# Is Albion One still worth to get?



## lenny2403 (Sep 3, 2019)

Hey I'am really new to the game. Albion One is currently on sale and I don't know if I should get it, because it's a bit old. I don't know if there are libraries out there that are new with better patches and more content. 

I own Ark 1, Vocalise, Alica's Keys and Tina Guo Legato.


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## ManicMiner (Sep 3, 2019)

lenny2403 said:


> Hey I'am really new to the game. Albion One is currently on sale and I don't know if I should get it, because it's a bit old. I don't know if there are libraries out there that are new with better patches and more content.
> 
> I own Ark 1, Vocalise, Alica's Keys and Tina Guo Legato.


If you want it and can wait, it gets as low as 40% off. Possibly on Black Friday, and definitely at Christmas (if you add it to your wishlist).
Its value for money in terms of content, but if I had Ark1 I might not feel the need to get Albion One tbh.


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## Diablo IV (Sep 3, 2019)

I don't know if Albion relates to the BBC Orchestra, but I think it does, if so, I would save to preorder
that in a SSD myself.


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## DivingInSpace (Sep 3, 2019)

Diablo3 said:


> I don't know if Albion relates to the BBC Orchestra, but I think it does, if so, I would save to preorder
> that in a SSD myself.


I am not sure how Albion One should relate to the BBC orchestra? They are pretty different products even though both are a "All in one" orchestra. Also, the pricepoint is way different.


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## Parsifal666 (Sep 3, 2019)

Get Composer Cloud and you'll be simultaneously getting something overall far better and righteously cheaper.

Albion One is an excellent sketch tool...if you can live with those mostly abysmal, synthy strings.

A1 continues to be one of my three big purchase regrets (the others were EVO 1 and Studio Brass Pro, both Spitfire). I had Legacy at the time of its release and sooo wish I'd just stuck with that.

The Hollywood orchestra sounds far better, and in that sense can be far more inspiring for sketches. Just try out Hollywood Strings sometime if you're looking for inspiration.

Sometimes I wonder if people just come on here hot to spend money on anything new and/or Spitfire (not singling anyone out in particular). The only criticism I have of the Hollywood Orchestra is their woodwinds, which are the least in the series (but far from terrible). If you want great woodwinds and want to still spend a bunch of money, get Berlin WWs.


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## Diablo IV (Sep 3, 2019)

DivingInSpace said:


> I am not sure how Albion One should relate to the BBC orchestra? They are pretty different products even though both are a "All in one" orchestra. Also, the pricepoint is way different.



There you go, you said it: they are All in one orchestra, that's where they relate. If I wanted a All
in one orchestra I'd save for it (you said it yourself, price point way different, hence my suggestion of: saving).

But of course maybe the OP wants the "color" of Albion 1.


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## Parsifal666 (Sep 3, 2019)

Diablo3 said:


> There you go, you said it: they are All in one orchestra, that's where they relate. If I wanted a All
> in one orchestra I'd save for it (you said it yourself, price point way different, hence my suggestion of: saving).
> 
> But of course maybe the OP wants the "color" of Albion 1.



Sure, the colour-me-synth leanings of the strings have a place in so many projected musical projects...

just joking.


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## Sarah Mancuso (Sep 3, 2019)

I'd heard so much on this forum about Albion One's strings sounding "synthy" that it had me really questioning my interest in the library before I bought it. I can honestly say don't understand where the comparison comes from at all.

This thread inspired me to spend my morning playing with A1's legato patches to refresh my memory on their sound, and I still like them just as much. They're not my main go-to for strings (those would be Spitfire Chamber Strings and Embertone Joshua Bell Violin), but when I'm seeking big emotive sweetened strings they absolutely nail it.

It is true that if you already own Ark 1, you might have less to gain from picking up Albion One, since they're both "all-in-one orchestra and more" libraries, but without owning Ark 1 myself I can't comment too much on the degree of actual crossover between them. You might be better served, though, by augmenting Ark 1's ensemble patches with a library that allows for more detailed section writing, rather than with another general-purpose ensemble library.


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## Jack Mills (Sep 3, 2019)

In my personal opinion, I don't think Albion ONE is worth it. My problem with Albion ONE is that the instruments sound like synths, for example, the strings sounds soft and laser-ish for a lack of a better word. Their brass sounds like blowing a raspberry, when I think of epic brass sounds (which is what Spitfire is marketing Albion ONE as) I think of beefy and sharp brass sounds, you don't get that in Albion ONE. 

However, their percussion patches sound pretty good, they're actually epic percussion sounds and I used some of them in my latest tracks. 

That being said, is it worth paying nearly £400 for a suppose all-around epic orchestra library? I don't think so. You're better off saving your money.


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## redlester (Sep 3, 2019)

Jack Mills said:


> That being said, is it worth paying nearly £400 for a suppose all-around epic orchestra library?



Clearly differing opinions on the sound, but I think the OP was interested because the price is currently £279


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## Digivolt (Sep 3, 2019)

To the people who really dislike the strings in Albion One would you say from listening to the demo's that Audio Imperia's new Nucleus library would be a better option for an all in one package for a beginner on a budget ?


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## pawelmorytko (Sep 3, 2019)

Digivolt said:


> To the people who really dislike the strings in Albion One would you say from listening to the demo's that Audio Imperia's new Nucleus library would be a better option for an all in one package for a beginner on a budget ?



Similar string quality, neither sound overly realistic to me, but at least you get sections in Nucleus. I think I would recommend Nucleus over Albion One any day.


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## Garry (Sep 3, 2019)

Albion One is one of my favorite libraries. I've recently started layering Albion One (Longs & CS combined on the main Strings patch) with Tundra (flautaundro; main patch, high/low) - produces a really nice symphonic sound - Tundra takes away the harshness of Albion One, Albion One gives Tundra a bit more bite - it's a really nice combination.


