# Sample library burn out



## dcoscina (May 30, 2021)

Some days and I find most recently, I'm feeling kind of worn out by all of the stuff out there or even in my setup... I am from an era where we had much fewer sounds because the gear was hardware-based and funds were limited. Nowadays, if someone doesn't like something, there's the allure of just remedying with another brand new shiny library. 

I got into StaffPad so fervently last summer because it got rid of all of the GAS and just let me focus on music (melody, harmony, counterpoint, rhythm, and orchestration). I found myself much more productive and wrote several concert works, around 8 to 10 minutes (no short cues). I'm curious if anyone else feels overwhelmed by the choices or even the lineup of sounds they have at their disposal. I often enjoy limiting myself to a single library (like I did with the Star Trek-styled cues on BBCSO last month). I'm heading into a project now where it will call for a greater range of sounds so I cannot stick with that ideology. However, I'm trying to hone my palette so I can work with a certain set of sounds or libraries (OT stuff, Threnody, Omnisphere expansions from Triple Audio, maybe AI Solos).


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## b_elliott (May 30, 2021)

dcoscina said:


> Some days and I find most recently, I'm feeling kind of worn out by all of the stuff out there or even in my setup... I am from an era where we had much fewer sounds because the gear was hardware-based and funds were limited. Nowadays, if someone doesn't like something, there's the allure of just remedying with another brand new shiny library.
> 
> I got into StaffPad so fervently last summer because it got rid of all of the GAS and just let me focus on music (melody, harmony, counterpoint, rhythm, and orchestration). I found myself much more productive and wrote several concert works, around 8 to 10 minutes (no short cues). I'm curious if anyone else feels overwhelmed by the choices or even the lineup of sounds they have at their disposal. I often enjoy limiting myself to a single library (like I did with the Star Trek-styled cues on BBCSO last month). I'm heading into a project now where it will call for a greater range of sounds so I cannot stick with that ideology. However, I'm trying to hone my palette so I can work with a certain set of sounds or libraries (OT stuff, Threnody, Omnisphere expansions from Triple Audio, maybe AI Solos).


Good to see someone oriented to music production.

Overwhelm = 8DIO: a candy store spanning 5 floors. Wild.

Staffpad intrigues me. Earlier I got as far as looking to see I would first need an iPad (MS Surface for me) == too much moolah to launch that ship just now.

A Sorry Condition: I posted on one my songs on the composition sub-forum that I know about 2% of my DAW and use less than 10% of my VSTs. I decided THAT changes this year. Or else!

Best of luck on staying focused. I will keep an eye out for your works. Cheers from Canada.


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## CT (May 30, 2021)

It definitely pays to be picky, to use only a handful of tools, and to re-sell the rest (or take the loss when you can't).


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## GtrString (May 30, 2021)

Yeah, I do, but I try to handle it by putting together small templates divided into genres or particular projects. I think of it as putting together a «band» for a tour.. Its the art of limitation, somewhat like the «dogma principles» by Lars Von Trier, if you are familiar with that.


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## Tice (May 30, 2021)

Once my collection of samples and hardware hit a certain point, I felt I had everything I need to do pretty much anything my mind could think of. Once that happened, 'new' still had an appeal, but I also kept coming up with 'no' if I'd ask 'Does this allow me to make something I can't already make?'. At that point, the question by which I determine to purchase something changed into 'Does this inspire me to make something I wouldn't normally make?'. A good example of this question being answered with 'yes' would be the Bernard Herrmann Composer Toolkit by Spitfire. I don't normally orchestrate like that, and it pushes me into a direction that complete control of every instrument wouldn't normally push me in.


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## Jett Hitt (May 30, 2021)

StaffPad is such a beautiful thing. I just write. But when I start messing around in my DAW, days disappear, and often I have nothing to show for it. I know that I just need to work in StaffPad and forget the DAW, but then I get seduced by some damned library, and there go days and days. . . .


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## Henrik B. Jensen (May 30, 2021)

“Sample library burn out”...now, will you please go wash your mouth out with soap, young man!


