# Best cinematic strings libraries ( spitfire , cinematic studio strings, cinematic strings 2 )



## darkneo57 (Nov 11, 2019)

Hi, 

I'm french, 34 yo, piano teacher, I am a beginner in computer music. I'm looking for the best strings libraries and also the easiest to use. 
It would be to make rather epic / cinematic orchestral music( two steps from hells, video games music...) 

Having subscribed to eastwest's composercloud, I find that hollywood strings is really way too much complicated, and that there are many problems, e.g the negative offset is different for different notes of the same partch, it's complicated to slur notes from a legato patch with notes from a sustain patch without having to tweak and spend a lot of time.
Since I'm new it's better for me to focus on making music rather than struggling with patches that are not at all intuitive. ( Composer cloud still very interesting for somebody who starts and owns nothing... )


From what I had seen on the internet spitfire symphonic orchesttra is one of the best libraries, very playable and having an incredible sound quality.I also heard that Cinematic studio strings is really good, a little less good than spitfire but very easy to use. Many people would prefer the old version, cinematic strings 2. 

Thanks for your help and your precious advicesbecause it's real hassle with hollywood strings. 
Sorry for my poor english.


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## Henu (Nov 11, 2019)

darkneo57 said:


> I'm looking for the best strings libraries and also the easiest to use.



That's a paradox.


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## Gerbil (Nov 11, 2019)

Trailer Strings. Simple to use and built for epic.


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## TomaeusD (Nov 11, 2019)

My advice would be to get Soaring Strings while it's still on sale (today is the last day) and then get Cinematic Studio Strings on Black Friday. The two make a killer combo - Soaring Strings has better dynamic range and doesn't sound as dark (though it is only legato and sustains, no other articulations), but CSS has more realistic legato and shorts than the other libraries to me. Otherwise I would just wait and get CSS on sale and start out with standard legato. That also allows you to get discounts on the other libraries like Cinematic Studio Brass and the upcoming woodwinds.


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## Consona (Nov 11, 2019)

Just so you know, you get the discount on CSS, CSB, etc., even when having CS2.

It's really crucial what you want to make. If you aim at doing "epic/trailer-y" music than you basically need a legato/sustains/spiccati string library or some all in one library like Jeager or Metropolis Ark or Albion. Just wait for black friday.


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## Mike Fox (Nov 11, 2019)

Trailer Strings
Soaring Strings

Get them both since they're on sale right now.

Century Strings from 8dio is also on sale. I don't have it, but people love it. Also on sale.


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## darkneo57 (Nov 12, 2019)

I wanted to say that I wanted to know the best libraries, but also the easiest to use. The best would be a compromise between quality and ease of use, I'm not afraid to spend time learning software, but Hollywood strings from Eastwest, it was really a hassle. Thank you for your answers.



> From what I had seen on the internet spitfire symphonic orchesttra is one of the best libraries, very playable and having an incredible sound quality.I also heard that Cinematic studio strings is really good, a little less good than spitfire but very easy to use. Many people would prefer the old version, cinematic strings 2.


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## Markus Kohlprath (Nov 12, 2019)

Depending on how much you care about detail and performing musicians usually do, be prepared that it will more or less always be a hassle no matter what you get. If you are not willing to take the learning curve with hollywood strings it won’t get that much better I suppose. you might only end up purchasing one library after the other always hoping that it will sound better and be easier to use only to find out it might be better on one hand and worse on the other. So I would suggest to take the learning experience with HS. It’s excellent and the manual is a good resource to find out a bit about general midi composing. With the experience you make much better decisions in the future knowing what you really need. What do you tell your students if they say „I need a better piano. Mine takes to much practice of scales and all that bs. I‘d rather make some music...“ 😉


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## Jimmy Hellfire (Nov 13, 2019)

darkneo57 said:


> From what I had seen on the internet spitfire symphonic orchesttra is one of the best libraries, very playable and having an incredible sound quality.I also heard that Cinematic studio strings is really good, *a little less good than spitfire *but very easy to use. Many people would prefer the old version, cinematic strings 2.



