# Rating the Native Instruments Symphony series



## chocobitz825 (Sep 2, 2018)

Seeing that the NI’s symphony series is a collaboration with reliable companies (see below);

String Ensembles collaboration with Audiobro
Brass/Woodwind collaboration with Soundiron
Percussion with sonuscore

My question is, how do people feel this NI offering stacks up when compared with products from the companies they collaborated with? Would anyone say that NI’s is just watered down, or is it a competitive and useful alternative?


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## TrondB (Sep 2, 2018)

chocobitz825 said:


> Would anyone say that NI’s is just watered down



This sums it up for me. But then again what do I know..


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## Land of Missing Parts (Sep 2, 2018)

I got NI Percussion Full for $100 and I think it's worth it for that price if you need the core articulations for snares, cymbals, timpani, etc. The pitched percussion isn't great, so I'd recommend going elsewhere for vibes, marimba, celeste.

But there are useful features like modwheel controlled rolls and cymbal swells, and the resonance builder. The timpani is decent for my tastes, though some might find it a little on the dull side.

I don't have other Sonuscore products so I can't really compare them with this. I think the NI Percussion is decent with some interesting innovative features but not a home run.


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## WindcryMusic (Sep 2, 2018)

chocobitz825 said:


> Seeing that the NI’s symphony series is a collaboration with reliable companies (see below);
> 
> String Ensembles collaboration with Audiobro
> Brass/Woodwind collaboration with Soundiron
> ...



I agree with the summation of @Land of Missing Parts as far as the Percussion goes (and I too lack any other sonuscore products to compare it to). I also lack any other AudioBro products, so I won’t attempt to cover the strings.

However, I do own lots of Soundiron products (probably at least two dozen). They aren’t my favorite sampling company, but they certainly have made lots of usable stuff. Within the spectrum of their libraries, I’d say the Brass ensemble library is close to being an average entry for them, usable in some contexts but flawed for traditional orchestra usage. I might have kept on using it if only the raw samples had a little more detail, which they perhaps could have accomplished if the sections were a bit smaller (but then again, I have 12 horn samples from other companies that still have more detail than does this one). Although it has a nice, warm tone, the library is also recorded too wet in my opinion (which takes on additional meaning since I don’t even have the same complaint about my suite of Spitfire libraries). I think each of the above complaints can mainly be attributed to my not caring for the muddy and highly reverberant sound of the space (a cathedral, I think) that this was recorded in.

The Woodwinds ensemble library I personally view as one of Soundiron’s least useful libraries (and the worst of the NI Symphony Series). It suffers from the same problems as does the Brass, but to a much higher degree … these woodwind sections are so oversized, drenched in the room sound and almost “amplified sounding” that I really struggled to do anything with them at all in an orchestral context and quickly gave up on the library. Maybe it could be useful in musical contexts other than the ones I try to use, but I can’t say for certain about that.

Given the failures of both of these ensemble libraries, especially the woodwinds, I really haven’t spent enough time with either of the solo libraries to express an opinion. (I’m actually thinking I should revisit those solo libraries again in isolation, to see if there is anything usable there or not.)


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## ptram (Sep 2, 2018)

I don't think that NI's Symphony Series has been conceived for normal symphony orchestra usage. I see it as an 'epic' orchestra, with overpowered sections. It makes sense, since NI is more interested in cinematic libraries, than classical writing.

Paolo


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## storyteller (Sep 2, 2018)

I started to write a big dissertation about these libraries in reply to the OP, but I think you can sum it up as follows: 

1) *Strings:* The best of the bunch. If you are willing to program your parts in with the various controls available to you, outstanding results can be achieved. If not, the result will not sound "real" though it will still sound "good." A lot of novice users have put out subpar demos for this library. It can sound woody and brittle if not properly processed. You can also just use Divisi A, or Divisi B which can give you a smaller, more intimate sound.

2) *Brass:* Beautiful, but wet, wet, wet. Big, big, big. This gives it a blurry sound if not controlled. By using only close mics and pulling back the release times, it is much more controllable. In some ways, the sound can be exactly what you want. In others, more detail may be desired. There are some wonderful samples in here... especially the special arts and fx. They need a heavy dose of EQ to shine, otherwise you will have mud in your orchestral mix.