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## doctoremmet (May 30, 2021)

Tice said:


> A good example of this question being answered with 'yes' would be the Bernard Herrmann Composer Toolkit by Spitfire. I don't normally orchestrate like that, and it pushes me into a direction that complete control of every instrument wouldn't normally push me in.


Thanks. Just when I decided to give it a rest and read this thread to get rid of any leftover GAS, you post this hahaha


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## dcoscina (May 30, 2021)

Henrik B. Jensen said:


> “Sample library burn out”...now, will you please go wash your mouth out with soap, young man!


If I'm young at 53, you must be friggin ancient dude...


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## dcoscina (May 30, 2021)

b_elliott said:


> Good to see someone oriented to music production.
> 
> Overwhelm = 8DIO: a candy store spanning 5 floors. Wild.
> 
> ...


I've posted quite a few things here actually. Been a member since 2004 or somewhere back then.


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## thesteelydane (May 30, 2021)

Staffpad is just a beautiful creation, it's everything I've always dreamed music technology would be some day. I always write better music when I work in notation, and Staffpad allows that instant feedback we have come to expect from sample libraries without having to edit anything, so I'm more likely to stay in a flow state. The only thing that's potentially even better is pen and paper plus a piano because it forces me to use my inner ear even more, but I'm a lousy piano player so it's a lot slower and much more painful - I have resigned myself to having to rely on technology to compose, so Staffpad it is.

And yes, I realise the irony of this coming from someone who makes sample libraries for a living.


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## CT (May 30, 2021)

I wish I liked StaffPad more but it seems like the disconnect I feel with regular notation software is still there, there's just still too much jiggery that has to happen that gets in the way. For me it's gotta be real hand-writing, or flying by the seat of my pants at the computer with no score at all. The latter is made more complicated than it needs to be by having too many libraries floating around, so one reason why I try to be so ascetic about this.


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## dcoscina (May 30, 2021)

thesteelydane said:


> Staffpad is just a beautiful creation, it's everything I've always dreamed music technology would be some day. I always write better music when I work in notation, and Staffpad allows that instant feedback we have come to expect from sample libraries without having to edit anything, so I'm more likely to stay in a flow state. The only thing that's potentially even better is pen and paper plus a piano because it forces me to use my inner ear even more, but I'm a lousy piano player so it's a lot slower and much more painful - I have resigned myself to having to rely on technology to compose, so Staffpad it is.
> 
> And yes, I realise the irony of this coming from someone who makes sample libraries for a living.


That's exactly how I feel about it. The tech is transparent. It largely gets out of the way and allows for creativity to flow. And it also helps hone one's inner ear for pitch relationships.


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## dcoscina (May 30, 2021)

Mike T said:


> I wish I liked StaffPad more but it seems like the disconnect I feel with regular notation software is still there, there's just still too much jiggery that has to happen that gets in the way. For me it's gotta be real hand-writing, or flying by the seat of my pants at the computer with no score at all. The latter is made more complicated than it needs to be by having too many libraries floating around, so one reason why I try to be so ascetic about this.


I get where you are coming from. One needs to employ a modern tech elasticity in terms of workflow to really get the most out of Staffpad. I've seen lots of pros who are very comfy with notation get flustered and frustrated with SP. I'm hoping David>Musescore or whatever they are develops a bespoke library that will have much better functionality with the app. It seems like after that major update last year with all those third party library expansions (and iOS compatibility), there hasn't been much in the way of new libraries from OT, CineSamples, or SFA in this regard... it leaves one wondering if there will be more additional developments in that area or not...


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## [email protected] (May 30, 2021)

I am quite new to the sample-library-world. Bought the Vienna-Super-Packe back in 2013 and added several of the later released _Vienna-Instruments_-collections but it took until 2019 that I really started to make some actual music with those tools. Then I researched for newer products and _Junkie-XL-Brass _and the _Hans-Zimmer-Strings _dragged me into the rabbit hole. One and a half year later I have so many more libraries, for example the _Cinesamples_-Orchestral line, the _Berlin Main _collections (planning to exapnd), the _Metropolis Arks_, 8dio choirs, their _Legion Series_, Strezov choirs, the _Music Sampling_ orchestral stuff, the Audobro orchestral stuff...

