# So which solo violin library?



## mk-oh-one (Jan 2, 2023)

I recieved the feedback below from Aurasky Music, via Groover. Groover is a clearing house service for artists/composers and radio stations, music bloggers, producers, playlist curators etc. 



> Hello, thank you for sending us your instrumental track. We find your work interesting and overall there is an intriguing and complex feel to it. The composition is therefore creatively convincing with a potential for film music. *But we are less convinced by some sounds like the solo violin which does not seem realistic enough* ...it's a pity because your work would deserve to have sounds closer to reality especially for the strings. We are quite demanding on this detail because it is important that your song is immediately usable for broadcasting for example...which does not seem to be the case on this title from our point of view. We advise you to update your string sound bank first. For these reasons we will not share your track this time. Musically Fred


My bold. 

The violin on the track is indeed from an old (or even venerable) library: East West's Symphonic Orchestra. I do have Friedlander Violin but I find the sound too "clean". Very sweet and lovely etc but I always wonder whether it's been subjected to a bit too much noise reduction and EQ. 

I also have East Wests Hollywood solo violin - I tried it a few times but I think found it inconvenient to use. 

I should probably explore both of these more thoroughly before spending any more money which at the moment I can ill afford. 

But also if I do buy yet another library (yes I have more than those two) I want to be even more careful than I was when I bought them. 

Suggestions would be very welcome.

Here's the track for those interested enough: https://on.soundcloud.com/CZuJz


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## doctoremmet (Jan 2, 2023)

A few forum favourites:

Embertone Joshua Bell Violin
Spitfire Solo Strings violin (sale ends today)
Virharmonic Bohemian Violin
Chris Hein Solo Violin

Modeled / heavily scripted ones:

Samplemodeling Solo Strings 
Audio Modeling SWAM violin

If you need a convincing lyrical and expressive violin line fast, check out Bohemian. Less flexible (it has a lot of expression “baked in” in the sample as they say) but for certain purposes highly effective.

You may also wanna try Performance Samples Solos of the Sea A and B. One trick ponies, but great tone and they help you get results fast.

Note: I did NOT listen to the actual track, so I can’t say what library would be the best pick for this particular use case.


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## mk-oh-one (Jan 2, 2023)

doctoremmet said:


> A few forum favourites:
> 
> Embertone Joshua Bell Violin
> Spitfire Solo Strings violin (sale ends today)
> ...


That was quick. Thank you. I will start looking. It would mean re-rendering and then releasing again (I'm with CD Baby and the track is part of an "album") to get a separate ISRC. I may simply use this as a learning experience.


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## Bee_Abney (Jan 2, 2023)

Westwood's Solo Strings Untamed (£175 - though you could wait for a sale) could be useful. The instruments do not have legato articulations, but there are quite a few choices for expressive longs that would work with this sort of piece.

Even something like Spitifre's Alternative Solo Strings (legatos for violin and cello only) or the Native Instruments Stradivari and Amati violins could work nicely here. But it might be a better economy to buy the best you can afford rather than have another disappointment.

It is a really lovely piece, by the way. And it does have a complexity to it that keeps it emotionally engaging and avoids sentimentality. I can think of lots of media contexts in which this would work very well. The piano and synthetic sounds are wonderful. There seem to be some woodwinds - flute or recorder or some such - that sound good as support but less effective when more exposed. At least, that was my impression from a single listen through.


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## Soundbed (Jan 2, 2023)

mk-oh-one said:


> I recieved the feedback below from Aurasky Music, via Groover. Groover is a clearing house service for artists/composers and radio stations, music bloggers, producers, playlist curators etc.
> 
> 
> My bold.
> ...


What a nice response from Fred.

I agree the track deserves a better violin.

But notice he also mentions the other strings as well (in addition to the part you put in bold).

For the solo violin: Not certain how much you’ll get for the piece if it gets used, but it seems like it deserves hiring a real player for this part.

(Have them record with very few rests, because they usually charge by the minute of finished recording time.)

If you spend $150-200 on a live violinist and earn only $50 in a couple years on the track, it might not be “worth” it, financially.

One weird thing about solo parts in production music; they occasionally seem (to composers) only helpful in getting the music supe to add the piece to the bin, but the editors tend to use the “no solo” alt mix under dialog anyway. It’s common for many genres.

Anyway, the violin that came to mind while listening to your piece was from Fluffy Audio. It’s $89 right now.









Trio Broz: Solo Violin


Visit the post for more.




www.fluffyaudio.com





@doctoremmet made some fine suggestions and I could potentially take a moment to run your midi through the first three (don’t want to over promise because the new year is starting back up) …

But I have feeling the Fluffy could potentially impart some delicacy that serves the piece.

That said, some of the large leaps in the middle (two violins?) could be … interesting.



mk-oh-one said:


> It would mean re-rendering and then releasing again (I'm with CD Baby and the track is part of an "album") to get a separate ISRC. I may simply use this as a learning experience.



