# Which sample library made you go "wow this is insanely good"?



## lenny2403 (Jan 29, 2020)

Which one exceeded your expectations?


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## Billy Palmer (Jan 29, 2020)

Olafur Arnalds Evolutions - first library I ever played! Got me into this space


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## N.Caffrey (Jan 29, 2020)

N


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## ALittleNightMusic (Jan 29, 2020)

Audiobros Genesis
BBCSO (just having access to all the instruments easily and recorded in the same space, so great from a workflow speed standpoint IMHO)


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## Studio E (Jan 29, 2020)

It's been a while, but EWQLSO Gold. It was a big deal for me at the time. Still sounds amazing.


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## AdamKmusic (Jan 29, 2020)

S+A Auras & Cycles


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## Jaap (Jan 29, 2020)

LASS did that for me (bought it when it was released)


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## pawelmorytko (Jan 29, 2020)

Noire.

Usually after purchasing a piano library I find some little things that stick out to me and annoy me a little. Like with Emotional Piano, as lovely as it is it has some harsh mids in the harder velocities, or Cinematic Studio Piano feeling a bit thin. Noire really has it all for me and I haven't found a single fault yet.


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## ridgero (Jan 29, 2020)

SCS!

I never believed that I would prefer a chamber sized orchestra rather than a symphony orchestra.


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## Mucusman (Jan 29, 2020)

A second mention for Audiobro Genesis. Always amazed how lovely it sounds every time I use it.


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## Vik (Jan 29, 2020)

lenny2403 said:


> Which one exceeded your expectations?


This thread could possible be interesting for those looking for great string libraries/patches:





Favorite String Ensemble Patches/Libraries?


I'm basically looking for a string ensemble library with a good balance between tone and playability, that could make a final mix for a mid-budget film score. I would layer top lines with Hollywood Strings and CS2. Need standard orchestral sections, not chamber size. Can't afford Spitfire SS...



vi-control.net




Or this.


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## ism (Jan 29, 2020)

Genesis 
Tundra
Orchestral Swarm
OACE
joshua Bell Vl
SSW


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## Mike Fox (Jan 29, 2020)

Afflatus was the last library to give me a samplegasm. 

Some recent honorable mentions...

Musical Sampling - Medusa
PulseSetter Sounds - Detonator:Rage
Strezov Sampling - Storm Choir Ultimate
Spitfire - Tundra
Cinesamples - CB Pro


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## Vangance (Jan 29, 2020)

pawelmorytko said:


> Noire.
> 
> Usually after purchasing a piano library I find some little things that stick out to me and annoy me a little. Like with Emotional Piano, as lovely as it is it has some harsh mids in the harder velocities, or Cinematic Studio Piano feeling a bit thin. Noire really has it all for me and I haven't found a single fault yet.


Galaxy steinway D for me. Will do everything from warm succulent jazz through to live classical concert with appropriate tinkering. Just fabulous...


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## brojd (Jan 29, 2020)

Oceania Choir 
Solid State Symphony
Project SAM Symphobia 1 (a long time ago, but still good)


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## Michael Antrum (Jan 29, 2020)

Symphobia - along time ago too, but wow....

Ivory II American Concert D a few years ago....

VSL Synchron Pianos very recently....


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## Wisco J. (Jan 29, 2020)

Joshua Bell Violin


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## jbuhler (Jan 29, 2020)

N.Caffrey said:


> N


N really is the sample library we all fantasize about.


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## sIR dORT (Jan 29, 2020)

ism said:


> OACE


+1


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## ism (Jan 29, 2020)

There’s another category here. Libraries that don’t necessarily offer (or promise) instant gratification, but really repay effort to understand how to craft performances and/or understand the musicality of it’s sweet spots. 

Spitfire Solo Strings - is archetypal of this. Poor out of the box plonkability. But capable of amazing sounds with a little bit of care and attention to idiomatic performances and the sweet spots of the lib. 

Light and sound chamber strings - is another one. Both because you have to get the hand of crafting dynamics with the sus pedal, which is’t hard, but is quite novel concept. And because there’s a sweet spot in dynamic, flowing, reasonably soft lines (and their contrapuntal interaction) that just isn’t obvious in either initial typical plonkings (and therefore reviews) or the official demos. But I’m starting to get some fabulous sounds that i don’t think any other lib could get.

Insolidus - this does have instant gratification. But it didn’t make my first list because it also has significant limitations that you need to work around/with, and that the marketing works to obscure. Still an immensely brilliant library though.


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## RoyBatty (Jan 29, 2020)

Embertone Joshua Bell
Fluffy Audio Dominus
Audiobro Genesis
Sonicouture Novachord and Ondes Martenet


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Jan 29, 2020)

Got a few: 

Berlin Strings/BWW
CSS/CSB
Glory Days 
Elysion 
Cinebrass Core/Pro/Sonore


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## Mike Fox (Jan 29, 2020)

Michael Antrum said:


> Symphobia - along time ago too, but wow....


Yeah, i was in complete awe when Symphobia first came out. It was so ahead of its time. Classic stuff!


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## STec (Jan 29, 2020)

Without a doubt, Audiobro Genesis!


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## Rick McGuire (Jan 29, 2020)

Spitfire Solo Strings or KeepForest evolution dragon


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## ism (Jan 29, 2020)

The VSL Kontakt 2 factory cello literally brought tears to my eyes when I first played it. 

I was still thinking of Kontakt as a glorified synth, had never heard of ‘true legato’, and had no idea that the technology had advanced to the point where it was even possible to play something the felt so much like an actual cello. 

Playing those first few notes, not expecting much, I was both utterly gobsmacked, and immensely moved.


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## Denkii (Jan 29, 2020)

First that comes to my mind is Dominus.
There are probably more but I'm lazy right now.


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## kessel (Jan 29, 2020)

All from Sonica Japan and Taiko Creator


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## j_kranz (Jan 29, 2020)

N.Caffrey said:


> N


Total game changer


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## gussunkri (Jan 29, 2020)

Joshua bell.


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## Polkasound (Jan 29, 2020)

One such library for me was Native Instruments Session Horns Pro. It was really billed as a section library, so I was not expecting much from the solo instruments, but to my surprise the library turned out to have the most pristinely recorded, truest-sounding horn samples I've ever heard in a sample library. Even though it's not the most flexible library for solo horn use, to this day I still hold all other libraries, whether sampled or modeled, to the sonic standard of SHP.

I've been thoroughly impressed by the sound of other libraries (Spitfire Studio Strings Pro, Performance Samples Oceania, and Orange Tree's evolution guitars come to mind) but the only other libraries that I can say truly wowed me were strictly modeled... particularly SWAM saxes and MODO Bass.



N.Caffrey said:


> N



So far, the only thing that's wowed me about N has been the download time. I'm at about 88%, and have another 37,900 GB to go.


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## artomatic (Jan 29, 2020)

NI's Noire
Genesis
SWAM / Sample Modeling
Joshua Bell
Afflatus Strings
N


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## germancomponist (Jan 29, 2020)

It was the Peter Siedlaczek AO Orchestra, many years ago ... .


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## Drundfunk (Jan 29, 2020)

Audio Imperia Merethe Soltvedt. Hope they'll produce more vocal libraries


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## Fever Phoenix (Jan 29, 2020)

in no particular order

the very first Albion (Legacy aka Redux) (some of my best orchestral work I did with Albion.. these days, it seems I have no time...)

CineOrch

Forzo

Sotto

Box of Tricks

LCO Strings

Scary Strings (old Spitfire Labs)

Evo Grid 3

Chapman Trumpet


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## Dandezebra (Jan 29, 2020)

Albion 1 (not One)

Geosonics

Tundra

Keepforest Evolutions Atlantica

Soundiron Olympus Mars and Venus


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## tack (Jan 29, 2020)

I'll throw these out: Bohemian Violin and Cello.

They're not perfect, but they're just immediately playable and gratifying. And the Bohemian cello was the only one in my arsenal that could convincingly even approach this. (Most couldn't even play in that register, which is (apparently) quite difficult for cello -- even though Hauser makes it look like child's play.)


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## Bollen (Jan 29, 2020)

SampleModelling The Trumpet


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## AllanH (Jan 29, 2020)

For piano, I'd say that Pianoteq Bluethner was the first time I found something that played and sounded to my liking. For orchestral, the first "wow" was Hollywood Orchestra.


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## jeremyr (Jan 29, 2020)

LASS, CSB, Fluffy Audio's clarinet and bassoon, and the Joshua Bell Violin.


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## ProfoundSilence (Jan 29, 2020)

I'm going to go with
Dominus(Fluffy Audio)
JXL Brass(Orchestral Tools)
Berlin Strings(Orchestral Tools)
Berlin Harp(Orchestral Tools)
Berlin Harpsichord(Orchestral Tools)
Cinepiano(Cinesamples)
Mercury(Wavesfactory)
Symphonic Organ/Union Chapel Organ(Spitfire)
LA Modern Percussion(Audio Ollie)
Ethera 2.0 I think? (Zero G)
Death and Darkness SDX(Toontrack)
Drums of the Deep + DotD Unleashed(Auddict)
Symphonic Choirs(EWQL)
The Trumpet(Samplemodeling)


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## newman (Jan 29, 2020)

Garritan CFX Full is a lot of fun to play.


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## Land of Missing Parts (Jan 29, 2020)

CSS and CSB. I just really click with the Cinematic Studio Series approach.


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## CT (Jan 29, 2020)

BBCSO, Eric Whitacre Choir, Albion V, Noire.

Oh, and Zebra.


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## NickDorito (Jan 29, 2020)

Hip hop creator


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## Christopher Rocky (Jan 29, 2020)

Time Macro really blew me away, quality and quantity, the concept was new to me, when layering the rhythmic patches controlled by the mod wheel, its annoying some of the patches aren't fixed properly inside kontakt that go out of time. but apparently sineplayer will fix this.


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## Nyran (Jan 29, 2020)

If I have to keep the list short:

EWQLSO Gold way back in the day... coming from Garritan Personal Orchestra to EWQLSO was a revelation.
SM Trumpet
SCS
SWAM Cello (I have all the full solo string package but the cello is the only one that sometimes doesn't get replaced with live musicians and still sounds very good if played well, especially when I replay it after the live musicians)
I also love most of the Embertone and Performance samples stuff


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## GtrString (Jan 29, 2020)

ProjectSam Symphobia 1. I tried it in Try Sound and wow, never thought samples could sound and feel like that! After that I knew I needed it, and that samples was a viable way to play instruments.

Spectrasonics Keyscape. Wow, the fidelity and dynamics of those instruments. It really sounds spectacular!

Spectrasonics Omnisphere 1. Oh dear, and I thought I wasn’t a synth guy and that I couldnt play keys. Well I cant, but I dont care when I can trigger sounds like that!


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## Michael Antrum (Jan 29, 2020)

Just remembered...

VSL Oboe d'Amore and their cornet - you get them with epic orchestra free with VEPro.

Blue Street Brass. 

Spent hours doodling with those, and you can easily get lost in them.


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## Geomir (Jan 29, 2020)

I started doing this less than 10 months ago, my purchases are limited so far, but what made me say "WOW!" include all the following:

- EWQLSO (Gold): Concert Harp
- EWHO (Gold): Molto Vibrato Violins
- Requiem Light Symphonic Choir: Staccato Syllables
- Eduardo Tarilonte Libraries: Soundscapes
- VSL Synchronized Special Edition: Solo Woodwinds (among others)


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## Michael Antrum (Jan 29, 2020)

Geomir said:


> - VSL Synchronized Special Edition Solo Woodwinds (among others)



I recently got on board with VSL Synchronized Series, and I'm quickly becoming rather a fan...


I seem to writing a lot more music and much less tweaking the sounds and mix to fit the music. I'm not missing Kontakt much either....


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## Geomir (Jan 29, 2020)

Michael Antrum said:


> I recently got on board with VSL Synchronized Series, and I'm quickly becoming rather a fan...
> 
> 
> I seem to writing a lot more music and much less tweaking the sounds and mix to fit the music. I'm not missing Kontakt much either....


Wow I feel exactly the same! I became a fan of VSL Synchronized Editions instantly, and now - at last! - I spent more time composing than mixing instruments (everything sounds so balanced out-of-the-box)!

I also stopped searching for "a better sounding orchestral library"! After getting VSL Syncronized Special Edition (Vol. 1 & 2), I realized that I don't have GAS! My search was over and I immediately stopped buying orchestral libraries! 

EDIT: And yes I agree, for me also Synchron Player is so much faster, modern-looking and easier to use than Kontakt!


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## Michael Antrum (Jan 29, 2020)

Geomir said:


> I also stopped searching for "a better sounding orchestral library"! After getting VSL Syncronized Special Edition (Vol. 1 & 2), I realized that I don't have GAS! My search was over and I immediately stopped buying orchestral libraries!



Yes, in tests, 9 out of 10 VSL Owners no longer suffer from flatulance....


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## filipjonathan (Jan 30, 2020)

For me it's CSS, Alicia's Keys, Oceania. I also really loved the ootb sound of Big Band Orchestra Andromeda. Just sounds epic right away. About to get CSB and I have no doubts it will blow me away.


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## Montisquirrel (Jan 30, 2020)

Tonehammer Hangdrum
8Dio Adagio Strings
Woodchester Piano
British Drama Toolkit


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## constaneum (Jan 30, 2020)

for me, orchestral libraries wise

1) Strings - CSS+Soaring Strings (layering)
2) Woodwinds - Berlin WoodWind & Auddict Solo Woodwinds
3) Brass - CSB and Hollywood Brass
4) Percussion - ProjectSAM True Strike 1 and Spitfire Orchestral Percussion
5) Harp - Cineharp and ProjectSAM Concert Harp
6) Piano - Garritan CFX, Galaxy Vintage D and CSP


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## Architekton (Jan 30, 2020)

Land of Missing Parts said:


> CSS and CSB. I just really click with the Cinematic Studio Series approach.



For me to! Biggest wow!


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## Bluemount Score (Jan 30, 2020)

The clarinet from the Kontakt factory library. Yes!
This was the first virtual instrument of this kind I _ever_ played.
It was that evening when I forgot to eat.


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## LudovicVDP (Jan 30, 2020)

Oceania
Hangar 4: Merethe

Limited in what they do but, out of the box, the first notes I hammered on my keyboard instantly brought a huge smile on my face.


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## TomislavEP (Jan 30, 2020)

For me, most of my dozen so far purchased Spitfire Audio libraries, especially Albion Legacy, Loegria, Tundra and Enigma.

Also, call me a fanboy, but almost everything I've gotten from Native Instruments thus far provided an instant gratification in some way or another. I remember the first time I've tried the sounds that shipped with the free version of Kontakt player in comparison to those that I've used to had in Sampletank 2 and AIR Music Tech products - I was blown away. Today, I'm using Komplete Standard as a foundation of my sound library and use many of the included products daily - especially the pianos, in a conjunction with Noire, which I've recently purchased.


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## Dietz (Jan 30, 2020)

Ensoniq Mirage's "Grand Piano" (it came on a 360 kB floppy disk!!).

... shows my age, I guess. 8-/


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## AndyP (Jan 30, 2020)

Ethera (all of them)
BHCT (to be honest the only SA library I like so far)
EWHO (still)
MS Medusa (not the ship)
AI Trailer Guitar 1 + 2
Most of the Performance Samples stuff
Macabre Solo Strings


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## asherpope (Jan 30, 2020)

brojd said:


> Oceania Choir
> Solid State Symphony
> Project SAM Symphobia 1 (a long time ago, but still good)


Thanks for reminding me about Solid State Symphony! I haven't played with that in years


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## Vovique (Jan 30, 2020)

I would say 8dio Agitato Legato Violins from the recent ones, East West SO Silver (bought it for $100, pressed a key and went "Wow!")


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## Maxfabian (Jan 30, 2020)

The sound and playability of JB Violin just wowed me, when I got it..


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## stevenson-again (Jan 30, 2020)

Rattly and Raw. Pretty much anything from them.


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## KallumS (Jan 30, 2020)

The Metropolis Arks blew me away.


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## ProfoundSilence (Jan 30, 2020)

KallumS said:


> The Metropolis Arks blew me away.