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## KEM (Sep 3, 2019)

As most have already said, Albion 1 is good for getting down ideas but you’ll quickly realize that lack of realism sonically, only thing I really give it credit for are the low booms, I use those in pretty much everything I make, but other than that I will never have an Albion 1 patch in a final mix/master. And to be fair now that I have the Spitfire Symphonic Orchestra I just sketch out with the ensemble patches in those, further lessening my Albion 1 usage. And since you already have Ark 1 I would just pass on Albion 1, I have both and I find Ark 1 to have a much better sound and more usable content.


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## Mornats (Sep 3, 2019)

Whilst I do like Albion One I can understand why some say the strings sound synthy. Here's a track I did (I'm a hobbyist so it could be done better maybe).



It starts proper around a minute in. Those opening ostinato strings sound synthy to me but later on the longs and legatos don't so much. You can also hear the brass blowing raspberries too. Hope this helps you to hear what people have been saying about the library.

For an all in one orchestra I was listening to Don Bodin's first look at The Orchestra by Sonuscore and liked the sound and playability. I don't have it though so can't compare it to Albion One.


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## Scamper (Sep 3, 2019)

Sarah Mancuso said:


> I'd heard so much on this forum about Albion One's strings sounding "synthy" that it had me really questioning my interest in the library before I bought it. I can honestly say don't understand where the comparison comes from at all.



I think for me and maybe some others, the impression of synthy sounding strings stems from the direct comparison to the old legacy Albion 1 (unfortunately not an option anymore). Listening to both of those, the old strings seem way more natural and warmer.

To me, those sounds were really beautiful and had something magical, that's a bit missing in the new Albion ONE. The High Woodwinds were also really great. On the other hand, the new version has many improvements in programming, tightness and control.

Luckily, a few of the old samples are included in the new Albion ONE, so at least you can use some of that, if you didn't get the legacy library.

There's also this little comparison I made for the new and old samples, all of those included in Albion ONE.


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## Reid Rosefelt (Sep 3, 2019)

As people have suggested, this is a 30% discount on Albion ONE, but not the best price. The lowest it's been was 50% off recently, and it will be 40% off during the Christmas Wish List sale. So you shouldn't feel any time pressure on this. 

I would take a look at Orchestral Tools's Inspire series.


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## Alex Fraser (Sep 3, 2019)

There's a lot of tosh talked about A1 
At the current price, it's very much worth it. Play the parts idiomatically and you can get an orchestra going in minutes. That's the key to it and why it's beloved of media composers. Sometimes you just don't have the time/inclination to break out everything separately.

The Brunel loops are a goldmine of loops and effects too.


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## ManicMiner (Sep 3, 2019)

Alex Fraser said:


> The Brunel loops are a goldmine of loops and effects too.


Actually there's a lot of good stuff in eDNA too, which no-one has mentioned, and the percussion. A1 needs to be explored again and again to get the most out of it. But, yes, wait for the 40% (or even 50%) off.


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## Mornats (Sep 3, 2019)

Scamper said:


> I think for me and maybe some others, the impression of synthy sounding strings stems from the direct comparison to the old legacy Albion 1 (unfortunately not an option anymore). Listening to both of those, the old strings seem way more natural and warmer.
> 
> To me, those sounds were really beautiful and had something magical, that's a bit missing in the new Albion ONE. The High Woodwinds were also really great. On the other hand, the new version has many improvements in programming, tightness and control.
> 
> ...




Only listening via the speaker on my phone right now but even then I prefer the legacy over the One samples in that piece. I should try swapping them in the track I posted above to see if they make a difference.


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## jononotbono (Sep 3, 2019)

I love Albion One. I find it to be very useful when writing. It has so much stuff in there (non orchestral) that’s very useful. Great for layering and sketching. The Perc sounds great. My favourite orchestral patch is the Wind shorts. Sounds excellent.


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## jbuhler (Sep 3, 2019)

Sarah Mancuso said:


> I'd heard so much on this forum about Albion One's strings sounding "synthy" that it had me really questioning my interest in the library before I bought it. I can honestly say don't understand where the comparison comes from at all.
> 
> This thread inspired me to spend my morning playing with A1's legato patches to refresh my memory on their sound, and I still like them just as much. They're not my main go-to for strings (those would be Spitfire Chamber Strings and Embertone Joshua Bell Violin), but when I'm seeking big emotive sweetened strings they absolutely nail it.
> 
> It is true that if you already own Ark 1, you might have less to gain from picking up Albion One, since they're both "all-in-one orchestra and more" libraries, but without owning Ark 1 myself I can't comment too much on the degree of actual crossover between them. You might be better served, though, by augmenting Ark 1's ensemble patches with a library that allows for more detailed section writing, rather than with another general-purpose ensemble library.


I also don't find the string patches synthy. I don't use them often, even in my sketching template, but that's due to other factors.


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## Digivolt (Sep 3, 2019)

pawelmorytko said:


> Similar string quality, neither sound overly realistic to me, but at least you get sections in Nucleus. I think I would recommend Nucleus over Albion One any day.



Interesting considering Nucleus strings are from Jaegar and in the string shootout Daniel James did, Jaegar were one of the most favourable amongst the people offering opinion it's the reason I was considering it myself because I thought the strings in that shootout sounded the nicest.

I guess it's all subjective though 🤷‍♂️


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## John Busby (Sep 3, 2019)

Albion One shines when layering with other orchestral libraries namely Hollywood Orchestra
the string and wood shorts patches especially add a thickness and depth of Air Studios that's much more convincing than just a convolution tail.
You really need to orchestra more towards Albion One's strengths which is *NOT* what Spitfire markets this library as imo.


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## zimm83 (Sep 3, 2019)

Once loved albion.....but now Metropolis arks do it better for me ....


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## Reid Rosefelt (Sep 3, 2019)

On a related note:

Albion One has a recent update, v. 1.7b15b (Aug 2019)
ADDED: Stephensons 'Steam X' presets and previews
ADDED: Stephensons 'Modulator X' presets and previews 

There was also an update in June, 1.6, in case you missed it.