My shopping list grew in the beginning of 2020 and it shrinked heavily during that year. I now contains only the _Berlin expansions_ and the _Sonokinetic Orchestral Strings_. 
And this actually feels nice - realizing that I don't fall for _everything_ shiny like Spitfires _Abbey Road_ stuff or _Performance Samples'_ future orchestral libraries.

I am _only_ interested in orchestral and chamber stuff so I won't spend money on synths or special panflute libraries.
So: no, shopping-wise I don't feel burned out but will soon reach a state where I have nothing on my list and will evaluate new things very critical.

Working wise: I always compose _before_ I record. I have several pieces in my head (and two already notated) which I will record with my libraries as soon as possible. So there is no procrastination or other problems regarding starting out.

And whenever I record my music I am very happy about my sample library collection _because_ of the options! When I start recording a piece I think about which library could do the best job (woodwinds, strings, percussion, brass, choir) but it happened often that I ran into some limitations or I needed another cymbal-clash or a more natural swell in the choir.
Then I just have to open another patch, try around - and I always founded exactly what I was looking for. Sometimes it took some time to search for it but in the end I always found the correct sound/articulation - because I have so many different version of the same stuff (orchestral libraries).

No, I don't feel burned out - I wish I had more time for making music and I am grateful that these tools exist and that I can afford them.


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## DimensionsTomorrow (May 30, 2021)

dcoscina said:


> Some days and I find most recently, I'm feeling kind of worn out by all of the stuff out there or even in my setup... I am from an era where we had much fewer sounds because the gear was hardware-based and funds were limited. Nowadays, if someone doesn't like something, there's the allure of just remedying with another brand new shiny library.
> 
> I got into StaffPad so fervently last summer because it got rid of all of the GAS and just let me focus on music (melody, harmony, counterpoint, rhythm, and orchestration). I found myself much more productive and wrote several concert works, around 8 to 10 minutes (no short cues). I'm curious if anyone else feels overwhelmed by the choices or even the lineup of sounds they have at their disposal. I often enjoy limiting myself to a single library (like I did with the Star Trek-styled cues on BBCSO last month). I'm heading into a project now where it will call for a greater range of sounds so I cannot stick with that ideology. However, I'm trying to hone my palette so I can work with a certain set of sounds or libraries (OT stuff, Threnody, Omnisphere expansions from Triple Audio, maybe AI Solos).


I totally get it. I transitioned from a mostly hardware setup to mostly working ITB a year or two ago, and when stepping into this world of sample libraries it was totally overwhelming. You don’t know what you need, what’s hype and what’s not, etc. 

Now that I know what I’m after and have a better grip on libraries, I’m much less tempted. I definitely have no desire to just endlessly buy libraries, and I chalk up all my purchases to date as part of the learning curve. I had ZERO gas for the last Spitfire sale, which was nice to realize that maybe I don’t have an addiction. Lol.

I don’t work with StaffPad, but the person I’m taking composition classes from works in Sibelius and, while he doesn’t suggest it for the kind of stuff I do, I can really appreciate that approach to composition! 

I’m a huge fan of your Star Trek track and I’m looking forward to more great stuff from you!


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## dunamisstudio (May 30, 2021)

I'm about at that point. I have all I need to write. Then something new comes out or sale hits and visit my wishlist again.  Or I'll buy something and then discover it's being picked apart on here.


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## gussunkri (May 31, 2021)

For me, StaffPad has been an amazing antidote for all the sample library GAS. I have been so much more productive since getting it. I only wished I could write my rock music on StaffPad as well. I fake it by using the drum kit from CinePerc and cello for what would be electric guitar, but so far I always end up thinking it sounds too good as orchestral music that I hesitate to turn it into rock.
I wish StaffPad had better guitar and bass (I do not own the add on pack but it didn’t seem impressive)


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## jonathanparham (May 31, 2021)

gussunkri said:


> For me, StaffPad has been an amazing antidote for all the sample library GAS


Amen Brother. Hallelujah.
StaffPad is also humbling because it musically shows me the distance between what I know and what I hear in my head. It's like 'yeah dude, you're chops ain't there yet.' BUT it also is a wonderful tool where I can keep tweaking musically till I 'get' exactly what I hear in my mind. I find that very rewarding. I definitely got some downsides to StaffPad but that's another thread.
But back to @dcoscina 's post. Also, isn't your day gig in music retail? I suspect you see everything that comes out. isn't GAS part of your paycheck lol?