3) *Brass Solo:* Still wet, but there are some wonderful samples in here... particularly the trumpet. By transposing each instrument up one whole step and then transposing midi input down one whole step (as well as doing this in reverse), you can build a full ensemble from the instruments for a "more detailed" approach than the ensemble provides. In effect, you can achieve up to a 3/3/6/3 section size. So... for what the ensemble lacks in detail, it can be made up with clever programming from the solo instruments. These also need a heavy dose of EQ to truly shine.

3) *Winds:* I never tried them. I bought Berlin Woodwinds from Day 1 and have never looked back. She's my Love. Also, I've never liked the demos of these guys. On the flip side, Jay Asher wrote a glowing review of them and he is rather picky about what he uses (and has a good ear!). So I am sure there is something there....

4) *Percussion:* Never tried these either, but demos sound decent. I think it probably serves the general purpose really well. I've used Spitfire Percussion Redux from Day 1 and have never looked back here either.


*What I learned after choosing the Strings and Brass libraries as my primary instruments when they were first released*: 
Well, the strings can sound beautiful if you take the time to use them correctly. I spent a ton of time getting the sound I desired in a "virtual hall" i liked. I never liked the mixed mics. I've purchased other string libraries since then, but still come back to NISSSE as my bigger and orchestral string sound. As for detailed strings? I'm currently loving Century Strings. As for Brass? Well, i've bounced around a bit there too. NISSBE and NISSBS are not do-it-all wonders. They have certain niches. Taming the wetness was very difficult at first. Once I started trying to understand why they sounded so wet in comparison to other brass libraries I owned, I realized that much of it can be resolved through EQ and similar sounds to the other leading brass libraries can be achieved. Short story here? Neither Strings nor Brass are out-of-the-box fantastic, but can produce stellar results once you figure out the issues. The brass is HEAVY in the 200-300hz range for example. My current favorite for brass is Century Brass - so detailed, so good! Hope that helps!


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## Land of Missing Parts (Sep 2, 2018)

storyteller said:


> I started to write a big dissertation about these libraries in reply to the OP, but I think you can sum it up as follows:
> 
> 1) *Strings:* The best of the bunch. If you are willing to program your parts in with the various controls available to you, outstanding results can be achieved. If not, the result will not sound "real" though it will still sound "good." A lot of novice users have put out subpar demos for this library. It can sound woody and brittle if not properly processed. You can also just use Divisi A, or Divisi B which can give you a smaller, more intimate sound.
> 
> ...


Out of curiosity, do you use BWW Revive or the pre-Revive version?


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## storyteller (Sep 2, 2018)

Land of Missing Parts said:


> Out of curiosity, do you use BWW Revive or the pre-Revive version?


Pre-Revive... the Legacy version. Perhaps if I used the full Orchestral Tools orchestra then Revive might be intriguing, but I prefer the drier samples from Legacy.


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## markleake (Sep 3, 2018)

I bought the whole series recently. They are very different to other libraries I have, you really need to play around with the mics and other settings to tame them. I've only just started using them, so have plenty to learn.

My first impression was that the brass was better than I expected. It tends to get too brassy too quickly for me, and I'm not a fan of the horns, but the trumpets and trombones I really liked. The shorts can sound pretty good. Both ensemble and solos can sound very good, and there are some very useful articulations. But you have to be willing to accept the various inconsistencies these entire series seems to be riddled with, and be aware that the washy sound will be something you are always fighting.

The percussion is reasonable, if you mostly ignore the tuned percussion. The timpani are good, but like stated above, may not be the kind of sound you want from the timpani as they lack much liveliness. The rest of the tuned percussion is usable if all you need is basic limited articulations. The celesta sound like a joke instrument (I don't know what they were thinking!)

The woods are often pretty bad - that solo clarinet is horrible. But there are some hidden gems in there. The trills are strange, in that they are very slow, but when you use them in a track, and you suddenly realise how useful they are.

The strings are the pick of the bunch. I wasn't expecting much from the strings, but they are the standout. They can sound harsh and woody (when you don't put in the effort with them). But they can also sound wonderfully detailed, warm and blending well when mixed with other instruments, and each section of the divisi when played mostly alone is fantastically imaged in the soundstage. This last point is probably their best selling point, and makes me quite excited to see what I can do with them. They are limited with the short articulations, and the shorts are OK but not great. I've struggled with the legatos a fair bit, which I've found can be solved by giving up and using the portamentos instead, just sped up to max speed.


