# Best string library for an intimate sound



## AoA (Jul 22, 2017)

Hi,

I'm a beginner in terms of digital composing. I'd like to buy strings that cost between 200 and 400 dollars. They should be flexible but rather lovely. I don't want to create armageddon music :D. 

Thanks for supporting me


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## ctsai89 (Jul 22, 2017)

Spitfire chamber strings but that's not your budget. Actually it's not ideal since there the legatoes can be awkward Lol. Let me think of one... LASS lite or Cinematic studio strings.


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## rottoy (Jul 22, 2017)

Even though there's some rough tuning in these samples, I like it for chamber work. http://lightandsoundsamples.com/products/chamberstrings.html


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## sostenuto (Jul 22, 2017)

ctsai89 said:


> Spitfire chamber strings but that's not your budget. Actually it's not ideal since there the legatoes can be awkward Lol. Let me think of one... LASS lite or Cinematic studio strings.


 
LASS Lite 2 on sale now @ usd 299. (-usd 200.)


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## AoA (Jul 22, 2017)

Does Cinematic Strings 2 sound too huge?


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## AoA (Jul 22, 2017)

sostenuto said:


> LASS Lite 2 on sale now @ usd 299. (-usd 200.)


Actually 224.25 with the coupon. Seems to be ideal but I heard it's hard to use and limited?


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## rottoy (Jul 22, 2017)

AoA said:


> Actually 224.25 with the coupon. Seems to be ideal but I heard it's hard to use and pretty limited?


It's hard to use if you want a polished, symphony orchestra sound out of the box.


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## AoA (Jul 22, 2017)

rottoy said:


> It's hard to use if you want a polished, symphony orchestra sound out of the box.


Maybe not the best option for a beginner? I'm quite impressed by its sound though


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## rottoy (Jul 22, 2017)

AoA said:


> Maybe not the best option for a beginner? I'm quite impressed by its sound though


If you are willing to work with the very dry and rough sound of LASS, it can be VERY rewarding.


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## AdamKmusic (Jul 22, 2017)

Spitfire LCO is good for an intimate sound and plenty of unique articulations


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## AoA (Jul 22, 2017)

rottoy said:


> If you are willing to work with the very dry and rough sound of LASS, it can be VERY rewarding.


Otherwise, can't I just add reverb? :D But in general I like dry sound.


AdamKmusic said:


> Spitfire LCO is good for an intimate sound and plenty of unique articulations


But a little too expensive


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## rottoy (Jul 22, 2017)

AoA said:


> Otherwise, can't I just add reverb? :D But in general I like dry sound.
> 
> But a little too expensive


You'd have to do a fair bit of work with spatial positioning to get the dry samples to sit in the mix properly.


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## sostenuto (Jul 22, 2017)

AoA said:


> Actually 224.25 with the coupon. Seems to be ideal but I heard it's hard to use and limited?



What Coupon ??


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## ctsai89 (Jul 22, 2017)

rottoy said:


> It's hard to use if you want a polished, symphony orchestra sound out of the box.



But the legatoes respond right away plus the staccatos almost never sound behind the metronome click if you quantize a lot.

Do a bit of EQ and use some reverb then everything after that afterwards should be easy


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## AoA (Jul 22, 2017)

sostenuto said:


> What Coupon ??


It's red, look at http://audiobro.com/ab-store/


rottoy said:


> You'd have to do a fair bit of work with spatial positioning to get the dry samples to sit in the mix properly.


Unfortunately there are just a few videos on YouTube explaining LASS


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## rottoy (Jul 22, 2017)

ctsai89 said:


> But the legatoes respond right away plus the staccatos almost never sound behind the metronome click if you quantize a lot.
> 
> Do a bit of EQ and use some reverb then everything after that afterwards should be easy


Indeed, LASS is still the king when it comes to responsiveness.


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## ctsai89 (Jul 22, 2017)

rottoy said:


> Indeed, LASS is still the king when it comes to responsiveness.



I'm actually considering replacing SSS with LASS because of sick of having to edit MiDI a billion times


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## ctsai89 (Jul 22, 2017)

@rottoy i was wondering if you or anyone else knows how to simulate the bowed legato in LASS though?