ADDED: All previews updated
FIXED: NKS folder structure updated and improved
FIXED: Tuning and NKS controls of CHX presets
FIXED: Some CS patches are not CS
FIXED: Darwin Percussion clicks
FIXED: Strings Legato CS broken
FIXED: Legato Individuals - Faders Corrected 
FIXED: Stereo width appearing in legato
FIXED: Strings - Shared KS Issue
FIXED: Brass Legato - Unscripted Keychanges
FIXED: Low Strings - Tuning issue
UPDATED: Woodwind legatos attack tweaked


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## Mike Fox (Sep 3, 2019)

A1 is a good library overall. A bit too wet for my liking, but i do like the percussion in it.


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## Loïc D (Sep 3, 2019)

Yes it’s a nice starter library with lots of limitations and also lots of hidden gems. Stephenson & Darwin are nice addition.
And after you buy other libraries, it’s still a nice layering library.

That said, nowadays, there are certainly better offers (Composer cloud, Amadeus, Nucleus, Iconica, to name a few).


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## Grizzlymv (Sep 3, 2019)

I use it frequently and as someone else mentioned, it's excellent when layered with other stuff. I've also noticed this weekend that I had an update pending for it, but I'm just not sure what was updated...

As a starter lib though, I'm not sure I'd pick it as it fall short in some areas. It's groups (high/mid/low) rather than sections and the percs are fairly limited so I believe there's other alternatives that might offer more flexibility in those areas. Also I could do without the fancy synths stuff, so for me, it has been a bit pricey given I'm only using half the lib, but sound wise, I still love it often return to it.


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## visiblenoise (Sep 3, 2019)

I wouldn't recommend it, you're missing a library with individual instrument sections. Better to get more varied libraries to cover all your basics before you get into the nitty gritty of which library sounds slightly better/different. Unless you have no intention of ever doing more detailed orchestrations.

I like Albion 1, I think it's a great product, but like others I don't really use the strings/brass/woodwinds on their own, unless it's for something really specific where I don't care about the orchestration that much, like a heavily electronic track.


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## BenHicks (Sep 3, 2019)

Still use it regularly to layer with other stuff. It's definitely paid for itself 1000x over in that regard. Lots of solid content in it.


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## kgdrum (Sep 3, 2019)

TigerTheFrog said:


> On a related note:
> 
> Albion One has a recent update, v. 1.7b15b (Aug 2019)
> ADDED: Stephensons 'Steam X' presets and previews
> ...




Thanks for the reminder!
I've never updated any of my Albion libraries,I will have to do this when I get some time one of these days.


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## Bluemount Score (Sep 4, 2019)

ManicMiner said:


> but if I had Ark1 I might not feel the need to get Albion One tbh.


I own both, agree and barely use Albion ONE. It is a great beginner library with some gems (e.g. string shorts, easter island percussion), but most of the patches got easily replaced by other libraries in my template. Never used the loops / steam band folder which is a huge part of it. It‘s up to you if you like that synthetic stuff.


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## Mornats (Sep 4, 2019)

TigerTheFrog said:


> On a related note:
> 
> Albion One has a recent update, v. 1.7b15b (Aug 2019)
> ADDED: Stephensons 'Steam X' presets and previews
> ...



It's cool to see some additions to the Stephenson's Steam Band in there. I've already got a few in my favourites now.


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## ThePrioryStudio (Sep 4, 2019)

Garry said:


> I've recently started layering Albion One




I'm sure most other people also do this but layering sounds from different developers is a must in my opinion. Even if you do have Albion 1 and say Berlin 1 or 2 or Ark. Layering them up and weaving them into and out of each other will create something different.

Unless you are using strings in scores to show to clients before a re-record, I think layering is a must and therefore don't see the problem with 'doubling' up on your libraries*

*budget aside


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## Joe Totino (Sep 4, 2019)

I don’t at all regret buying Albion One. I find it a wonderful tool that I can use on-the-go for sketching parts, and adding layers. Personally, the legato patches are really hard to make sound real. Maybe I’m just spoiled with CSS transitions 

But, as others mentioned, the Easter Island hits are incredibly useful, for all sorts of music. I’ve owned Alb 1 for years now, and have still yet to play all the synth patches, though I’ve heard really good things about using them, especially the pad sounds. Some say the strings sound synthy, but I find them useful, especially the shorts, and low octaves!


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## Fleer (Sep 4, 2019)

I still think it’s one of the best packages you can get, preferably at half off, of course. It’s a very balanced package in my book, with the steam and loop parts nicely working together.


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## Parsifal666 (Sep 5, 2019)

Digivolt said:


> To the people who really dislike the strings in Albion One would you say from listening to the demo's that Audio Imperia's new Nucleus library would be a better option for an all in one package for a beginner on a budget ?



Just get Hollywood Strings...fight against it you all may, but if you have any motivation and an openness to a learning curve HS makes Audio Imperia look like a joke in comparison.

Just my opinion, one that many posters here agree with (for righteously good reason).

Don't fool yourself...string samples just haven't gone much further since HS.

And yeah, to reinforce, Albion One's string SUCK. They sound really bad overall (there are a couple of decent patches, of course).

You want an Albion with (an at times sensationally good) string section(s)? Get Iceni, incredible low strings that beat out Met Ark 1 handily (and keep in mind, I practically worship the first two Arks).


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## Parsifal666 (Sep 5, 2019)

pawelmorytko said:


> Similar string quality, neither sound overly realistic to me, but at least you get sections in Nucleus. I think I would recommend Nucleus over Albion One any day.



But that's not saying much. I'd be pressed to pick A1 over NI Session Strings Pro, to be forthright about it.


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## AndyP (Sep 5, 2019)

I've been thinking about buying Albion 1 for a long time, and the longer I think about something, the less likely it is that I'll get it.

Albion one is certainly not bad, but for me the synth part would be more interesting, but many things sounded very similar to me. Sometimes I buy a lib just for a few sounds, I didn't see that with Albion one.