Not at all. I, for one, would consider Cinematic Studio Strings the superior library - better and cleaner editing and scripting, easier to work with, better legato, handles high tempi way better. But of course, others might prefer the SSS feel and workflow. What I'm trying to say is that the expectation that SSS must be better because, well, it's SF, is mistaken. At any rate, the two libraries don't sound very similar, and that's gonna be a subjective taste decision.


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## Sovereign (Nov 13, 2019)

darkneo57 said:


> I also heard that Cinematic studio strings is really good, a little less good than spitfire but very easy to use. Many people would prefer the old version, cinematic strings 2.


No, Cinematic studio strings is superior in quality to anything Spitfire put out IMO. But as Jimmy above here wrote, they do sound differently. That is also the case when comparing Cinematic studio strings to Cinematic Strings 2. Different sound.


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## Eptesicus (Nov 13, 2019)

TomaeusD said:


> My advice would be to get Soaring Strings while it's still on sale (today is the last day) and then get Cinematic Studio Strings on Black Friday. The two make a killer combo - Soaring Strings has better dynamic range and doesn't sound as dark (though it is only legato and sustains, no other articulations), but CSS has more realistic legato and shorts than the other libraries to me. Otherwise I would just wait and get CSS on sale and start out with standard legato. That also allows you to get discounts on the other libraries like Cinematic Studio Brass and the upcoming woodwinds.



I would agree with this. This is what i am using at the moment and its a good combo.

Soaring Strings' legato is good for layering in when CSS can't quite keep up or nail the passage you are writing quite right.

Soaring Strings probably has the most agile legato of any string library i have bought. It can actually do fast slurred/legato arpeggio type stuff, without sounding completely awful.


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## Eptesicus (Nov 13, 2019)

Markus Kohlprath said:


> Depending on how much you care about detail and performing musicians usually do, be prepared that it will more or less always be a hassle no matter what you get. If you are not willing to take the learning curve with hollywood strings it won’t get that much better I suppose. you might only end up purchasing one library after the other always hoping that it will sound better and be easier to use only to find out it might be better on one hand and worse on the other. So I would suggest to take the learning experience with HS. It’s excellent and the manual is a good resource to find out a bit about general midi composing. With the experience you make much better decisions in the future knowing what you really need. What do you tell your students if they say „I need a better piano. Mine takes to much practice of scales and all that bs. I‘d rather make some music...“ 😉



To be fair, i have Hollywood strings diamond and it is what i was using for years. I agree that you can absolutely get good results, but PLAY makes it just such a faff to use compared to things like CSS.

Even after using it for years, it still annoys me!

It can also be burdensome on ones machine if you want the full patches with all the mics turned on. It eats ram like crazy.

As you say though, buying CSS/soaring isn't magically going to make the OP's music any better. It could make making that music a bit less time consuming and less frustrating though.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Nov 13, 2019)

darkneo57 said:


> Having subscribed to eastwest's composercloud, I find that hollywood strings is really way too much complicated, and that there are many problems, e.g the negative offset is different for different notes of the same partch, it's complicated to slur notes from a legato patch with notes from a sustain patch without having to tweak and spend a lot of time.



Not sure what you are referring to with those issues. IMO, you already have the best for the type of music you describe. In fact, Two Steps From Hell has EW libraries all over it (it's Nick Phoenix' company). If you spend some time with Hollywood Strings (read the manual, etc), you'll get a lot out of it. I've been using Hollywood Strings since day one, and they still get used daily. My new "bread and butter" library is BBCSO, but it's not ideal for that big, epic sound.


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## porrasm (Nov 13, 2019)

If you're a beginner I wouldn't recommend mixing Spitfire symphonic strings with East West stuff. East West is pretty dry while Spitfire is super wet, you will have trouble mixing them together.