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## AdamKmusic (Jul 22, 2017)

AoA said:


> Otherwise, can't I just add reverb? :D But in general I like dry sound.
> 
> But a little too expensive


Ah what is it in dollars?


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## sostenuto (Jul 22, 2017)

Is LASS Full 2.5 essentially the same as *'all'* NI Komplete11 Ultimate Symphony Series Libraries ??


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## sostenuto (Jul 22, 2017)

AdamKmusic said:


> Ah what is it in dollars?



SA LCO is $349.


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## AdamKmusic (Jul 22, 2017)

sostenuto said:


> SA LCO is $349.


Hmm within OP's budget then


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## AoA (Jul 22, 2017)

AdamKmusic said:


> Hmm within OP's budget then


Yeah but considering LASS... :D


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## Kony (Jul 22, 2017)

AoA said:


> Unfortunately there are just a few videos on YouTube explaining LASS


Blakus goes into some detail about LASS in this video


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## rottoy (Jul 22, 2017)

ctsai89 said:


> @rottoy i was wondering if you or anyone else knows how to simulate the bowed legato in LASS though?


No luck here, sorry.


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## Silence-is-Golden (Jul 22, 2017)

rottoy said:


> Even though there's some rough tuning in these samples, I like it for chamber work. http://lightandsoundsamples.com/products/chamberstrings.html


to the op: this one you should not overlook!


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## Saxer (Jul 22, 2017)

Have a look here: 
http://vi-control.net/community/thr...the-peter-gabriel-book-of-love-strings.61403/


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## AoA (Jul 22, 2017)

Silence-is-Golden said:


> to the op: this one you should not overlook!


Promising, but I have no Kontakt 5


Saxer said:


> Have a look here:
> http://vi-control.net/community/thr...the-peter-gabriel-book-of-love-strings.61403/


Cinematic Studio Strings seem great, I wonder how it would sound like with LASS.
Is it actually possibly to use LASS for huge orchestral music with enough EQ and reverb?


Kony said:


> Blakus goes into some detail about LASS in this video



Thanks


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## markleake (Jul 22, 2017)

sostenuto said:


> Is LASS Full 2.5 essentially the same as *'all'* NI Komplete11 Ultimate Symphony Series Libraries ??


Completely different library; recorded by the same company but LASS is dry and Symphony Series is wet.


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## markleake (Jul 22, 2017)

Both Cinematic Strings 2 (CS2) and Cinematic Studio Strings (CSS) are fantastic libs. But CSS would suite your requirements better.

CS2 = bigger sections, wetter recording, wonderful for a full cinematic sounding symphony sized section, simple but still one of the best out there
CSS = smaller sections, closer more detailed studio sound that is a bit darker in tone, wonderful for both cinematic symphony and more chamber sized pieces, a few more articulations than CS2, not quiet as agile as CS2, but they are beautiful and are the leading library for legato playing

CSS is always my first recommendation for a first "big" purchase top notch string lib, regardless of budget. Both CSS and CS2 have various mics that allow for a closer more intimate sound.

For chamber strings in that price range, either Light And Sound Chamber Strings, or the new Auddict United Strings of Europe (which you will need to wait for - the full product isn't out yet).


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## rottoy (Jul 22, 2017)

markleake said:


> Auddict United Strings of Europe (which you will need to wait for - the full product isn't out yet).


Definitely be on the lookout for this, OP.
These are quickly becoming my favourite strings. (Only the 1st Violins and Celli released so far.)


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## AoA (Jul 22, 2017)

markleake said:


> CSS is always my first recommendation for a first "big" purchase top notch string lib, regardless of budget.


Is it comparable to LASS in terms of sound and flexibility?


rottoy said:


> Definitely be on the lookout for this, OP.
> These are quickly becoming my favourite strings. (Only the 1st Violins and Celli released so far.)


Yep, beautiful und cheap, but I don't want to wait. :D It also requires full Kontakt


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## StevenMcDonald (Jul 22, 2017)

I can vouch for LASS lite. It's the only string library I've had and used for about 5 years now. Tons of flexibility with the sound. 