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## dcoscina (May 31, 2021)

jonathanparham said:


> Amen Brother. Hallelujah.
> StaffPad is also humbling because it musically shows me the distance between what I know and what I hear in my head. It's like 'yeah dude, you're chops ain't there yet.' BUT it also is a wonderful tool where I can keep tweaking musically till I 'get' exactly what I hear in my mind. I find that very rewarding. I definitely got some downsides to StaffPad but that's another thread.
> But back to @dcoscina 's post. Also, isn't your day gig in music retail? I suspect you see everything that comes out. isn't GAS part of your paycheck lol?


I used to be in sales but since the lockdown it's all remote customer support work and yeah, it's draining. I miss playing new gear and trying it out. Sample libraries by contrast seem to present so many challenges to make a line sound realistic, compared to StaffPad. I like the immediacy of SP or even BBCSO. It's not perfect but it's nice to limit myself and work on the music attributes more than the production ones which I feel is the main goal of DAW workflows...


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## jonathanparham (May 31, 2021)

dcoscina said:


> I used to be in sales but since the lockdown it's all remote customer support work and yeah, it's draining. I miss playing new gear and trying it out. Sample libraries by contrast seem to present so many challenges to make a line sound realistic, compared to StaffPad. I like the immediacy of SP or even BBCSO. It's not perfect but it's nice to limit myself and work on the music attributes more than the production ones which I feel is the main goal of DAW workflows...


Yeah I do think we live in a world of is this a cue for approval? Does it have to be midi/mocked and then sent to the orchestrator, or is it something that's going right to the stage from the pen. Also, I see alot of scores that are budgeted for 'some' live players but is going to be combined with the samples and mocked up score. 
But yeah I'm curious what muse score will do . Just this weekend I heard something I wrote in StaffPad played live with a few players. It was something I did in Jan of this year but I didn't do too much tweaking for the players. NOW it was a larger group with a huge budget it probably would have gone to finale Sibelius for engraving first.

The dream for me is StaffPad becomes like Kontakt where it's like a skin or skeleton you lay over any sample library; then you just write and hear. The immediacy is key.


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## dcoscina (May 31, 2021)

jonathanparham said:


> Yeah I do think we live in a world of is this a cue for approval? Does it have to be midi/mocked and then sent to the orchestrator, or is it something that's going right to the stage from the pen. Also, I see alot of scores that are budgeted for 'some' live players but is going to be combined with the samples and mocked up score.
> But yeah I'm curious what muse score will do . Just this weekend I heard something I wrote in StaffPad played live with a few players. It was something I did in Jan of this year but I didn't do too much tweaking for the players. NOW it was a larger group with a huge budget it probably would have gone to finale Sibelius for engraving first.
> 
> The dream for me is StaffPad becomes like Kontakt where it's like a skin or skeleton you lay over any sample library; then you just write and hear. The immediacy is key.


Apparently MuseScore is looking to use the SP playback engine. That intrigues me.


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## jonathanparham (May 31, 2021)

dcoscina said:


> Apparently MuseScore is looking to use the SP playback engine. That intrigues me.


Ok, I haven't used Musescore. How is it good for StaffPad? What are the possibilities?


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## Alex Fraser (May 31, 2021)

dcoscina said:


> Some days and I find most recently, I'm feeling kind of worn out by all of the stuff out there or even in my setup... I am from an era where we had much fewer sounds because the gear was hardware-based and funds were limited. Nowadays, if someone doesn't like something, there's the allure of just remedying with another brand new shiny library.
> 
> I got into StaffPad so fervently last summer because it got rid of all of the GAS and just let me focus on music (melody, harmony, counterpoint, rhythm, and orchestration). I found myself much more productive and wrote several concert works, around 8 to 10 minutes (no short cues). I'm curious if anyone else feels overwhelmed by the choices or even the lineup of sounds they have at their disposal. I often enjoy limiting myself to a single library (like I did with the Star Trek-styled cues on BBCSO last month). I'm heading into a project now where it will call for a greater range of sounds so I cannot stick with that ideology. However, I'm trying to hone my palette so I can work with a certain set of sounds or libraries (OT stuff, Threnody, Omnisphere expansions from Triple Audio, maybe AI Solos).