Maybe Cinematic Studio Strings? They're easy to use and are the most consistent library I've tried.


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## barteredbride (Nov 13, 2019)

darkneo57 said:


> Sorry for my poor english.


Yes your english is really terrible !!!

(sarcasm!) 

Have you looked at Orchestral Tools Metropolis Ark series? Specifically Ark 1?

You mention epic trailer music, but only talk about strings. Ark 1 has strings, brass, woodwind, 'epic percussion', a choir and i think even a piano.

It's built around ensemble sections and is very quick (you mentioned 'easy') to get those epic sounds.


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## Michael Antrum (Nov 13, 2019)

I think Cinematic Strings 2 is rather more 'epic than' Cinematic Studio Strings. Plus there is an upgrade path to CSS later. I do have to put a gate at the top end though as it can be a little more noisy than I would like. I've never really felt the need to upgrade it to CSS as well. I think CS2 is normally on a Black Friday sale too.

Just because it's a bit older doesn't mean its not as good. (At least that's what I keep telling my wife...)


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## Quantum Leap (Nov 14, 2019)

I recently made a new template. You can easily mix different libraries if you use a good reverb. Lots of good reverbs out there. I use Spaces II and am finding its pretty efficient these days. I bought all the Metropolis ARK stuff and use that along with Hollywood Orchestra. Grest stuff. Metropolis samples are specialized and can’t cover everything, but they have some real magic in my opinion. It doesn’t take much to make them work together with the Hollywood stuff. After watching some enthusiastic videos, I also bought Spitfire Symphonic Strings. They sound great! and are nicely set up. Very different from the massive folders of Hollywood Orchestra programs. We will be cleaning that up soon. It needs it. I have to say one thing though. If you want to understand the difference between the Spitfire Symphonic Strings and other string libraries, I would say you should know that they don’t really Reach FF and the legato intervals are not very pronounced. Is there something I am missing? Its true Thomas and I created Hollywood Orchestra and use it on Two Steps From Hell, but we largely replace most things with live orchestra. The Hollywood samples are used to reinforce the epic sound, and we use other samples as well.


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## 5Lives (Nov 14, 2019)

Quantum Leap said:


> They sound great! and are nicely set up. Very different from the massive folders of Hollywood Orchestra programs. We will be cleaning that up soon. It needs it.



This would be most welcome! If Play allowed for better articulation management and combination (like Capsule or CSS or even Spitfire), it would give a whole new life to HO! Thank you in advance!


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## MartinH. (Nov 14, 2019)

barteredbride said:


> Have you looked at Orchestral Tools Metropolis Ark series? Specifically Ark 1?
> 
> You mention epic trailer music, but only talk about strings. Ark 1 has strings, brass, woodwind, 'epic percussion', a choir and i think even a piano.
> 
> It's built around ensemble sections and is very quick (you mentioned 'easy') to get those epic sounds.



Imho you are overselling Ark1 and its contents. E.g. it only contains bassoons and contra bassoons, that is not "woodwinds" as in "the whole section". The piano isn't intended as a replacement for a fully sampled piano either. The string shorts have some timing inconsistencies and in general I'm not super in love with the strings and how they are split to just "low strings" and "high strings". Most likely gonna be buying something else at some point to replace the strings entirely.

It's still a good library that I don't regret purchasing, but it needs a long list of qualifiers imho to minimize the chance of someone being underwhelmed by it in the end.


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## darkneo57 (Nov 16, 2019)

Thank you all for your answers and advice and sorry for my late answer. 

First of all, I wanted to tell you that although I am a beginner in computer music, I studied orchestration and music writing for several years at the conservatory. As for HS, although French, I took the time to translate the entire manual. I took the time to ask questions to the Eastwest support staff when I didn't understand something. I spent several months on it, a lot of time handling sounds, controlling C11 & C1. 

