# Your Choir of choice - 2018



## axb312 (Nov 18, 2018)

Since I haven't heard of any other choirs coming out this year, thought this might be a good time to ask you guys and girls what your choirs of choice are.

Left out Oceania on the grounds of versatility. Have also left out children's choirs at the moment. 

So yes, which of the libraries listed below is your favorite on the basis of:
1. Melodic range
2. Dynamic range
3. Versatility
4. Scripting/ Ease of use
5. Sound quality
6. Value for money
7. Ability to sit in a mix
8. Range of articulations/ syllables


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## Emmanuel Rousseau (Nov 18, 2018)

The choir sections in Metropolis Ark 1 & 2 (also in Time Macro) are fantastic, but I'm not sure it's fair to compare them to dedicated choir libraries such as the latest Spitfire offering of the Strezov choirs. Buying these Orchestral Tools products just for the choir section wouldn't make a lot of sense when it comes to "value for money".


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## Guffy (Nov 18, 2018)

Oy. It's really hard to pick one.
I love the legatos in Ark 1, but i love the sound of Hollywood Choirs. I tend to layer these.
Then my vote would go to Oceania for super aggressive marcatos/shorts, even though that's not listed 
Funny you left in Rhodope as that's a completely different and rather unique choir library.


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## axb312 (Nov 18, 2018)

whitewasteland said:


> The choir sections in Metropolis Ark 1 & 2 (also in Time Macro) are fantastic, but I'm not sure it's fair to compare them to dedicated choir libraries such as the latest Spitfire offering of the Strezov choirs. Buying these Orchestral Tools products just for the choir section wouldn't make a lot of sense when it comes to "value for money".



Agree. Have heard the choirs in MA1 and MA2 are fantastic though.


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## axb312 (Nov 18, 2018)

Guffy said:


> Oy. It's really hard to pick one.
> I love the legatos in Ark 1, but i love the sound of Hollywood Choirs. I tend to layer these.
> Then my vote would go to Oceania for super aggressive marcatos/shorts, even though that's not listed
> Funny you left in Rhodope as that's a completely different and rather unique choir library.



I would consider this a list of somewhat more comprehensive/ versatile choirs, capable of a wide range of playing styles.

I have honestly not heard much about Rhodope. Thought it was a comprehensive choir.


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## Strezov (Nov 18, 2018)

Well Rhodope is a completely different thing - it is an Ethnic choir that could not be used in a traditional setting IMO. So maybe you should remove it from the list to avoid confusion? Obviously I won't be voting )) but if I was to recommend - Dominus sounds great, although haven't had the pleasure of using it @paoling. Orchestral tools' choirs are actually great. If you combine all arks and Time macro you can get a full pallette of choral sounds.

Speaking of Pallette, check out also Palette by @Red Room Audio ...


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## axb312 (Nov 18, 2018)

Strezov said:


> Well Rhodope is a completely different thing - it is an Ethnic choir that could not be used in a traditional setting IMO. So maybe you should remove it from the list to avoid confusion? Obviously I won't be voting )) but if I was to recommend - Dominus sounds great, although haven't had the pleasure of using it @paoling. Orchestral tools' choirs are actually great. If you combine all arks and Time macro you can get a full pallette of choral sounds.
> 
> Speaking of Pallette, check out also Palette by @Red Room Audio ...



Seems like I can only add poll responses, not remove them. Will keep the views I've received on Rhodope in mind though.

Also, cheers for a very gracious response.


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## Guffy (Nov 18, 2018)

Strezov said:


> Well Rhodope is a completely different thing - it is an Ethnic choir that could not be used in a traditional setting IMO. So maybe you should remove it from the list to avoid confusion? Obviously I won't be voting )) but if I was to recommend - Dominus sounds great, although haven't had the pleasure of using it @paoling. Orchestral tools' choirs are actually great. If you combine all arks and Time macro you can get a full pallette of choral sounds.
> 
> Speaking of Pallette, check out also Palette by @Red Room Audio ...


Someone should sample the choir from American Dream


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## Strezov (Nov 18, 2018)

Do you mean Thomas' work?


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## Parsifal666 (Nov 18, 2018)

Probably East West Symphonic Choirs Platinum. I do use the Met Ark 1 choirs, but of course that's mostly for huge-sounding music. They're both great imo.

I haven't had the chance to check out the Strezov stuff yet, and I will sometime in the future.


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## Parsifal666 (Nov 18, 2018)

Maybe put East West Symphonic Choirs Platinum on this list? I don't even bother with Hollywood Choirs, personally.