I’ve not used Staff Pad, but I’m completely on board with the idea of stripping it back. I’m also from that era where music tech was more limited and I’ve never quite got out of that headspace.

A couple of years back i did a clear out. Now it’s just Logic stock and some choice libraries from my favourite vendors. I buy when I need.

Result? Much happier, relaxed. And I can still ship music. If you’re tempted, don’t hold back. We’re all different creative beasts. 🤷‍♂️


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## José Herring (May 31, 2021)

I am fairly done with it, for now. I went on a buying spree when the pandemic hit because I realized it had been nearly 10 years since I really purchased any library and really I had little bits and pieces of 10 year old libraries. 

So I got 3 new complete libraries and beefed up my brass ect., ect, ect. My struggles are well documented on this forum.

One day I was feeling really overwhelmed with the choices I made and started counting the amount of synths I had. I stopped at 23 when I realized out of that 23 I only really used 6 of them. The rest I got because, I don't even know why. I just had too much gear.

Last week I made a major booboo trying to delete and old harddrive partition that had my old XP on it from the days when I upgraded to 7 and didn't want to trust it yet. Somehow this partition survived multiple hard drive cloning, update to Windows 10 and moves from spinning disk to Nvme. I was like wow time to get rid of that thing because it didn't even work on the new machine any more. So I tried to delete the XP OS and merge my partition into a single partition that ended up just whipping out my whole machine main C drive and one of my sample drives. Major blunder. I struggled for a day trying to repair it because the drive was intact with all my data but the boot sector was destroyed and wasn't coming back even when I tried to repair the OS, nothing worked. 

I eventually could have figured it out but I started realizing it was a good way to start over. So I just did a clean install of the OS and started loading up my programs. Realized that I couldn't' even remember all the stuff I had and never had it written down anywhere so I just loaded up the stuff that I did remember and realized that all my gear that I actually used centered around just a few companies. But, try as I might to love some libraries, synths, plugins, ect , some are just not fun to use. Life should be fun. 

So I developed a new philosophy. First, only get something if you can't already do it with what you have. 2, if it isn't fun to use you'll never use it so don't get it. And 3, when push comes to shove and time is short you'll always lean on what you know to get the job done rather than some new stuff you haven't learned yet. 

It's lead to some interesting choices. I got CB just because it had trumpets that sounded like trumpets more than any library I had. I got rid of a bunch of trumpets from other libraries just because that one became my go to. 

Another benefit is that this is the first month in nearly a year that I didn't buy anything new 

But, Traktion F'em just got released....... Eyeing it hard for June


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## Thundercat (May 31, 2021)

Tice said:


> Once my collection of samples and hardware hit a certain point, I felt I had everything I need to do pretty much anything my mind could think of. Once that happened, 'new' still had an appeal, but I also kept coming up with 'no' if I'd ask 'Does this allow me to make something I can't already make?'. At that point, the question by which I determine to purchase something changed into 'Does this inspire me to make something I wouldn't normally make?'. A good example of this question being answered with 'yes' would be the Bernard Herrmann Composer Toolkit by Spitfire. I don't normally orchestrate like that, and it pushes me into a direction that complete control of every instrument wouldn't normally push me in.


I almost picked up BHCT yesterday but refrained...I asked myself a similar question.

Now I'll probably end up with it at BF sale lol


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## dcoscina (Jun 1, 2021)

José Herring said:


> I am fairly done with it, for now. I went on a buying spree when the pandemic hit because I realized it had been nearly 10 years since I really purchased any library and really I had little bits and pieces of 10 year old libraries.
> 
> So I got 3 new complete libraries and beefed up my brass ect., ect, ect. My struggles are well documented on this forum.
> 
> ...


I still find CBtrumpets to be the best too.


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