I am someone who is not afraid of work and spending time, but despite all this there are many things that do not work well for me. Already, as mentioned above, there is an offset between the time when the note is played in the DAW and the time when the sound is produced. In addition, this offset is different if it is a V1 V2 viola Bass patch, and this offset may vary according to notes and articulations. It's really a pain to have to settle each note like that, so yes it's not real musicians playing, but there is a limit...

As for the articulations, it is impossible to slur a legato note with a sustain sound without having to create several tracks and tweak like a madman. If you let a legato note last, after a while there is a kind of break in the sound because the loop is of poor quality. As for the repeated notes, I had to create two tracks otherwise the artuclation is bad. In short, it is not normal that the notes are not on the beat and that it is necessary to tear out one's hair in order for the notes to articulate correctly. I have no doubt that the experience of several years is not negligible, but there is a limit. Sorry, but I have all my hatred for HS coming out all of a sudden.

Not knowing of any other library strings, I don't know what to expect. Do you have the same problems with SSO ,CSS, & CS2? 

Several people in this thread told me that CSS is better than SSO. Is that really the case. I remember that when I checked out the Strings VIs, I saw a video on youtube where a person compared each patch from each library, and I found that spitfire still sounded better, which made me hesitate for my future purchase, because I had heard a lot of good from CSS.

Thank you a thousand times and have a great weekend.


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## markleake (Nov 16, 2019)

darkneo57 said:


> Several people in this thread told me that CSS is better than SSO. Is that really the case. I remember that when I checked out the Strings VIs, I saw a video on youtube where a person compared each patch from each library, and I found that spitfire still sounded better, which made me hesitate for my future purchase, because I had heard a lot of good from CSS.


Both libraries are very good.

CSS has the delay issue like you describe with HS. It is very consistent and well programmed, but the different speed legatos do have different delays. The upside to this is the legatos are just beautiful... it's the price you pay for good legatos.

SSS is a much fuller sound than CSS due to recording space and number of players. The legatos are far less pronounced. I disagree with an above post, it does get to FF dynamic, but the sound is quite big and blurred, so you don't have a lot of bite in the tone. Maybe that is what they mean.

Overall SSS and CSS sound very different and have different articulation sets. SSS is a big symphonic sound, CSS is more a darkish studio old hollywood sound that you may find more flexible in its uses.

To be honest, I think CS2 and SSS are a better comparison, although SSS has far more articulations which I find useful.

Listen to LOTS of examples, and not just the ones on their websites. Then go with the one you like the sound of.

I do have a comparison of the different sounds of a number of these libraries, if you want I can post it?


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## markleake (Nov 16, 2019)

Quantum Leap said:


> We will be cleaning that up soon. It needs it.


Wow, did I read this right?! I think there are so many of us who have given up on HS because it is hard to use, and the learning curve is just not sustainable. I had assumed EW had given up on attempting to fix this.

If you were to modernise it, I hope you fix things like using standard CCs that are the same as the rest of the sampling world (and please make it consistent so you don't have to look up a manual to work out which patch uses which CC), allow proper keyswitching, use names that make sense, and make Play so you can change these things easily to whatever you want, like in Kontakt instruments.

Comparing the Spitfire Kontakt interface and articulation structure to HS is like day and night. Spitfire know their stuff.

But dare I get excited??? EW has for so long not addressed these issues.


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## David Kudell (Nov 16, 2019)

I only have experience with CSS but it’s absolutely beautiful. The legatos are amazing. However, yes, the delay does slow things down. But someone on the forum has a script to deal with that in Logic, so I need to get that!


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## JohnG (Nov 16, 2019)

Bonjour ami,

You will not escape the midi offsets with any library, if you want accurate results. I have EW, many Spitfire string libraries, CSS and others; the issues with Hollywood Strings are the same for everyone -- if you have short notes they require a different midi offset than legato, typically.

They all require tiresome amounts of work!

I would not be fooled into thinking that you can save that much time with this or that company's material. If you just want spiccato and sustain, all the libraries are easier to use. By contrast, if you want subtlety, it takes hours and hours, no matter which library you consider.