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## Mucusman (Nov 18, 2018)

As much as I appreciate the attempt to poll/rank choirs, I find that even among the ones I own, they are too different to compare. 

For the moment -- based on what I own -- Genesis is my clear favorite. Its tone, ease of use, and divisi functionality all make it a joy to use. It's brilliant. For me, this is my initial go-to choir. But... there are times when Requiem Light will be called for. Or Venus. Or Mystica. 

I'll likely be picking up Dominus this holiday season because I believe it will fill a hole I have in the tools I own. But I know I will still yearn for additional choir packages because, while Genesis and the others I have can take me a good ways down the road I wish to travel, none capture fully what I have in my heart and mind to record. 

Thus... my dream remains to record a live choir performing a worthy enough piece I've written.


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## Guffy (Nov 18, 2018)

Strezov said:


> Do you mean Thomas' work?


Yup. Was that also done with Four for, or was that recorded elsewhere?


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## Markus Kohlprath (Nov 18, 2018)

Voices of Prague should be on the list imo. Shouldn’t it?


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## axb312 (Nov 18, 2018)

Markus Kohlprath said:


> Voices of Prague should be on the list imo. Shouldn’t it?


Added


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## Strezov (Nov 18, 2018)

Guffy said:


> Yup. Was that also done with Four for, or was that recorded elsewhere?


Yes, I even had the honour of doing the score prep for that work. But we only recorded strings and brass in Sofia. I believe everything else is samples from Thomas' custom collection. I may be totally wrong of course


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## paoling (Nov 18, 2018)

Strezov said:


> Dominus sounds great, although haven't had the pleasure of using it


Time to fix that George! PM your Email  And thank you for your kind words, Afflatus seems a remarkable achievement!


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## sostenuto (Nov 18, 2018)

Mucusman said:


> ********
> For the moment -- based on what I own -- Genesis is my clear favorite. Its tone, ease of use, and divisi functionality all make it a joy to use. It's brilliant. For me, this is my initial go-to choir. ******
> Thus... my dream remains to record a live choir performing a worthy enough piece I've written.



…. nuther strong Genesis vote !!


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## lp59burst (Nov 18, 2018)

sostenuto said:


> …. nuther strong Genesis vote !!


It's not on the list... curious to know why...?


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## X-Bassist (Nov 18, 2018)

Markus Kohlprath said:


> Voices of Prague should be on the list imo. Shouldn’t it?



Voices of Prague but no Cinesamples Voxos?? Voxos and OT Time Macro are two of my favorite choirs. But I do hope to jump on a Dominus sale sometime soon.


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## X-Bassist (Nov 18, 2018)

lp59burst said:


> It's not on the list... curious to know why... did it come out before 2018?
> 
> So many great VI's have landed in the last 12 months that for me the 2017-2018 dateline kinda merged...



He mentioned above he’s not list children’s choirs, which Voxos also has!


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## axb312 (Nov 18, 2018)

lp59burst said:


> It's not on the list... curious to know why...?



No children's choirs on this list....I treat that as a separate category?


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## axb312 (Nov 18, 2018)

X-Bassist said:


> Voices of Prague but no Cinesamples Voxos?? Voxos and OT Time Macro are two of my favorite choirs. But I do hope to jump on a Dominus sale sometime soon.



Voxos added


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## lp59burst (Nov 18, 2018)

axb312 said:


> No children's choirs on this list....I treat that as a separate category?


So, if I'm getting this correctly, what you're saying, very nicely I might add , is that if I bothered to take the time read the entire OP I'd have known that...


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## Mason (Nov 18, 2018)

Eric Whitacre Choir without doubt. 

Ps. Also missing in your poll.


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## axb312 (Nov 18, 2018)

Mason said:


> Eric Whitacre Choir without doubt.
> 
> Ps. Also missing in your poll.



Option 6.


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## axb312 (Nov 18, 2018)

lp59burst said:


> So, if I'm getting this correctly, what you're saying, very nicely I might add , is that if I bothered to take the time read the entire OP I'd have known that...


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## jneebz (Nov 18, 2018)

Mucusman said:


> For me, this is my initial go-to choir. But... there are times when Requ


Just curious...and this is stemming from total ignorance on using a choir effectively, but isn’t a children’s choir really more of a “niche” sound? When I hear it I think “Christmas” or “Fantasy.” Do you layer it/use it effectively in other genres?

*EDIT:* Whoa...sorry I obviously didn’t quote your post correctly. Was referring to Genesis.