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## Alex Fraser (Sep 3, 2018)

markleake said:


> I bought the whole series recently. They are very different to other libraries I have, you really need to play around with the mics and other settings to tame them. I've only just started using them, so have plenty to learn.
> 
> My first impression was that the brass was better than I expected. It tends to get too brassy too quickly for me, and I'm not a fan of the horns, but the trumpets and trombones I really liked. The shorts can sound pretty good. Both ensemble and solos can sound very good, and there are some very useful articulations. But you have to be willing to accept the various inconsistencies these entire series seems to be riddled with, and be aware that the washy sound will be something you are always fighting.
> 
> ...


Pretty much my thoughts. 
I found putting a low pass filter on the wood solos (like the clarinet) made them much more usable. If you assign this filter to the same CC you use for dynamics, the sounds actually become quite workable. The filter is available as part of the instrument patch.
Also, for most of the time based articulations (like trills) - time stretch versions can be found in the separate articulation patches.

And yep, that celesta. Ouch.


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## MartinH. (Sep 3, 2018)

Anyone else who encounters the hanging note fix on strings and any word from NI about a fix? All I ever found was a thread where people continued to complain for months.


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## procreative (Sep 3, 2018)

One thing that drove me nuts on the Legato was that you had to leave a gap to get the transitions the opposite of most other libraries. Then I discovered that this was only the behaviour if you had Auto Divisi switched on.

I think this is to enable polyphonic legato.

So once I realised that I save out a patch just for Legato and switched Divisi off just for that.


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## storyteller (Sep 3, 2018)

MartinH. said:


> Anyone else who encounters the hanging note fix on strings and any word from NI about a fix? All I ever found was a thread where people continued to complain for months.


I've not experienced the hanging note issue since they first patched the library shortly after the initial release. Originally the brass and strings both had hanging notes, but that was resolved not long thereafter.

I also do the same thing that @procreative and @markleake suggested. You can achieve a great "blurred run" sound by using the fast portamento trick, too.


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## JMJ33101 (Sep 4, 2018)

Here I used only the essentials that came with Komplete Ultimate 11

[AUDIOPLUS=https://vi-control.net/community/attachments/luke-and-leia-mp3.15165/][/AUDIOPLUS]


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## sostenuto (Sep 4, 2018)

Have had K11U, plus many touted Orch libs, for years. 
After this, if I buy another someone should come after me with a net …. 

Great job @ JMJ33101 !


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## JMJ33101 (Sep 4, 2018)

sostenuto said:


> Have had K11U, plus many touted Orch libs, for years.
> After this, if I buy another someone should come after me with a net ….
> 
> Great job @ JMJ33101 !


Thank you so much! I’ve done The Incredits 2 from the New incredible movie and Jupiter from the Planets.


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## BezO (Sep 5, 2018)

I upgraded to the full Series during their last 50% sale. All of my orchestral instruments come from Komplete Ultimate, so I have nothing to compare them to outside of demos. For my purposes, they work great. But I don't make orchestral music. I use them to add orchestral & cinematic elements & effects. I find the stereo, close & mid mics most useful, but will use the far mics to push something way back in a mix.


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## Shredoverdrive (Sep 5, 2018)

Does anyone have the same level inconsistencies as me in the strings (essential version)? The double-basses pizz, for instance, are unusable.
More on the topic, I have to reassert my dislike for the NISE Woodwinds solo and ensemble. They are the worst libraries (IMO) of a company I otherwise like a lot. I am really not sure the full versions can cope with their birth deficiencies (listed above in other posts).
For the others, I agree with what is said above.
Strings and percs are good but not stellar.
Brass are Meh and subaquatic wet.


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## JMJ33101 (Sep 5, 2018)

Shredoverdrive said:


> Does anyone have the same level inconsistencies as me in the strings (essential version)? The double-basses pizz, for instance, are unusable.
> More on the topic, I have to reassert my dislike for the NISE Woodwinds solo and ensemble. They are the worst libraries (IMO) of a company I otherwise like a lot. I am really not sure the full versions can cope with their birth deficiencies (listed above in other posts).
> For the others, I agree with what is said above.
> Strings and percs are good but not stellar.
> Brass are Meh and subaquatic wet.