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## Loïc D (Nov 17, 2019)

Bonjour (French here too).
Stupid question : are you sure that your DAW is properly set ? (with smallest buffer size).
Indeed, every library has an offset, but I find Spitfire to be manageable for live playing.
If EW was indeed allowing custom keyswitches and industry standard CC support, that would bring back their range of products in competition.


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## markleake (Nov 17, 2019)

This thread inspired me to dust off the string libs mentioned and have a play.

Rather than post my usual string comparison, I'll post the resulting short track instead. Some people might find it useful to hear the libs mixed. Maybe. I'm not exactly a great composer.




Spicatto strings: Spitfire Symphonic (SSS)
Legato 1st Violins: HS + CSS (doubled, roughly equal volume, CSS just brings that butter smooth legato)
Legato Cellos: Hollywood Strings Gold (HS) - these sound better than I remember!!
Other string parts: SSS 1/2 consord longs for the rest of the strings, SCS + SSS measured trems
Reverb: Spaces on HS and CSS, bit of Valhalla Room for final glue

It's been a while since I've opened up Hollywood Strings. I'm reminded how good they sound. There's some bumpy legatos, but I was able avoid that for this track easily enough. They were pretty easy to match in with the rest of the strings, although this is not exactly a challenging piece (room tone wise I mean).

The thing this track highlights is how annoying it is to copy midi between HS and CSS for the violins. The CCs are different, so you need to fiddle so much with copying the CC data. A good case in point for why updating HS to better follow VI conventions (or add more flexibility in Play) is really needed.


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## jononotbono (Nov 17, 2019)

JohnG said:


> They all require tiresome amounts of work!


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## darkneo57 (Nov 17, 2019)

thank you all for your answers.



> I think there are so many of us who have given up on HS because it is hard to use, and the learning curve is just not sustainable. I had assumed EW had given up on attempting to fix this.



I know, I'm a beginner but it's nice to hear, I feel less alone. Also, thank you very much for your example. Despite what you said about EW, you still seem to like it, do you still use it regularly in your compositions?


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## darkneo57 (Nov 17, 2019)

> You will not escape the midi offsets with any library, if you want accurate results. I have EW, many Spitfire string libraries, CSS and others; the issues with Hollywood Strings are the same for everyone -- if you have short notes they require a different midi offset than legato, typically.
> 
> They all require tiresome amounts of work!
> 
> I would not be fooled into thinking that you can save that much time with this or that company's material. If you just want spiccato and sustain, all the libraries are easier to use. By contrast, if you want subtlety, it takes hours and hours, no matter which library you consider.



Thank you very much for your answer, isn't there really any library that is easier than the others?

I plan to spend $2,000 for the BF, not just for the strings, but the strings are very important to me, if I could only take one, which one would advise me? ( I really don't feel good with HS, but maybe that's the problem for me)

I'm a perfectionist, so it's complicated to make it simple for me, for the moment I'm going to have no choice but to accept to move forward and make several musics rather than work right away in "perfection". I suppose that experience allows these types of problems to be solved much more quickly.

regarding articulation changes, e.g. switching from a legato note to a sustain note, or slur two identical notes (I had to use two tracks to have a correct articulation and find the right note overlap), how is SSS & CSS doing?

I also suppose that you should always overlap the notes of the sustained patches in all libraries, right?

Being a musician, it's really confusing to have to spend a lot of time struggling with delays, overlaps and various articulation problems instead of making music....

Thank you for your patient and kindness.


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## wilifordmusic (Nov 17, 2019)

I suggest finding a company that produces an entire orchestral palette that you like the sound of as that is the reason we hire certain musicans and rooms. Having a group of musicians playing together in the same room can help to keep you in the moment and not trying to fix technical (stage placement, reverb) issues.
Watch the official and user videos that are out there. Aside from listening to the sound, watch workflow. Does it look awkward to you or natural?