I haven’t worked with Groover or Aurasky but I hope it’s clear to Frederick that the track is already released, and it would likely be a non-exclusive license. These are harder to come by recently, as more and more publishers want exclusive licenses.


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## Soundbed (Jan 2, 2023)

Bee_Abney said:


> I can think of lots of media contexts in which this would work very well.


imho, it’s a relatively niche piece with relatively few placement propects, but for a production that wants exactly this vibe, it will be extremely desirable. 

Aurasky seems like a publisher who might have the connections and desire to put in the legwork to find the perfect media productions for a piece like this. 

Velvet Ears is a pub that comes to mind for this sort of emotion, but their releases are generally more “digestible” in the standard 2 minute cue format. 

I know a couple of composers who do very well in niche styles. They often hire at least a couple live players and put together albums that really shine due to the craftsmanship that most of us cannot or will not put into music for media.


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## Bee_Abney (Jan 2, 2023)

Soundbed said:


> imho, it’s a relatively niche piece with relatively few placement propects, but for a production that wants exactly this vibe, it will be extremely desirable.
> 
> Aurasky seems like a publisher who might have the connections and desire to put in the legwork to find the perfect media productions for a piece like this.
> 
> ...


I was hoping someone with more professional experience would comment. I was responding more as a former amateur film maker. Not knowing for sure I didn't say anything, but I was tempted to suggest that it can be better avoid reliance on a solo instrument that you are going to use samples for, unless it is something that can work very well like a piano or organ. And, perhaps, that this piece is best for silent footage rather than for conventional scenes or documentaries with voice overs.

I imagine it is quite a juggling act of giving libraries more of the same, standard pieces that are widely thought of as useful whilst also having something distinctive enough to pick it out of the crowd.

I think it was you who wrote elsewhere that the best way to get music editors coming back to you is to provide music that perfectly fits their workflow. Something about 'sausage' shaped waves so they can easily see what is happening.


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## Soundbed (Jan 2, 2023)

Bee_Abney said:


> I was hoping someone with more professional experience would comment. I was responding more as a former amateur film maker. Not knowing for sure I didn't say anything, but I was tempted to suggest that it can be better avoid reliance on a solo instrument that you are going to use samples for, unless it is something that can work very well like a piano or organ. And, perhaps, that this piece is best for silent footage rather than for conventional scenes or documentaries with voice overs.
> 
> I imagine it is quite a juggling act of giving libraries more of the same, standard pieces that are widely thought of as useful whilst also having something distinctive enough to pick it out of the crowd.
> 
> I think it was you who wrote elsewhere that the best way to music editors coming back to you is to provide music that perfectly fits their workflow. Something about 'sausage' shaped waves so they can easily see what is happening.


Haha, yes I think I said stick of butter but might not apply to this piece! That was to the person asking about looping and I was suggesting edit points. 

It’s a bit of a juggling act, but mainly it’s about writing “simple” music that is complex enough under the hood to keep audiences engaged — without them even realizing why they don’t want to “change the channel” so to speak.


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## mk-oh-one (Jan 2, 2023)

Bee_Abney said:


> Westwood's Solo Strings Untamed (£175 - though you could wait for a sale) could be useful. The instruments do not have legato articulations, but there are quite a few choices for expressive longs that would work with this sort of piece.
> 
> Even something like Spitifre's Alternative Solo Strings (legatos for violin and cello only) or the Native Instruments Stradivari and Amati violins could work nicely here. But it might be a better economy to buy the best you can afford rather than have another disappointment.
> 
> It is a really lovely piece, by the way. And it does have a complexity to it that keeps it emotionally engaging and avoids sentimentality. I can think of lots of media contexts in which this would work very well. The piano and synthetic sounds are wonderful. There seem to be some woodwinds - flute or recorder or some such - that sound good as support but less effective when more exposed. At least, that was my impression from a single listen through.


Thank you. The flute is from SWAM (Sample Modeling). I will investigate the Westwood. I wasn't necessarily aiming for the music for media market but with this particular one I thought I'd give it a try and see what came back.


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## Soundbed (Jan 2, 2023)

mk-oh-one said:


> Thank you. The flute is from SWAM (Sample Modeling). I will investigate the Westwood. I wasn't necessarily aiming for the music for media market but with this particular one I thought I'd give it a try and see what came back.


I think you would want some legato … right? Although the Westwood are great for textural stuff!


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## mk-oh-one (Jan 2, 2023)

Soundbed said:


> What a nice response from Fred.
> 
> I agree the track deserves a better violin.
> 
> ...


Thank you. Yes it was the most detailed feedback I've had so far. 

Another one to look into. 

It's not released yet but will be (27th of this month) and I see your point about licensing. Groover don't provide a way to directly contact the other party, so perhaps I should have made it clear in my pitch that it would be non-exclusive.


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## Soundbed (Jan 2, 2023)

mk-oh-one said:


> Thank you. Yes it was the most detailed feedback I've had so far.
> 
> Another one to look into.
> 
> It's not released yet but will be (27th of this month) and I see your point about licensing. Groover don't provide a way to directly contact the other party, so perhaps I should have made it clear in my pitch that it would be non-exclusive.