I just do some EQ to bring out the airy frequencies and add a hall reverb and they're good to go for me. They can sound pretty "intimate" as you said because they are recorded close and dry.


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## markleake (Jul 22, 2017)

AoA said:


> Is it comparable to LASS in terms of sound and flexibility?
> 
> Yep, beautiful und cheap, but I don't want to wait. :D It also requires full Kontakt


I don't have LASS Light (or LASS) so can't compare directly, but I do have CSS. But yes, both CSS and LASS Light are going to do a lot for you. Both will be very flexible, but remember that LASS Light doesn't have everything that LASS does. You won't get legato sordinos (muted strings) with LASS, just the longs.

I suspect CSS would be a bit easier to use, so long as you are not put off by working out the legato delay system. CSS is already mixed well, so you just add a touch more reverb, and EQ to taste (or not). I don't think you get multiple microphones with LASS Light, whereas you do get that with CSS, which may be a deciding factor for you. [Someone correct me if I'm wrong on that last point].

Personally I like the tone of CSS much more than LASS, but I suggest you go listen to demos to work out which one you prefer the sound of. LASS I have found can have a harshness to it, in demos people have posted here in the past. CSS sounds darker and more beautiful to my ears; but it has a strong vibrato at the top dynamics that some people are not a fan of. The tone of the libraries should be a big deciding factor for you - some people focus too much on features and forget that they have to like the sound of the library first.


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## ctsai89 (Jul 23, 2017)

rottoy said:


> Definitely be on the lookout for this, OP.
> These are quickly becoming my favourite strings. (Only the 1st Violins and Celli released so far.)



How responsive are the legatoes?


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## Saxer (Jul 23, 2017)

ctsai89 said:


> How responsive are the legatoes?


Good.


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## scoringdreams (Jul 23, 2017)

Spitfire Chamber Strings with Sacconi Quartet? But these are definitely more expensive lol


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## AoA (Jul 23, 2017)

markleake said:


> I don't have LASS Light (or LASS) so can't compare directly, but I do have CSS. But yes, both CSS and LASS Light are going to do a lot for you. Both will be very flexible, but remember that LASS Light doesn't have everything that LASS does. You won't get legato sordinos (muted strings) with LASS, just the longs.


Do sordinos achieve a significantly better sound?


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## Vik (Jul 23, 2017)

It seems to be a hole in the market. A good chamber library (with eg. 5 violin 1s), responsive legatos which also can be tamed (I have heard some good demos lately, but with too loud and too long legatos to my taste), and with demos which both document the full register of the instruments (some mainly demo the upper register of the violins, which after all isn't that hard to get right), but also how controllable the legato is. Polyphonic legato and auto-divisi would also be brilliant.

So if the Sable legatos aren't satisfactory and controllable (they can't be as untameable as the Mural legatos though), maybe LASS is the best option right now, if one can live with the need to adjust the sound and the small artefacts which sometimes are heard in this library.

OTOH, one cannot get ful LASS for $400..... right?

If Cinematic Studio Strings or Berlin Strings come in a chamber version, I'll probably just buy it, whichever is released first. Or if LASS is re-recorded but will be using the same 'legato engine' (and offers a better workflow).

Maybe LASS Legato Sordino can be a good starting point, AoA? Have you checked the demos? That's probably what I would have started with today with your needs, in spite of the need to work a little with the sound.

http://audiobro.com/100-percent-sordino-music-example/


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## Vik (Jul 23, 2017)

If you buy LASS LS, you could even add 8dio Adagio Cello on top of that, which also is on sale. Cello is very useful, because it goes deeper than violins and violas of course, so one can get more stuff done with it (without buying the other instruments). And while there certainly are split opinions about the 8dio cello, it comes with a solo cello, a 7 cello ensemble (with several mic positions), and divisi cello (two cellos), meaning that you could scuplt things in various ways, eg by combining the solo cello and the divisi cello with LASS LS in various ways. If I'm not mistaken, you could get both LASS LS and the 8dio cello within your budget right now.