Meanwhile there are also more alternatives which I find more exciting.

In the end it's always a matter of taste and what suits one person super is not the right thing for the other. That's why I always find it difficult to make concrete recommendations.

The exception for me is EWHO, because it is at sale price a lib with which you can do nothing wrong. Even if it is only for strings and brass layering. I've already spent a lot more money on worse sound.

Neither Albion one nor EWHO sound modern like e.g. the Arks, but maybe that's exactly what rides these librarys.


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## pawelmorytko (Sep 5, 2019)

Parsifal666 said:


> But that's not saying much. I'd be pressed to pick A1 over NI Session Strings Pro, to be forthright about it.



Sorry should've elaborated a bit more, I guess the main thing is that I feel like Albion One is for more contemporary scores for films that just require an underscore. Whereas Nucleus seems to cover more ground with a more traditional orchestral palette and allows for more melodic/thematic writing with individual sections. I don't even own Nucleus but I just feel like I'd use more things from it whereas with Albion there's only a few gems that still find their way into my tracks, similar to what others have said such as the percussion, easter island hits and woodwind shorts.


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## Parsifal666 (Sep 5, 2019)

pawelmorytko said:


> Sorry should've elaborated a bit more, I guess the main thing is that I feel like Albion One is for more contemporary scores for films that just require an underscore. Whereas Nucleus seems to cover more ground with a more traditional orchestral palette and allows for more melodic/thematic writing with individual sections. I don't even own Nucleus but I just feel like I'd use more things from it whereas with Albion there's only a few gems that still find their way into my tracks, similar to what others have said such as the percussion, easter island hits and woodwind shorts.



There's definitely cool percussive stuff in Albion One. The pre-arranged woodwinds can be fun to mess with too, and I imagine might come in handy for sketches...

In my template I don't even have A1 (I do have the original Legacy on there). For orchestral stuff I have SStWWs Pro, BHOT, HWS and Brass, OT Arks I and II. I have Garritan because sometimes their harps and other percussive tuned instruments sound pretty good (I wish more often).

I never found a library to replace Hollywood Strings, and only the Arks have what I consider EW Hollywood level brass.

For choirs I still l have EWSCP...but am pretty crazy about a LOT of the Ark choir stuff as well.


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## MarcHedenberg (Sep 5, 2019)

I don't quite agree with comments saying A1 sounds 'synthy'. That's maybe a bit extreme. At the same time, you already have Ark 1, and like that library, Albion One only does ensemble patches. If you want to write for sections and have more control over what all the players are doing, Albion One isn't adding anything new to your arsenal.

I would argue that Albion One is slightly more versatile in dynamics than Ark 1 because of how ridiculously loud the latter is, and by that same token, Ark 1 handles the bigger and more epic sounds a bit better. While I don't use it very much anymore in my final mixes, I still find A1 great for tight deadlines and quick sketches to get ideas flowing. Plus, the percussion is great and so are the low booms and (in my opinion) the lows and mids brass. Not a huge fan of how they mixed the woods and you've got no control over that with this library, so bear that in mind.

If you can afford it, maybe hold out for reviews on the BBC Orchestra library next month? Seems like a hell of a deal. Alternatively, get the Composer Cloud subscription with EastWest. You really can't go wrong with that.


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## mikrokosmiko (Sep 5, 2019)

I’m also new to the game. I’m clasically trained and A1 was my first vi purchase, this year. I founded it very limiting and frustrating to work with. All that Ensemble patches, they are useless! I could not work with that. So I got Studio strings, which I liked a lot. 

BUT I have recently discovered that layering A1 with SSt for detail sounds awesome, in my opinion. I’m starting to use this combination a lot, and progressively liking A1 more and more. Also discovering that some patches sound really good (low 8’s, nasty brass, easter island Perc...). I don’t know if it’s worthy nowadays but I have no regrets now about having purchased it


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## reimerpdx (Sep 5, 2019)

mikrokosmiko said:


> I’m also new to the game. I’m clasically trained and A1 was my first vi purchase, this year. I founded it very limiting and frustrating to work with. All that Ensemble patches, they are useless! I could not work with that. So I got Studio strings, which I liked a lot.
> 
> BUT I have recently discovered that layering A1 with SSt for detail sounds awesome, in my opinion. I’m starting to use this combination a lot, and progressively liking A1 more and more. Also discovering that some patches sound really good (low 8’s, nasty brass, easter island Perc...). I don’t know if it’s worthy nowadays but I have no regrets now about having purchased it


Easter Island finds it's way in almost all of my stuff... even if I can't hear it, I just like to know its there


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## cadmango (Sep 20, 2019)

After looking at recent walkthroughs of Audio Imperia Nucleus by Daniel James & Dick Elhert I'm convinced that this is the best current orchestral library option if you are starting out building your collection. It offers really nice sounding solo instruments, sections and ensembles, a much fuller orchestral percussion portfolio (timpani, marimba, tubular bells etc. for example), multiple choir sections as well as sound design elements. Albion 1 has no solo instruments, ensembles only, no choir and a somewhat limited percussion section, albeit with some decent sound design elements if you need them at all. [I have Albion 1 so I am in a position to compare.]

Compositionally you just have a lot more flexibility with the choir, sections and core solo instruments.

These composer walkthroughs are really worth a look:
 [Daniel James]
 [Dick Elhert]

Catch it before the intro pricing ends.


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## Bluemount Score (Sep 20, 2019)

reimerpdx said:


> Easter Island finds it's way in almost all of my stuff... even if I can't hear it, I just like to know its there


Oh yes! Gotta love those deep *booms*!
My most used patch from Albion. Which sure doesn't tells much about the quality of the library overall.


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## RogiervG (Sep 25, 2019)

cadmango said:


> Catch it before the intro pricing ends.