I remember the first ark I got was ark 3, was pretty brutal on first listen.


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## Mornats (Jan 30, 2020)

Joshua Bell violin
Tundra
A lot of the Sound Dust stuff


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## TRKStudios (Jan 30, 2020)

Metro Arks 1 & 2
Oceania

They both continue to still impress me!


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## dcoscina (Jan 30, 2020)

Of late, AI Nucleus (those winds are gorgeous, the oboe is my go-to now). Also BBCSO for the pure ergonomics.


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## zimm83 (Jan 30, 2020)

Metropolis ark 1 2 3 and Time Macro.


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## Tim_Wells (Jan 30, 2020)

Joshua Bell. 

This may seem odd, but The Resonator by Indiginus blew me away when I first got it. I was like, "sh!t, this sounds good!". I don't use it a lot because 1) it's not a sound you want to over-use and 2) it's not appropriate for most styles of music.


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## Gerbil (Jan 30, 2020)

Vitous Oboe. I'm not going to say the whole library because I thought it was highly flawed, even in its heyday, but that oboe is still lovely today. I remember the bassoon ensemble stacc being quite impressive as well.

VSL Woodwinds. When they came out they blew me away. These days I find them a little cold and less approachable but this company were real trailblazers.

Performance Samples Con Moto Cellos. A single instrument patch that feels just right to play and sounds great.

8dio Alto Flute. One of the loveliest sampled woodwind instruments out there.

BHCT. I think Spitfire got everything right with this quirky library. I always look forward to using it. It's worth purchasing if you have the Studio Orchestra as it was recorded in the same room. The strings have additional short arts and the timps and horns sound terrific.

Embertone Recorders. An impulse purchase that I took an instant like to. Really well done.

Efimov Guitar (the very first one - Nylon?). I was so impressed with this when it came out. So well thought out and executed. And playable of course.

8dio Century Brass and Strings.They really sing, sound great and there's a lot of content for the money.

8dio Insolidus. As above, although less playable. Takes planning but very beautiful results.


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## richardt4520 (Jan 30, 2020)

LASS, Cinebrass, BHCT


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## RonV (Jan 30, 2020)

Sample Modeling Trumpet 3 with a Tec BC. As a former brass (and woodwind) player, actually playing notes with breath along with diaphragm vibrato is 2nd nature. To do it on a keyboard was a bit of a revelation, to say the least.


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## Scamper (Jan 30, 2020)

The first *legacy Albion 1*, because compared to what I had before, it was on a whole nother level. 
*SCS*, because the beautiful and detailed sound, that I haven't heard anywhere else.
*CSS*, because the legato is the best I've heard.


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## Sarah Mancuso (Jan 30, 2020)

Spitfire Chamber Strings. My first proper sectional-strings library and still the one I reach for 99% of the time.

Joshua Bell Violin. The other Embertone solo strings are workable in the right context, but this one is on a completely different level.

Shreddage 3 Stratus. Clever scripting and authentic sound with just enough dirt make this one invaluable for getting the tactile feel of a live electric guitar.

Embertone 1955 Steinway D Lite. I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but it immediately became my go-to piano for 99% of the music I make.

Honorable mentions: Olafur Arnalds Chamber Evolutions, Embertone Crystal Flute and Herring Clarinet, 8Dio Claire Flute


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## Tatu (Jan 30, 2020)

Garritan orchestra soundset/pack for Sibelius (v3 or so) - Wow, this is insanely good! (quite a leap from GM sounds)

Halion Symphony Orchestra - enter Logic era. Learn this "programming" thingy. So real!

Cinematic Strings 2 - OMG to date. Still an easy pick to replace any library, which just happens to not function in a specific situation.

8Dio's Insolidus Choir - niche, but always enjoyable.


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## Daniel (Jan 30, 2020)

Evolution Dracus! 
Evolution Songwriter!


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## cloudbuster (Jan 30, 2020)

As far as larger (and 'older') libraries go EWHO Gold, still wows me on a regular basis. Sonokinetic Sultan Strings does the trick as well but mostly it's single instruments or patches rather than entire sample libraries. 
At the end of the day I enjoy designing my own hybrid vibes more than any pre-fab stuff anyway.


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## Vin (Jan 30, 2020)

Piano in Blue.


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## Saxer (Jan 30, 2020)

Samplemodeling Brass with Windcontroller. 
When it was new it was like: 
- Hey, wanna play trombone? 
- Well, I can't play the trombone. 
- Yes, you can!

The Scene d'Amour strings in Afflatus are very beautiful!

The Metropolis Choir patches are great too!


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## John Longley (Jan 30, 2020)

Kurzweil K2000 patches lol


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## paularthur (Jan 30, 2020)

CSS, Oceania.


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## Quasar (Jan 30, 2020)

Josh Bell Violin
Galaxy Vintage D
Nada (just bought, so hopefully)
Albion 1 (legacy)
MusicLab's Real Guitar (first VI I ever bought, a whole new world opened up.)

Not a sample library, but Joseph Hollo's Padsheaven for Zebra.


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## wwwm (Jan 30, 2020)

Noteperformer - Not the best samples, but the level of interpretation is unbelievable. To this day I'm convinced the base engine is literal magic.
Vienna Percussion Complete - Except for more niche stuff like bowed cymbals or a taiko ensemble, I can't imagine needing any other orchestral percussion.
Chocolate Audio Harps - Yeah. That's what a harp should sound like.
Wavelore Pedal Steel Guitar - I can't imagine the amount of research and programming that went into this. I'm really sorry to hear the developer's been having health issues; I'm not sure there's any other developer making instruments in this fashion.
Karoryfer Vengeful Cello - I picked this up on a whim Black Friday and have been blown away by it. It takes a little finessing, but it holds its weight against any of the solo cello powerhouses.


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## Supremo (Jan 31, 2020)

Joshua Bell Violin
Samplemodeling Trumpet
Chris Hein Cello


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## Diego G (Jan 31, 2020)

UVI World Suite is a goldmine.
Also, Espressivo and Tutti Vox by Sonokinetic


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## andrzejmakal (Jan 31, 2020)

wwwm said:


> Noteperformer - Not the best samples, but the level of interpretation is unbelievable. To this day I'm convinced the base engine is literal magic.
> ...



I’m with you.


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## stigc56 (Jan 31, 2020)

Superior Drummer 3 and Joshua Bell violin. Ensoniq EPS 16 Electric Bass, fantastic!


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## Voider (Jan 31, 2020)

Novo Essentials by Heavyocity, the most beautiful strings sound I've heard so far.


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## JyTy (Jan 31, 2020)

Emotional Cello,
JXL Brass
and I also like HZ strings from Spitfire a lot!


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## styledelk (Jan 31, 2020)

Sonokinetic Indie
OACE... all I have to do is play a chord and I'm in bliss. Every. Time.
Tundra.


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## reddognoyz (Jan 31, 2020)

the original EW Symphonic library. It was the turning point for orchestral sampling imho.


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## rottoy (Jan 31, 2020)

CSSS and Caspian Brass. Instantly fell in love with both.


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## Tilt & Flow (Jan 31, 2020)

lenny2403 said:


> Which one exceeded your expectations?


NADA. It's just beautiful.


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## Loïc D (Jan 31, 2020)

I confess all Spitfire Flautando patches make me very excited.


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## Peter Williams (Jan 31, 2020)

Symphobia 1
Emotional Violin
Hein Woodwinds (English horn,bassoons and flutes)
Sonokinetik Espressivo (believe it or not)


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## kilgurt (Jan 31, 2020)

Project Sam Symphobia, Omnisphere, Albions, OT ARKs


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## giwro (Jan 31, 2020)

- GPO when it first came out - coupled with Finale Human Playback... it was such a relief to have reasonably realistic sounds that could be interpreted with proper score markings in a notation program... such a huge improvement over General MIDI. GPO was really what got me on the path to VSTi, and although I rarely use it anymore, it reinvigorated my desire to do orchestral/instrumental music.
- the MDA Cavaillé-Coll/Mutin sampleset for Hauptwerk... for the first time, I could accurately render French Romantic/symphonic organ scores with a virtual instrument. In all honesty, several HW samplesets have been like this for me.
- Noteperformer. It’s like a better version of GPO for sketching/working out balances (and the sound quality gets better with each new iteration)


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## Polkasound (Jan 31, 2020)

wwwm said:


> Wavelore Pedal Steel Guitar - I can't imagine the amount of research and programming that went into this. I'm really sorry to hear the developer's been having health issues; I'm not sure there's any other developer making instruments in this fashion.



Impact Soundworks did a good job with their pedal steel. I don't think it's scripted quite the same as Wavelore's, but it's well-done in its own way. I used it quite a bit on some country music I released for Christmas. I can't say it "wowed" me (very few libraries do) but I am more than satisfied with both how it sounds and how it operates.


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## tim727 (Jan 31, 2020)

Metropolis Ark Choir
Celtia patch (from Tarilonte's Vocal Codex)
The Oud from Ancient Era Persia (also Tarilonte)
Tuba Staccatos from Metropolis Ark 1 (these are my go-to ... I'm just obsessed with them)
All the brass staccatos from Balkan Ethnic Orchestra
Emotional Cello's "Delicate" articulation

And this one isn't an instrument but when I tried FabFilter's ProQ2 I nearly had to change my pants.


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## Rodney Money (Jan 31, 2020)

Berlin Woodwinds


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## Joe Totino (Jan 31, 2020)

CSS for sure! I found them so playable.
Cinebrass needs a shout out too. My first dedicated brass library and I was more than impressed.

I’d even add Damage on this list. As old as it is, there was something quite satisfying about hitting a key and hearing this epic, bombastic loop play back. Still samples I used everyday!


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## Rodney Money (Jan 31, 2020)

Joe Totino said:


> CSS for sure! I found them so playable.
> Cinebrass needs a shout out too. My first dedicated brass library and I was more than impressed.
> 
> I’d even add Damage on this list. As old as it is, there was something quite satisfying about hitting a key and hearing this epic, bombastic loop play back. Still samples I used everyday!


Yes on CSS and CineBrass also! I cannot tell you how many commissions and live performances CineBrass has contributed to in my career including: live performance by the Air Force near Mount Rushmore on July 4th, me being honored on stage by my past mentors, paying for a family of 3 for a trip to the Philippines, countless other commissions from other live ensembles, and even earned me the honor of having one of my scores framed in an art gallery in my home town. All because of CineBrass!!!


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## sostenuto (Jan 31, 2020)

Anything 'ETHERA' !!


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## Steve Lum (Jan 31, 2020)

Toontrack Drumkit From Hell, back in the day. An evolutionary leap.


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## Celestial Aeon (Jan 31, 2020)

lenny2403 said:


> Which one exceeded your expectations?



8Dio Insolidus. I still use it most of the time. Perfect for those beautiful choral layers. Also Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2. It's just crazy.


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## David Cuny (Feb 1, 2020)

AM Saxophones, AM Cello, SM Trumpet and SM Violin.

Especially since I play the same instruments rather poorly IRL. 

Being able to pick up my USB EWI and play instruments that are so responsive and sound so good, yet require so little work is completely insane.

The Indiginus instruments are a lot of fun, too.


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## Ashermusic (Feb 1, 2020)

Tilt & Flow said:


> NADA. It's just beautiful.



+1. Also Dominus Pro choir and Alchemy in Logic Pro X.


----------



## Banquet (Feb 1, 2020)

In the last BF sale I bought Spitfire Chamber Strings and Solo Strings. I'm pretty blown away by how good they sound (individually, and even more so, together) I'm a hobbyist and have never bothered with a template before but I put one together for SCS and SSS and it's really become my goto for everything now. It's made me realise how much I love the small intimate sound but having them both together is like having all the parts needed for solo right up to quite big sounding string sections. They are both recorded in the same space and the GUIs for both are the same in terms of CC mapping for CTA mic positions and vibrato, etc so I've even labelled the 8 sliders on my Kronos to match the CCs of these two libraries. If I could only keep two sample libraries, it would without doubt be these and I feel I could spend a lifetime writing with them.

I also bought Slate and Ash Cycles recently and LOVE that... it really brings something new to the table for me and allows me to import my own audio and samples in a musical way to bring some personal textures to my music,

Prior to that, my big favourites were (and still are) OACE and Tundra...

Solo instrument plugins that really made my jaw drop and felt really like a real living instrument with amazing character are JB Violin, OrangeTree Samples Evolution Songwriter steel string guitar and Noire piano... amazing instruments. What a time we live in


----------



## ism (Feb 1, 2020)

Banquet said:


> In the last BF sale I bought Spitfire Chamber Strings and Solo Strings. I'm pretty blown away by how good they sound (individually, and even more so, together) I'm a hobbyist and have never bothered with a template before but I put one together for SCS and SSS and it's really become my goto for everything now. It's made me realise how much I love the small intimate sound but having them both together is like having all the parts needed for solo right up to quite big sounding string sections. They are both recorded in the same space and the GUIs for both are the same in terms of CC mapping for CTA mic positions and vibrato, etc so I've even labelled the 8 sliders on my Kronos to match the CCs of these two libraries. If I could only keep two sample libraries, it would without doubt be these and I feel I could spend a lifetime writing with them.
> 
> I also bought Slate and Ash Cycles recently and LOVE that... it really brings something new to the table for me and allows me to import my own audio and samples in a musical way to bring some personal textures to my music,
> 
> ...



There’s a real sense that some libraries together become more than the sum of their parts. 

Tundra + OACE + Neo strikes me as one example.

Insolidus + Genesis is another, kind of expectedly great combinations. Insolidus arcs are spectacular, and on e you figure our a mix to blend arcs with more articulated word-builder driven phrases from Genesis ... its just stunning. Both fabulous libraries, together, just incredible.


----------



## Dandezebra (Feb 1, 2020)

Kirk Hunter Spotlight Solo Strings (the old one) was and still is an amazing library.


----------



## Stevo B (Feb 1, 2020)

Spitfire British Drama Toolkit - My first decent sample library and one I go to quite often still. I just like playing it even if I'm not planning to work on anything. This was my 'aha! so this is what it's all about' moment.
Embertone 1955 Steinway D Lite - Bought recently in the sale I use this to write on all the time. The first piano I've used that just gets out of the way and lets me hear the notes instead of the sound of the piano. Can play on this for hours without my ears getting fatigued. Has probably changed the way I write.
Embertone Bassoon - The most easlily playable vi I have. Anything I do sounds lovely. I listen back and it sounds really, really real!


----------



## dpasdernick (Feb 1, 2020)

Metropolis Ark 1 & 2.


----------



## andrzejmakal (Feb 2, 2020)

Stevo B said:


> Embertone 1955 Steinway D Lite - Bought recently in the sale I use this to write on all the time. The first piano I've used that just gets out of the way and lets me hear the notes instead of the sound of the piano. Can play on this for hours without my ears getting fatigued. Has probably changed the way I write.



I’ve found E 1955 D the only “true”, convincing piano on the samples market so far. 

Does it work with FREE Kontakt?
Cheers


----------



## batonruse (Feb 2, 2020)

For the price.......Amadeus Symphonic Orchestra.


----------



## jonnybutter (Feb 2, 2020)

Saxer said:


> Samplemodeling Brass with Windcontroller.
> When it was new it was like:
> - Hey, wanna play trombone?
> - Well, I can't play the trombone.
> ...




Yes, the SM Trombone (with, in my case, a breath controller) was and still is a revelation. Their other brass is good, but the trombone is just killer.

LASS, esp. their shorts


----------



## Jeremy Spencer (Feb 2, 2020)

Studio E said:


> It's been a while, but EWQLSO Gold. It was a big deal for me at the time. Still sounds amazing.



Same for me, except at the time I bought it, the library was called "Gold XP".


----------



## joebaggan (Feb 2, 2020)

LASS when I bought it years ago. Had no idea that level of realism was possible.


----------



## Matt Riley (Feb 2, 2020)

EW Symphonic Orchestra was my first and it changed my life.

Spitfire Sable (Chamber Strings). I use it every day and layer with Spitfire Studio Strings or EW Hollywood Strings.

Emotional Cello

Joshua Bell Violin and Emotional Violin. JBV has great tone but lacks the flexibility and that is where EV comes in.

