# Best solo cello library?



## eross2121 (Apr 8, 2019)

what are the best solo cello libraries out there. i just heard a sample of the 
Best services emotional Cello and it sounded great. just curious what else is out there that is comparable in all price ranges.


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## Rap-sody (Apr 8, 2019)

This and Virharmonic Bohemian Cello.


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## Beat Kaufmann (Apr 9, 2019)

It is a matter of taste - and it could be a matter of money...

One of my favourites

http://orchestraltools.com/soloists_series/libraries/nocturne_cello.php

Beat


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## KallumS (Apr 9, 2019)

I vote for Emotional Cello. I spent a long time searching for the perfect Cello library and to me it came down to Emotional Cello, Tina Guo Cello or Alternative Solo Strings. I settled on Emotional Cello because it sounded the best to me, the fact that it was on sale might have helped too


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## eross2121 (Apr 9, 2019)

KallumS said:


> I vote for Emotional Cello. I spent a long time searching for the perfect Cello library and to me it came down to Emotional Cello, Tina Guo Cello or Alternative Solo Strings. I settled on Emotional Cello because it sounded the best to me, the fact that it was on sale might have helped too


so do you use it a lot?


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## eross2121 (Apr 9, 2019)

Beat Kaufmann said:


> It is a matter of taste - and it could be a matter of money...
> 
> One of my favourites
> 
> ...


ahh this looks nice thanks


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## KallumS (Apr 9, 2019)

eross2121 said:


> so do you use it a lot?



I'm currently using it in a song, along with Emotional Violin which I got at a discount on account of owning the Cello. It's more versatile than I expected it to be however it is unmistakably 'emotional' (liberal use of vibrato).


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## eross2121 (Apr 9, 2019)

KallumS said:


> I'm currently using it in a song, along with Emotional Violin which I got at a discount on account of owning the Cello. It's more versatile than I expected it to be however it is unmistakably 'emotional' (liberal use of vibrato).


ohh, thank for that heads up on the vibrato. i’ll have to keep that in mind.


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## StevenOBrien (Apr 9, 2019)

Tina Guo is my *Guo-to* cello library heheh

I only have the legato version of it, but there is an expansion pack with additional articulations if you need them. Unless you need to write a very agile cello part, I find it's difficult to make it sound bad. Pretty good price too at $69.

https://cinesamples.com/product/tina-guo-acoustic-cello-legato


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## eross2121 (Apr 9, 2019)

StevenOBrien said:


> Tina Guo is my *Guo-to* cello library heheh
> 
> I only have the legato version of it, but there is an expansion pack with additional articulations if you need them. Unless you need to write a very agile cello part, I find it's difficult to make it sound bad. Pretty good price too at $69.
> 
> https://cinesamples.com/product/tina-guo-acoustic-cello-legato


so do you buy the different articulations separately ?


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## chimuelo (Apr 9, 2019)

StevenOBrien said:


> Tina Guo is my *Guo-to* cello library heheh
> 
> I only have the legato version of it, but there is an expansion pack with additional articulations if you need them. Unless you need to write a very agile cello part, I find it's difficult to make it sound bad. Pretty good price too at $69.
> 
> https://cinesamples.com/product/tina-guo-acoustic-cello-legato



I agree 100% on that. The expansion adds more but my fave is the legato. It’s very controllable and well done.

I’ve always wanted the Erhu you hear in these great movies like Ip Man, etc.
Everyone I buy has that scratchy chalkboard annoying tone, even though the demos sound pretty good.

With her Cello it might be because of the way she plays it but I love the sound even though I don’t see doing Chamber or Symphonic, it’s a great lead/solo sound. Ip Man would be proud, so would Michele Yeoh in Sword of Destiny.