Meh... the demos don't convince me


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## cadmango (Sep 25, 2019)

RogiervG said:


> Meh... the demos don't convince me



They convinced Daniel James so I'm confident relying on his endorsement:

_“Not only is this good because it has the sections but it sounds great. Usually, there used to be a compromise. Either you get all the sections or the sound wasn’t great. This is a great sounding library, it has all the instruments, and it’s a small footprint, and it’s pretty cheap. I don’t know how to explain that that is a very good thing. So me personally, I think it’s an absolute must buy. Particularly if you’re getting into sampled recordings, this is a perfect place to start.” _- Daniel James


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## paularthur (Sep 25, 2019)

At the current sale prices, it's definitely worth it..


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## Jack Mills (Sep 26, 2019)

cadmango said:


> They convinced Daniel James so I'm confident relying on his endorsement:
> 
> _“Not only is this good because it has the sections but it sounds great. Usually, there used to be a compromise. Either you get all the sections or the sound wasn’t great. This is a great sounding library, it has all the instruments, and it’s a small footprint, and it’s pretty cheap. I don’t know how to explain that that is a very good thing. So me personally, I think it’s an absolute must buy. Particularly if you’re getting into sampled recordings, this is a perfect place to start.” _- Daniel James


There are other libraries to start at, like CineSample's LITE library, Ark 1 and the more recent Nucleus.


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## Crowe (Sep 26, 2019)

Jack Mills said:


> There are other libraries to start at, like CineSample's LITE library, Ark 1 and the more recent Nucleus.



They were talking about Nucleus.


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## David Kudell (Sep 26, 2019)

I don’t have Albion One, but I do have Ark 1. I would just throw out there to check out Cinematic Studio Strings. It’s not an all in one, but it does cover the strings in wonderful way and has really improved my compositions in a way an ensemble patch can’t. 

Ark 1, CSS, and the Inspires 1 & 2 are what I had for a long time. Another option would be to get CSS then you can get the loyalty discounts for the CSB Brass and Solo strings down the line.


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## Fleer (Sep 26, 2019)

Jack Mills said:


> There are other libraries to start at, like CineSample's LITE library, Ark 1 and the more recent Nucleus.


I’m still very much enamored with the whole Albion ONE package. Probably because it has so many different angles, like Stephenson’s and eDNA.


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## Mornats (Sep 26, 2019)

mikrokosmiko said:


> I’m also new to the game. I’m clasically trained and A1 was my first vi purchase, this year. I founded it very limiting and frustrating to work with. All that Ensemble patches, they are useless! I could not work with that. So I got Studio strings, which I liked a lot.
> 
> BUT I have recently discovered that layering A1 with SSt for detail sounds awesome, in my opinion. I’m starting to use this combination a lot, and progressively liking A1 more and more. Also discovering that some patches sound really good (low 8’s, nasty brass, easter island Perc...). I don’t know if it’s worthy nowadays but I have no regrets now about having purchased it



I'm actually considering Studio Strings to do just this. Do you have any mock ups you wouldn't mind sharing of how this sounds?


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## cadmango (Sep 26, 2019)

Jack Mills said:


> There are other libraries to start at, like CineSample's LITE library, Ark 1 and the more recent Nucleus.


Jack you may have missed the fact that the Daniel James quote refers to Nucleus and not Albion 1.

Ark 1 however great it is, is just not a great starter option as it is recorded from mf to fff making it useless for anything delicate other than load and Epic. I think Cinesamples Lite suffers from the same shortcomings as Albion 1 in the sense that you quickly miss the fact that there are no solo instruments and choir sections. Then filling in the gaps with solos and sections from other libraries that you need soon becomes an expensive exercise if you are starting out. I can therefore see that Daniel James's advice is sound: Right now Nucleus really is a great sounding, balanced and inexpensive starter option if you are starting out.


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## RogiervG (Sep 26, 2019)

anyway... i am not convinced (yet).. and one opinion by Daniel, doesn't change my mind. I need more demos, etc... maybe then i'll be convinced. (but then again, it doesn't seem to be targetted to people already having higher end libs)


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## Symfoniq (Sep 26, 2019)

As an owner of Albion ONE, I agree with a few other posters that based on what I've seen of Audio Imperia's Nucleus, I'd go with that instead of Albion ONE. I was actually pretty disappointed with Albion ONE, and virtually never use it, except for some of the loops and percussion.


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## Kaufmanmoon (Sep 26, 2019)

I did an experiment a couple of years ago where I loaded up the following standard long patches
Albion 1
Albion One
Albion 2
Symphonic Strings
Chamber Strings

I played into logic and record a part, not exactly the same on each, just playing where the patch took me.
I also recorded myself, talking how I felt the patch sounded while playing it and how it felt under my fingers.
I was sure on my favourites after going through them all when recording.
When I listened back however the libraries sounded different to me, the experience was not the same.
It made me realise that it's as much about the moment (the attack) of the patch that made me feel a certain way.
Albion One has a faster attack and feel more synth like, whereas Albion 1 and 2 have a slower attack and just a gentle fall into the sound which is very pleasing.
Albion One doesn't sound as synth like when listening back, only when I'm actually playing in. 

I believe this is one of the reasons why people enjoy the original Albion over the latter release as much as the noise and imperfections.

Take of that what you will but it's worth trying the experiment as I now listen and judge sounds far different now.

For whatever that's worth


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## ManicMiner (Sep 26, 2019)

Kaufmanmoon said:


> I believe this is one of the reasons why people enjoy the original Albion over the latter release as much as the noise and imperfections.


Aren't the original legacy Albion1 patches included in Albion One?


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## ism (Sep 26, 2019)

ManicMiner said:


> Aren't the original legacy Albion1 patches included in Albion One?



Only a selection of them. No long winds, for instance. Which is a terrible shame.


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## Kaufmanmoon (Sep 27, 2019)

Not all of them no.


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## S.M Hassani (Nov 21, 2019)

Here's a little surprise from Spitfire:

_Dear Sidi,

We are excited to inform you that as an owner of the legacy Albion ONE, you will receive our new library Original — Epic Strings for free, which is being released today. You will receive an email informing you when your download is ready.