Berlin Woodwinds

Omnisphere


----------



## evilantal (Feb 2, 2020)

andrzejmakal said:


> I’ve found E 1955 D the only “true”, convincing piano on the samples market so far.
> 
> Does it work with FREE Kontakt?
> Cheers



It does, both the Light and full versions


----------



## reutunes (Feb 4, 2020)

Tilt & Flow said:


> NADA. It's just beautiful.


Totally agree with this - stunning and production-ready straight out of the box!


----------



## porrasm (Feb 4, 2020)

Bluemount Score said:


> The clarinet from the Kontakt factory library. Yes!
> This was the first virtual instrument of this kind I _ever_ played.
> It was that evening when I forgot to eat.


Now I really need to check it out. I rarely touch the Factory library


----------



## Bluemount Score (Feb 4, 2020)

porrasm said:


> Now I really need to check it out. I rarely touch the Factory library


There is no legato. Sound is way below standard (generally speaking, but there are some true gems that I still use). Multiple mic positions? Ha,good one! Next you are probably gonna ask how many dynamic layers and RRs there are? 

Screw it all - back then it made me feel like "This is absolutely crazy... a complete orchestra right here at my fingertipps. This is what I've dreamed of for so long, now my time has come"


----------



## Jimmy Hellfire (Feb 4, 2020)

You'll laugh, but: Edirol Orchestral. I was amazed that this sounded like "the real thing" and it really seemed possible to actually make orchestral arrangements on your computer.


----------



## BezO (Feb 4, 2020)

Spitfire Studio Orchestra: The demos sounded exactly like what I was looking for, but there was so much negativity about them, so I was nervous. They turned out to be exactly what I was looking for.

Ablion NEO: My 1st Albion. Never thought I'd be interested in this type of lib. Combo patches made no sense to me. But something about the demos grabbed me. Aside from the bacony bits, I'm digging it.

Superior Drummer 3: I was set with AD2 for acoustic drum kits. I bought SD3 mainly for the Orchestral SDX and figured I'd have some extra acoustic drums to play with if AD2 bored me. The feature set surprised me as I barely looked into it. Only their insistence on having separate MIDI in and out maps keeps it from being my favorite.


----------



## Abdulrahman (Feb 4, 2020)

Cinematic Studio Strings and Berlin Woodwinds


----------



## bartveld (Feb 9, 2020)

Joshua Bell Violin for incredible sound and playability (and price!)
Sound Dust's Dustbundle. There is no other instrument I've used in so many different settings and it almost always worked out beautifully.


----------



## CoffeeLover (Feb 9, 2020)

back when Ólafur was just the drummer of Fighting Shit


----------



## col (Feb 9, 2020)

Indigenous . The Mandolin.


----------



## Alex Niedt (Feb 9, 2020)

Off the top of my head...TIME Macro and TIME Micro, Berlin Woodwinds Soloists, Metropolis Ark 4 (most of the Orchestral Tools stuff, honestly), the various Spitfire Evos and Albion V Tundra, 8Dio Silka and Insolidus...


----------



## Akarin (Feb 9, 2020)

Afflatus. Just got it. The most fun I had with a strings library. I just wished for more shorts. I compensate the lack of them with Century Strings.


----------



## PaulieDC (Feb 9, 2020)

EASY ONE: Spitfire Chamber Strings. It sounds so good it’s an inspiring composition tool not just a string library.


----------



## Mike Fox (Feb 9, 2020)

NADA


----------



## Perry (Feb 9, 2020)

Hey: A lot of people complain about Kirk Hunter Librarys. Now I know why! It took me 3 years to learn all the CC's to use on strings and other vst's. You can't play strings like an organ.You have to know your Library's and how they work with different Articulations and CC's.I own Diamond orchestra almost always use it , Yeah I have Albion One,Metropolis Ark 1. EW Gold. Diamond has everything in it that is usable.Right now there having a big sale discontinuing there Librarys. I'm probably going to get hatters.


----------



## Land of Missing Parts (Feb 9, 2020)

Perry said:


> I'm probably going to get hatters.


----------



## David Kudell (Feb 9, 2020)

Mike Fox said:


> NADA


Also Zip & Zilch.


----------



## David Kudell (Feb 9, 2020)

Seriously though, you guys are really making me want the Nada library.

Recently picked up Berlin Woodwinds, and I'm so impressed by it, the sound is fantastic. Also JunkieXL Brass sounds amazing, the tone and dynamic range are on another level.


----------



## musiccorner (Feb 9, 2020)

Superior Drummer 3.

My eternal “real drum sound” persuit came into an end. On top of that, using it, with all its features (tap2find, trigger, really smart midi editing, easy layering, multiple kits, multiple mics), i got the feeling that they really thought of everything.

I just don’t know what to suggest to make it better.

I only got that same feeling using Pro-Q 3.


----------



## konradh (Feb 9, 2020)

William Palmer said:


> Olafur Arnalds Evolutions - first library I ever played! Got me into this space


Ivory II Grands. I have a lot of libraries, and I love Vienna; but for the price, ease of use, and stunning realism, Ivory by Synthogy is hard to beat. The only negative is that iLok is a pain.


----------



## merlinhimself (Feb 9, 2020)

Xpand! by Pro Tools

jk.

Berlin WW for sure


----------



## pawelmorytko (Feb 9, 2020)

I've seen Berlin WW mentioned so many times in this thread, but not any of the other Berlin products... wonder why?


----------



## Land of Missing Parts (Feb 9, 2020)

pawelmorytko said:


> I've seen Berlin WW mentioned so many times in this thread, but not any of the other Berlin products... wonder why?


It's a good question. I think that Berlin Woodwinds was a real milestone for orchestral sampling, coupled with the fact that--if I'm not mistaken--winds sell less than other instruments, so there's been less competition and advancements since BWW came out. For me, it was the first winds library that didn't sound synthy.

As for the other Berlin main libraries: Strings, Brass, Perc, I think they've just been surpassed by other libraries in some combination of performance and/or price. Not lowering their price over time simply means that they've become less competitive while remaining among the most expensive options.

I think Berlin Perc would get more love if they hadn't split off the timpani as a separate product. Personally I opted for Berlin Perc over Cineperc and while Berlin is certainly a capable library, if I could do it over again I'd buy Cineperc instead. I just don't love the room sound for Berlin Perc, plus the library is tougher to use than my other perc libraries so I reach for it less often.

If I could do it over again for winds, I'd still buy BWW though (plus BWW Exp B). I continue to think it's the best sampled winds currently available, though that might change soon with the upcoming release of Cinematic Studio Winds.


----------



## David Kudell (Feb 9, 2020)

pawelmorytko said:


> I've seen Berlin WW mentioned so many times in this thread, but not any of the other Berlin products... wonder why?


Berlin Strings is awesome! I finally got it after a long time only having Cinematic Studio Strings as my main string library. My first impression is that Berlin Strings is more enjoyable to play because it doesn't have the delay issues of CSS. The sound is on another level, it doesn't have the "dark" sound of CSS. The Teldex stage sound is really three-dimensional. And you can play fast legato parts so much easier on Berlin, without any lag or delay.

I think there are a lot less people with Berlin Strings because of the price of entry, but that will change probably once it comes to the Sine player and you can buy individual instruments. The Cello section alone is freaking gorgeous.


----------



## pawelmorytko (Feb 10, 2020)

Yeah I do find that the competition for woodwinds is just not the same, I'm even not too bothered about Berlin Strings having CSS to layer with SCS and Albion One Strings, covers most of my needs, but I have no woodwind libraries so it'll either be BWW or CSW.

I am kinda interested in Berlin Brass but see so many mixed thoughts on it. I do have CSB already which I love for the playability but not so much for the tone/room. I think that's where Berlin Brass shines, and the beautiful low dynamics. I'm thinking I might just buy the Horns Trumpets and Trombone ensembles once they are available as individual instruments, as I don't really need the separate player options


----------



## jbuhler (Feb 10, 2020)

David Kudell said:


> Berlin Strings is awesome! I finally got it after a long time only having Cinematic Studio Strings as my main string library. My first impression is that Berlin Strings is more enjoyable to play because it doesn't have the delay issues of CSS. The sound is on another level, it doesn't have the "dark" sound of CSS. The Teldex stage sound is really three-dimensional. And you can play fast legato parts so much easier on Berlin, without any lag or delay.
> 
> I think there are a lot less people with Berlin Strings because of the price of entry, but that will change probably once it comes to the Sine player and you can buy individual instruments. The Cello section alone is freaking gorgeous.


For me the barrier to entry with Berlin Strings is the RAM requirements and the fussy programming required. I have the library, generally prefer its sound to my other strings, but rarely take it out. I’m very much hoping the Sine version makes it more useable for me. My frustrating experiences with the strings greatly dampened my enthusiasm for other libraries in the Berlin line.


----------



## Vik (Feb 10, 2020)

jbuhler said:


> the fussy programming required


Please elaborate?


----------



## David Kudell (Feb 10, 2020)

jbuhler said:


> For me the barrier to entry with Berlin Strings is the RAM requirements and the fussy programming required. I have the library, generally prefer its sound to my other strings, but rarely take it out. I’m very much hoping the Sine version makes it more useable for me. My frustrating experiences with the strings greatly dampened my enthusiasm for other libraries in the Berlin line.


I had read these comments about RAM, but I don't understand them. Maybe in the past with slower computers this was an issue. With an SSD, and the new version of Logic, you don't load the track until you select it, so I have the entire Berlin series in my template with nothing loaded into RAM. 

Each individual instrument is quite small, the only ones that are large are the legato patches (around 500MB-1GB), but even then you can purge the RAM and with everything on a 1TB SSD it plays back instantaneously from disk.


----------



## jbuhler (Feb 10, 2020)

Vik said:


> Please elaborate?


It takes me longer to program the midi than other string libraries. I don’t find it real consistent across articulations and there are a lot of articulations to manage even in just the main string library. The legato often misbehaves for me and that's another thing that takes time to work out.


----------



## jbuhler (Feb 10, 2020)

David Kudell said:


> I had read these comments about RAM, but I don't understand them. Maybe in the past with slower computers this was an issue. With an SSD, and the new version of Logic, you don't load the track until you select it, so I have the entire Berlin series in my template with nothing loaded into RAM.
> 
> Each individual instrument is quite small, the only ones that are large are the legato patches (around 500MB-1GB), but even then you can purge the RAM and with everything on a 1TB SSD it plays back instantaneously from disk.


That's all well and good until you start using the instances and they load into RAM. And, no, streaming samples from SSD doesn't fully resolve the issue. So back the last time I used Berlin Strings with 32GB, I could load one microphone if I wanted to cover the articulations and that basically took all the RAM. It's better now that I have 64GB but it still means that I have to be very judicious about selecting mics and articulations if I want to have room for the rest of my orchestra. This is the only string library I have that causes me these issues, and indeed I can usually load three or four other string libraries at the same time and not have these issues.


----------



## Marlon Brown (Feb 10, 2020)

Fever Phoenix said:


> in no particular order
> 
> the very first Albion (Legacy aka Redux) (some of my best orchestral work I did with Albion.. these days, it seems I have no time...)
> 
> ...


Chapman's Trumpet was absolutely so incredible to me at the time, still is to be honest!


----------



## Land of Missing Parts (Feb 10, 2020)

jbuhler said:


> It takes me longer to program the midi than other string libraries. I don’t find it real consistent across articulations and there are a lot of articulations to manage even in just the main string library. The legato often misbehaves for me and there another thing that takes time to work out.


This is my experience with Orchestral Tools libraries as well, though I don't own the Berlin Strings main library specifically. I do own a bunch of other Berlin stuff and it just takes more time to iron out the quirks. I should mention that my process is heavy on programming instead of performing.

On the flip side, I'd say that when Berlin stuff is working at its best it can sound _superb_. But it doesn't always work out for me. And capsule gives a _ton_ of flexibility to tweak things (which is good because you kind of need to tweak these libraries). And I've not had ram or resource issues with my Orchestral Tools libraries, though I've avoided Berlin Strings and Berlin Brass main libraries, which seem to be the ones that give people difficulty.


----------



## JeffvR (Feb 10, 2020)

Embertone Joshua Bell Violin
SampleModeling The Trumpet


----------



## jononotbono (Feb 10, 2020)

Berlin Strings is definitely one of my favourite Libraries recently. I keep having to pay for other things at the minute but as soon as I can, I will be buying all expansions. It's a beast. I run it on a dedicated Mac Pro 5,1 with 96gb of RAM. 

JXL Brass is the other library I recently bought and instantly loved. Sounds amazing.

Basically, I will be buying the whole Berlin Orchestra and all of the Arks (only have Ark 1) during 2020.


----------



## jbuhler (Feb 10, 2020)

jononotbono said:


> Berlin Strings is definitely one of my favourite Libraries recently. I keep having to pay for other things at the minute but as soon as I can, I will be buying all expansions. It's a beast. I run it on a dedicated Mac Pro 5,1 with 96gb of RAM.
> 
> JXL Brass is the other library I recently bought and instantly loved. Sounds amazing.
> 
> Basically, I will be buying the whole Berlin Orchestra and all of the Arks (only have Ark 1) during 2020.


I'm really hoping the change to Sine will make it more useable for me. I think the sound is great. For me, it's just been a pain to work with. It's on my agenda to take out and try again, though.


----------



## Marlon Brown (Feb 10, 2020)

Hollywood Strings and Brass. When I first heard the demos, I couldn't believe my life!


----------



## Fever Phoenix (Feb 10, 2020)

Marlon Brown said:


> Chapman's Trumpet was absolutely so incredible to me at the time, still is to be honest!


agreed!


----------



## Replika (Feb 10, 2020)

Dietz said:


> Ensoniq Mirage's "Grand Piano" (it came on a 360 kB floppy disk!!).
> 
> ... shows my age, I guess. 8-/


OLD? dang I have a mirage and the floppies sitting next to me as I read this. Still use it. hmm old?


----------



## SoundChris (Feb 10, 2020)

EWQL: Hollywood Strings & Brass Diamond, Pianos Platinum

Embertone: Joshua Bell & Walker 1955, Herring Clarinet

Strezov Sampling: Wotan & Freyja, Afflatus

Tarilonte: Mystica, Forest Kingdom 2, Era

Samplemodeling / Audiomodeling Woodwinds, Brass, Saxes

Fluffy Audio: Dominus 1

Ilya Efimov: Bayan, Nylon Acoustic, Les Paul Electric

Cinematic Samples: Cinematic Studio Brass

Arturia: V Collection V

Cinesamples: Randy´s Celesta, CineBrass

Toontrack: EZX Jazz

Threebodytech: Heavyer7Strings

ImpactSoundworks: Shreddage 3 - Serpent, Django Gypsy Guitar

Orchestral Tools: Berlin Woodwinds

VirHarmonic: Bohemian Cello

Hauptwerk: Virtual Pipe Organ


----------



## BezO (Feb 10, 2020)

musiccorner said:


> Superior Drummer 3.
> 
> My eternal “real drum sound” persuit came into an end. On top of that, using it, with all its features (tap2find, trigger, really smart midi editing, easy layering, multiple kits, multiple mics), i got the feeling that they really thought of everything.
> 
> ...


Universal MIDI map instead of separate in and out maps. My only complaint.


----------



## SebastianWinter (Feb 12, 2020)

Ark 2. Specifically when I loaded the male/female choir and plonked down a ten finger ff chord. I remembered being amazed and grateful to be alive in a world where such things are possible. I literally just sat there silent and blown away.


----------



## Cat (Feb 12, 2020)

Spitfire Olafur strings (solo)


----------



## Stringtree (Feb 12, 2020)

Does anyone remember the Siedlaczek promo where a musician was late to the concert hall, and heard the orchestra already in session? This was the first time it felt like sampled music could be more than sustains and one-shots. Man, I’d love to hear this again, but I can’t find it. Then, to the point of the OP, Albion, Toll, Union Chapel, Insolidus, Loegria, Iceni, Century Artisan Brass, JB Violin. 

This is the future.


----------



## Stringtree (Feb 12, 2020)

Oops, why did I forget Tundra? That’s probably my favorite ever. 

Mea culpa.