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## eross2121 (Apr 9, 2019)

soo i’m looking for two articulation for solo cello. short staccato stabs, and legato articulations for melody writing. anything that fits this specifically. i have Albion One for ensembles, mainly i’m looking for solo instruments, specifically cello


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## Sarah Mancuso (Apr 9, 2019)

I've gotten a lot of use out of the Embertone Blakus Cello, which is quite flexible and can be very realistic in my experience, though that flexibility does come with a need to be good at automation to make your performance. But I learned and so can you


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## Studio E (Apr 9, 2019)

Chris Hein Solo Cello is pretty amazing. It has a lot of articulations and a large variety of short articulations. I do believe there are 3 or 4 Celli included. Well worth a look.


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## David Cuny (Apr 9, 2019)

Depends on the use case, doesn't it?

For live playing, I really like the SWAM cello + EWI wind controller. 

There's a bunch of parameters you can dial in - I've set it so MIDI expression drives the vibrato depth and bow position, so it's very responsive.

Most realistic? I don't care, it _feels_ like playing a cello.


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## Adam Takacs (Apr 9, 2019)

I think that Emotional Cello is pretty good, although I don't like the legatos.

Tina Guo Acoustic Cello Legato is amazing, I use this library a lot. 

I hope Cinesamples will develop a deep sampled and detailed solo cello library with Tina Guo in the future.
She is a real miracle, Cinesamples would be able to create the best virtual cello with her. Something like the Emotional Cello, but with her unique passionate performance and stunning sound of Cinesamples.


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## Sovereign (Apr 9, 2019)

eross2121 said:


> ahh this looks nice thanks


I have the Guo Cellos, Cinestrings solo strings, Embertone Blakus, Cinematic Studio Strings, and also Emotional Cello and the OT one. Most cellos disappoint. I can say that out of all of these IMO only the OT Nocture cello is capable of approximating Guo's real playing (better than the out of tune Guo 1 library actually). The only downside is that it has only one velocity layer and the price.


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## muziksculp (Apr 10, 2019)

My first choice for Solo Cello would be *Emotional Cello*, I also like the *Audio Modeling Solo Cello*, it sounds great especially if you use a breath controller to take advantage of all the realtime parameters you can control.

https://audiomodeling.com/solo-strings/swam-cello/


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## Robert_G (Apr 10, 2019)

Every time i start a new composition, the first thought in my mind is.....how can i fit 'Emotional Cello' into this piece.

It is as close to a flawless virtual instrument as i have ever used.


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## Circe (Apr 10, 2019)

Tina Guo Cello.
Absolute realistic sound.
Maybe Second edition sounds a bit cold and mechanic.

I prefer First edition for slow pieces.


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## Rob Elliott (Apr 10, 2019)

While there are some good ones out there (mentioned above) - for me the 'best one' is still yet to be developed. I'd love to see the 'Joshua Bell library' team make a stab at it. Until then - the options listed above are serviceable.


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## Mark Schmieder (Apr 15, 2019)

The SWAM stuff is improving so fast that I may end up using it on final project work at some point vs. early mock-ups where I want maximum expression and realism with minimal work. I'm talking mostly about the timbre, which is where it has fallen down in the past and led me back to sample libraries. They have done some amazing work with their strings lately!

Otherwise, I go for VSL and Chris Hein, for the solo stuff. Section work is more iffy and context-dependent. And I keep holding back on Emotional Cello as something doesn't sit right about the demos as well as my perception of some serious limitations in functionality when I check out the specs and user manual. If I was starting from scratch, things might be different.

I also have Bohemian Cello and Violin, but rarely use them as they bring my computer to its knees, such that I can rarely get realistic phrasing and can NEVER play it in real time (even the light versions). So it's hard for me to judge them.


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## danbo (Apr 16, 2019)

I really like EastWest Solo Cello


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## Mark Schmieder (Apr 16, 2019)

Danbo, is there anything specific about the EW Solo Cello that you would say is unique to that library, sound0wise, playability-wise, or other-wise?