Or you could buy the Emotional Cello, and do everything with cello only, as a starting point, and add more instruments later. There are some YouTube clips and 20 demos here:
https://www.bestservice.de/en/emotional_cello.html


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## AoA (Jul 23, 2017)

Vik said:


> Maybe LASS Legato Sordino can be a good starting point, AoA? Have you checked the demos? That's probably what I would have started with today with your needs, in spite of the need to work a little with the sound.


It sounds lovely but I also want to use staccato. Can I just use an EQ to make LASS Lite more dull and lovely?


Vik said:


> If you buy LASS LS, you could even add 8dio Adagio Cello on top of that, which also is on sale. Cello is very useful, because it goes deeper than violins and violas of course, so one can get more stuff done with it (without buying the other instruments). And while there certainly are split opinions about the 8dio cello, it comes with a solo cello, a 7 cello ensemble (with several mic positions), and divisi cello (two cellos), meaning that you could scuplt things in various ways, eg by combining the solo cello and the divisi cello with LASS LS in various ways. If I'm not mistaken, you could get both LASS LS and the 8dio cello within your budget right now.


It's definitely something I'd add to my main library.


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## muk (Jul 23, 2017)

Sorry for a quick highjacking: LASS Lite at 225$ is tempting. I hope it would cover a gap: I have solo strings, chamber size strings, classical symphonic strings (Mozart/Beethoven sizes), and the hollywood sound covered. I have divisi sections at hand. What I don't have are romantic size symphonic strings (Mahler, Bruckner, Strauss). Would LASS Lite be good at that, and what are other options apart from Spitfire Symphonic Strings?


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## markleake (Jul 23, 2017)

AoA said:


> Do sordinos achieve a significantly better sound?


The sordino in CSS is simulated (not real), but still sounds real. You can add it to many of the articulations, including short. I have other libraries I use for con sordino though.
Con sordinos just sound different, not better. Useful for quieter passages or where you want the strings to sound darker and smoother.


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## Ashermusic (Jul 23, 2017)

muk said:


> What I don't have are romantic size symphonic strings (Mahler, Bruckner, Strauss).



Layer HS and CSS and I think you can get that.


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## constaneum (Jul 23, 2017)

I've got Hollywood Strings, Cinematic Strings, 8dio adagio and LASS but most of the time i'm still falling back to LASS. It's still sounding good even though might be a bit dated and what's important is it's resource friendly.

Here's a sample of what i'm currently undergoing in terms of setting up my orchestra template, mainly focusing on reverb and orchestra instruments' staging. Feel free to have a listen on the LASS strings (i'm using LASS Lite in this context even though i have the full library) and comment on the staging and reverb setup too btw. hehe


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## muk (Jul 23, 2017)

Ashermusic said:


> Layer HS and CSS and I think you can get that.



Thank you for the Tip Jay. I don't own Hollywood Strings, CSS covers the Hollywood sound for me. Pricewise HS and LASS Lite are similar. HS packs much more content and features, but the workflow and resource friendliness of LASS Lite suit me more.


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## Silence-is-Golden (Jul 23, 2017)

muk said:


> Sorry for a quick highjacking: LASS Lite at 225$ is tempting. I hope it would cover a gap: I have solo strings, chamber size strings, classical symphonic strings (Mozart/Beethoven sizes), and the hollywood sound covered. I have divisi sections at hand. What I don't have are romantic size symphonic strings (Mahler, Bruckner, Strauss). Would LASS Lite be good at that, and what are other options apart from Spitfire Symphonic Strings?



for me LASS is the most "classical" sounding of the ones I use; LASS, LASS lite, LASS Sordino's, VSL SE 1 Strings, CSS, Light & sound chamber strings, SCS. Although SCS has quite a classical sound to it as well, but ...it's smaller, obviously.

I think you will like LASS lite if I take the pieces of music in mind you have posted here (several of which are Brahms). Take some time to create a good eq-ing of the sections and reverb settings. I once was greatly helped with this by member Hannes F.


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## muk (Jul 23, 2017)

Silence-is-Golden said:


> for me LASS is the most "classical" sounding of the ones I use.