----------



## AndyP (Feb 15, 2020)

Dandezebra said:


> Soundiron Olympus Mars and Venus


Indeed! I bought both in the Audio Plugin sale and am absolutely thrilled. Especially Mars is banging me out of my shoes. Not that I don't have other choir libraries, but this purchase is my burner of the last months.


----------



## sinkd (Feb 15, 2020)

IN order of historical appearance and based on what they do/have done for me as a composer in context:

EWQLSO
VSL Winds (and most of the brass)
LASS
SCS
Modern Scoring Brass
Vienna Percussion silent stage (do not own it yet, but some day)
Note Performer


----------



## Bluemount Score (Feb 15, 2020)

SebastianWinter said:


> Ark 2. Specifically when I loaded the male/female choir and plonked down a ten finger ff chord. I remembered being amazed and grateful to be alive in a world where such things are possible. I literally just sat there silent and blown away.


ARK 2 and ff? Doesn't quite fit together 
Whatever it was, 1 or 2, both choirs are equally great.


----------



## kurtvanzo (Feb 15, 2020)

I realize most people are chiming in with their just bought libraries of the moment, but I have to say finally getting NOVO after years of holding off, there is a lot in there. All presets are worth a listen and definitely add vibe as Daniel James puts it. There’s much more here (and variety) than I ever expected from the videos. I suppose remembering it’s all there is part of the challenge.


----------



## bfreepro (Feb 15, 2020)

Forzo, Tina Guo Cello, Herring Clarinet and Joshua Bell Violin, Genesis Choir, Spitfire Woodwinds, TIME Macro, Century Strings and Brass, Silka Choir


----------



## Stringtree (Feb 15, 2020)

Replika said:


> OLD? dang I have a mirage and the floppies sitting next to me as I read this. Still use it. hmm old?



At a studio in Cleveland, an Arriflex BL sat on sticks in the lobby. This was deadly impressive. 16mm. This probably drove my teenage gear acquisition syndrome through the roof. I would go on to acquire absurd amounts of tv station equipment that my iPhone could now dust in a second.

Inside the studio, clean and on a countertop, sat an Ensoniq Mirage. I met in the next moments, the Megapiano.

*cough*

One Megabyte. I lost all sense in that moment.

All those crappy synthesizers. Here’s something that sounds exactly like a piano!

What a twisted, misshapen thing I became because of some hot new gear.

I quit reading Gearslutz a year ago. I’m a much better person. Now I realize I elided into this and found you frickin people.

Thanks a lot.

Greg


----------



## Loïc D (Feb 16, 2020)

Stringtree said:


> Does anyone remember the Siedlaczek promo where a musician was late to the concert hall, and heard the orchestra already in session? This was the first time it felt like sampled music could be more than sustains and one-shots. Man, I’d love to hear this again, but I can’t find it. Then, to the point of the OP, Albion, Toll, Union Chapel, Insolidus, Loegria, Iceni, Century Artisan Brass, JB Violin.
> 
> This is the future.


I remember that. Maybe I still have it somewhere.


----------



## Stringtree (Feb 16, 2020)

LowweeK said:


> I remember that. Maybe I still have it somewhere.



“A tremolo on the triangle...”


----------



## dariusofwest (Feb 16, 2020)

Stringtree said:


> “A tremolo on the triangle...”



"Dang! I hope I'm not too late!"


----------



## Rodney Money (Feb 16, 2020)

Abdulrahman said:


> Cinematic Studio Strings and Berlin Woodwinds


Yes!


----------



## Rodney Money (Feb 16, 2020)

I will tell ya another one that I personally love, but a lot of people have a time thinking it’s too sluggish, the original Tina Guo legato cello. I layer that thing on everything like hot sauce. It simply makes other string libraries sound even more expressive. That little legato patch for me was worth the price and has paid me back also.


----------



## RobbertZH (Feb 16, 2020)

Stringtree said:


> Does anyone remember the Siedlaczek promo where a musician was late to the concert hall, and heard the orchestra already in session? This was the first time it felt like sampled music could be more than sustains and one-shots. Man, I’d love to hear this again, but I can’t find it.



Do you mean the "Smart Violins" audio demo of Siedlaczek?
You can find it hear (click on the "Hear" button and then on the track:

https://www.bestservice.com/complete_orchestral_collection.html

Surprising how many demo tracks still sound not bad at all, for such an old library. It demonstrates that it is often the quality of the composer and how s/he knows how to use a library that is more important than buying the latest libraries.


----------



## RobbertZH (Feb 16, 2020)

Replika said:


> I have a mirage and the floppies sitting next to me as I read this. Still use it. hmm old?



This was my first synthesizer also. The first reasonable priced sampler. 
I wanted to have realistic sounds and in that time, the piano on a floppy was as good as it gets.

Later the GigaSampler came out with a much bigger and better sounding piano.
They invented streaming audio from a hard-disk, long before that NI's Kontakt came out.


----------



## ScarletJerry (Feb 16, 2020)

Rodney Money said:


> I will tell ya another one that I personally love, but a lot of people have a time thinking it’s too sluggish, the original Tina Guo legato cello. I layer that thing on everything like hot sauce. It simply makes other string libraries sound even more expressive. That little legato patch for me was worth the price and has paid me back also.


@Rodney Money Please tell us more. Do you use it to double cello ensembles or in a different way? I’ve tried to bump it up an octave to use with violas, but that didn’t work for me. I also love the library.


----------



## Rodney Money (Feb 16, 2020)

ScarletJerry said:


> @Rodney Money Please tell us more. Do you use it to double cello ensembles or in a different way? I’ve tried to bump it up an octave to use with violas, but that didn’t work for me. I also love the library.


I will mix it with the ensembles during legato melodic lines. To balance the 2 though I always have to bring down Tina until she blends effortlessly with the ensembles. In the 1st clip around :47 or so she is blended with the violas from CineStrings, but she is also blended with every other string voice starting with double basses, celli, violas, and 2nd violins for added expressiveness. Violin 1 went too high. It also helps to play in lines live when you can.


----------



## BassClef (Feb 16, 2020)

To the original questions of this thread... Pianoteq!


----------



## Stringtree (Feb 16, 2020)

RobbertZH said:


> Do you mean the "Smart Violins" audio demo of Siedlaczek?
> You can find it hear (click on the "Hear" button and then on the track:
> 
> https://www.bestservice.com/complete_orchestral_collection.html
> ...




You’re killing me. 

It is indeed surprising how good it sounds. Thank you for digging this up. I’m doing the archaeology that led me to this thing in the first place, and I think it was Bestservice.de where I heard that promo. Sooo close. 

Thank you so much. Really, this stuff is intelligently composed and miles beyond what was available at the time. 

Greg


----------



## IdealSequenceG (Feb 17, 2020)

8Dio Claire Alto Flute

I like this feeling of lyricism


----------



## barteredbride (Feb 17, 2020)

Rodney Money said:


> To balance the 2 though I always have to bring down Tina until she blends effortlessly with the ensembles.



Hi Rodney! Cool piece of music!

When you say you have to bring tina down, do you mean in volume? Or do you tinker with some other reverb or other effects to match your Teldex samples?


----------



## I like music (Feb 17, 2020)

IdealSequenceG said:


> 8Dio Claire Alto Flute
> 
> I like this feeling of lyricism




Wow, that does sound fantastic ...


----------



## Bluemount Score (Feb 17, 2020)

N.Caffrey said:


> N


If this is an insider... somebody please explain.
If not, it's still kinda funny


----------



## Bluemount Score (Feb 17, 2020)

I like music said:


> Wow, that does sound fantastic ...


Ivan Torrent used this exact Alto Flute in some of his music... cool sound.


----------



## I like music (Feb 17, 2020)

Bluemount Score said:


> If this is an insider... somebody please explain.
> If not, it's still kinda funny



Not really allowed to talk about it, but I'll tell you any way. What happened is thi ...

Wait a sec man. I think someone just broke into my house. Why is there smoke coming though the vent? Hel...


----------



## Rodney Money (Feb 17, 2020)

barteredbride said:


> Hi Rodney! Cool piece of music!
> 
> When you say you have to bring tina down, do you mean in volume? Or do you tinker with some other reverb or other effects to match your Teldex samples?


Nothing more than bringing her down by the volume slider until I hear more of the ensemble than her. Then I will add Spaces Reverb to blend them such as SoCal or Berlin Church. I keep it simple. If you want to roll some lows off to get rid of rumble in the reverb and samples then go for it. I keep it way too simple. Thank you for the compliments. That little piece of music was simply an experiment trying to come up with a drone for my trumpet/ brass soloist concerto and experiment with Berlin Brass Mutes. I think that whole thing took me only around 45 minutes. All it is is one chord with some of the melodic motives of the piece I was trying to work on.


----------



## Rodney Money (Feb 17, 2020)

Here’s the exact moment where I had my wow moment with Berlin Woodwinds. I was working on a hymn or chorale for churches and schools’ concert bands/ marching bands when I changed all of my CineWinds to my new Berlin Woodwinds. The CineWinds were acting too solo like wanting all the attention of the mix where the Berlin Woodwinds were like, “We play as a family,” and it was more of the live and blended ensemble feel that I was going for. 
https://app.box.com/s/7puhp9e2qnbzy47vrebfgu0ipr22wfdj


----------



## Tice (Feb 17, 2020)

Bernard Herrmann composer toolkit really exceeded my expectations, especially in the long run as I got to know the library better.


----------



## Hadrondrift (Feb 17, 2020)

Bluemount Score said:


> somebody please explain.








N


n




vi-control.net


----------



## Wiktoria Zac (Feb 18, 2020)

Tina Guo Cello, TUNDRA, Shevannai and I remember when I decided to buy my very first orchestral library - Albion ONE and I was like WOW


----------



## VgsA (Feb 18, 2020)

VSL Cube, and I had very high expectations for it! 
(Non biased opinion since I didn't work with them back in the day )


----------



## barteredbride (Feb 18, 2020)

Rodney Money said:


> Nothing more than bringing her down by the volume slider until I hear more of the ensemble than her. Then I will add Spaces Reverb to blend them such as SoCal or Berlin Church. I keep it simple. If you want to roll some lows off to get rid of rumble in the reverb and samples then go for it. I keep it way too simple. Thank you for the compliments. That little piece of music was simply an experiment trying to come up with a drone for my trumpet/ brass soloist concerto and experiment with Berlin Brass Mutes. I think that whole thing took me only around 45 minutes. All it is is one chord with some of the melodic motives of the piece I was trying to work on.


Thanks 

Sometimes the simplest way works the best and it´s a cool experiment.

The combo of muted brass and washed out reverb is very interesting.


----------



## renegade (Feb 19, 2020)

The good old EWQLSO...some great recordings in there. Still very useful and great sounding.

LASS, when it came out. Never seen before playability.

Omnisphere, Uhe Diva

Evolution Series - World Percussion. Great set of samples, very useful mic posistions and very well programmed.

VI-labs Ravenscroft, Modern U, top notch piano libraries

EW Hollywood Strings. Great sound...the loading time sucks though (on my system, anyway)...

Cornucopia Strings. Great lush, dark sound, surprisingly useful....

Sonicuture: Grand Marimba, The Cantebury Suitcase

NoiseGuild: 24ToneGongs


----------



## J-M (Feb 19, 2020)

Lots of Tarilonte's products (The ERA series, Shevannai)
GetGoodDrums MH signature pack (that snare sounds ridiculously good).
Heavyocity's percussion libraries (BOOM).
Albion ONE was my first hiqh quality library, so I was smiling the rest of the day like an idiot.
Spitfire Chamber Strings (Sooo good).
Hollywood Orchestra Gold.
Strezov's choirs.


----------



## Rtomproductions (Feb 19, 2020)

I didn't realize what a gem at was at first until I started using it in projects, but holy cow...EW Voices of the Empire might be one of my most used libraries. Doing a show right now that needs a flavor similar to the "Vikings" series and I'm using it everywhere. It's an endlessly useful library.

Also, CSS instantly impressed me. Along with the adaptive legato patches in the SSO strings, but they do suck pretty bad for slow, lush legato passages.

Hollywood strings and brass sounded pretty incredible out of the gate. They still sound great.

HZ percussion. I mean, wow.


----------



## wilhellmutz (Feb 24, 2020)

1. SA Sable strings. I still use it to mix with other string libs for that "extra" glow.
2. OT Berlin Woodwinds. Beautiful and very authentic.
3. Bechstein digital piano. Endorsed by the Bechstein company. Best piano library ever!
4. VSL Epic Orchestra 2.0. I recently purchased VEP 7. This library comes with it!


----------



## paul (Feb 24, 2020)

Jaap said:


> LASS did that for me (bought it when it was released)


Spot on for me also!


----------



## scoringdreams (Feb 26, 2020)

+1 for Spitfire Audio Sables (Chamber Strings now)

Garritan CFX and Spectrasonics Omnisphere were contenders as well!


----------



## Lilainjil (Feb 27, 2020)

Cycles from Slate + Ash. Though far beyond a "sample library" I suppose.


----------



## slateandash (Mar 1, 2020)

Lilainjil said:


> Cycles from Slate + Ash. Though far beyond a "sample library" I suppose.


🥰


----------



## Mike Fox (Mar 1, 2020)

jbuhler said:


> I don’t find it real consistent across articulations



You mean like SCS?


----------



## barteredbride (Mar 1, 2020)

For me, it was the first time i played an orchestral violins pizzicato from (with a bit of reverb) VSL Special Edition 1.

It was when i realised for the first time it was actually possible to sound like a real orchestra.


----------



## jbuhler (Mar 1, 2020)

Mike Fox said:


> You mean like SCS?


I find SCS more consistent than Berlin Strings. I rarely have issues with SCS except for the violin 2 and viola legatos, which sometimes misbehave in unexpected ways. Berlin Strings is more fussy about all sorts of things that have so far made it not a joy to work with. I've just created a new articulation set for Berlin Strings, and I'm hoping that will solve a lot of issues that used to plague me when I was using keyswitches or separate tracks.


----------



## Brian2112 (Mar 1, 2020)

Slate + Ash Cycles, and everything from String Audio.


----------



## dcoscina (Mar 1, 2020)

The Berlin Strings Staffpad edition absolutely floor me. More realistic than I’d expected inside an iOS app.


----------



## ProfoundSilence (Mar 1, 2020)

jbuhler said:


> I find SCS more consistent than Berlin Strings. I rarely have issues with SCS except for the violin 2 and viola legatos, which sometimes misbehave in unexpected ways. Berlin Strings is more fussy about all sorts of things that have so far made it not a joy to work with. I've just created a new articulation set for Berlin Strings, and I'm hoping that will solve a lot of issues that used to plague me when I was using keyswitches or separate tracks.


did you see my video on how I set them up? 

would not ever work on your machine the exact way i have it setup, but you could probably do something similar with less articulations I'm sure


----------



## jbuhler (Mar 1, 2020)

ProfoundSilence said:


> did you see my video on how I set them up?
> 
> would not ever work on your machine the exact way i have it setup, but you could probably do something similar with less articulations I'm sure


I'm not sure. Could you post the link?


----------



## ProfoundSilence (Mar 1, 2020)

jbuhler said:


> I'm not sure. Could you post the link?








Finally made a crossfade articulation tutorial for C.A.P.S.U.L.E.(and more)


##DISCLAIMER : I DONT WORK FOR ORCHESTRAL TOOLS, NOR HAVE I RECEIVED SO MUCH AS A CRISP HIGH FIVE FROM THEM##[I'm doing this as it's both educational, and hopefully will ensure I get the features I need to continue this kind of setup implemented in future versions of the SINE player] I'll post...




vi-control.net





you've seen the thread but I'm not sure if I had the BS part(last video added) on the thread when you saw it


----------



## jbuhler (Mar 1, 2020)

ProfoundSilence said:


> Finally made a crossfade articulation tutorial for C.A.P.S.U.L.E.(and more)
> 
> 
> ##DISCLAIMER : I DONT WORK FOR ORCHESTRAL TOOLS, NOR HAVE I RECEIVED SO MUCH AS A CRISP HIGH FIVE FROM THEM##[I'm doing this as it's both educational, and hopefully will ensure I get the features I need to continue this kind of setup implemented in future versions of the SINE player] I'll post...
> ...