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## X-Bassist (Nov 18, 2018)

jneebz said:


> Just curious...and this is stemming from total ignorance on using a choir effectively, but isn’t a children’s choir really more of a “niche” sound? When I hear it I think “Christmas” or “Fantasy.” Do you layer it/use it effectively in other genres?
> 
> *EDIT:* Whoa...sorry I obviously didn’t quote your post correctly. Was referring to Genesis.



Whatever you highlight before replying is what it puts in the quote, FYI. If nothing is highlighted then if will quote the whole post.

Children’s choirs when recorded well (like Genesis) can be used in many cinematic contexts. Short ahhs during action sequences, long ahhs when a discovery is made, aleotoric ahhs when something goes wrong (Genesis does this awesomely). These work in many film genres, but often double or support other instruments.


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## jneebz (Nov 18, 2018)

X-Bassist said:


> Whatever you highlight before replying is what it puts in the quote, FYI. If nothing is highlighted then if will quote the whole post.


Yeah familiar with that, just messed up my “selection markers” on my iPhone. All thumbs .

Thanks for the Genesis info...interesting. Outside “epic” music choir usage is something I need to explore.


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## Mucusman (Nov 18, 2018)

jneebz said:


> Just curious...and this is stemming from total ignorance on using a choir effectively, but isn’t a children’s choir really more of a “niche” sound? When I hear it I think “Christmas” or “Fantasy.” Do you layer it/use it effectively in other genres?



Yes, there are limits. Genesis ain't going to get you epic, thundering Wotan-style basses, for example. I used it in a requiem I wrote as I processed my grief for the death of a friend's son (which was played at the funeral service). It ended being the perfect choir for that use. 

As @X-Bassist noted, some of the more generic oohs and ahhs will work well in many contexts. There are some pads, too, that I could see working across many styles/genres. 

While I love Genesis, it's not a solution for all choral needs. If you want that sound, it's fantastic. If you're looking for something else, there are other packages available. Choirs don't sound alike in real life, so it's logical one would have use for multple choir libraries to cover differences just in the sound/timbre alone.


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## NoamL (Nov 18, 2018)

https://www.spitfireaudio.com/labs/ (Download the LABS instrument of the Eric Whitacre Choir)if you haven't already. It really shows that choir is something special. Rhodope is another choir that blew me away with the intro video (below). Each of these are special-purpose choirs that can't do everything. So is Performance Samples Oceania which is great for epic LOTR-shouty choir. I think choir is so versatile the search for a do-it-all choir is even more futile than do-it-all orchestral sections.


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## axb312 (Nov 19, 2018)

Anyone know of any demos with Freyja and Wotan being used together?


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## tim727 (Nov 19, 2018)

The Met Ark choirs are my favorites hands down. I don't think anything comes close to be honest. That being said there are obviously different choirs for different needs and I've found Wotan/Freyja to be of very high quality, with Wotan in particular working its way into many of my pieces.


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## SoNowWhat? (Nov 19, 2018)

Have Freyja and Wotan and like them very much.

I was really surprised by the choir in Time Macro. Not that I was expecting it to be rubbish but I wasn’t expecting to like and enjoy it as much as I do. It’s beautifully recorded imho and has some really niche (and nice) sounds. I hope that OT does a choir release building on their Ark and Time choirs experience. Could be great. 

Also, had a similar reaction to the LABS Whitacre taster (see @NoamL above), I think it’s beautiful and have no doubt that the full choir is too. I’m just not able to justify getting it right now.


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## Tekkera (Nov 19, 2018)

Why is Rhodope on this but Oceania isn't!? Madness...


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## axb312 (Nov 19, 2018)

Tekkera said:


> Why is Rhodope on this but Oceania isn't!? Madness...



Rhodope is on here because I can't remove poll options.


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## star.keys (Nov 19, 2018)

No votes for Silka? I was about to purchase but am now thinking..


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## Michael Stibor (Nov 19, 2018)

I hate to be negative about something that's free, but I wasn't blown away by the LABS choir. If anything it took the Eric Whitacre Choir out of contention for me. Sounded like a generic choir patch. I think I might even prefer the generic choir patches in my Omnisphere V.1.


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## AllanH (Nov 19, 2018)

star.keys said:


> No votes for Silka? I was about to purchase but am now thinking..


Since only one vote is accepted, this doesn't necessarily mean anything. I certainly have more than one Choir. I have Insolidus and would realistically also like Silka.


