# Chamber Strings comparison - Swiss folk songs set for strings



## muk (Jul 1, 2018)

Hi everyone,

during their last sale I bought 8dio's Century Strings. As first test run I set a few Swiss folk songs for strings and mocked them up with Century Strings. After that, for comparison, I did the same with Dimension Strings (only one piece since I didn't like the result) and Light & Sound Chamber Strings. Here are the resulting mockups. Maybe they are of interest to some:


*Du fragsch was i möcht singe*

Century Strings:
https://app.box.com/s/dzsvyxt60p0inhepozq7fnpxyh2uc5j7

Light & Sound Chamber Strings:
https://app.box.com/s/uigam7ykw9430ufq32iph6ua3f0p5lul

Dimension Strings:
https://app.box.com/s/lpzegpa1s5zqgsi0wioat0a5vy4e762b

************************************************

*Du fragsch i wär i bi
*
Century Strings:
https://app.box.com/s/dyrnlgr4dy8acu65kqbxuownkj63o30l

Light & Sound Chamber Strings (dry and intimate this time):
https://app.box.com/s/rip1cxogm7nujmr8hk94ln7zk3hro0y2

*************************************************

*Chante en mon coeur*

Century Strings:
https://app.box.com/s/psnfbovubeksv6vcecvh7nyil3md76j9

Light & Sound Chamber Strings:
https://app.box.com/s/maqdsh3vxqc8c9xngxj79dxsrqtibapl

************************************************

Personally I like Light & Sound the best. It has a natural, classy sound. The sections blend very nicely, but each is capable of coming to the foreground without creating mud.

Little bonus track, Century Strings only:

*Le vieux chalet*
https://app.box.com/s/1fr19dtcd6bazmckfkmcr6mks3ndp6jn


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## fiestared (Jul 1, 2018)

muk said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> during their last sale I bought 8dio's Century Strings. As first test run I set a few Swiss folk songs for strings and mocked them up with Century Strings. After that, for comparison, I did the same with Dimension Strings (only one piece since I didn't like the result) and Light & Sound Chamber Strings. Here are the resulting mockups. Maybe they are of interest to some:
> 
> ...


J'aime beaucoup ce "vieux chalet"


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## micrologus (Jul 1, 2018)

Wonderful! Now I wait for a folk song from Ticino!


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## muk (Jul 1, 2018)

Thank you guys. I like "Le vieux chalet" too, it's a beautiful song. @micrologus unfortunately I think I don't know any ticinese folk songs. A might have to do some research.


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## MatFluor (Jul 1, 2018)

*cough* what about Romansh?

Chalandamarz would be fun - or Cun zampuogns, talacs e s-chellas


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## muk (Jul 1, 2018)

MatFluor said:


> *cough* what about Romansh?



Well, actually I have already done the same with a Romansh song  See here: 

https://vi-control.net/community/threads/la-sera-sper-il-lag-cinematic-studio-strings.54504/

It's not chamber strings there though.


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## muziksculp (Jul 2, 2018)

I like the Century Strings versions. 

Thanks for sharing.


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## Akarin (Jul 2, 2018)

Bien vu ! Et vive la Suisse


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## Wolf68 (Jul 4, 2018)

muk said:


> *Du fragsch was i möcht singe*
> 
> Century Strings:
> https://app.box.com/s/dzsvyxt60p0inhepozq7fnpxyh2uc5j7
> ...



- I also like version 2 the most, very lyrical and a full sounding Body of the instruments.
- version 3 is very defined & clear, but there seems a lack of musical Expression...


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## muk (Jul 8, 2018)

Wolf68 said:


> - version 3 is very defined & clear, but there seems a lack of musical Expression...



I'm not so sure about the sound of the Dimension Strings-version, but I agree about the lack of musical expression. Which is unfortunate, because Dimension Strings are very playable, and expression should be it's strong suit. But I too like the Light & Sound-version better in that regard.


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## TGV (Jul 8, 2018)

I liked the very cantabile melody line of the Century strings, but for the other parts I prefer L&S.

And "Du fragsch was i möcht singe" is a lovely, Brahmsian song.