Thanks! Yes, you're right. I watched at least some of the cross fade videos, but I think I missed the one on setting up the Strings because it was added later.


----------



## ProfoundSilence (Mar 1, 2020)

jbuhler said:


> Thanks! Yes, you're right. I watched at least some of the cross fade videos, but I think I missed the one on setting up the Strings because it was added later.


 I will probably get around to I will probably get around to eventually making better versions of those videos using an actual microphone


----------



## Fleer (Mar 1, 2020)

wilhellmutz said:


> 1. SA Sable strings. I still use it to mix with other string libs for that "extra" glow.
> 2. OT Berlin Woodwinds. Beautiful and very authentic.
> 3. Bechstein digital piano. Endorsed by the Bechstein company. Best piano library ever!
> 4. VSL Epic Orchestra 2.0. I recently purchased VEP 7. This library comes with it!


I’ll second that Bechstein grand. Pretty amazing indeed.


----------



## ScarletJerry (Mar 1, 2020)

Organic Samples Majestic Horn. The legato solo horn is stunning, as well as the fact that it costs around $2. Also the VSGS Crystal Rhodes puts a smile on my face every time I play it. Finally, in the higher priced category, the sordino strings sustains in Orchestra Essentials 2 is silky smooth and realistic.

-Scarlet Jerry


----------



## zimm83 (Mar 2, 2020)

Nucleus....Very surprised by the sound and useability.
Everything is perfect. Nothing more to say. Fantastic.


----------



## Macrawn (Mar 3, 2020)

Novo and Forzo. The mix of real instruments and hybrid sounds is amazing and the layers and arps you can do with it did blow my mind. I got more than I thought I was getting for sure.


----------



## reutunes (Apr 7, 2020)

Afflatus Strings - just got hold of it and LOVE the tone and playability. Inspired me immediately!


----------



## Jeremy Spencer (Apr 7, 2020)

reutunes said:


> Afflatus Strings - just got hold of it and LOVE the tone and playability. Inspired me immediately!



is it on sale?


----------



## pianistje (Apr 7, 2020)

I know this is not a synth forum, but when i bought OP-X PROII (Oberheim OB-Xa clone) i was blown away with the accuracy of the real thing. The famous song sound bank had presets that were an eighties Nirvana. OP-X PROII is such a vst that goes under the radar....but boy what a master piece it was/is.


----------



## StillLife (Apr 7, 2020)

For sheer size, versatility and quality: Superior Drummer 3. To me, its the pinnacle of finished products. 

For that inspiring wow-feeling, when I switched tp software for my pianosounds: Alicia Keys Piano from NI.

For that feeling of a boy in a toy shop, birthday in sight, all those shiny possibilities, if I were ever able to really use them: Spitfire SCS, OACE, Solo Strings, Soniccouture The Canterbury Suitcase, Arturia's V-Collection.

For pure hardware/software joy: Maschine mk3 and Maschine Jam.


----------



## Bollen (Apr 7, 2020)

Well... I just upgraded my SM trumpet last night to version 3 and decided to also get the trombone since they're doing their coronavirus sale and I literally went "wow!"

They've added some kind of IR to the instruments that makes them sit beautiful in a mix with say VSL using tools like virtual stage.

But best of all, they've added overtones manipulation which allows one to create infinite amount of different sounding instruments! Coupled with pitch and timing variations I was able to create an incredibly realistic 16 trumpets section last night... Ha, ha, ha, ha! (Mad, psychotic laugh).


----------



## Will Blackburn (Apr 7, 2020)

pianistje said:


> I know this is not a synth forum, but when i bought OP-X PROII (Oberheim OB-Xa clone) i was blown away with the accuracy of the real thing. The famous song sound bank had presets that were an eighties Nirvana. OP-X PROII is such a vst that goes under the radar....but boy what a master piece it was/is.



Agreed that synth sounds so good. Also check out Memorymoon's stuff which is quality. 






memorymoon synthesizers


analog synthesizer emulations




www.memorymoon.com


----------



## Social_Ghost1 (Apr 7, 2020)

Bollen said:


> Well... I just upgraded my SM trumpet last night to version 3 and decided to also get the trombone since they're doing their coronavirus sale and I literally went "wow!"



Man, I've been on the tipping point of buying that Trumpet for quite a while now. I don't know if I can withstand the price tage during this sale...


----------



## hag01 (Apr 7, 2020)

East West Hollywood orchestra, except the woodwinds.
Heavyocity Damage.


----------



## Scamper (Apr 7, 2020)

Bollen said:


> Well... I just upgraded my SM trumpet last night to version 3 and decided to also get the trombone since they're doing their coronavirus sale and I literally went "wow!"



Totally agree. With the sale going on, I finally took the plunge into the world of Sample Modeling Brass and got the Trombone.

I was worried a bit, that it wouldn't be that expressive with live playing on just the MIDI keyboard, but this is really the most fun I've ever had playing a library.
So, I put together a quick trombone quartet, slapped on a reverb, did some EQ matching with another brass library and played a short track just using the modwheel playing live (I changed the dynamics to CC1).

I can imagine, that it will be a bit tricky to get SM Brass into a proper orchestral mix, but for what it is, I don't think there's anything better.



UPDATE:
It's also nice in context, but I hope to improve the reverb setup and spatialization some more.


----------



## Bollen (Apr 7, 2020)

Social_Ghost1 said:


> Man, I've been on the tipping point of buying that Trumpet for quite a while now. I don't know if I can withstand the price tage during this sale...


Damn! Well I hope you find a briefcase with money on your next trip out... You won't regret it, they are really, really satisfyingly good!


Scamper said:


> Totally agree. With the sale going on, I finally took the plunge into the world of Sample Modeling Brass and got the Trombone.
> 
> I was worried a bit, that it wouldn't be that expressive with live playing on just the MIDI keyboard, but this is really the most fun I've ever had playing a library.
> So, I put together a quick trombone quartet, slapped on a reverb, did some EQ matching with another brass library and played a short track just using the modwheel playing live (I changed the dynamics to CC1).
> ...


Excellent! Both your decision and the demo! Now I'm inspired to write some sort of fanfare, since I own the whole collection (trumpet, trombones, horns and tuba)! Can't wait....


----------



## Saxer (Apr 7, 2020)

Last week the update 1.4 of Infinite Brass arrived. Really great library!


----------



## NYC Composer (Apr 7, 2020)

Social_Ghost1 said:


> Man, I've been on the tipping point of buying that Trumpet for quite a while now. I don't know if I can withstand the price tage during this sale...


 SM’s “The Trumpet” is the most satisfying virtual instrument I own.


----------



## Harald (Apr 8, 2020)

Can *note performer 3* be mentioned ? It's part sample library 
For those wanting to hear it in action:
SW main theme:


Mozart:


----------



## Scamper (Apr 8, 2020)

Bollen said:


> Now I'm inspired to write some sort of fanfare, since I own the whole collection (trumpet, trombones, horns and tuba)! Can't wait...



What better to use for a fanfare, than a 16 trumpet section.
Would you say, that the instruments are all on the same level or are there stronger and weaker ones? I'm eager to get more, especially the horns.


----------



## BradHoyt (Apr 8, 2020)

Here's a couple:

NI Mysteria - This is my favorite sample library. Endless possibilities for arranging aleatoric choirs. It's even possible to use it in a more traditional way if you dig in.
Atom Hub Grand Mechaniano - A great little library for creating creepy piano based steampunk music.


----------



## muziksculp (Apr 8, 2020)

Bollen said:


> Well... I just upgraded my SM trumpet last night to version 3 and decided to also get the trombone since they're doing their coronavirus sale and I literally went "wow!"
> 
> They've added some kind of IR to the instruments that makes them sit beautiful in a mix with say VSL using tools like virtual stage.
> 
> But best of all, they've added overtones manipulation which allows one to create infinite amount of different sounding instruments! Coupled with pitch and timing variations I was able to create an incredibly realistic 16 trumpets section last night... Ha, ha, ha, ha! (Mad, psychotic laugh).



Cool ! Nice to hear that.

I have been itching to buy their Trumpet and Trombone for quite a while now, I might just do it, given they are both discounted. 

Any idea when this sale ends ? 

Thanks.


----------



## Maxime Luft (Apr 8, 2020)

ScarletJerry said:


> Organic Samples Majestic Horn. The legato solo horn is stunning, as well as the fact that it costs around $2. Also the VSGS Crystal Rhodes puts a smile on my face every time I play it. Finally, in the higher priced category, the sordino strings sustains in Orchestra Essentials 2 is silky smooth and realistic.
> 
> -Scarlet Jerry


I heard about this horn several times on this forum, I will check it out soon😇


----------



## ed buller (Apr 8, 2020)

Recently ...BBCSO....wonderful.....A long time ago QLSO Platinum........such a game changer

best

ed


----------



## ScarletJerry (Apr 8, 2020)

Maxime Luft said:


> I heard about this horn several times on this forum, I will check it out soon😇


Sill waiting for the oboe, Maxine. Ha Ha!

Scarlet Jerry


----------



## Bollen (Apr 9, 2020)

Scamper said:


> What better to use for a fanfare, than a 16 trumpet section.
> Would you say, that the instruments are all on the same level or are there stronger and weaker ones? I'm eager to get more, especially the horns.


Yes I would, they behave differently but then again so do the real ones! I think they will easily replace all my other horns, except maybe WARPIV...


----------



## Bollen (Apr 9, 2020)

muziksculp said:


> Cool ! Nice to hear that.
> 
> I have been itching to buy their Trumpet and Trombone for quite a while now, I might just do it, given they are both discounted.
> 
> ...


No it doesn't say on their website: https://samplemodeling.com/en/news.php


----------



## muziksculp (Apr 9, 2020)

Bollen said:


> No it doesn't say on their website: https://samplemodeling.com/en/news.php



Yes, Thanks. I know it doesn't say on their website, that's why I asked about how long the sale will last. 

Anyways.. I'm considering getting their Brass Bundle. They all sound very good.


----------



## ism (Apr 9, 2020)

Spitfire Stratus


----------



## Eptesicus (Apr 17, 2020)

I too caved for the sample modeling brass :D. It would appear they dont normally do sales so this might be the best time to try them out.

Very impressed so far. Even the horn is better than i was expecting. The trumpet is obviously brilliant.

I have a quick question though for anyone who may see this - Are the unison ensemble instruments different to the main instruments? By that i mean is it possible to have an 8 horn section by using all the unison ensemble patches + the 4 solo instruments or will that cause issues phasing?


----------



## Crowe (Apr 17, 2020)

When I started getting back into music, I decided to get Komplete 11 Ultimate on sale with a Komplete Kontrol, just so I had stuff to work with.

Action Strikes blew my mind, Damage destroyed me, the Giant put me back together and Una Corda provided the glue. These are still my favorite Libraries.

I got Amadeus Symphonic Orchestra after the disaster that was Aria's Strings and was blown away by everything it packed for its measley price. It's not very realistic, but still my go-to library when I'm looking for the old-school Playstation-era Game Music Feel(tm).

Finally, my most recent purchases: Metropolis Ark I and II, gotten during the NI sale. Nothing needs to be said here. They're fantastic.


----------



## Bollen (Apr 17, 2020)

Eptesicus said:


> I too caved for the sample modeling brass :D. It would appear they dont normally do sales so this might be the best time to try them out.
> 
> Very impressed so far. Even the horn is better than i was expecting. The trumpet is obviously brilliant.
> 
> I have a quick question though for anyone who may see this - Are the unison ensemble instruments different to the main instruments? By that i mean is it possible to have an 8 horn section by using all the unison ensemble patches + the 4 solo instruments or will that cause issues phasing?


Personally, I always prefer to use the "unison" patches for ensemble building, even if they are all going to be harmonised and programmed separately. They sound more natural since they all perform slightly different. (Tip: if you go through all the different settings windows and study the difference between them, you'll be able to create absurdly big ensembles capable of playing in unison)

Now take into consideration that real instruments also phase sometimes, especially when the players are really good and they play similar instruments (brand, mouthpiece, etc). However, you can always eliminate unwanted phasing by riding the pitchbend a couple of hundred points away from the centre.


----------



## korgscrew2000 (Apr 17, 2020)

My first was samplegasm was 8dio Adagio strings. 

I played those Arcs for hours. I still enjoy them today. Those double bass arcs in the top register 🥴


----------



## Futchibon (Jun 2, 2021)

This is a great thread! I got so many good recommendations from here. My list so far:

Dominus & Insolidus choirs - just beautiful
Century Strings - the sordinos are from heaven and the arcs as usual from 8Dio just stellar
Venice Modern Strings - Just listen to it! Thanks @ism
Nashville Scoring Strings - Underrated library, lovely harmonics and many surprising features
SCS & OACE - Spitfire hit it out of the park with chamber strings
Sunset Strings - Original idea perfectly realised
Soaring Strings - The name says it all, but the soft sustain is a joy too
JB Violin - probably the most listed VST in this thread, for good reason.
Bohemian Cello & Violin - lovely
Tundra - the Albion of all Albions! Although I still want Neo 
MA1 - epic awesomeness!
8Dio Legion Series - unique and stunning sound
Xperimenta Classica Bass - Arcs, harmonics, legato, this does everything so well, even a jazz patch!
Timphonia - I just get the desire to play this often and love it.
Sospiro Strings - incredible value string library.

And now I'm officially broke...but worth it!

Kepler Orchestra, Freyja and Tallin Female choirs are recent purchases but from what I've heard so far they'll make the list too


----------



## Casiquire (Jun 2, 2021)

LASS, Shreddage, then it took a few years to have that again. So far all of the OrchestralTools Berlin main libraries I've tried have given me that feeling, and most recently Freyja which is just incredible sounding


----------



## lettucehat (Jun 2, 2021)

I think there's another thread exactly like this that I already contributed to, but I can't resist.

LASS when it first came out blew my mind.
Cinebrass as well. CinePerc with its breadth and sound, and even CineStrings solo for a certain sound.
JB Violin obviously.
Performance Samples - Con Moto, Vista, Solos of the Sea, Caspian, Angry Brass, Winds, Oceania I/II... you name it, anything other than the really niche stuff like Fluid Shorts, which is still awesome.
Strezov Choirs, all of them.
8dio Agitato - similar to LASS, felt like a definitive step forward in legato.
Berlin Strings adaptive legato when it first came out, Winds too, Brass is just as impressive today though
Cinematic Studio Strings
Sample Modeling brass
Embertone Shire whistle - I'm just now realizing it was one of the first times I dealt with heavily delayed legato - surprise! It makes it sound amazing.
Bohemian Cello for sure.


----------



## easyrider (Jun 2, 2021)

Freyja is so playable and sounds amazing !


----------



## Marsen (Jun 2, 2021)

Cineperc, Cinepiano, SA OACE, SA CDT, SA BHCT
Strezov Freya, Embertone JB, Soundiron Bamblong, 8Dio Insolidus
Sonokinetic Indie, Soniccouture Sheng Khaen Sho
ProjectSAM lumina, S2, BS Tarilonte Dark Era, Heavyocity Damage 2
Orangetree Samples Texas Twang, Orchestral Tools Ark 4, Inspire, Time M


----------



## Polkasound (Jun 2, 2021)

Futchibon said:


> And now I'm officially broke...but worth it!


Congratulations! Your official VI-Control membership card is in the mail and on its way!


----------



## chrisav (Jun 2, 2021)

Metropolis Ark 3... still can't play those repetitions patches without grinning wildly


----------



## Double Helix (Jun 2, 2021)

Polkasound said:


> Congratulations!* Your official VI-Control membership card is in the mail and on its way!*


Postage due, of course -- maybe root around in the sofa cushions for the price of the stamp


----------



## Alex Niedt (Jun 2, 2021)

Lately, the Birth of the Trumpet and Tenor Colossus from Straight Ahead Samples, the kotos (Koto 13, Koto 17, etc.) from Sonica Instruments, and Tallinn from Orchestral Tools. Some of the Sonokinetic stuff I've grabbed recently is really impressive, too. Indie, Noir, Ostinato Noir, and Modal Runs had me really inspired to break out of my norm. The 8Dio Soulful Studio Horns are really nice, especially for the price. The Patina Creative Soundpack from Orchestral Tools is beautiful. I could go on...