I was hesitant to consider that one as the Solo Violin was such a disaster. I don't even remember if they replaced it for free, or swapped it for a new library -- maybe even with a new name.


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## WaveRider (Apr 16, 2019)

Sarah Mancuso said:


> I've gotten a lot of use out of the Embertone Blakus Cello, which is quite flexible and can be very realistic in my experience, though that flexibility does come with a need to be good at automation to make your performance. But I learned and so can you



Hmm, not sure what I'm missing with this one? I bought the Blakus on sale a while ago and messed around with it, but no matter what I did, it sounded fakey fake. Do you need a breath controller or something?


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## danbo (Apr 17, 2019)

Mark Schmieder said:


> Danbo, is there anything specific about the EW Solo Cello that you would say is unique to that library, sound0wise, playability-wise, or other-wise?
> 
> I was hesitant to consider that one as the Solo Violin was such a disaster. I don't even remember if they replaced it for free, or swapped it for a new library -- maybe even with a new name.



Solo violin a disaster, how so? This was released 2016. I've got that too and am using it in a centerpiece for a video game. Haven't noticed any problems. For reference, I don't listen to general opinion and don't have a large collection of libraries from multiple vendors (mostly EW). I'm a professional clarinetist, advanced pianist and I play the violin, bass and guitar. The only ones that I think aren't good are the piano patches (Ivory is light years better), and I'm having trouble with the strings, but it's probably me. All the winds and solo instruments are excellent.

Maybe there is some issue and I'm not seeing it, but I've spent a lot of time parked in an orchestra and don't hear it. Likewise some guys here told me EWHO Woodwinds was no good, but personally I'm using their clarinet sample instead of recording myself because it's easier to blend. I hear no issues with the woodwinds either.

Anyhow the solo cello sounds like a cello to me with extensive side to side comparisons to live cello tracks. All the solo libraries are easy to get to sound good. Feature wise it's all Play, which is why I stick with EW. I like the interface and it's features.


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## Sarah Mancuso (Apr 17, 2019)

WaveRider said:


> Hmm, not sure what I'm missing with this one? I bought the Blakus on sale a while ago and messed around with it, but no matter what I did, it sounded fakey fake. Do you need a breath controller or something?


I don't have a breath controller, but I use a lot of automation for dynamics and vibrato. Those are really crucial for bringing any of the ISS instruments to life. I generally draw a bunch of automation by hand, but I've found TouchOSC useful for automating those controls in real time as a starting point to edit from.


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## Mark Schmieder (Apr 17, 2019)

I was just referring to the rather lengthy "discussions" of the Solo Violin when it came out, either here or GS or both, but don't have the references handy. I simply remember EW apologizing, and the follow-on solo libraries apparently taking a different tack. But like yourself, I often love libraries that others hate, it's just that in this case there seemed to be a bit of an admitted goof -- sort of like VSL recently adding on to their Synchron Strings.


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## Seasharp (Apr 18, 2019)

eross2121 said:


> what are the best solo cello libraries out there. i just heard a sample of the
> Best services emotional Cello and it sounded great. just curious what else is out there that is comparable in all price ranges.



I also have Emotional Cello and found it quite nice. One of the best. However I actually prefer the Solo Cello in the EW Symphonic Orchestra library especially the Expressive Cello Articulation.


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## Syncopator (Aug 19, 2019)

KallumS said:


> I vote for Emotional Cello. I spent a long time searching for the perfect Cello library and to me it came down to Emotional Cello, Tina Guo Cello or Alternative Solo Strings. I settled on Emotional Cello because it sounded the best to me, the fact that it was on sale might have helped too



FWIW, I have Spitfire's Alternative Solo Strings, and I actually searched for and found this thread because I'm so disappointed in the ASS cello (no pun intended). 😊 

Granted, the library's focus of is "alternative" or unusual articulations, and there are plenty of those. But they do include a "standard" patch called "Cello - Long" which I was hoping might work for an "emotional" solo, but it absolutely does not. I would not put ASS in the same classification as Emotional Cello (which I now wish I had). I also just watched the Cinesamples walkthrough for the Tina Guo legato instrument, which I found underwhelming.