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## smallberries (Nov 19, 2018)

Like so many here, I don't think you are measuring anything useful with this poll. Different choirs suit different compositions. I love my SoundIron choirs (esp Mercury), and lately am loving revisiting old choral charts with the new Spitfire offering. I wouldn't judge it by the free LABS VI, btw.

The spitfire choir samples are performed in a contemporary aesthetic in which vibrato lessens as pitch increases (so you get those unearthly pure highs atop some texture down low). It's right for some things, wrong for others, and a simple favorites vote communicates none of this.


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## axb312 (Nov 21, 2018)

Polls been plenty helpful to me. Thanks.


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## NathanTiemeyer (Nov 21, 2018)

Oceania by Performance Samples is not your all-around do everything choir library, but somehow I find it ends up on almost every track I make, because it just sounds so INCREDIBLE. And when it's on sale- it's a no-brainer for the price point. So I know it's not on the list, but it's my choir of choice, I definitely recommend it.


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## axb312 (Nov 21, 2018)

NathanTiemeyer said:


> Oceania by Performance Samples is not your all-around do everything choir library, but somehow I find it ends up on almost every track I make, because it just sounds so INCREDIBLE. And when it's on sale- it's a no-brainer for the price point. So I know it's not on the list, but it's my choir of choice, I definitely recommend it.



I have Oceania already .


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## Richard Bowling (Nov 21, 2018)

The projects that I did use a choir on this year I mostly used Lacrimosa... but the choirs from Omnisphere saw the light of day as well. These choirs all have such a different timbre that I tend to use the one that gets me the "sound" that I want.


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## Mike Doyle (Nov 21, 2018)

I appreciate the ability to write my own words with a choir library, which is why I have the Hollywood Choirs & Symphonic Choirs. I do love the other libraries for their quality of sound...and I have and use some of them. As a writer, I tend to lean towards the classical Latin & English languages, so EW suits what I am trying to compose or replicate.


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## CT (Nov 21, 2018)

axb312 said:


> 1. Melodic range
> 2. Dynamic range
> 3. Versatility
> 4. Scripting/ Ease of use
> ...



The Spitfire EWC gets my vote. It's quickly become my favorite VI, and it's already done a lot to free up choral ideas I've had for years, but lacked any way to satisfyingly realize off paper. Not an exaggeration to say that it's helped me grow as a composer.

I think it meets all of the points you listed except possibly 2 and 3, if you need "epic," vibrato-laden warbling from 80 singers at FFFF, which I don't....


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## Dandezebra (Nov 21, 2018)

The Olympus Bundle is still my favorite. Sometimes I forget how good it is. I wonder if they are actually making a player version of it!


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## GregMalick (Nov 21, 2018)

I'm a chanter at a Greek Orthodox church here in Hawaii. I would like to purchase one or two libraries to compose some Liturgical Choir pieces in Greek.

EWHC & FL Dominus seem like good choices. Any thoughts on these or any other suggestions?

BTW I used the contact form to ask Fluffy to provide a list of the consonants Dominus provides but haven't heard anything back for quite a while.

Any help here would be great so I can take advantage of the November sales going on.


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## jbuhler (Nov 21, 2018)

GregMalick said:


> BTW I used the contact form to ask Fluffy to provide a list of the consonants Dominus provides but haven't heard anything back for quite a while.


One thing about Dominus is that it's not as simple as listing syllables because some syllables are starting syllables and others are interior and they only concatenate in certain ways. There are over 200 preset words available, and 50 starting syllables. The syllables are mostly Latin syllables (and the preset words are mostly Latin), though not surprisingly kyrie and eleison are also included.

Edit to add. Here is the full list of opening syllables.


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## GregMalick (Nov 21, 2018)

Thanks JB. That could be the reason FluffyA didn't respond. 
It sounds like EWHC may be my only choice.

More thoughts anyone?


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## axb312 (Nov 23, 2018)

Anyone know how much Freyja/ Wotan sold for during the Syllabuilder update earlier this year?

The current 15% discount doesn't do much to help me.


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## Mike Doyle (Nov 23, 2018)

GregMalick said:


> I'm a chanter at a Greek Orthodox church here in Hawaii. I would like to purchase one or two libraries to compose some Liturgical Choir pieces in Greek.
> 
> EWHC & FL Dominus seem like good choices. Any thoughts on these or any other suggestions?
> 
> ...


