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Poll: Which solo violin libraries are you really happy with? (old thread)

Which of these virtual *violins* are you most happy with?

  • Spitfire Artisan Violin (2015)

    Votes: 7 10.0%
  • OT Nocturne Violin (2015)

    Votes: 8 11.4%
  • Viharmonic Bohemian Violin (2015)

    Votes: 36 51.4%
  • Simple Sam Samples Signor Paganini Solo violin (2013)

    Votes: 3 4.3%
  • Chet Singers Serenade III Reaktor Ensemble

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Chris Hein Solo Violin (2016)

    Votes: 9 12.9%
  • Garritan Stradivari Violin

    Votes: 3 4.3%
  • 8dio Adagio Solo Violin

    Votes: 5 7.1%
  • Auddict Virtuoso Violin (2016)

    Votes: 2 2.9%
  • Fluffy Audio - Solo Violin

    Votes: 8 11.4%
  • Embertone Friedlander (added to the poll september -16)

    Votes: 3 4.3%

  • Total voters
    70
  • Poll closed .
I am keeping an eye on "modelled" staff, played through the iPad. This is a quick demo I did today, playing around with it:

[I will open another thread giving my feedback about the app...]
 
I am keeping an eye on "modelled" staff, played through the iPad. This is a quick demo I did today, playing around with it:

[I will open another thread giving my feedback about the app...]

Cool app.
Interesting that you use the left hand to simulate the Bow.

Chris Hein
 
I have almost all of EWs solo violins and Embertone's Friedlander. I'm not happy with any of them in terms of getting a realistic mockup. EW's Gypsy has the best tone IMO though. My complaint with Friedlander is that it sounds clunky and can be difficult to get smooth sounding lines. I then getting it to sound expressive/passionate is chore too. Just my experience.
May I ask what your complaint(s) are with EW Gypsy?
 
And here are the files. This isn't a "serious" comparison, for instance because stuff like portamento and slow/fast attacks aren't at all identical between the files. But still - they give an impression of the differences, in terms of the basic sound of each of these four violins has.

[AUDIOPLUS=https://vi-control.net/community/attachments/cinestrings-solo-violin-1-mp3.6093/][/AUDIOPLUS]

[AUDIOPLUS=https://vi-control.net/community/attachments/trio-broz-solo-violin-mp3.6094/][/AUDIOPLUS]

[AUDIOPLUS=https://vi-control.net/community/attachments/embertone-friedlander-violin-mp3.6095/][/AUDIOPLUS]

[AUDIOPLUS=https://vi-control.net/community/attachments/bohemian-violin-mp3.6096/][/AUDIOPLUS]

Thanks for providing this comparison, this makes it possible to carve out some differences between the libs. One little note: I'm quite interested in Cinestrings Solo since it's release and planned to purchase it in the next weeks. Really liked the walkthrough and all demos, so I was convinced it matches my flavor of tone. But something in the violin demo of CS Solo here just sounds completely wrong for me and I'm quite astonished about that cause I've never heard that in any other demo. If you listen closely, especially at the longer notes, it seems that there's a second, short sample of the sustained note that appears some ms after the actual start of the note. And it's even differently panned (more centered - while you're hearing the violin in a slightly left-panned direction, the strange sound appears in the center), so for a moment, it sounds like a second violin playing. Then it also stops quite unnaturally. Really weird thing. Now I'm wondering if this is due sloppy scripting (bad crossfade of samples, but I can't really believe this) or due to some weird delay setting or effect on the composer's side? I'm hearing this strange effect for the first time. Can anyone help me by sharing his or her thoughts about this?
 
Shouldn't we particularly compare the level of achievable expression?
In my book, Embertone rules with its TouchOSC application.
 
So, does anyone maybe have an idea regarding that issue? Maybe the composer of the CS Solo demo?
Hi - maybe you'll get more comments if you post a link to the particular demo file you are thinking of?
 
Hi - maybe you'll get more comments if you post a link to the particular demo file you are thinking of?
Hi, thanks for your response! Yeah I actually did by quoting the post. It's the first demo in the post I quoted, "Cinestrings Solo Violin 1-2.mp3".
 
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see - it's one thing what features comes with an instrument. it's another thing how they are implemented. bohemian violin is jawdroppingly easy to use. additionaly it came with an insanely introductionary price. There's no question that nocturne and chris hein are way more deeply covered instruments.
Bohemian may be good, but it looks as if - due to the intro the prices, it must have been the absolutely best deal around when looking at what other products cost and what they offer.