In other words, based upon the info I have, it seems you made the correct choice with Emotional Cello.


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## CGR (Aug 19, 2019)

Don't overlook Fluffy Audio's Simple Cello. A lovely realistic tone beautifully captured with multi mics, and some very useable & playable articulations.


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## col (Aug 19, 2019)

Syncopator said:


> I would not put ASS in the same classification as Emotional Cello


But EC is still not not " the one " like others it has it's strong points but there is still plenty of room for Embertone to fill the breach with a Josh bell like cello.


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## Rob Elliott (Aug 19, 2019)

I actually think as good as Emotional cello is - their emotional violin is better (more arts - better editing). I for one hope that they double back and give the cello the 'lessons learned' update (from their work on the violin). I would be totally ok paying for that 2.0 on the cello!


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## Syncopator (Aug 19, 2019)

Funny: Like many of you I've spent goo-gobs on hundreds of libraries. But at the moment I just don't want to spend hundreds on a solo cello (for 8 bars). So on a whim I just googled "free legato cello" and found this free "pocketBlakus Cello" at VSTBuzz.









pocketBlakus Cello - Free Cello Kontakt Library


The "pocketBlakus Cello" is a stunning free solo cello library for Kontakt created by Australian composer Blake Robinson.




vstbuzz.com





It sounds fantastic. And I literally just used it in a feature-film score. LOL.


EDIT: Unsurprisingly, pocketBlakus is a teaser for Embertone's full Blakus Cello which is currently on sale while they overhaul of their entire line of "Intimate Strings" (solo strings).






Blakus Cello







www.embertone.com


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## shawnsingh (Aug 26, 2019)

Surprised there's not more votes for VSL cello. Though I don't know if it can be bought separately from solo strings. Here's some examples I've had where the cello is featured... In general I've found that it takes some effort doing trial and error with articulations but has been possible to get the performance nuances that I wanted

At the 2:30 mark:








Dream


Stream Dream by Shawn Singh on desktop and mobile. Play over 265 million tracks for free on SoundCloud.




m.soundcloud.com





And this quickie








Hold That Thought


Stream Hold That Thought by Shawn Singh on desktop and mobile. Play over 265 million tracks for free on SoundCloud.




m.soundcloud.com


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## Tim_Wells (Aug 26, 2019)

shawnsingh said:


> Surprised there's not more votes for VSL cello. Though I don't know if it can be bought separately from solo strings. Here's some examples I've had where the cello is featured... In general I've found that it takes some effort doing trial and error with articulations but has been possible to get the performance nuances that I wanted
> 
> At the 2:30 mark:
> 
> ...


Very nice stuff! The cello is impressive.


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## eross2121 (Aug 26, 2019)

Tim_Wells said:


> Very nice stuff! The cello is impressive.


cool thanks for the links


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## chiefgeef (Dec 29, 2020)

I don't have it but I just discovered on the web: 'Cello One' by InsanitySamples. IT does sound pretty damn good and seemingly top tier material. Still haven't popped the glock and made a decision between Tina and Cello One; (same price).
Anyone have any thoughts between which?


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## Mikro93 (Dec 29, 2020)

chiefgeef said:


> I don't have it but I just discovered on the web: 'Cello One' by InsanitySamples. IT does sound pretty damn good and seemingly top tier material. Still haven't popped the glock and made a decision between Tina and Cello One; (same price).
> Anyone have any thoughts between which?


I got the Tina Guo acoustic bundle during the current sale for 72€. When played to the samples, I would doubt whether the cello is actually sampled rather than played. Especially the first volume, with that very deep and wide vibrato, expressive and lyrical. Some demos are great in that sense.
I don't think I could be fooled by Cello One  Which does sound good for the shorts, that being said.


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