Perfection is an admirable goal but also the road to frustration. You have to be able to let go and move on. There are things in pieces of music I have put in the public domain that I would change. But that is old news. Try to do the best you can with the tools you have and look forward.

Your use of these tools will also improve with continued use. And sometimes a better way to work does come along. But newer is not always better.
Every library out there has strengths and weaknesses. It may be a workflow, sound or computer issue for you. In the end, these tools were originally meant to be used as a mock-up tool and not the final product. While they have improved to an unbelievable degree they are still flawed.

Good Luck, Steve


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## JohnG (Nov 17, 2019)

wilifordmusic said:


> I suggest finding a company that produces an entire orchestral palette that you like the sound of as that is the reason we hire certain musicans and rooms.



Well written -- agree 100%



wilifordmusic said:


> Perfection is an admirable goal but also the road to frustration.



Also true, but what composer is fully, totally satisfied with the end result??? There's always something "...that oboe entrance..." "...the way the cellos slide up to the g..." 

The best thing is to have a deadline so you run out of time. Otherwise, nothing gets finished.


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## fixxer49 (Nov 17, 2019)

JohnG said:


> The best thing is to have a deadline so you run out of time. Otherwise, nothing gets finished.



^^^^
i have to agree


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## JohnG (Nov 17, 2019)

darkneo57 said:


> it's really confusing to have to spend a lot of time struggling with delays, overlaps and various articulation problems instead of making music....



Yes, it is -- confusing and frustrating at times. 

"Mission creep" has been under way for 20-30 years now; skills of which composers never dreamed are now required if one wants to get established.

Even in the concert world, the number of new music selection committees comprised of musicians good enough to read a score and "hear past" the demo is minimal, or at least questionable. A good-sounding demo, even in the strings-quartet-wind-symphony world, is a meaningful asset.

In the media world, a smoking demo is indispensable.

You can hire others to provide these services but it's challenging to find the good ones, and it's expensive. The result is things like v.i. control -- most composers gradually accrete production know-how along with learning to put notes in the right places.


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## darkneo57 (Nov 17, 2019)

thank you very much for your valuable advice. 
I will listen and watch walkthroughs from spitfire and cinematic studio. I will be patient and as soon as I finish my first project, I will try to set myself deadlines. 
Have a good evening.


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## Synetos (Nov 17, 2019)

No mention of VSL string libraries?


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## Jimmy Hellfire (Nov 17, 2019)

Synetos said:


> No mention of VSL string libraries?



Not very suited for the "epic" musical style OP wants to do. I'd pick my Synchron-ized Dimension Strings over any library named here, but probably not if I wanted to produce that type of sound.


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## fixxer49 (Nov 17, 2019)

Mike Fox said:


> Trailer Strings
> Soaring Strings


both great libs. and throw in Adventure Strings (super-responsive!)


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## markleake (Nov 17, 2019)

darkneo57 said:


> I know, I'm a beginner but it's nice to hear, I feel less alone. Also, thank you very much for your example. Despite what you said about EW, you still seem to like it, do you still use it regularly in your compositions?


No, hardly ever, I'm sad to say. I moved on from them years ago, for reasons previously mentioned. The sound is very good though. Hence my excitement that EW may be updating Play and/or their libraries to make them easier to use.... that seems like a good change in direction for them.


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## darkneo57 (Nov 18, 2019)

thanks you, have a nice week

Long live music and good composition !


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## Markus Kohlprath (Nov 18, 2019)

darkneo57 said:


> Thank you very much for your answer, isn't there really any library that is easier than the others?
> 
> I plan to spend $2,000 for the BF, not just for the strings, but the strings are very important to me, if I could only take one, which one would advise me? ( I really don't feel good with HS, but maybe that's the problem for me)
> 
> ...