Epic Strings features content from the legacy Albion ONE which we have updated. The new library is simplified and presented in our free, easy-to-use plugin. Featuring 11 articulations and 3 signals (Close, Room and Stretch)._

Nice!


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## Fleer (Nov 21, 2019)

Nice indeed. Would love that.


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## AndyP (Nov 21, 2019)

S.M Hassani said:


> _Epic Strings features content from the legacy Albion ONE which we have updated. The new library is simplified and presented in our free, easy-to-use plugin. Featuring 11 articulations and 3 signals (Close, Room and Stretch)._


Epic Strings? Did I miss anything?


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## pinki (Nov 21, 2019)

I never had Albion One, just the original, and I got the email too.


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## Mornats (Nov 21, 2019)

I've only had Albion One and not the original and no email for me so looks like it's just legacy owners who got it. I wonder if Albion One owners get a discount on it.


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## pinki (Nov 21, 2019)

TBH it just looks like a way to get you to try their new platform- it's "11 articulations and 3 signals (Close, Room and Stretch)"


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## Fleer (Nov 21, 2019)

I’ve got Albion One but no email yet.


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## S.M Hassani (Nov 21, 2019)

Here's the Originals - Epic Strings announcement:






Spitfire Audio — Originals - Essential Cinematic Ingredients


A series of instant writing tools for £29 $29 €29



www.spitfireaudio.com





Originals looks like a series of bite sized $29 libraries, based on their legacy samples and running from their new plugin, which is a good idea.

I own both Albion Legacy and ONE alongside Loegria and Iceni (Albions 2 & 3)

It serves Spitfire to migrate its Kontakt user base onto their proprietary platform. After all, why split profits with Native Instruments if you're making such a considerable investment into your own solution? With that said here's another excerpt from their email:

_Can I keep using the Kontakt libraries? — Yes, you don't have to download the new versions and even if you do, you can keep the old and new versions of the product if you like._

I'm certainly grateful for the free update. But, we'll see how it plays out for us.


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## Reid Rosefelt (Nov 21, 2019)

I thought the legacy library was called Albion One and the new one is called Albion ONE. 

So... Legacy ONE? I'm confused.


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## shapeshifter00 (Nov 21, 2019)

TigerTheFrog said:


> I thought the legacy library was called Albion One and the new one is called Albion ONE.
> 
> So... Legacy ONE? I'm confused.


Original was just named Albion.


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## Reid Rosefelt (Nov 21, 2019)

Epic Strings is up. $29 for people who don't get emails.






Spitfire Audio — Originals - Essential Cinematic Ingredients


A series of instant writing tools for £29 $29 €29



www.spitfireaudio.com





Also...


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## Pier (Nov 21, 2019)

Parsifal666 said:


> A1 continues to be one of my three big purchase regrets



Same here.


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## Pier (Nov 21, 2019)

TigerTheFrog said:


> Epic Strings is up. $29 for people who don't get emails.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Oh nice!

I'm happy to see Spitfire is moving away from Kontakt. NI has abandoned it.


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## Scamper (Nov 21, 2019)

TigerTheFrog said:


> I thought the legacy library was called Albion One and the new one is called Albion ONE.
> 
> So... Legacy ONE? I'm confused.



I think at times the original Albion was rather called Albion 1 than Albion One/ONE.

After comparing the samples, the Epic Strings actually are sounds taken from the first original legacy Albion, which is great, because I still find them better and more organic, than the Albion ONE samples. Of course, some of the legacy samples are also included in Albion ONE, but it seems that you can get them for a great starter price without the rest of Albion ONE.

Since the woodwinds and brass seem to be coming up as well, this will be a fantastic package for the price, if they include all the bread and butter articulations.


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## Fleer (Nov 21, 2019)

So the owners of the new Albion ONE get no love?


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## Mornats (Nov 21, 2019)

Fleer said:


> So the owners of the new Albion ONE get no love?


It comes up as £29 for me and I've got Albion One but other than some of the shorts I think most of the content in the new one is new to me.

I'm happy to pay the £29 for it to be honest.


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## 2chris (Nov 21, 2019)

Pier Bover said:


> Oh nice!
> 
> I'm happy to see Spitfire is moving away from Kontakt. NI has abandoned it.


Is this a little extreme given they released Kontakt 6 last year? The new wavetable synthesis module really did happen, they added creator tools, new included libraries, and they added more FX.

I'm wondering why you would feel they abandoned it?


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## Alex Fraser (Nov 21, 2019)

2chris said:


> Is this a little extreme given they released Kontakt 6 last year? The new wavetable synthesis module really did happen, they added creator tools, new included libraries, and they added more FX.
> 
> I wondering why you would feel they abandoned it?


No way have NI abandoned it. But Spitfire appear to be continuing their slow shuffle away from it.


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## HardyP (Nov 21, 2019)

TigerTheFrog said:


> I thought the legacy library was called Albion One and the new one is called Albion ONE.
> 
> So... Legacy ONE? I'm confused.


TBH, my first interpretation of that mail was, "ok, now not also Albion ONE will go to the graveyard, and they are starting to shift the Albion range towards their own player". Because (as you rightly said) the "ONE" terminus was never used for the original release, just when the sequel came out.

But Albion ONE remains in the shop, so it´s not (yet?) legacy - maybe we should talk again when the other parts (Brass, WW, Perc) are released...?


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## Pier (Nov 21, 2019)

2chris said:


> Is this a little extreme given they released Kontakt 6 last year? The new wavetable synthesis module really did happen, they added creator tools, new included libraries, and they added more FX.
> 
> I'm wondering why you would feel they abandoned it?



Other than a change in the version number did you see an abundance of new features compared to Kontakt 5?

There were some internal changes aimed at instrument developers but very few features for us.


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## 2chris (Nov 22, 2019)

Pier Bover said:


> Other than a change in the version number did you see an abundance of new features compared to Kontakt 5?
> 
> There were some internal changes aimed at instrument developers but very few features for us.