Hi Greg...EWHC has the capability to speak in other languages with what they call Votex. This is a way of sounding out/printing the words you are trying to say, by how they sound. I'm sure their You Tube videos can give you a better idea, or perhaps an e-mail to EW, could answer any questions you have. They also have a monthly subscription, where you can use any of their libraries, and keep what you have used, by bouncing the recordings you make. Hope this helps.


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## GregMalick (Nov 23, 2018)

Thanks Mike. I appreciate the info/feedback.


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## pipedr (Sep 20, 2019)

So how would you guys compare/contrast all these different choir libraries?

Just shopping around, focusing on gentler sounds, seems like Eric Whitacre is more of a textural choir--vowels only, no syllables or words. Dominos has a pretty advanced word builder--seems good for simulated Latin. Liberis and Genesis are children's choirs--Genesis seems more advanced, with more syllables and melisma in addition to legato...


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## Robert_G (Sep 20, 2019)

Freya/Wotan definetely have the most up to date programming, but you pay for it...never goes on sale...but they sound amazing.

Silka and Insolidious are very similiar to each other and have arcs that are unparralled in quality. A bit niche but definetely worth it when they go on sale.

EW Hollywood choir sounds great but I dont enjoy the interface at all. The wordbuilder is a gimmick at best.

Eric Whitacre....just not a fan of the sound.

Soundiron/8dio Requiem....its ok..8dio quite often has flash sales for it.

Soundiron Olympus full version is massive and limitless in what you can do with it. Ive got tonnes of hours into it....it will do almost anything. My only negative on it is that the progamming needs updating. Polyphonic Legato is all Olympus needs to be the best most complete choir on the market. SI says its coming but SI takes its time getting things done.

One choir to not overlook is 8dio Studio Sopranos....took me a bit of time to learn....but love it and use it lots.

As for childrens choir Genesis or Arva....i give the nod to Genesis....a 3rd place to Soundiron Mercury boys (but same outdated programming as Olympus)

At the end of the day, if you have the money....right now Freya/Wotan is the best on the market.


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## Mark Schmieder (Sep 20, 2019)

I likewise feel that choir needs vary too much to expect one library to do it all.

For timbre alone, and easy to mix (and cut through), I like VSL's Choir, but it is only articulated vowels, so can't really be used for word-building type mock-ups. Even so, it has more vowels (and articulations) than most, and this is because they chose not to tackle other issues so were able to do a superb and detailed job of just that one aspect.

When first released, I didn't at first like the Soprano as well as the original "teaser" library that was just Sopranos, but then I got used to how to work with the full library and stopped using the older one.

Bela D Media's vocal products are by far my favourite to work with, when I want to do word-building type stuff in a vein that can be achieved via standard Latin liturgical phrases and the like. So easy to use, and I love how it handles note lengths and note crossings compared to other libraries.

I have remained hesitant regarding some of the larger/newer vocal libraries, as I get cold feet on each one of them after deeper exploration, but the one that has my attention for further investigation next year (after I get over the sticker shock of the first few months of owning my first home), is the new one from Fluffy Audio. It seems like it might have the best timbre and breadth of any "single" library yet. But time will tell.

I almost bought Genesis and/or Arva, but continue to get some incredible results with Giovanni that I don't know if I'll bother. I also have Soundiron's children's choir, which I may or may not hold onto. I just don't have time to learn so many different systems of interface, and choirs can be the hardest in that regard, so I'm trying not to spread across too many vendors and approaches if I can help it.


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## karelpsota (Sep 20, 2019)

Performance Sample - OCEANIA

It just works. So easy to play with. Zero brain cells needed.


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## Mark Schmieder (Sep 20, 2019)

So does that mean Oceania is a zombie choir?


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## Mark Schmieder (Sep 20, 2019)

On a more serious note, I wasn't familiar with Oceania. A web search came up with two vendors and libraries of that name, but this one seems to be the one:






Oceania – Performance Samples







performancesamples.com





I'll give their audio samples a listen once home from the office.


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## Dandezebra (Sep 20, 2019)

I have been waiting and hoping for the Soundiron Olympus full choir update for a few years now. Hope they are still planning on it as Mars and Venus are indeed amazing.


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## pipedr (Sep 21, 2019)

Do people layer solo voices with choir, the way we do with strings? Or full choir with choir?


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## NYC Composer (Sep 21, 2019)

I get by with a small group of stuff. Storm Choir 1 (I bought SC2 but I never managed to dl it properly and finally gave up), EWQL Symphonic Choirs, Metropolis Ark 1, Realivox Blue, Omnisphere, and the Kontakt library....but my need for choirs isn't very large.


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