Thank you Silence. That is good to hear, it's exactly what I am looking for.


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## NoamL (Jul 23, 2017)

I don't understand why CSS isn't mentioned more in this thread. At $400 it's in @AoA 's budget unlike $800 LA Scoring Strings. AoA wants "intimate, lovely" strings, that screams CSS to me.

This is the library completely out of the box with main mics and a touch of the built in reverb:



You can dial up the intimacy by using just the close mics:



The sordinos are the best emulations I've heard (in the Elgar, the violins and cellos are muted for the last minute of the piece). The orchestra size is on the small side (35 players) compared to the full-size Hollywood strings sections of Mural, LASS and Hollywood Strings which are all around 60 players. The legatos pose a bit of a learning curve but they have the best & most realistic sound on the market right now, period. The vibrato is on the romantic side.

I personally think CSS is the best sampled string library currently available, that being said there are recommendation threads where I wouldn't recommend it, if you want to write epic ferocious music then there are a lots of other options. However, for "intimate, lovely" music CSS is really what you should be getting.


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## Silence-is-Golden (Jul 23, 2017)

NoamL said:


> I personally think CSS is the best sampled string library currently available,


As many of us have more then 1 string lib: there is music I can't do with CSS where LASS shines for me( especially because of the divisi), and the reverse, and sometimes L&S chamber strings has what I look for.

It all depends on what you write


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## ctsai89 (Jul 23, 2017)

NoamL said:


> I don't understand why CSS isn't mentioned more in this thread. At $400 it's in @AoA 's budget unlike $800 LA Scoring Strings. AoA wants "intimate, lovely" strings, that screams CSS to me.
> 
> This is the library completely out of the box with main mics and a touch of the built in reverb:
> 
> ...




yep love it. Would love the fast legato to trigger at velocity = 50 or above though. Not 65. Big difference.


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## AoA (Jul 23, 2017)

Balefire said:


> It's actually always that price. I've never not seen it 'on sale'. I think they reduced their prices a few years ago and pretended it's been on sale ever since


It helps to convince my parents tho


NoamL said:


> I don't understand why CSS isn't mentioned more in this thread. At $400 it's in @AoA 's budget unlike $800 LA Scoring Strings. AoA wants "intimate, lovely" strings, that screams CSS to me.
> 
> This is the library completely out of the box with main mics and a touch of the built in reverb:
> 
> ...



It's really hard making a decision because of all the pros and cons.. Is it worth it to pay 150 dollars extra compared to LASS Lite?


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## Vik (Jul 23, 2017)

I don't have LASS, but the auto-divisi and polyphonic legato are main reasons I still consider getting it. Does LASS Lite have these? If not, I think it's worth the difference. But then again, you can probably upgrade to full LASS later.


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## Vik (Jul 23, 2017)

NoamL said:


> I don't understand why CSS isn't mentioned more in this thread.


CSS is great, which your pieces clearly show. But I had the feeling that AoA wanted something more intimate/smaller sounding than CSS?


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## ctsai89 (Jul 23, 2017)

Vik said:


> I don't have LASS, but the auto-divisi and polyphonic legato are main reasons I still consider getting it. Does LASS Lite have these? If not, I think it's worth the difference. But then again, you can probably upgrade to full LASS later.



That's one of the things not included in lite. But with lite you can do almost everything sss could. And I don't trust the separate sections and first chairs of lass. Because last time I tried them they had plenty of volume spike and bumps after legato transitions similar to that of scs's. As a lot of members have been telling me they are only to be used layered to other sections, not to be messed with as if they were smaller sections or quartets.


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## AoA (Jul 23, 2017)

Vik said:


> CSS is great, which your pieces clearly show. But I had the feeling that AoA wanted something more intimate/smaller sounding than CSS?


Actually I want something flexible but rather intimate  The lower the price the better, which is why I'd probably prefer LASS Lite 2.

Have a look at this song that is made with LASS Lite 2, the composer used a lot of reverb and EQ but its sound is pretty smooth and promising:


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## NoamL (Jul 23, 2017)

Vik said:


> CSS is great, which your pieces clearly show. But I had the feeling that AoA wanted something more intimate/smaller sounding than CSS?