----------



## paularthur (Jun 2, 2021)

Oceania.


----------



## ryans (Jun 2, 2021)

Original EWQLSO: At the time I had never heard orchestral samples that real and natural sounding, I was totally blown away.

Sample Modeling Trumpet: Hard to describe the quasi-religious experience on that one. It's so playable that I couldn't quite believe it when I first used it.


----------



## lettucehat (Jun 2, 2021)

Can't believe I forgot Tarilonte (ERA Medieval Legends II, Shevannai) and Ethera Gold!
And SWAM saxes!
And Damage 2!
And Symphobia back in the day!
And to be honest, Fab Four by East West did make me smile - they really did get the keys and drums pretty dead on.


----------



## Jacob Fanto (Jun 2, 2021)

Ironic that I was looking at this thread just now, right as Olafur Arnalds Composer Toolkit was booting up for the first time. Felt piano. Instant goosebumps and chills. I love so many of my libraries but this was definitely one of the most notable “holy shit” moments I’ve experienced with samples.


----------



## muziksculp (Jun 2, 2021)

Jacob Fanto said:


> Felt piano. Instant goosebumps and chills


WOW.. Never had a Felt Piano do that to me. Not even a NON-Felt one.


----------



## Christopher Rocky (Jun 2, 2021)

The wow factor for me that popped my cherry was symphobia 2, the tutti patch across the whole keyboard, it was the first time I really connected the dots with the power of orchestral VIs. after that Albion one blew me away like that too. 

Time macro with the mod wheel control, The ascend piano (their particle generator), Indie, Olafur arnolds, SCC, Ben Osterhouse patterns. Untamed series, Ethera, Eduardo Tarilonte era 2 (the vocal patch), I just upgraded to komplete ultimate collectors and I played with the Noir felt all night, truly beautiful.

How about a plugin? BlackHole


----------



## filipjonathan (Jun 2, 2021)

I don't even remember if I've commented on this thread or not but it's NOIRE for me. Just got it in this NI sale and wow. Just beautiful.


----------



## Evans (Jun 2, 2021)

Christopher Rocky said:


> How about a plugin? BlackHole


Ooh, good one.

I suppose my _first _feeling like this was the original Giga Piano. It was an upgrade for me from the little WAV files I'd been using in old Tracker software.

The next big "wow" moment for me was probably Lumina. It still has a certain charm.

More recently? Berlin Strings (a pickup last year, and led me to the lovely Special Bows), LCO Strings, Afflatus, or Damage 2.


----------



## Casiquire (Jun 2, 2021)

Evans said:


> Ooh, good one.
> 
> I suppose my _first _feeling like this was the original Giga Piano. It was an upgrade for me from the little WAV files I'd been using in old Tracker software.
> 
> ...


I'm glad to see you say that about Berlin Strings which I've been eyeing


----------



## Christopher Rocky (Jun 2, 2021)

Evans said:


> The next big "wow" moment for me was probably Lumina. It still has a certain charm.


Lumina is amazing! still has one of the best most playable tin whistles!


----------



## Trash Panda (Jun 2, 2021)

*Band-related:*
AmpleSound Metal Eclipse and Metal Ray Bass
Addictive Drums 2 Metal Kit - Unfaithful Devil preset. Awesome sound, just wish it was more deeply sampled
MODO Bass - Dingwall
MODO Drums - The Djentleman kit. Good God, that kick drum!

*Orchestral:*
Spitfire Abbey Road One - likely the only ensemble library I will ever own.
Hollywood Orchestra Brass and Strings
CinePerc and CineHarps
Cinematic Studio Woodwinds
Damage 2
Ethera - any of the vocal patches
Oceania 1 & 2
Audio Imperia Solo, Talos, Jaeger vocals, Cerberus


----------



## Toecutter (Jun 2, 2021)

Symphobia! No other library impressed me as SY1 did *13 years *ago.


----------



## Soundbed (Jun 2, 2021)

On the softer side of strings, Tundra and Spitfire Symphonic Evolutions.

For brass, OT Majestic Horn. Any brass from OT pretty much. I also like Forzo and The Horde from Trailer Brass. 

On the louder side, percussion and effects from Keepforest: Vikings and Ferrum. I also really enjoy using Heavyocity Master Sessions.

one random shoutout: Suspended Cymbals from Wavesfactory: they really made something useful, imho.


----------



## Futchibon (Jun 2, 2021)

lettucehat said:


> Performance Samples - Con Moto, Vista, Solos of the Sea, Caspian, Angry Brass, Winds, Oceania I/II... you name it, anything other than the really niche stuff like Fluid Shorts, which is still awesome.


Ah yes, how could I forget Caspian and Fluid shorts, awesome! Missed out on Con Moto :(


----------



## Futchibon (Jun 2, 2021)

chrisav said:


> Metropolis Ark 3... still can't play those repetitions patches without grinning wildly


Looking forward to it being released on Sine so I can get some of the individual instruments


----------



## Futchibon (Jun 2, 2021)

paularthur said:


> Oceania.


Do you have MA1? Wondering how the choirs compare...


----------



## Futchibon (Jun 2, 2021)

Christopher Rocky said:


> The wow factor for me that popped my cherry was symphobia 2, the tutti patch across the whole keyboard, it was the first time I really connected the dots with the power of orchestral VIs. after that Albion one blew me away like that too.
> 
> Time macro with the mod wheel control, The ascend piano (their particle generator), Indie, Olafur arnolds, SCC, Ben Osterhouse patterns. Untamed series, Ethera, Eduardo Tarilonte era 2 (the vocal patch), I just upgraded to komplete ultimate collectors and I played with the Noir felt all night, truly beautiful.
> 
> How about a plugin? BlackHole


+1 for Noire, very interested in the Time series.


----------



## zimm83 (Jun 2, 2021)

Westwood Untamed series. Fabulous.
MA 1 2 3 4. Forever !
8dio INSOLIDUS. 
Wavelet Audio SENFINE.


----------



## fourier (Jun 3, 2021)

CSS, Genesis Children's choir and OT Tallinn made a clear first impression on me, but I think if I would factor in price I think Genesis and Celtic ERA (on sale) sticks out. That said, I've first now gotten Full kontakt, so I'm sure there are many gems out there.


----------



## HotCoffee (Jun 3, 2021)

CSS (especially the shorts)
Emotional Cello and Violin
MA2 (Low strings)


----------



## Gerbil (Jun 3, 2021)

The Vitous library back in the 90s. That was amazing for its time. But I was totally blown away by VSL all those years ago when they burst onto the scene. It was like "what dark magic is this?" EWQLO was also impressive with its surround sound facility.

Since then there are very few libraries that have had such a wow factor. Efimov's first guitar was one, Spitfire's Sable range, Samplemodeling's The Trumpet and most recently Vista. But when I think how many years have passed since my first libraries, it strikes me that not much has changed. I really like BBCSO Pro - probably my fav library of recent times - but it's fundamentally just EWQLSO but better. Mind you, the older library still has plenty in it the beeb library can't do!


----------



## keepitsimple (Jun 3, 2021)

Ravenscroft 275
Afflatus 
Vertigo Violin 
EWQL Gypsy
OTS Evolution Rock Standard


----------



## doctoremmet (Jun 3, 2021)

I bought BHCT this sunday. I am very impressed. It is great fun and one of the most inspiring things I played. Never knew these ensemble thingies could be this much fun. Immediately put Lumina on my radar too.


----------



## PhilA (Jun 3, 2021)

Westwood Untamed, Heavyocity Ascend and NI/Galaxy Noir all leap to my mind.
A VERY close 4th place goes to Westwood Alt Piano it’s amazing.


----------



## mussnig (Jun 3, 2021)

doctoremmet said:


> I bought BHCT this sunday. I am very impressed. It is great fun and one of the most inspiring things I played. Never knew these ensemble thingies could be this much fun. Immediately put Lumina on my radar too.



Phew, I'm relieved. I was afraid you would hold me accountable in case you didn't like it 😁


----------



## doctoremmet (Jun 3, 2021)

mussnig said:


> Phew, I'm relieved. I was afraid you would hold me accountable in case you didn't like it 😁


Never. Blaming other people for one’s own (informed) choices is not my style. So thanks again for leading the way pal! ❤️


----------



## AndyP (Jun 3, 2021)

paularthur said:


> Oceania.


Definitely Oceania, how could I forget to mention that!

While I'm at it:

- Con Moto plus Solo violins
- Ethera's
- EWHO
- Metropolis Ark 4, partly Ark 3 and the Ark 1,2 choirs (It took a bit to like the Arks)
- AI Libraries with the new player (sample start)
- BBO + Synchron Strings


----------



## AceAudioHQ (Jun 3, 2021)

Eastwest/QL Symphonic Orchestra
Embertone Sensual Sax (I wish they'd do a tenor with the same quality as Joshua Bell)
Embertone Recorders
Embertone Joshua Bell Violin
IK Multimedia Modo Bass (Though not based on samples)
Impact Soundworks Pedal Steel
Impact Soundworks Ventus Winds - Tin Whistle

and my ultimate favourite:

Gospel Musicians FM Tines 2


----------



## NathanTiemeyer (Jun 3, 2021)

Cinematic Studio Woodwinds makes me smile anytime I play it


----------



## wahey73 (Jun 3, 2021)

The very first time I was blown away from a sampled sound was when I got my Proteus MPS in 1991. The Piano, The Strings and the Solo Trumpet have been out of this world for me. Around 5 years ago had the same feeling with the factory sounds from my Korg Krome, really impresssive but the first time a sample library made me say "this is insanely good" was last year with Orchestral Essentials 1&2 (ok, i still have this feeling  )


----------



## RM 13 (Jun 3, 2021)

There are lots and lots of good or great libs out there but these are my "WTF" moments:

Embertone Joshua Bell Violin
Performance Samples Oceania
OT Metropolis Ark 3 and
Merethe's Vox from AI Jaeger Hangar 4


----------



## paularthur (Jun 3, 2021)

Futchibon said:


> Do you have MA1? Wondering how the choirs compare...


No sir, i wish. $$


----------



## Futchibon (Jun 3, 2021)

RM 13 said:


> There are lots and lots of good or great libs out there but these are my "WTF" moments:
> 
> Embertone Joshua Bell Violin
> Performance Samples Oceania
> ...


Thanks for the heads up on Merethe/JH4, hadn't heard of it


----------



## lettucehat (Jun 3, 2021)

People really seem to like MA 3! As someone who doesn’t own any of them and is a bit confused by 3 and 4, what is it that people respond to about 3?


----------



## RM 13 (Jun 3, 2021)

lettucehat said:


> People really seem to like MA 3! As someone who doesn’t own any of them and is a bit confused by 3 and 4, what is it that people respond to about 3?


Well, for me is the massive sound, especially when you use the multis. Nothing comes close when you need to go big (right out of the box, that is). MA4 has less instruments in terms of numbers but powerful and kind of weird articulations.


----------



## RM 13 (Jun 3, 2021)

Futchibon said:


> Thanks for the heads up on Merethe/JH4, hadn't heard of it


It's the most natural sounding solo vocal legato up till now. It doesn't need reverb to sound 'ok'.


----------



## Futchibon (Jun 4, 2021)

RM 13 said:


> It's the most natural sounding solo vocal legato up till now. It doesn't need reverb to sound 'ok'.


Yeah it sounds great! Hoping for a sale soon...


----------



## Banquet (Jun 4, 2021)

I bought Spitfire Chamber Strings and Solo Strings in the Black Friday sale 2019 I was blown away by their sound and playability and they are really what started my process of becoming fascinated by, and trying to learn more about composing and writing for strings. They're still my favourite libraries.

I've also had that 'this is amazing' feeling after playing JB Violin, OrangeTreeSamples Evolution Acoustic Guitar and Eric Whitacre Choir. The VRAL grid in Tundra going through Eventide Blackhole nearly knocked my socks off and finally Slate and Ash Cycles is a never ending toy box of sound design where, somehow, all the mediocre sounds I put in, all come out sounding wonderful - no easy trick! 

Edit, and if I may expand the scope of the thread a little into hardware - the Moog Matriarch - oh my goodness what an amazing synth. I've owned synths on and off since the early 80s and I've never come across anything so natural, musical and gorgeous sounding, and such a joy to create sounds on. Easy to do simple sound design and yet incredibly deep if you want to start using patch cables - gloriously well throught out by Moog.

Man, I love playing with music with all this amazing stuff we have access to these days. One day I might even write something half decent!


----------



## RM 13 (Jun 4, 2021)

Futchibon said:


> Yeah it sounds great! Hoping for a sale soon...


Before Merethe, best solo vocal legato was Tarilonte's Shevannai which you can also check. It still sounds great to me.


----------



## Bluemount Score (Jun 4, 2021)

RM 13 said:


> Well, for me is the massive sound, especially when you use the multis. Nothing comes close when you need to go big (right out of the box, that is). MA4 has less instruments in terms of numbers but powerful and kind of weird articulations.


MA3 is just brutal in sound and MA4 really does add variation to the Ark series. I especially like using the unique instrument combos for melodic lines etc


----------



## Futchibon (Jun 4, 2021)

Banquet said:


> I bought Spitfire Chamber Strings and Solo Strings in the Black Friday sale 2020. I was blown away by their sound and playability and they are really what started my process of becoming fascinated by, and trying to learn more about composing and writing for strings. They're still my favourite libraries.


I just got SCS in the recent sale and am blown away by it. Went over my budget but have so much to explore while I survive on crumbs for the next week 


Banquet said:


> Man, I love playing with music with all this amazing stuff we have access to these days. One day I might even write something half decent!


My thoughts exactly!


----------



## Crossroads (Jun 4, 2021)

Majestica. I know it isn't too popular on this site, but I really, really love it to death. I know it doesn't sound realistic, but is that really it's goal?

It has a unique sound that no other sample library can replicate. The interaction of the instruments within the room is so beautiful, and I am inclined to say that the effect is even more pronounced at lower dynamics. It's such an incredible full sound.

Also, 66 cellos, basses, trombones and tubas.

Certainly not applicable all the time, but when I have to go big, these surely can make a wall of sound together.


----------



## lettucehat (Jun 4, 2021)

Crossroads said:


> Majestica. I know it isn't too popular on this site, but I really, really love it to death. I know it doesn't sound realistic, but is that really it's goal?
> 
> It has a unique sound that no other sample library can replicate. The interaction of the instruments within the room is so beautiful, and I am inclined to say that the effect is even more pronounced at lower dynamics. It's such an incredible full sound.
> 
> ...


Very interesting perspective. Contempt for Majestica seems almost universal at times, and I've always wondered what's so disappointing about it for all of these people. The walkthroughs seem really good, granted not $600 good, but like the 66/Legion series, seems like it's pretty straightforward about what it is at least..? A totally ridiculous ensemble that's meant to sound awesome. I don't own it though. Just interesting to hear a dissenting opinion.


----------



## Futchibon (Jun 4, 2021)

Crossroads said:


> Majestica. I know it isn't too popular on this site, but I really, really love it to death. I know it doesn't sound realistic, but is that really it's goal?
> 
> It has a unique sound that no other sample library can replicate. The interaction of the instruments within the room is so beautiful, and I am inclined to say that the effect is even more pronounced at lower dynamics. It's such an incredible full sound.
> 
> ...


I love the legion series and am looking forward o picking up Majestica/8w soon when it goes on sale/is repriced. And as you say, the sound at lower dynamics is really special, at least in the walkthrough to my ears. Very different to the loudness of MA1 (which I love). 

Are you tempted to upgrade to 8W?


----------



## Crossroads (Jun 4, 2021)

Futchibon said:


> I love the legion series and am looking forward o picking up Majestica/8w soon when it goes on sale/is repriced. And as you say, the sound at lower dynamics is really special, at least in the walkthrough to my ears. Very different to the loudness of MA1 (which I love).
> 
> Are you tempted to upgrade to 8W?


Yes, but only if it is on sale. I find that with Majestica also, bought it for 160 euros, which is a fair price. It is too limited to a certain sound to justify it's full price range.