Ok, right. Well now that you know the library, the cat’s out of the bag and they could be contacted. Although I suppose that might go against the Groover rules. Yes it might be important to Aurasky that the track is exclusive, not certain. Well, you can always write another piece! 






DISCO







auraskymusic.disco.ac





One thing to clarify if you’re new to this; their dicso.ac library specifies “one stop” which means no additional artists required to clear the license. So, if you hire someone to play a part, make sure you have them sign a work for hire contract*. They also cannot belong to a performing musician’s union. These are to ensure you (and in turn Aurasky) are the “one stop” to approve any licensing offers. 

*This is what we need to do in the US, I’m guessing it’s same / similar in Europe but could be slightly different?


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## mk-oh-one (Jan 2, 2023)

Soundbed said:


> Ok, right. Well now that you know the library, the cat’s out of the bag and they could be contacted. Although I suppose that might go against the Groover rules. Yes it might be important to Aurasky that the track is exclusive, not certain. Well, you can always write another piece!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you for all the tips and the encouragement. 

I'm pretty sure the CD Baby agreement is non exclusive and as you say I found the Library's website just by Googling the name. 

I did think of re-doing it with Friedlander but I think I would also need to buy the Fischer Viola to go with it which at the moment I'm reluctant to do. Other commitments...

At some point it will probably be worth my while to update, perhaps with the full Trio Broz bundle, or even hire real players. Not very likely. The minimum rate for a solo violinist here seems to be £225 (per hour?) and I would not be able to just have a single real player. I would need a violist and probably a cellist also. 

For the moment I will be more careful about what I submit and who I submit it to. 

When the album (which CD Baby are distributing) is released I will post a link to it in the Members' Compositions forum. It's "a real assortment". CD Baby do have a passive sync licensing element to their deal - music supervisors and libraries come to them, not the other way around. So far my dealings with them and various promoters have been a loss making exercise but not on a huge scale.

The process feels akin to gambling, which for me is scary.


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## Soundbed (Jan 2, 2023)

mk-oh-one said:


> Thank you for all the tips and the encouragement.
> 
> I'm pretty sure the CD Baby agreement is non exclusive and as you say I found the Library's website just by Googling the name.
> 
> ...


Yep, it’s a huge gamble. Which is why it’s a long game.

Remote musicians have lower rates but it’s challenging to vet them. I usually ask composer friends on Facebook for advice if I need an instrumentalist to record my pieces. And then there’s part preparations. 

You didn’t ask, but ultimately, if you want to pursue this here’s my thoughts:

Write short, “simple” pieces that exhibit a single emotion. Most production music is 1:30-2:30 (some publishers require 2 minutes minimum) but they are rarely over 3 minutes. This should probably be easy for you, but, it sometimes is challenging to write “simple,” (uncomplicated) music for media.

There’s a couple tracks on Velvet Ears Neoclassical 5 that have piano and strings that seem like they would potentially be “easy” for you, and they are also probably relatively “easy” to use (by music supervisors and editors).

And then write three of them in the same style & emotional tone, and send those three cues to 3-4 publishers yourself (No intermediary.) Write a short cover email, saying you’ve studied their catalog and think your compositions could fill a niche that they could use. (Don’t include a lengthy personal bio.) Only send links to private streaming files (not attachments and not public links) of unreleased music they could exclusively license, one-stop. Tag the metadata of your mp3 with all your contact information. Title the pieces simply, like, “Morning Dew” or “Sorrowful Snow” or something equally clever/lame that represents the single emotion of the piece and lets others know how it might sound. 

That’s my crash course advice.

Not sure if you want that advice, but there it is.


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## mk-oh-one (Jan 3, 2023)

Soundbed said:


> Yep, it’s a huge gamble. Which is why it’s a long game.
> 
> Remote musicians have lower rates but it’s challenging to vet them. I usually ask composer friends on Facebook for advice if I need an instrumentalist to record my pieces. And then there’s part preparations.
> 
> ...


Thanks again. If I do follow it in the near future I will do something which doesn't require sampled strings. Probably just synths.

BTW this is from the Aurasky about page "Please contact us via the Groover platform to join the Aurasky Music catalogue!"


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## syrinx (Jan 3, 2023)

This all made me remember a quote by one of my teachers (this was around 10 years ago).. "Why is so much music nowadays string and brass pads? Well, because the composers don't have enough time, don't get paid enough and that's what sounds good with sampled instruments". He was often bantering on like that. 😂

Also, solid gold advice from @Soundbed!


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## peterharket (Jan 3, 2023)

Here is a great freebie:





Solo Violin Legato – Performance Samples







www.performancesamples.com


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## mk-oh-one (Jan 3, 2023)

peterharket said:


> Here is a great freebie:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you. The demo sounds very good.


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## Soundbed (Jan 5, 2023)

mk-oh-one said:


> Thank you. The demo sounds very good.


That would indeed be a good one to try! They also have a free solo cello. 







Pacific – Solo Cello Legato – Performance Samples







www.performancesamples.com


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