The Percussion works for me pretty good considering I have the Series version. The good thing about the Percussion is that you can of 2 instances of Timpani and have one with a close mic for it to be like the “Principal Timpanist” then the other one with a mix of the Mid and Far mics with a little less close mic than the first Timpani for an “Assistant Timpanist” if you some reality in Classical Pieces like The Planets. For the Brass I don’t use any of the convolution reverbs and I just use Space designer for reverb on All of the sections. I only use the Trumpets and Horns because of the power. Just my 2 cents. On those 2 sections


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## JMJ33101 (Sep 5, 2018)

JMJ33101 said:


> The Percussion works for me pretty good considering I have the Series version. The good thing about the Percussion is that you can of 2 instances of Timpani and have one with a close mic for it to be like the “Principal Timpanist” then the other one with a mix of the Mid and Far mics with a little less close mic than the first Timpani for an “Assistant Timpanist” if you some reality in Classical Pieces like The Planets. For the Brass I don’t use any of the convolution reverbs and I just use Space designer for reverb on All of the sections. I only use the Trumpets and Horns because of the power. Just my 2 cents. On those 2 sections


If you *want some realism.


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## Shredoverdrive (Sep 5, 2018)

Even without the reverbs and with 30 percent release, it's still too much for me.


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## Cinemorphique (Sep 5, 2018)

Hello Everyone ! That's my first post here (but I often come read threads ! Each time I've a doubt on a library.)

So, newcomer, french, possibly a bit out-of-the-bow, never mind ( =) ) !

I own all the NI Symphony Series and for me their range is set between good to worse...

First a commun complaint : The hanging note bug. Sometimes I had this trouble by the past, now it seems I’m always having it… it’s so time consuming just to avoid this bug during export…

The good : SYMPHONY STRINGS

The number one argument for me is the ability to have a real divisi between section ! Of course, compared to LASS you only have "two sections" inside one. But that's already a big deal because most of library strings I know don't have any. The sound is big, but wet... It might be a problem if you want a more intimate sound...
But for my own taste I love it !

The ugly : Ok not ugly, but number two, the Brass : nice but wet. I have troubles with trumpets and trombones, they sound good at higher dynamics but, especially for the trombones it lacks a warm but "defined" sound in the lower dynamics. WET, again this is why.
But I'm still using them, they have some really good articulations (especially the shorts one) and some interesting phrases

Then the percussions :
Funnily, I use them more for their pitched sounds than unpitched, but I can't stand their Celesta (sounding more like a Glocken if you ask me... and the range can't give you his lower pitches... what's the point? )
Still a good library to me, you can feel the room and the space, they blend nicely to other libraries. However Timpanis lacks definition, even at higher dynamics they can disappear in the mix…

The bad : Clearly the Woodwinds.

The sound is so cold, the timbre of clarinets and oboes is harsh… it's not even close to the real ones... I can recognize flutes, bassons too eventually.
The sections are too big for a more « classical approach » (but it’s a complaint we can make of the BRASS).
Even if it’s nice they included saxophones, and I know over users praised it, this library really isn’t for me.

I think Soundiron made betters product alone than with NI.

(The only official use I made of them is here, if you want to check.

(note you can here how I used SYMPHONY BRASS too)

Clearly SYMPHONY WOODWINDS can help you for "gimmicks", but if you're after a lyrical approch or an "harmony" use of your winds then it won't make the job, or not without giving you hard-times)

In fact I don't use it anymore. I’m reselling it. (After a week of mailings between Soundiron and Native Instrument I’ve finally own the right to transfer my license). So if anyone is interested, please let me know (I hope I’m not against the rules of this forum by talking of this here…)


Anyway you have my POV Hope it’ll help you to decide !


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## JMJ33101 (Sep 5, 2018)

Shredoverdrive said:


> Even without the reverbs and with 30 percent release, it's still too much for me.


If you have Space designer then look for the Concert Halls that have a 2.0 to -3.0 sec reverb and put the release from 15 down if you want a concert hall. For a dry sound just put the release all the way down and put like a recording stage or auditorium


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## sostenuto (Sep 5, 2018)

JMJ33101 said:


> If you have Space designer then look for the Concert Halls that have a 2.0 to -3.0 sec reverb and put the release from 15 down if you want a concert hall. For a dry sound just put the release all the way down and put like a recording stage or auditorium



Again... thank-you for this. 
PC here, so no Space Designer, but should be able to do this nicely with NI_K11U __ RC24 /48 or Reflektor.


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## JMJ33101 (Sep 5, 2018)

sostenuto said:


> Again... thank-you for this.
> PC here, so no Space Designer, but should be able to do this nicely with NI_K11U __ RC24 /48 or Reflektor.