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## muk (Jul 9, 2018)

Thanks @TGV. Brahms liked folk songs, though I don't think he knew this one. Interesting observation about the melody line. It is more cantabile in Century Strings and cuts through the mix a bit more. The last is on me, I should have raised the melody line a bit in the Light & Sound version. Thanks for pointing me to it.


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## robgb (Jul 9, 2018)

Gotta go with L&S on this one.


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## MA-Simon (Jul 15, 2018)

L&S for me too!
I do think that the recording could benefit from an added noise layer though, just to hide the noise floor of the string sections a little better and glue them together.


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## muk (Jul 16, 2018)

MA-Simon said:


> L&S for me too!
> I do think that the recording could benefit from an added noise layer though, just to hide the noise floor of the string sections a little better and glue them together.



Sorry if I am being daft here, but what do you mean by 'noise layer'? Adding a room tone, maybe?


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## MA-Simon (Jul 16, 2018)

muk said:


> Sorry if I am being daft here, but what do you mean by 'noise layer'? Adding a room tone, maybe?


Yeah exactly, just so the stops are a little more hidden.


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## muk (Jul 16, 2018)

Thanks, I'll try that.


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## Zoot_Rollo (Jul 16, 2018)

L&S is impressive.

the releases seemed to have something Century didn't.

very odd about Dimension.


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## 2chris (Nov 15, 2019)

muk said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> during their last sale I bought 8dio's Century Strings. As first test run I set a few Swiss folk songs for strings and mocked them up with Century Strings. After that, for comparison, I did the same with Dimension Strings (only one piece since I didn't like the result) and Light & Sound Chamber Strings. Here are the resulting mockups. Maybe they are of interest to some:
> 
> ...



OMG! Light & Sound Chamber Strings! That sounds legit. Bravo! I could have sworn I was listening to a classical album. Wow. I have Anthology, and it doesn't sound like this. Must... resist... buying... more.


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## WilliamKersten (Nov 15, 2019)

These are too crudely programmed in MIDI, as well as incompetently mixed in audio, to make any valid comparison. 

I hope that people trying to decide between these libraries do not use this as a way of deciding between the libraries. This applies especially to Dimension Strings, which is a library vastly more beautiful than this almost mindlessly crude performance demonstrates. The VSL "Dimension" technique of recording each string player separately and yet at the same time in the ensemble has resulted in a complexity no other string library has even come close to, and yet this is all lost in this poorly done demo.

It is essential to hear these libraries properly presented by people who actually know how to use them, not by someone who has no idea of how to program the instruments.


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## muk (Nov 16, 2019)

Thanks @2chris Light & Sound Chamber Strings are a bit limited in scope. They don't have too many articulations, and are better suited to slower music in my opinion. But they are very good at what they do. Also they are comparably inexpensive. Just make sure that what they do is what you need before buying.

Thanks for the constructive criticism Bill. By the way, I really enjoyed your two compositions 'G', and 'The V'. I think they are the best you have written so far.


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## OleJoergensen (Nov 16, 2019)

Hello Muk.

Thank you for sharing these demoes- they are beautiful!
It is always interesting listing to the same composition played by different libraries. 
In your demoes I also like Light and Sound chamber strings most. They have a little more bite.
It seems with folk songs, whatever the nationality, they are always touching.


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## OleJoergensen (Nov 16, 2019)

WilliamKersten said:


> These are too crudely programmed in MIDI, as well as incompetently mixed in audio, to make any valid comparison.
> 
> I hope that people trying to decide between these libraries do not use this as a way of deciding between the libraries. This applies especially to Dimension Strings, which is a library vastly more beautiful than this almost mindlessly crude performance demonstrates. The VSL "Dimension" technique of recording each string player separately and yet at the same time in the ensemble has resulted in a complexity no other string library has even come close to, and yet this is all lost in this poorly done demo.
> 
> It is essential to hear these libraries properly presented by people who actually know how to use them, not by someone who has no idea of how to program the instruments.



Hello William.

I don’t understand.....why?
Often when you express yourself through words, it is often with a hurtfull tone.
But your music is very different from that- I enjoyed listing to your symphony a lot....


