there any chance we'll get non-vibrato legato transitions in CSS? I think that would make them even more consistent with each other.



non vibrato legato transition ? i thought that's already there. just turn the vibrato CC control to 0 ?


----------



## Batrawi (Mar 30, 2020)

NeonMediaKJT said:


> any chance we'll get non-vibrato legato transitions in CSS? I think that would make them even more consistent with each other.


maybe... if they received a good amount of requests from their customers about this (and I already sent mine long time ago)


----------



## VMH (Mar 31, 2020)

constaneum said:


> non vibrato legato transition ? i thought that's already there. just turn the vibrato CC control to 0 ?



Maybe he means recorded legato transitions (thou I'm not sure if CSSS has these)? Isn't the non vibrato legato scripted (simulated) in CSS?


----------



## NeonMediaKJT (Mar 31, 2020)

constaneum said:


> non vibrato legato transition ? i thought that's already there. just turn the vibrato CC control to 0 ?


There is no actual recorded legato for non-vibrato in CSS. There is some kind of basic legato transition on the non-vibrato in CSSS which is better than nothing.


----------



## NeonMediaKJT (Mar 31, 2020)

VMH said:


> Maybe he means recorded legato transitions (thou I'm not sure if CSSS has these)? Isn't the non vibrato legato scripted (simulated) in CSS?


The CSSS non-vibrato sounds like there is an actual transition there. I can hear the bow change.


----------