I can understand your issue pretty well I think because I was in the same situation a few years ago. In the beginning almost everything I did on the computer felt somehow like walking on soft and slippery sand than on secure ground. And it is not only a problem of latency it’s somehow to get used to and understand how the machine works. After investing a lot of time and money I somehow found the tools that suit me so far that I can work with it without having to worry about the soundshaping too much all the time. 
For me the basic setup is Spitfire Chamber Strings for basic string writing beefed up with some albion articulations and sometimes Hollywood Strings for bigger sections which I don’t find that hard to use if set up properly with cubase expression maps.
Orchestral Brass I have the same combination with sample modeling added which is gorgeous on solo instruments and more jazzy stuff. Woodwinds I use SF SWW but also use very often vsl ww especially for solo. Spitfire Percussion and the usual suspect synths.
But these are my conclusions. For you it might be completely different. The problem is that you only know what fits if you get your hands on it. So investing in libraries is a bit like investing in learning I would say. The opinion of others helps but only takes you so far.
If I would start right now I would probably get BBCSO and start from there to build up but making sure that I have the right computer setup. If you are on mac it should work fine.


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## darkneo57 (Nov 18, 2019)

Hi again, 

I just found the video I was telling you about but it's only a comparison of the spicatto. 
Is there as much difference for the other articulations ? especially for the legato, because I just saw a lot of video on CSS and I think the legato is really beautiful. ( I'm about to watch the videos on SSS) 

thank you


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## Vik (Nov 18, 2019)

If I were to start buying string libraries today, I would probably have bought one of these three, in random order):

Spirfire (Chamber Strings, that is – not their Symphonic Strings even if these also have great stuff)

Berlin Strings (or something cheaper from Orchestral Tools, if necessary) 

Cinematic Studio Strings

There's brilliant stuff from Performance Samples (Con Moto) and Strezov (Afflatus) and others, but the three I mention are more complete. 

SCS can, btw, sound much larger than a chamber orchestra if you want it to. And, to add some confusion, Afflatus are in some ways more complete than the others I mentioned. But SCS, Berlin and CSS are generally respects for being good string libraries even among those who have dozens of them (I don't!). 

Good luck.


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## robgb (Nov 18, 2019)

TomaeusD said:


> Soaring Strings has better dynamic range and doesn't sound as dark


You know, there are ways to fix this "darkness." EQ is everyone's friend.


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## robgb (Nov 18, 2019)

Since my new favorite string library is Spitfire Studio Strings Core, that would be my suggestion. I'd also suggest taking a look at Adagietto strings, which you can get for an incredibly low price right now. Too many people disregard this terrific library.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Nov 18, 2019)

robgb said:


> Since my new favorite string library is Spitfire Studio Strings Core, that would be my suggestion. I'd also suggest taking a look at Adagietto strings, which you can get for an incredibly low price right now. Too many people disregard this terrific library.



That library has saved my ass quite a few times since purchasing during a flash sale a couple of years ago. The Dynamic Bowing patches are awesome, as are the Sordinos.


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## TomaeusD (Nov 18, 2019)

robgb said:


> You know, there are ways to fix this "darkness." EQ is everyone's friend.


Sure, along with saturation. But it's nice when two libraries compliment each other with added depth while fixing the playability issues. That's been my experience, anyway. To each their own!


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## darkneo57 (Nov 19, 2019)

Hi, once again I need your advice. I have seen a lot of CSS and SSS walkthroughs. 

Being someone who doesn't have these libraries, I have to say that CSS looks really good and pretty easy to use, it's really well done, especially in terms of note offsets that are predefined according to the speed of the legato, and also for repeating identical notes and it's really cheap, people say it really sounds good, even if it's not Spitfire. I noticed that there was still a good difference in sound with Spitfire

On the other hand SSS really has a fucking orchestral sound, there are more players, and the samples were recorded in the Hall at air studio, and there are many more articulations, but it looks more complicated to control and it is more expensive. 
Many people say that Spitfire chamber strings is more interesting, and it's true that there is its professional version, as well as spitfire studio strings.
I was already hesitating between CSS and SSS so now I'm a little lost. Being a beginner and barely having almost finished a project, I wonder if I should take CSS for its ease of use, or invest directly in Spitfire even if there will be more work to do to get started.
And above all, if I want to make cinematic music like video games, two steps from hells, is it better SSS or SCS? 
Not having these libraries and not having any experience, I turn to you.
Also, I'm thinking of taking Brass, so either I'll go to cinematic studio or to spitfire....