You’re Welcome! Do you own Symphony Series or Essentials?


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## sostenuto (Sep 5, 2018)

JMJ33101 said:


> You’re Welcome! Do you own Symphony Series or Essentials?



Only Essentials so far, but oooohh so close to Upgrading Series Collection at recent major promo ….  
Only hesitation has been agonizing over realistic needs for 'major' Orch Lib (Berlin, SSO, or asssorted pieces like LASS 2.5 Full, CineBrass COMPLETE Bundle, ???? WW. I have LADD perc. 

Your work and comments suggest strongly that my (_seasoned_) capabilities are not likely to demand these upper-tier solutions. 
Honestly, these are really not a cost concern, but realistically weighing how much they may truly help, beyond existing Tools.


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## JMJ33101 (Sep 5, 2018)

sostenuto said:


> Only Essentials so far, but oooohh so close to Upgrading Series Collection at recent major promo ….
> Only hesitation has been agonizing over realistic needs for 'major' Orch Lib (Berlin, SSO, or asssorted pieces like LASS 2.5 Full, CineBrass COMPLETE Bundle, ???? WW. I have LADD perc.
> 
> Your work and comments suggest strongly that my (_seasoned_) capabilities are not likely to demand these upper-tier solutions.
> Honestly, these are really not a cost concern, but realistically weighing how much they may truly help, beyond existing Tools.


And another tip for John Williams Sounding lush Strings is to again Slap on some reverb. About 2.9 second reverb should do it but 2.2 sec is enough. Play any line at the same time 1st Violins, 2nd Violins and Violas.


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## JMJ33101 (Sep 5, 2018)

JMJ33101 said:


> And another tip for John Williams Sounding lush Strings is to again Slap on some reverb. About 2.9 second reverb should do it but 2.2 sec is enough. Play any line at the same time 1st Violins, 2nd Violins and Violas.


And put the brightness to the 1st V’s to 105-115 and the 2nd V’s to 80-95 and just leave the Violas alone. Then put the attack for both Violins to 40-50. It takes away the Harshness


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## markleake (Sep 5, 2018)

sostenuto said:


> Only Essentials so far, but oooohh so close to Upgrading Series Collection at recent major promo ….
> Only hesitation has been agonizing over realistic needs for 'major' Orch Lib (Berlin, SSO, or asssorted pieces like LASS 2.5 Full, CineBrass COMPLETE Bundle, ???? WW. I have LADD perc.
> 
> Your work and comments suggest strongly that my (_seasoned_) capabilities are not likely to demand these upper-tier solutions.
> Honestly, these are really not a cost concern, but realistically weighing how much they may truly help, beyond existing Tools.


If you already have the essentials, spend your money elsewhere first. These are outclassed by other major libs.


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## sostenuto (Sep 5, 2018)

markleake said:


> If you already have the essentials, spend your money elsewhere first. These are outclassed by other major libs.



Hey @ markleake, your post is understood clearly, especially with your support over time.  
I'm not disclaiming my earlier post to @ JMJ33101, but imbedded in that are lots of unknowns re. upcoming K12U release (whenever that occurs).
My limited 'chops' are in play, so going with individual; Strings, Brass, WW Libs is less than comfortable. 
I'm left with high hopes for BlkFri, and what SF and OT offer. 

No sooner say this, then prickled by current Audiobro prices; my EDU price for CineBrass COMPLETE Bundle; and no clue for WW. I have LADD. How well I could integrate these tools after purchase is quite unknown.

Thank-you for staying in vigilant.  I remain committed to purchase, yet without a 'winner'.
CSS /CSSS /CS2 are not eliminated, but impacted by my integration worries just as LASS.

Regards


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## sostenuto (Sep 5, 2018)

markleake said:


> If you already have the essentials, spend your money elsewhere first. These are outclassed by other major libs.



Hey @ markleake, your post is understood clearly, especially with your support over time.  
I'm not disclaiming my earlier post to @ JMJ33101, but imbedded in that are lots of unknowns re. upcoming K12U release (whenever that occurs). 
My limited 'chops' are in play, so going with individual; Strings, Brass, WW Libs is less than comfortable. 
I'm left with high hopes for BlkFri, and what SF and OT offer. 

No sooner say this, then prickled by current Audiobro prices, my EDU price for CineBrass COMPLETE Bundle, and no clue for WW. I have LADD. How well I could integrate these tools after purchase is quite unknown.