Also, (and this is for @lettucehat too) I would recommend not using it as a super-detailed orchestral library. In fact, it sounds really, really good when played as a keyboardist would. That's why I said realism isn't it's purpose. It sounds very good with huge wide chords!

Most people who don't like it I find don't see it for what it is. It is not comparable to say Metropolis Ark 1 even though people think it is. Watch the walkthroughs and notice how Troels plays it. Not with nuance, but like a keyboardist. That wouldn't make sense with Ark, or most other libraries. But it does with Majestica.


----------



## biomuse (Jun 4, 2021)

ism said:


> The VSL Kontakt 2 factory cello literally brought tears to my eyes when I first played it.
> 
> I was still thinking of Kontakt as a glorified synth, had never heard of ‘true legato’, and had no idea that the technology had advanced to the point where it was even possible to play something the felt so much like an actual cello.


Relatedly, it was the Ant. Petrof piano in the K2 library - I played a few chords and asked myself “whoa - what is THIS??”

THIS was the first sympathetic resonance script. In retrospect of course, the patch is dwarfed by what came after, but that subtle interaction between the notes popped out a 3D image of the piano in a way I’d never heard from samples before.


----------



## PedroPH (Jun 4, 2021)

I recently got Versilian Studios Chamber Orchestra, and I replaced a trumpet in a piece I'm making with one of the solo trumpets in that library. It has a vibrato that doesn't start right away. When I heard the version that used that instrument for the first time, I had that reaction.

EDIT: Also EWQL Symphonic Orchestra Silver, ages ago.


----------



## ism (Jun 4, 2021)

biomuse said:


> Relatedly, it was the Ant. Petrof piano in the K2 library - I played a few chords and asked myself “whoa - what is THIS??”
> 
> THIS was the first sympathetic resonance script. In retrospect of course, the patch is dwarfed by what came after, but that subtle interaction between the notes popped out a 3D image of the piano in a way I’d never heard from samples before.


Yes, I remember being quite stunned by that too.


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 4, 2021)

stigc56 said:


> Superior Drummer 3 and Joshua Bell violin. Ensoniq EPS 16 Electric Bass, fantastic!


Until recently, I had been still using my EPS 16+ As my controller. I switched it out for my 88 key Kurz k2500X, but it still works fine. I just liked having the 88 keys right there. Talk about dinosaurs! I Used the heck out of these boards for 30+ years!


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 4, 2021)

Slightly more recent immediate reactions...
AROOF within 10 seconds
Con Moto and Vista 
Sunset Strings


----------



## doctoremmet (Jun 4, 2021)

The first time I heard an Oberheim DMX drum machine playing really loud, with a custom made “tone snare” EPROM replacing the regular “Blue Monday” snare. A drummer doing some clinic or demo at our local conservatory used it to play along to. He pressed play and I was blown away by those samples. I think this must have been around 1989 or something.


----------



## stixman (Jun 4, 2021)

MA1 MA2 MA3...All that power...love em... needs a better mix 








Celtic Funk 6


Steve Cassidy Guruubu




soundcloud.app.goo.gl













Epic Funk 7 by Stephen Cassidy


Steve Cassidy Guruubu




soundcloud.app.goo.gl


----------



## SteveC (Jun 4, 2021)

I was blown away by the sound of BFD3 and it's librarys - for me the best choice for drum samples. Okay - somehow the wrong forum :D - but still a honest answer.


----------



## jonnybutter (Jun 4, 2021)

Sample Modeling brass w/breath controller, esp. Trombone.
Audio modeling woodwinds
LASS
Unify
Indigenous Nylon string guitar
Virharmonic strings


----------



## NYC Composer (Jun 4, 2021)

jonnybutter said:


> Sample Modeling brass w/breath controller, esp. Trombone.
> Audio modeling woodwinds
> LASS
> Unify
> ...


SM brass was the second big band oriented library I bought, the first being Chris Hein horns 2. The combo I ended up with by using both inspired me to write a number of crooner songs that were successful for me. LASS is still my most versatile string library and I find the Indiginus Renaxxance nylon guitar to be excellent and amazing for the price (though I consider the Elfimov to be better.)

The depressing thing about this excellent thread is that it reminds me that I have a LOT of great libraries I’ve either forgotten about or just don’t use often enough.


----------



## Project Anvil (Jun 4, 2021)

Virharmonic Bohemian Violin.


----------



## callen1685 (Jun 4, 2021)

Some of these a pretty random

Aaron Venture Infinite Series
CSS+CSSS
Olafur Arnolds Chamber Evolutions
Ben Osterhouse Patterns and Oscillation Strings
Orange Tree Samples Evolution Songwriter guitar
Embertone's Bassoon, Clarinet and Jubai Flute
Orchestral Tools Ark Series (especially 2), Babel, Tallinn, Solo woodwinds
Fable Sounds Broadway Big Band 
Cinesamples Hand bells 
Zebra 2


----------



## AEF (Jun 4, 2021)

HZ Strings
ARK 1&2 Brass
CSW
BBCSO and AR perc
and everything I ever bought from Jasper.


----------



## Futchibon (Jun 4, 2021)

SteveC said:


> I was blown away by the sound of BFD3 and it's librarys - for me the best choice for drum samples. Okay - somehow the wrong forum :D - but still a honest answer.


Not the wrong forum, there are plenty of mentions in this thread of Superior Drummer 3. Can you play BFD3 with electronic drums? Have been looking to crossgrade to SD3 from EZD2 but still happy atm. BFD3 look cool.


jonnybutter said:


> Sample Modeling brass w/breath controller, esp. Trombone.
> Audio modeling woodwinds
> LASS
> Unify
> ...


I have to try the SM Trombone, so many recommendations for it! +1 for Virharmonic


Project Anvil said:


> Virharmonic Bohemian Violin.


Have you tried their cello?


AEF said:


> HZ Strings
> ARK 1&2 Brass
> CSW
> BBCSO and AR perc
> and everything I ever bought from Jasper.


All Jasper's products I have are great  Not sure whether to get HZ Strings or not?


----------



## AEF (Jun 4, 2021)

Futchibon said:


> Not the wrong forum, there are plenty of mentions in this thread of Superior Drummer 3. Can you play BFD3 with electronic drums? Have been looking to crossgrade to SD3 from EZD2 but still happy atm. BFD3 look cool.
> 
> I have to try the SM Trombone, so many recommendations for it! +1 for Virharmonic
> 
> ...


I got it on sale (HZ) and am kicking myself it took me so long. I love it and would recommend it if you have the money to spend lol.


----------



## Tekkera (Jun 4, 2021)

Everything from Performance Samples (at the specific things they do)


----------



## ThomasJ.Curran (Jun 4, 2021)

Spitfires Olafur Arnalds Chamber Evos, especially the short waves vib. Breathtaking!


----------



## Fidelity (Jun 4, 2021)

Embertone's Joshua Bell Violin. Only have the lite version, but it amazed me when I first got it and it's still amazing. Shame they haven't put that same level of scripting on their other solo instruments (though they're still pretty darn good), but here's hoping.


----------



## Chornobyl (Jun 4, 2021)

EastWest Symphonic Choirs,
EastWest M.O.R. 1 and 2,
Best Service Accordions,
Iliya Efimov Accordion and Bayan.
Heavyocity Damage, 
RealiBanjo,


----------



## SteveC (Jun 4, 2021)

Futchibon said:


> Not the wrong forum, there are plenty of mentions in this thread of Superior Drummer 3. Can you play BFD3 with electronic drums? Have been looking to crossgrade to SD3 from EZD2 but still happy atm. BFD3 look cool.


I have EZDrummer 2 with many EZX, I like the plugin and it's functionality with EZBass. Also I have Addictive Drums. I never upgraded to SD3 because I'm not the biggest fan of the Tonntrack drum sound. BFD3 sounds a lot more dirty and realistic(for my ears). When I need a realistic and close sound, I use BFD3. Especially the cymbals and hihat sound exceptional good. And yes, you can play it with an electronic drum!


----------



## StillLife (Jun 5, 2021)

Very recently: VSL Elite Strings.


----------



## OleJoergensen (Jun 5, 2021)

There are many great sounding libraries.
I just love the sound of Dominus Choir.


----------



## Brian2112 (Jun 6, 2021)

Everything String Audio and Slate and Ash.


----------



## nolotrippen (Jun 6, 2021)

PedroPH said:


> I recently got Versilian Studios Chamber Orchestra, and I replaced a trumpet in a piece I'm making with one of the solo trumpets in that library. It has a vibrato that doesn't start right away. When I heard the version that used that instrument for the first time, I had that reaction.
> 
> EDIT: Also EWQL Symphonic Orchestra Silver, ages ago.


Just playing Gold today. Love it.


----------



## ok_tan (Jun 6, 2021)

auras + cycles by slate and ash


----------



## Tralen (Jun 6, 2021)

The original Miroslav Philharmonik, when it was released.

It was the library that started everything for me.


----------



## DennyB (Jun 6, 2021)

jazzman7 said:


> As my controller. I switched it out for my 88 key Kurz k2500X


Haha, I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with mine. A little crufty now.


----------



## Farkle (Jun 6, 2021)

Musical Sampling's Adventure Strings and Adventure Brass.


----------



## jazzman7 (Jun 7, 2021)

DennyB said:


> Haha, I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with mine. A little crufty now.


For sure! The EPS will occupy the corner again for the time being. It was quite a useful tool back in the day


----------



## chrisav (Jun 7, 2021)

Another answer just came to my mind: Popelka Bassoon from Embertone!


----------



## Drumdude2112 (Jun 7, 2021)

Afflatus
Eric Whitacre Choir 
Metropolis Ark 1
(Just off the top of my head )


----------



## Larbguy (Jun 7, 2021)

ark 1, slate & ash stuff, infinite woods / brass, damage 2, impact soundworks plucked string libraries


----------



## Vik (Jun 7, 2021)

I quite liked the Marcato Strings on my Emulator 2. Unfortunately, I've become a lot more picky since the mid-80s.


----------



## daviddln (Jun 8, 2021)

- The Trumpet 3 & The Trombone 3 by Sample Modeling
- Keyscape
- BBCSO Pro
- The Big Bang Orchestra series


----------



## pipedr (Jun 8, 2021)

Saxer said:


> Last week the update 1.4 of Infinite Brass arrived. Really great library!


How would you compare the AudioModeling saxes to the Infinite Brass saxes?


----------



## Futchibon (Sep 1, 2021)

ProfoundSilence said:


> I'm going to go with
> Dominus(Fluffy Audio)
> JXL Brass(Orchestral Tools)
> Berlin Strings(Orchestral Tools)
> ...


How do the 2 Spitfire organs compare? I have Union CHapel and love it, worth getting Symphonic too?


----------



## MaxOctane (Sep 1, 2021)

Futchibon said:


> How do the 2 Spitfire organs compare? I have Union CHapel and love it, worth getting Symphonic too?


I have both. Symphonic is different, and has a fantastic sound. Can be thunderous or soft and round. Super fun instrument.

I'm not an organist, and have no interest in the specifics of a real organ.


----------



## Evans (Sep 1, 2021)

Djembe X3M. It's so thorough and dang fun to play.


----------



## Rudianos (Sep 1, 2021)

Ooohhh - Ravenscroft, Impact Pedal Steel, Genesis Children's, NI Cremona Cello ... those were the ones that really hit me!


----------



## muziksculp (Sep 1, 2021)

Strezov Sampling : *Afflatus Strings *


----------



## VSriHarsha (Sep 1, 2021)

That would be Greek Percussion. I was convinced instantly, at the beginning of Walkthru itself.


----------



## Futchibon (Sep 1, 2021)

muziksculp said:


> Strezov Sampling : *Afflatus Strings *


Hopefully it will come down during BF sales


----------



## AB3 (Sep 3, 2021)

VSriHarsha said:


> That would be Greek Percussion. I was convinced instantly, at the beginning of Walkthru itself.


Which sample library of Greek Percussion? Soundiron? Thank you.


----------



## VSriHarsha (Sep 4, 2021)

AB3 said:


> Which sample library of Greek Percussion? Soundiron? Thank you.


I thought Soundiron only released Greek Strings & Winds. They got Percussion too?

I meant 8Dio’s


----------



## KEM (Sep 4, 2021)

JXL Brass


----------



## Rudianos (Sep 4, 2021)

VSriHarsha said:


> I thought Soundiron only released Greek Strings & Winds. They got Percussion too?
> 
> I meant 8Dio’s


they do!


----------



## VSriHarsha (Sep 5, 2021)

Rudianos said:


> they do!


Ok! Yea, I checked it. But the 8Dio’s Greek Percussion insanely impressed me & just at the beginning of the Walkthru itself.


----------



## Rudianos (Sep 5, 2021)

VSriHarsha said:


> Ok! Yea, I checked it. But the 8Dio’s Greek Percussion insanely impressed me & just at the beginning of the Walkthru itself.


I own that and have not yet dug in - whats wrong with me LOL commencing


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## WWBiscuit (Sep 6, 2021)

For me, there are all of my other choir libraries, and then there was Dominus. Jaw meet floor. 

Also:

* The low strings of AROOF
* Tina Guo Cello Legato
* Taylor Davis Solo Violin (I actually don't own Joshua Bell...yet)
* OT Berlin Inspire I & II
* The 8DIO 1928 Piano - it had exactly the sound I was looking for at the time, a wonderfully evocative tone.


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## germancomponist (Sep 6, 2021)

CSS


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## EpicMusicGuy (Sep 6, 2021)

Me when I finally digged through Noire and the particle engine.
Went from "Maybe I should have just purchased Kontakt instead of Komplete, to .. "Nah" real fast.


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## Getsumen (Sep 6, 2021)

MA2. Everything about is just "beautiful"
The brass is just great especially. Need more euphoniums out there


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## Futchibon (Sep 6, 2021)

Getsumen said:


> MA2. Everything about is just "beautiful"
> The brass is just great especially. Need more euphoniums out there


I started buying individual instruments from MA2 but quickly realised I needed to buy the whole library - beautiful indeed.


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## styledelk (Sep 6, 2021)

This is dangerous.


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## Futchibon (Sep 6, 2021)

styledelk said:


> This is dangerous.


Yep - this thread alone has literally cost me thousands. Still my favourite thread on vi-c though


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## SilentOnAll (Sep 6, 2021)

Sample Logic - Infinity. Still mind blowing.


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Dec 3, 2021)

Spectrasonics' Undercurrent!


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## muziksculp (Dec 3, 2021)

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> Spectrasonics' Undercurrent!


Try using a few of their new Under Echo effect on a preset patch, or your own, and see what happens to your CPU meter. That's something they need to fix. Otherwise, the Undercurrent Extension is very good.


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## Marcus Millfield (Dec 3, 2021)

VSL BBO Hercules
VSL Dimension brass
VSL Dimension strings
Karoryfer Orcophony

Instant goosebumps and/or inspiration.


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## Batrawi (Dec 3, 2021)

since the thread got bumped, I get the chance to say this again: The more I dig deeper into HWS, the more I'm amazed with how EW got things right many MANY years ago, while the many newer string libraries that I have (including CSS which I'm known to be obsessed about) seem to have an inferior reinvention of the wheel in comparison imo. Sure they do specialise in few things here and there over HWS, but the latter is still an overall better sounding/more superior go-to strings to me. Very glad that I upgraded to HOOPUS


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## SyMTiK (Dec 3, 2021)

Zero-G Ethera Gold 2.5 and Sahara Voices. Got it last week, and holy shit. Hands down the best sounding solo voice libraries I have EVER heard. Super playable especially compared to other libraries that tend to need quite a bit of editing to sound natural. And the amount of content you get for the price is awesome!


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## muziksculp (Dec 3, 2021)

Futchibon said:


> Afflatus
> MSS
> 
> Happy days 🙂


Any specifc demo/s of MSS that can impress me ? I haven't heard one yet.


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## StefanoM (Dec 3, 2021)

SyMTiK said:


> Zero-G Ethera Gold 2.5 and Sahara Voices. Got it last week, and holy shit. Hands down the best sounding solo voice libraries I have EVER heard. Super playable especially compared to other libraries that tend to need quite a bit of editing to sound natural. And the amount of content you get for the price is awesome!