I named features. They don’t cease to exist just because you don’t have a use for them. I would like more features, but the big stuff is there. What are they missing that other platforms have? I like that OT has download tools to pick parts of the library if you don’t want everything, but you can do this manually. Falcon 2 seems cool, but I can’t see what would make it far better. Mach5 is ancient. Halion is good, I can’t argue better or worse because I’ve only demoed it briefly. Play flat out sucks compared to Kontakt.

I’d say it’s quite the opposite. Most of the time I loathe using some buggy, slow loading, high resource usage “bespoke” sampler. To each their own. If spitfire can improve the ui, resource usage, allow sample edits you can save, and add even half of the features of Kontakt - it can be a winner.


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## Reid Rosefelt (Nov 22, 2019)

I have infinite respect for Spitfire, but I am innocently confused by this. Perhaps somebody can explain this to me?

The original Albion was phased out and Spitfire replaced it with Albion ONE, which includes some of the original sounds. There was constant criticism in places like this forum that Legacy was better, but I figured that Spitfire knew what they were doing and they felt the ONE sounds were better in some way. Otherwise, why take the legacy off the market and replace them with something else?

But now that they are coming out with a product for their own player, they are choosing the strings they stopped selling rather than the ones they sell today.  

Educate me, please.


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## Alex Fraser (Nov 22, 2019)

TigerTheFrog said:


> I have infinite respect for Spitfire, but I am innocently confused by this. Perhaps somebody can explain this to me?
> 
> The original Albion was phased out and Spitfire replaced it with Albion ONE, which includes some of the original sounds. There was constant criticism in places like this forum that Legacy was better, but I figured that Spitfire knew what they were doing and they felt the ONE sounds were better in some way. Otherwise, why take the legacy off the market and replace them with something else?
> 
> ...


Because they want to continue selling Albion ONE. And if I remember correctly, apart from marketing reasons, A1 was replaced because of old coding etc. It was Spitfire's "self learning" product.


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## Pier (Nov 22, 2019)

2chris said:


> What are they missing that other platforms have?



For example Kontakt has had the same UI system since pretty much forever.

This is Kontakt 3 from 10+ years ago which is very close to today's versions apart from some minor aesthetic changes. The low DPI bitmap based UI system is still the same as it has always been.






Kontakt is what? 15-20 years old at this point? We are in 2019 and NI still hasn't updated the UI system for high resolution monitors. That to me, as a software developer, is the indication of a product that is barely being kept alive.

Battery suffered the same fate years ago. Versions 1, 2, 3 were great. Then version 4 was released 6-7 years ago and it died there. NI still sells that thing for $199 (not counting BF sales).

Who knows, maybe the investment to update Kontakt and other products doesn't make sense for NI, but the fact is that for the past 10 or so years their efforts have been mostly focused on their Reaktor based products.

Like I said earlier I applaud Spitfire for moving to their own engine. I simply dread using NI products.


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## 2chris (Nov 22, 2019)

Pier Bover said:


> For example Kontakt has had the same UI system since pretty much forever.
> 
> This is Kontakt 3 from 10+ years ago which is very close to today's versions apart from some minor aesthetic changes. The low DPI bitmap based UI system is still the same as it has always been.
> 
> ...


I'm not trying to defend NI. I'm just saying I don't think Kontakt is bad. I'd argue it's great. A stagnant UI isn't enough to convince me otherwise. My opinion is that companies are moving away from Kontakt for three primary reasons, none of which is Kontakt being a poor product to create libraries for or for users.

Licensing fees.
Control over the platform.
Piracy. But let's be honest, there is the risk of platform security no matter what devs do.

I'm not a fan of the fact NI abandoned some solid products. Absynth, Battery, and Massive (massive x is a whole different product) have been left for dead. They killed Kore, and that was a pretty cool pre-cursor to komplete kontrol. They are moving away from adding new hardware, and supposedly focusing on unifying development efforts into core products instead of having so many teams. I won't hold my breath, because they've laid off 20%+ of their staff this year. But like you said, they are all about Reaktor.


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## jbuhler (Nov 22, 2019)

2chris said:


> I'm not trying to defend NI. I'm just saying I don't think Kontakt is bad. I'd argue it's great. A stagnant UI isn't enough to convince me otherwise. My opinion is that companies are moving away from Kontakt for three primary reasons, none of which is Kontakt being a poor product to create libraries for or for users.
> 
> Licensing fees.
> Control over the platform.
> ...


I think it's mostly 2 and 3, and related to 2, not wanting to share customer data and sales numbers with NI, who is also often a competitor.


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## shponglefan (Nov 22, 2019)

Pier Bover said:


> For example Kontakt has had the same UI system since pretty much forever.



They're not the only company in that boat though.

EastWest has been updating Play to newer versions, yet it still uses the same mediocre UI.

BestService's ENGINE looks like it was made in the year 1998.

Even Omnisphere 2+ which has received substantial engine updates, yet still uses the exact same interface it inherited from Atmosphere, complete with goofy faux-brushed metal and decorative "handles".

I really wish more VST companies would take a page from Izotope or Fabfilter and deliver a modern UI.


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## ism (Nov 22, 2019)

The thing is, that 98% of the user interface of a user experience with sampled instrument actually happens at the keyboard. It’s whether I can interface with - ie perform - an instrument sitting at a keyboard that I care about 99% of the time, not whether the sampler looks like a website from 2015 (Spitfire) or from 1995 (Kontakt) or from 2001 (Play). Sure you can critique each of the designs in terms of aesthetics and ergonomics, but ultimately it’s probably 1% of what I care about in a sampler. And if I’m happy when I sit at the keyboard and make sound, then all is forgiven in the sampler ui. 

If I had to choose, I’d take a extremely tiny improvement in the sampling or the playability/performability of an instrument over even a massive improvement of sampler ui any day.

It’s when I can just forget that the sampler is even there that I’m happiest. The best sampler ui is when it’s invisible.