Thank-you for staying in vigilant.  I remain committed to purchase, yet without a 'winner'. 
CSS /CSSS /CS2 are not eliminated, but impacted by my integration worries just as LASS.

Regards


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## antret (Sep 23, 2018)

Hi!

I only own the 'full' version of the Symphony Series Strings. None of the other parts. I liked them quite a bit especially being able to use smaller sections when needed. I don't really write pure orchestral or cinematic music, but when using the full sections I always felt the sound was a little 'muddy'. I think it was mentioned that using the separate mics to make your own mix seemed to help. 

Interestingly, when I had to recently reload all the software back onto my laptop, I left them off. Time will tell what I think about that decision. I do have an unfinished project that used that library. I will have to revisit and see if I can get comparable/better results with what I have loaded at the moment. That would be the test for me. 

In the meantime, if interested, here is a song that is completed that features this string library heavily (smaller sections in the beginning, larger sections a little later). The strings are probably a bit bright but i don't recall now if that was just how they sounded or if I eq'd them that way.


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## chocobitz825 (Sep 23, 2018)

after playing around a bit more with these libraries. I think the lower tier series misrepresents the strings library. The division, multiple mics and legato are really nice for simple things or blending, but it is a bit much at its current asking price. I had really positive results mixing this with kirk hunter concert strings and some various solo strings. It has a nice sweet tone i would not mind padding in the back of a section, but its probably not anyone's first choice. Brass and Woodwinds are just...OK I guess. A bit lackluster really. Its good to see everyones take on this.


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## novaburst (Sep 24, 2018)

TrondB said:


> This sums it up for me. But then again what do I know..



Would agree somewhat for the essential version, but definitely not for the full version.


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## novaburst (Sep 24, 2018)

storyteller said:


> you are willing to program your parts in with the various controls available to you, outstanding results can be achieved.


This


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## jaketanner (Sep 25, 2018)

Audiobro makes LASS. NI full strings, is not bad...but it's no LASS...however, the overall sound, I do like. It's not what you call pretty, but it can be with the right articulation...especially with the divisi and mic choices. I have the other Symphony Series but the Essentials...do not like them. Brass is way too wet. But, I also have not tried very hard to use them other than the strings. For epic stuff...I can definitely see a use for them though, but not for anything that would be considered a realistic mockup. great for sketching though.


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## chocobitz825 (Sep 26, 2018)

I decided to play with NI a bit. For the strings, on it’s on i find it’s not a great standalone strings section, but I do love the sound of the divisi and legato layered other others. I just grabbed a midi, set everything to sustains only and did very minor adjustments to see how they blend. This was NI strings mixed with Kirk hunter concert strings 3, 8dio century and adagio, and some Berlin solos if I recall correctly. Using just the far mics of NI gave it a nice background full sound to me.


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## bfreepro (Sep 28, 2018)

I have a new feature here about the percs, and will be reviewing woodwinds in the very near future!

https://www.bfreemusic.com/…/review-native-instruments-symp…

Reviewed : Native Instruments Symphony Series Percussion! 
A wonderful and modestly priced collection of traditional orchestral percussion instruments.
$199 for owners of Komplete! (reg. $299)


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## bfreepro (Sep 28, 2018)

markleake said:


> The percussion is reasonable, if you mostly ignore the tuned percussion. The timpani are good, but like stated above, may not be the kind of sound you want from the timpani as they lack much liveliness. The rest of the tuned percussion is usable if all you need is basic limited articulations. The celesta sound like a joke instrument (I don't know what they were thinking!)



I agree 100% about the tuned percussion, and found specifically the default "stereo" mic option was to blame for most of the awful sound (Essentials only has this one mic, and I think it's a pretty terrible choice). I enabled only the close mic, spot mic, or a mix of the two, and it sounded ten times better, but still a far cry from an actual celesta. The other tuned percs are much better but they all sound significantly better, with the spot and close mics, I don't know what they were thinking with the default mic position, as you also get A LOT of noise... definitely a strange decision...


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## JMJ33101 (Sep 28, 2018)

Does anyone know what skinhead they used for the Timpani? If anyone’s confused, did they use Calfskin heads or Renaissance heads? The sound is pretty dark and not as bright as I want it but i just eq it to make it brighter and put the close mics at minus 10-12 decibels, the spot mics at either 2 plus or minus. Then the far mics at minus 4, then the mid mics at plus 4.


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