The current price is a bit higher (and there are more products ut there) – and IIRR, they will come out with an update really soon, meaning the the price may increase again.
On another note, here's a more compete thread/poll about solo and first chair violins:
https://vi-control.net/community/th...30-virtual-violins-would-you-recommend.56095/
Maybe we should simply close this poll (and thread)?
 
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And here are the files. This isn't a "serious" comparison, for instance because stuff like portamento and slow/fast attacks aren't at all identical between the files. But still - they give an impression of the differences, in terms of the basic sound of each of these four violins has.

[AUDIOPLUS=https://vi-control.net/community/attachments/cinestrings-solo-violin-1-mp3.6093/][/AUDIOPLUS]

[AUDIOPLUS=https://vi-control.net/community/attachments/trio-broz-solo-violin-mp3.6094/][/AUDIOPLUS]

[AUDIOPLUS=https://vi-control.net/community/attachments/embertone-friedlander-violin-mp3.6095/][/AUDIOPLUS]

[AUDIOPLUS=https://vi-control.net/community/attachments/bohemian-violin-mp3.6096/][/AUDIOPLUS]
Here are two others I got, both made with OT Nocturne, with two different presets; using Close Mic 1.

Romantic Vibrato:


Progressive vibrato:
 
Hi all! A couple questions...

I'm in the market for a solo violin. So far I think I ahve narrowed it down to Virharmonic Bohemian Violin, CHris Hein solo violin, and Embertones Friedlander. I'll be using it in all sorts of genres (orchestral soloist, jazz/gypsy, filmscore/atmospheric etc)

Boy oh boy, that "The Village" mockup on Embertones soundcloud...



...nearly instantly sold me - and at $75 dollars on sale right now I almost think its a no brainer...but I've been reading around here how Friedlander needs a lot of MIDI tweaking to really shine. I'm not particulary excited about tweaking away a lot, but I understand that's part of it.

Bohemian Violin really appeals to me in the "instantly playable and inspiring" way, as well as the intro pricing and free updates. But I do have reservations on how controllable it is...are there non-vibrato sustains and a way to not have arcs triggered all over? That vibrato does sound lovely, but I really do need a solid non-vibrato articulation set. A lot of what I write would be non-vibrato, slurred portamentos - very similar to that "The Village" mockup by James Newton Howard that Embertone has.

Chris Hein's Solo Violin seems like a split between the two. And honestly, seems to be the most versatile. Its on sale for just today yet as well. The demos recreating Naomi Binder's playing were VERY impressive.

I'm torn!
 
I have Bohemian and Friedlander. They are both very good and have different sound. When i make big orchestral music and need to use a solo violin i usally reach for friedlander, when i need a solo instrument for a small ensemble i use Bohemian. Bohemian is very fun to use, really nice to play and the sounds amazing, but the vibrato could be a little to much sometimes in my opinion. Friedlander also sound great, and have a lot of tweaks, but i dont think it need a lot of tweak to fit into the mix. Maybe it depends what music you make.ifi had to choose between them i really dont know what i prefer most:) not much help i guess sorry. Maybe you should og for Chris Hein, it sound beautiful.
 
I love the Chris Hein the more I play it (even more than EW Gypsy, an old treasure for me), and I have the Friedlander on the way. I imagine the latter hasn't quite picked up steam on the poll yet because of its late entry.
 
I got Chris Hein Violin from Sweetwater for 125$. I wasn't looking for a new violin, but @Parsifal666 and others have been praising it, thus I got it for the great price. What a great library! I just found today Glide-Mode for runs, Noteheads (possible to have different attack to sustains), Blending (e.g. between sustain and tremolo). Very playable library, but you can go into tweaking different parameters and cc's as much as you want.
 
I got Chris Hein Violin from Sweetwater for 125$. I wasn't looking for a new violin, but @Parsifal666 and others have been praising it, thus I got it for the great price. What a great library! I just found today Glide-Mode for runs, Noteheads (possible to have different attack to sustains), Blending (e.g. between sustain and tremolo). Very playable library, but you can go into tweaking different parameters and cc's as much as you want.

You're in for a lot of great sounding fun! The tweaks are really easy to pick up, and add to the value.
 
I'll be seeing my Friedlander Violin download links anytime now CAN'T WAIT! I'm probably going to set the Hein and Embertone up as 1st and 2nd violins in my quartet.

I should also mention, I've gone back and fiddled (get it? fiddled? fiddle? BWA!....sorry) with EW Solo Violin Gold and actually found it to be quite fine as well...just not as good as the Hein ;). However, the EW is definitely not dismissable, there are some good things about it, and I encourage folks to give it a spin...you might end up just sticking with that.
 
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