Thank you for your patience and kindness.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Nov 19, 2019)

darkneo57 said:


> And above all, if I want to make cinematic music like video games, two steps from hells, is it better SSS or SCS?



Neither. Two Steps From Hell was cofounded by Nick Phoenix, one of the main guys who developed all the EW stuff. He used EW Hollywood Strings, Brass and Symphonic Orchestra on a ton of TSFH productions. So if you want that string sound, that's the way to go IMO.


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## darkneo57 (Nov 19, 2019)

Sorry, I lack experience and I have trouble expressing myself, I wanted to say that it was a little bit that style of music I wanted to make, also video game music, something like that, I wasn't talking about the sound type, ( it's a good sound). Anyway for me Eastwest I think it's over.


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## markleake (Nov 19, 2019)

darkneo57 said:


> Hi, once again I need your advice. I have seen a lot of CSS and SSS walkthroughs.
> 
> Being someone who doesn't have these libraries, I have to say that CSS looks really good and pretty easy to use, it's really well done, especially in terms of note offsets that are predefined according to the speed of the legato, and also for repeating identical notes and it's really cheap, people say it really sounds good, even if it's not Spitfire. I noticed that there was still a good difference in sound with Spitfire
> 
> ...


I think you'll find CSS more versatile than SSS for the kind of tracks you are talking about. It will be better for the shorts especially, which you need for cinematic music. The shorts are tighter and better suited to that style than the shorts in SSS.


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## darkneo57 (Nov 20, 2019)

thank you



> Being someone who doesn't have these libraries, I have to say that CSS looks really good and pretty easy to use, it's really well done, especially in terms of note offsets that are predefined according to the speed of the legato, and also for repeating identical notes and it's really cheap, people say it really sounds good, even if it's not Spitfire. I noticed that there was still a good difference in sound with Spitfire
> 
> On the other hand SSS really has a fucking orchestral sound, there are more players, and the samples were recorded in the Hall at air studio, and there are many more articulations, but it looks more complicated to control and it is more expensive.
> Many people say that Spitfire chamber strings is more interesting, and it's true that there is its professional version, as well as spitfire studio strings.
> ...


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## muk (Nov 24, 2019)

Quantum Leap said:


> Very different from the massive folders of Hollywood Orchestra programs. We will be cleaning that up soon. It needs it.



Now that would be cool.


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## AndyP (Dec 21, 2019)

Quantum Leap said:


> Very different from the massive folders of Hollywood Orchestra programs. We will be cleaning that up soon. It needs it. I have to say one thing though.


Does this mean that my dream will come true and HS gets a revision and a new organization of the patches?
If so when? That would be great.


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## ScoreFace (Dec 23, 2019)

AndyP said:


> Does this mean that my dream will come true and HS gets a revision and a new organization of the patches?
> If so when? That would be great.



That would be cool - I still use many HS patches and I like them, I only never was satisfied with the staccatos. Somehow they don't sound really tight. Looking forward to a revision!


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## AndyP (Dec 23, 2019)

ScoreFace said:


> That would be cool - I still use many HS patches and I like them, I only never was satisfied with the staccatos. Somehow they don't sound really tight. Looking forward to a revision!


I love these MOD patches that allow me to fade from spiccato to marcato. Priceless.


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## AndyP (Dec 23, 2019)

To come back to the original post.

I still have to admit that I still find the Hollywood Strings as cinematic strings the best.
In combination with the musical sampling strings I am completely happy with them.
I also like to use the Kirk Hunter 4D strings because they are variable and can also be used as 1st chair.


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