Thanks... I'm very Happy.. about that!

But The Best.. .until...

The Next Ethera...

Stay Tuned for 2022...

New True Legato Engine...and It's...Amazing.

An Evolution of the Sahara Voices True legato Engine ;( that's amazing)

We, Will, add a lot of new "flavors" that now are missing on the available Etheras.

The Ethera "Gold" Series will be completed with this last chapter 

And of course for the Ethera Users super "cheap" price.


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## SyMTiK (Dec 3, 2021)

StefanoM said:


> Thanks... I'm very Happy.. about that!
> 
> But The Best.. .until...
> 
> ...


I will instantly buy it the second it comes out I can promise you that!


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## tim727 (Dec 3, 2021)

Cinematic Studio Brass. I just bought BB and although it has some nice qualities and can certainly do some things that CSB can't, it has made me appreciate CSB all the more. The consistency, the ease of use, and the sound are all wonderful. The repetitions/shorts are my favorite thing ever and the marcato patch -- as I've seen someone claim about CSW recently -- is essentially like a composer's cheat code.


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## Futchibon (Dec 3, 2021)

muziksculp said:


> Any specifc demo/s of MSS that can impress me ? I haven't heard one yet.


The ones on the website are a good representation, so if you don't dig them you'll unlikely gel with the library. Given your endorsement of Swam Solo strings, which I find completely unusable due to their synthetic and completely unrealistic tone, I think we may have very different tastes


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## CT (Dec 3, 2021)

Abbey Road stuff. SWAM solo strings. Omnisphere. Diva.


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## muziksculp (Dec 3, 2021)

Futchibon said:


> Swam Solo strings, which I find completely unusable due to their synthetic and completely unrealistic tone


No, that's not true. It depends on the user's ability, and know how. They can sound very realistic, but also totally trash if you don't know what you're doing.


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## muziksculp (Dec 3, 2021)

Futchibon said:


> The ones on the website are a good representation, so if you don't dig them you'll unlikely gel with the library. Given your endorsement of Swam Solo strings, which I find completely unusable due to their synthetic and completely unrealistic tone, I think we may have very different tastes



Hi @Futchibon ,

Thanks for posting some MSS demos you like. I like them as well. Although, there is a bit of a veil character to the overall mix, not sure what it is. but then it's soundcloud, which imho. sucks a lot of the detail out of a mix. 

Do you use MSS, or planning to get it ? 

I'm just starting to get acquainted with LASS 3, and love the interface, and sound of the library, but I still need more time to get to know it well. Given MSS uses a similar GUI, and system, it would be easy for me to jump into MSS, plus I get it at the Loyalty price of $399. 

I'm still thinking about it, but not totally sold on it yet. 

Cheers,
Muziksculp


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## Futchibon (Dec 3, 2021)

muziksculp said:


> No, that's not true. It depends on the user's ability, and know how. They can sound very realistic, but also totally trash if you don't know what you're doing.


Well, 'truth' is relative  I'm a big fan of some of the Swam insruments, due to the amazing expression capabilities. But their tone is extremely hit-and-miss. Even the supremely talented Allistair Parnell can't save the Swam strings from sounding like a synthy, whiney mess.



muziksculp said:


> Hi @Futchibon ,
> Do you use MSS, or planning to get it ?


Had it a week now and love it.


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## AMBi (Dec 3, 2021)

There's been quite a few over time but

-Noire
-Cinematic Studio Solo Strings + Woodwinds
-Tundra+NEO blend
-OTS Steel String 

have been my true loves since that feeling has never faded with them.


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## muziksculp (Dec 3, 2021)

Futchibon said:


> Had it a week now and love it.


Congrats !  Nice to hear that you love it. 

Oddly, I hear conflicting opinions about the tone of MSS, I mean the overall timbral character, and acoustics character of the hall it is recorded in. Some user tend to love it, some don't. How do you like the timbre/sonic character of MSS so far ? How do you like the short articulations ? 

Anything you dislike about MSS so far ? 

I'm just trying to better evaluate it. So, any feedback about it will be very helpful. 

Thanks,
Muziksculp


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## Futchibon (Dec 3, 2021)

muziksculp said:


> I'm just trying to better evaluate it. So, any feedback about it will be very helpful.


Sure, the tone is what I would call more 'neutral' than a lot of my other string libraries like Afflatus or Vista, which have tonnes of 'personality'. But I think this is ultimately a strength for MSS, as it means on the one hand it will be very easy to use for underscoring, but it also blends very well with other libraries like Afflatus/Vista and I'm sure the upcoming Pacific when you need a more, say, hyper- romantic feel or whatever. So if MSS was my only string library, I think it would have some limitations, but paired with another it really feels like a complete package.


The main reason MSS really shines is with its amazing set of tools that I've haven't across with another strings library, but owning Genesis and the great features it had got me really interested in MSS and I'm glad I did. Detune, lookahead, alleatoric, davisi, intuition, etc, are all fantastic. To use an architectural analogy of the Sydney Opera House, Afflatus is like the sails that have the 'wow' factor, whereas MSS is like the rock-solid foundations built into Sydney Harbour. It might not get all the plaudits from a listenener, but to the composer it's invaluable.

When Pacific drops I genuinely don't think I'll have a desire for any more string libraries!


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## Alex Temple (Dec 3, 2021)

Aaron Venture Infinite Brass and both the Abbey Road foundations and the Low Strings really did it for me. So often with sampled strings I find myself over-layering to make up for some inherent thinness - the low strings just sound immensely rich with barely any effort. Honorary mentions for Cinematic Studio Brass and the Berlin soloist woodwinds.

On the hardware side, I bought a Moog Matriarch this year. As I was paying for it, I didn’t know if it was a smart decision, as it was a bit of an impulse buy after watching a handful of YT videos - but it’s just so much fun to use and I’ve found it to be a core on any cues that need any kind of synth work.


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## jonnybutter (Dec 4, 2021)

I already answered this but I forgot a more recent one: Unify.


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## Evans (Dec 4, 2021)

Eric Whitacre Choir.

For what it's worth, I have _not_ used it in a project. And it doesn't have a word builder. Or syllables at all, really. And it doesn't get "epic" with molto vibrato. And it doesn't have the most amazing, modern legato techniques that some of you may look for (not bad, but not what I think people here want).

But it's smooth like butter. And some of the evos have _just _enough movement to make it feel alive without being absurd (some are absurd, but those with little movement are really helpful).

I really hope I find a proper use for it soon. That's my 2022 resolution.


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## Noeticus (Dec 4, 2021)

SWAM Strings = holy friggin' wow!


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## Noeticus (Dec 4, 2021)

I love almost EVERYTING from VSL.

And "Spitfire Chamber Strings" is very, very nice!!!

I love MSS and LASS 3.


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## Living Fossil (Dec 4, 2021)

muziksculp said:


> Any specifc demo/s of MSS that can impress me ? I haven't heard one yet.


Honestly, at that point i think it's probably not the right one for you.
I have it and i love the results i get with it, but it's maybe one of the most difficult libraries i own.
The sound is sometimes wonderful and sometimes a sea full of dirty resonances; it completely depends on what you're using it, often even within a piece.
So, sometimes i do quite a bit of automated dynamic EQing with this. Sometimes i apply helpers like Smart EQ3 or that Sculptor from izotope; but not always.
Also, i usually have around additional 4 string libraries loaded at the same time (CSS, Century, Vista, BBCSO as well as some additional patches from others; like from LASS2, SSS or Anthology etc.), so, if something doesn't work, i replace it or add additional samples. But that goes for every single strings library. (Also: often i use solo strings to help "difficult" textures
But let me add that it took me about 2-3 months (working with them for several hours almost every day) until i had a "feeling" for MSS.

TLDR; maybe postpone another string library and invest some quality time in LASS3.
That one bears a lot of stuff to explore.


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## daan1412 (Dec 4, 2021)

I remember being in owe of Hollywood Orchestra back in the day. That was a pretty big jump in realism compared to the stuff I knew at the time. But that was from an outside perspective, I was still a kid saving up for his first library back then (EWQL Gold). Later, I went through a similar fascination with SSO (those demos by Andy are still a gold standard in VI programming to me).

As a user, I can name stuff similar to what many of you mentioned: BBCSO Core (mostly in terms of value), CSS/B/W (fantastic legatos), AROOF (the fact it's _this_ room). Most recently, though, I was absolutely blown away by Embertone wind instruments. They are an absolute joy to play. I mean really, playability and realism are amazing IMO.


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## muziksculp (Dec 4, 2021)

Living Fossil said:


> Honestly, at that point i think it's probably not the right one for you.
> I have it and i love the results i get with it, but it's maybe one of the most difficult libraries i own.
> The sound is sometimes wonderful and sometimes a sea full of dirty resonances; it completely depends on what you're using it, often even within a piece.
> So, sometimes i do quite a bit of automated dynamic EQing with this. Sometimes i apply helpers like Smart EQ3 or that Sculptor from izotope; but not always.
> ...


Thanks for the helpful feedback.


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## Noeticus (Dec 4, 2021)

muziksculp said:


> Thanks for the helpful feedback.


I still predict that one day you will own MSS.

This is based on the "we must own all string libraries, string theory".


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## muziksculp (Dec 4, 2021)

Noeticus said:


> I still predict that one day you will own MSS.
> 
> This is based on the "we must own all string libraries, string theory".


LOL... You know me pretty well. 

I have been super cautious about getting MSS, I usually don't hesitate when a major strings library is released to buy it. I just love having strings libraries, the more the better. But MSS has been an exception, I think mainly because I had LASS 2.5 and didn't like using it. So, now that I have LASS 3 with the new GUI system. I'm going to use it for a while, and see where that leads. Then re-evaluate my decision to get MSS. I think this is the safest, and wisest way to go forward. 

The advice, and feedback that @Living Fossil posted is very valuable, and is in tune with what I would expect if I rushed into buying MSS today.


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## from_theashes (Dec 4, 2021)

The first sampled instrument in general, that made me think „wow!“ was:
- GetGoodDrums P4

In context of orchestral libraries:

- Hollywood Brass
- Damage 2
- Albion Neo


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## fourier (Dec 6, 2021)

CSW really blew me away, also because I found it way better than all the mixed reviews it received early on. The Genesis Children's choir is another other favorite. Overall the Cinematic Studio Series have felt extremely good, so I'm still awaiting CSP!


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## ImJim (Dec 6, 2021)

OT Woodwinds Soloists.

Pure, beautiful and faithful sound. Absolutely clinical legato scripting. Slurred, agile & re-tongued legato. 
Silky smooth, progressive soft arcs at low velocities. Flawlessly implemented & expressive vibratos.

Simply magical.


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## muziksculp (Dec 6, 2021)

ImJim said:


> OT Woodwinds Soloists.
> 
> Pure, beautiful and faithful sound. Absolutely clinical legato scripting. Re-tongued legato. Flawlessly implemented & expressive vibratos.
> 
> Simply magical.


Yup. and they all have a single velocity layer. Which is very interesting.


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## CT (Dec 6, 2021)

The single dynamic layer makes for a cleaner, if limited, result, but I can't get over how obvious some of the interval sample -> sustain grafts seem to be from the isolated instrument demos, or I'd have gotten them a while ago. In contextual orchestral winds that's one thing, but for purpose-built soloists....


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## jbuhler (Dec 6, 2021)

Michaelt said:


> The single dynamic layer makes for a cleaner, if limited, result, but I can't get over how obvious some of the interval sample -> sustain grafts seem to be from the isolated instrument demos, or I'd have gotten them a while ago. In contextual orchestral winds that's one thing, but for purpose-built soloists....


Yeah, I struggle with this in the OT Woodwind Soloists, and I think it's worse in the Sine version than the Kontakt, though I don't have the Kontakt version to test it against. Certainly not having the Teldex IR in the Sine version makes these instruments generally much harder to use out of the box.


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## Baronvonheadless (Dec 6, 2021)

muziksculp said:


> Any specifc demo/s of MSS that can impress me ? I haven't heard one yet.


I take this as a personal attack! 





Audiobro Modern Scoring Strings


Not *exactly* but there are options. I've used the detune feature to good effect for slow gliss within a certain range. Otherwise, I've always said Melodyne is indispensable in a writer's toolkit. You can use a normal gliss and just stretch the transition in Melodyne to fit whatever length you...




vi-control.net


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## ag75 (Dec 6, 2021)

Symphobia 1 and 2. Blew me away when I first hear this library.


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## Russell Anderson (Dec 7, 2021)

Layering.

Vista, NSS and SCS together are mega expressive, the shorts are thunderous and the soft articulations are glorious. Enough going on that you can pretty much just play in ostenatos and SCS handles runs of any sort quite well. The smaller section sizes work really well together and may (I’m new) offer some freedom in divisi and spatialization.

Infinite Brass and Century Brass together, with a bit of dynamics curve adjustment so they crescendo at the same time, sound so immense.

Honorable mention for Infinite Woodwinds. I have a huge grin every time I play it thus far, it just sounds and feels like a real instrument. Woodwind orchestration is not easy, though, and performing every part adds another dimension of challenge.

All of these libraries together and apart each impress the snot out of me, and that’s why I bought them. Satisfied customer.


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## Futchibon (Dec 7, 2021)

Russell Anderson said:


> Layering.
> 
> Vista, NSS and SCS together are mega expressive, the shorts are thunderous and the soft articulations are glorious. Enough going on that you can pretty much just play in ostenatos and SCS handles runs of any sort quite well. The smaller section sizes work really well together and may (I’m new) offer some freedom in divisi and spatialization.
> 
> ...


I love all those instruments you listed, great choices!


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## easyrider (Dec 7, 2021)

Gotta say that Albion Solstice has helped me with my creative rut….


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## Serg Halen (Dec 7, 2021)

Metropolis Ark 1, actually, i think this is still one of the best sounding libraries.


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## holywilly (Dec 7, 2021)

I was porting Berlin Strings into my VSL Synchron template and surprisingly BS works extremely well layering with both Elite Strings and Synchron Strings Pro! The blend sounds so silky smooth and lush.

Berlin Strings is now the library that WOW-ed me.


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Dec 7, 2021)

SF Hammers! 

Starting a thriller with a very short deadline - now I don’t have to worry about what percs to use. The SOUND!


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## Evans (Dec 7, 2021)

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> SF Hammers!
> 
> Starting a thriller with a very short deadline - now I don’t have to worry about what percs to use. The SOUND!


Just one key press of the bass drum and I thought to myself, "Well, that certainly is a bass drum." 

In a very good way.


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## Marcus Millfield (Dec 7, 2021)

holywilly said:


> I was porting Berlin Strings into my VSL Synchron template and surprisingly BS works extremely well layering with both Elite Strings and Synchron Strings Pro! The blend sounds so silky smooth and lush.
> 
> Berlin Strings is now the library that WOW-ed me.


Do they blend out-of-the-box or are you using MIR with Teldex room?


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## holywilly (Dec 7, 2021)

Marcus Millfield said:


> Do they blend out-of-the-box or are you using MIR with Teldex room?


All my Synchron strings are fairly dry, I didn’t enable any surround mics. And I merge mics (tree and spot only, both at the 0dB) for all sections of Berlin Strings. Then I adjust the volume of Berlin bus until the satisfied level. 

No MIR.


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## easyrider (Dec 7, 2021)

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> SF Hammers!
> 
> Starting a thriller with a very short deadline - now I don’t have to worry about what percs to use. The SOUND!


Kicking myself I didn’t buy it for £149 with edu


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## KMA (Dec 7, 2021)

Polkasound said:


> One such library for me was Native Instruments Session Horns Pro. It was really billed as a section library, so I was not expecting much from the solo instruments, but to my surprise the library turned out to have the most pristinely recorded, truest-sounding horn samples I've ever heard in a sample library. Even though it's not the most flexible library for solo horn use, to this day I still hold all other libraries, whether sampled or modeled, to the sonic standard of SHP.


This library really surprised me too.

The flugelhorn always finds its way into my orchestral noodlings.


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## KMA (Dec 7, 2021)

I upgraded to Komplete 13 Ultimate recently, mainly just for Kontakt 6, and my expectations were fairly low.

But Noire Felt was a huge surprise. Damn, that thing is inspiring to play!


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