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## scoringdreams (Nov 23, 2019)

Things seem to be moving a little too abruptly at Spitfire Audio at the moment.

Not that change is bad, but I do miss the good old days of Spitfire Audio when they first started.


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## TomislavEP (Nov 24, 2019)

TigerTheFrog said:


> The original Albion was phased out and Spitfire replaced it with Albion ONE, which includes some of the original sounds. There was constant criticism in places like this forum that Legacy was better, but I figured that Spitfire knew what they were doing and they felt the ONE sounds were better in some way. Otherwise, why take the legacy off the market and replace them with something else?
> 
> But now that they are coming out with a product for their own player, they are choosing the strings they stopped selling rather than the ones they sell today.



Regardless of how much some moves from SA seem erratic and hard to swallow, at least to some of us, one can't deny that there is a good reason behind everything they do.

If they've chosen to use the material from their current flagship library (Albion One) for the new series, they would potentially deter some new customers from getting that instead, as the Epic series really offers a lot, both in terms of quality and quantity, at a significantly lower price. This way, they have another quality product interesting to a wider audience, without it being just a streamlined version of Albion One, but rather an interesting alternative to the existing owners of the One as well as to the new buyers. Clever move...

But as an owner of Albion Legacy back from 2015., it's hard for me to witness the once premium and for many users (including me) an expensive product now being offered for a fraction of the original price, let alone after being officially "dead" for five years or so. I can understand their reasoning behind the abandon of Albion Legacy in favor of Albion One with its bigger incline toward the "epic" music, however, they've should at least offer the Legacy owners the chance to purchase an upgrade to One at much more symbolic price at all times, if not even for free (not that I'm considering the Legacy version being an inferior product to Albion One). Sure, they've given us this new series for free, but from my standpoint, those who don't already have Albion Legacy have gotten a much better deal.


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## vitocorleone123 (Nov 24, 2019)

ism said:


> The thing is, that 98% of the user interface of a user experience with sampled instrument actually happens at the keyboard. It’s whether I can interface with - ie perform - an instrument sitting at a keyboard that I care about 99% of the time, not whether the sampler looks like a website from 2015 (Spitfire) or from 1995 (Kontakt) or from 2001 (Play). Sure you can critique each of the designs in terms of aesthetics and ergonomics, but ultimately it’s probably 1% of what I care about in a sampler. And if I’m happy when I sit at the keyboard and make sound, then all is forgiven in the sampler ui.
> 
> If I had to choose, I’d take a extremely tiny improvement in the sampling or the playability/performability of an instrument over even a massive improvement of sampler ui any day.
> 
> It’s when I can just forget that the sampler is even there that I’m happiest. The best sampler ui is when it’s invisible.



While I mostly agree... For comparison, if aesthetics and usability didn’t matter, we’d still be using Nokia cell phones with a keypad. I mean, they made great calls and it was easy to dial with the keypad.

Companies ignoring UX and UI design will not have the same market (sales) as if they invested from time to time. This is a niche enough market where a little goes a long way if the sound and playability go far. But... imagine if Omnisphere was visually beautiful again in 2020. I know a full screen 4K layout in the style of fabfilter (to help imagine) would really encourage me to open it more vs other alternatives - and maybe make for fewer layers of zooming in and out. It’s making it easy to get to that point where the sound is the thing and then focusing on that.


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## Alex Fraser (Nov 25, 2019)

Wandering back OT, having just scored a couple of short films whilst heavily leaning on Albion ONE to do it...I've been reminded once again what a great library it is. Its often misunderstood around these parts. It's a media composition tool first and foremost. In that role, it's razor sharp and has paid for itself several times over.

If Spitfire do "Albion ONE Version 3" - especially in the new player - I'll be there with ribbons on day one.


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## 2chris (Nov 25, 2019)

Alex Fraser said:


> Wandering back OT, having just scored a couple of short films whilst heavily leaning on Albion ONE to do it...I've been reminded once again what a great library it is. Its often misunderstood around these parts. It's a media composition tool first and foremost. In that role, it's razor sharp and has paid for itself several times over.
> 
> If Spitfire do "Albion ONE Version 3" - especially in the new player - I'll be there with ribbons on day one.


I think this is a good point. The library isn't "perfect" for everyone, but it can be very useful if you're creative. People say the strings are synthy, but look at how many commercials use a stock Roland or Yamaha workstation keyboard sound that not on par with Albion 1. I've yet to find a poor quality library from Spitfire. My only wish is that they'd do more lite vs pro versions, because not everyone needs so many mics, and it's a nice nod to the non-professional hobbyists to have some cheaper libraries.


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## jbuhler (Nov 25, 2019)

Alex Fraser said:


> Wandering back OT, having just scored a couple of short films whilst heavily leaning on Albion ONE to do it...I've been reminded once again what a great library it is. Its often misunderstood around these parts. It's a media composition tool first and foremost. In that role, it's razor sharp and has paid for itself several times over.
> 
> If Spitfire do "Albion ONE Version 3" - especially in the new player - I'll be there with ribbons on day one.


Yes, few libraries allow you to get to something that can pass as finished as quickly as Albion One. My only complaint with the library for what it is is that the legato ranges are a little narrow. I wish pretty much every one of the legatos extended another fifth.


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## cloudbuster (Jan 9, 2020)

Well, I bought Epic Strings the other day and while they don't exactly contain 11 'essential articulations' - strictly speaking the three octave patches (long, long CS, short octaves) just aren't different 'articulations'- I like the overall sound quite a bit, especially the Sordinos and the 3 mic positions are a nice extra to say the least.
If I'd had to nitpick I'd have to mention the somewhat mushy (wettissimo) stereo image of Epic strings; in most room and 'stretch' mic samples the instruments are all over the place and pretty hard to locate on stage even with the reverb turned all the way down... as a diehard sucker for precise stereo imaging I certainly wouldn't add _any_ additional reverb here including the built-in option - YMMV.
Anyway, not too bad for the small entrance fee - looking forward to the upcoming Epic percussion lib.


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