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## Haakond (Nov 16, 2019)

I have Light & Sound Chamber Strings on my "want to buy" list, and your tracks made them go to "will buy once I get money" list


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## 2chris (Nov 16, 2019)

WilliamKersten said:


> These are too crudely programmed in MIDI, as well as incompetently mixed in audio, to make any valid comparison.
> 
> I hope that people trying to decide between these libraries do not use this as a way of deciding between the libraries. This applies especially to Dimension Strings, which is a library vastly more beautiful than this almost mindlessly crude performance demonstrates. The VSL "Dimension" technique of recording each string player separately and yet at the same time in the ensemble has resulted in a complexity no other string library has even come close to, and yet this is all lost in this poorly done demo.
> 
> It is essential to hear these libraries properly presented by people who actually know how to use them, not by someone who has no idea of how to program the instruments.


This is just rude when somebody does something to put forth a discussion and perspective @WilliamKersten. You're welcome to your opinion too, but times like this they need a thumbs down button. You need to look at your life. If you're going through a tough spot, I'm sorry for you. I mean that. Dig out of it and focus on the positives as you can. Trying to bring down others just shows your own insecurity. I enjoyed the conversation, but I'm probably a dumb pleb in your opinion - so what do I know?


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## Land of Missing Parts (Nov 16, 2019)

The world often isn't a kind place to musicians. At least in a forum of fellow musicians, we can try to be kind to one another.


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## muk (Nov 16, 2019)

Thank you all guys! @OleJoergensen I agree that folk songs often have a special feel to them.

Another thing for @WilliamKersten I am always happy to learn. I wrote about my Dimension Strings template in some detail here:






VSl Dimension Strings - Template Tutorial


Eh? What’s this all about? The deep sampling of VSL’s flagship strings library, the Dimension Strings, presents you with a great flexibility. You can use them in a multitude of ways, and maybe except for the larger than life sound it can be a real workhorse of a strings library. But the sheer...




vi-control.net





I'm looking forward to reading abut how you work with the library, so that I can correct the most glaring errors in my setup. I'm sure the whole community would benefit greatly from such a tutorial of yours.


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## pipedr (Nov 16, 2019)

Lovely songs! Really enjoyed these. I also like the tone of Light & Sound Chamber strings here, which work really well with the pastoral mood. I wonder, though, if the Century Strings would sound better with the close mics? Care to render again for comparison?


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## fixxer49 (Nov 16, 2019)

WilliamKersten said:


> These are too crudely programmed in MIDI, as well as incompetently mixed in audio, to make any valid comparison.
> 
> I hope that people trying to decide between these libraries do not use this as a way of deciding between the libraries. This applies especially to Dimension Strings, which is a library vastly more beautiful than this almost mindlessly crude performance demonstrates. The VSL "Dimension" technique of recording each string player separately and yet at the same time in the ensemble has resulted in a complexity no other string library has even come close to, and yet this is all lost in this poorly done demo.
> 
> It is essential to hear these libraries properly presented by people who actually know how to use them, not by someone who has no idea of how to program the instruments.


i missed you, man


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## prodigalson (Nov 16, 2019)

muk said:


> I'm looking forward to reading abut how you work with the library, so that I can correct the most glaring errors in my setup. I'm sure the whole community would benefit greatly from such a tutorial of yours.


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## Erik (Nov 18, 2019)

Hi,
Maybe not a real chamber string ensemble as the others here, but it has "a feel of" due to the mix/mics settings I guess. Here we go with the Sonivox Orchestral Companions Strings.
I hope you'll like this one.

What a lovely piece is this, thank you Muk for sharing these melodies!


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## muk (Nov 18, 2019)

Thanks for doing a version with Sonivox Erik. If I am not mistaken the samples in Orchestral Companions Strings were taken from the Sonic Implants Symphonic Strings. It's an older library that was/is held in high regard for the beautiful recordings. Alas, the programming is somewhat lacking by todays standards. Sonivox used a subset of these samples to create the Companion Strings.


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## erikradbo (Nov 18, 2019)

L&S Chambers strings does sound great here. I'm imagining they would go very well with Dominus choir.

...and they're currently 60% off: https://www.lightandsoundsamples.com/chamberstrings.html

Edit: just learned that sale's been going on for months.


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