Well, LASS is the largest string library that I know of... it's 65 players.

If you want a lineup even smaller than CSS (35 players) then some good options would be Berlin Strings (28), Light And Sound Chamber Strings (18), and Spitfire Chamber Strings (16).

Differences of 5 or 10 players don't matter all that much, but when you're comparing a string orchestra of 60 players to one of 30 to one of 15, that's really three very different sounds.


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## Vik (Jul 23, 2017)

Sure, but due to the structure with several small sections it is still offering something almost none of the others do.


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## markleake (Jul 23, 2017)

Vik said:


> Sure, but due to the structure with several small sections it is still offering something almost none of the others do.


But you don't get the divisi with LASS Lite, only with the full product. CSS is a fair bit smaller than LASS Lite in terms of players.

I'm biased, as I don't have LASS, but I'd buy CSS again in a heartbeat for the kind of sound the OP is after.


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## moosethree (Jul 23, 2017)

Take a look at the Auddict strings ....more intimate for sure


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## Vik (Jul 24, 2017)

Are there any dry(ish) Auddict demos?


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## Saxer (Jul 24, 2017)

Vik said:


> Are there any dry(ish) Auddict demos?


https://soundcloud.com/user-869676331


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## Vik (Jul 24, 2017)

Thanks, Saxer, I had forgotten these. Useful (bot not 100% convinced yet!).
This also sounds good:


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## M.Ramillon (Jul 24, 2017)

My favorite strings are VSL dimension strings + 8dio Agitato Grandiose Legato


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## AoA (Jul 24, 2017)

Have you ever heard of SCC Expressive Strings? It's free and it sounds actually worrying good... According to one comment it's pretty close to LASS: "Holy crap. You know what the funny thing is? When it comes to playing ensemble chords, this can actually hold it's own against the LA Scoring Strings 1.5 full ensemble 3 layer patch, at least to a very large extent. Just toss a convolution reverb in there and you're all set. Nice one!"


Can I nevertheless expect something more? :o


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## AoA (Jul 24, 2017)

Oh and I have another question: can I create this sound in the video below with LASS Lite?


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## muk (Jul 24, 2017)

AoA said:


> can I create this sound in the video below with LASS Lite?



No. The video is about the auto arranger for the divisi sections. With LASS Lite you don't get the divisi sections, only the full mix patches. So in the video you hear all three cello subsections of LASS Full (section A= 3 players, B=3 different players, C=4 players) playing individual lines. With LASS Lite you will only have all these subsections mixed together (= one cello section of 10 players).


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## AoA (Jul 24, 2017)

muk said:


> No. The video is about the auto arranger for the divisi sections. With LASS Lite you don't get the divisi sections, only the full mix patches. So in the video you hear all three cello subsections of LASS Full (section A= 3 players, B=3 different players, C=4 players) playing individual lines. With LASS Lite you will only have all these subsections mixed together (= one cello section of 10 players).


That's unfortunate because I like this sound


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## muk (Jul 24, 2017)

AoA said:


> That's unfortunate because I like this sound



Well the sound signature will be the same, as it is the same recording technique, mic distance, hall etc. (this video was done before the introduction of Stage & Color, so that is not a factor here). But if you were to do this phrase with LASS Lite you would have thrice the amount of players than you hear in the video (in the video = 10 players; with LASS Lite it would be 3 x 10 = 30 players), and that's bound to sound bigger.


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## Saxer (Jul 24, 2017)

Polkasound said:


> The intimacy of the "StackTest - Legato" demo is breathtaking. Is that USoE?


No, not USoE... I wrote about that a whine ago here...
http://www.thesoundboard.net/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1488&start=50#p18496


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## AoA (Jul 24, 2017)

Do you know any realistic smaller string libraries cheaper than $300 for Kontakt Player? I know I demand a lot :D Otherwise I'll buy LASS Lite


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## AoA (Jul 24, 2017)

Actually Auddict The United Strings of Europe sounds promising... Maybe I'll buy Kontakt. Meh.


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