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9 virtual cello sections

Just for fun: Which of these do you like best? (Multiple choice poll)

  • 1

  • 2

  • 3

  • 4

  • 5

  • 6

  • 7 Hans Zimmer Strings, see post # 72

  • 8 Soaring Strings, see post # 80

  • 9 VSL Synchron Strings, see post # 81


Results are only viewable after voting.
3 is best to my ears. Maybe cause it's all bow-change legato (century strings?) wich shines more in such slow melodic lines.

But fairly speaking, I think you're not doing justice to all these libraries having not done more effort in driving the dynamics..they all sound very loud as if the musicians are bored as hell wanting to leave the session asap
 
I liked #3 the best, then #6.

I wasn't fond of #2.

It would be interesting to know what libraries they are from.
 
I'm unreasonably excited to find out which was which library here!!
Sorry, you need to suffer a bit more. :) And remember, I haven't made a lot of effort to make this a fair comparison, which even is quite difficult since the libraries (rooms, section sizes etc) are so different.
 
After a few listenings:
1 - first note is ugly, but rest is ok.
2 - very noisy, awful legato, this is crap, sounds like an old ROMpler.
3 - good, beautiful sound, a bit more vibrato than the rest. Maybe a smaller section than the others?
4 - ok sound, sound like a smaller section, dynamic is a bit to high for my taste (ie it sounds like they play f when the other sections play mf).
5 - good, lower volume than the rest, not as espressive as the others/a bit compressed. A bit too much room for me as well.
6 - very nice and beautiful, like the portamento at 2.39, I think this is my favourite one!


EDIT: now I read the thread, and I agree with the others that find 3,5,6 much better than 1,2,4. 2 is by far the worst imo, both sound wise and the phrasing. Even after three notes it is obvious that this not is a real section. I also agree that 5 probably is SSS, which I havent used, but people describe the library as I heard it: a very big section, with lots of room. Not as expressive as 6, which was my favourite on this rather passionate melody.
 
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GUESSES (don't read if you don't want to form ideas about which libs are which)

I'm going to guess that 3 is Performance Samples Con Moto just because there seems to be a bow change for every note (and a rather pressured, "Romantic" bow change at that!). That's why it flubs the very fast notes at the end. This library would sound really good with a slower phrase where a bow change per note was actually justified. ;)

5 is very interesting... I'm gonna play it safe and guess Spitfire Symphonic Strings?

6 is a mystery.

1 or 2... one of those is Adagio? Sorry, it sounds like I'm slamming 8dio here, but I've noticed they like including a lot of high end in their sound.
Possible Spoiler?! Just guesses though, can't say for sure, but I think it would be an interesting discussion to see what other people think and if we get any right:)
Without having every String library there is, I just guess with you and give my thoughts;):
1 Might be Cinestrings (from the Legato sounds)
2 Can't really say...thought about Symphonic Essentials or VSL but might as well be 8Dio...
3 Have to go with you probably
4 Berlin or SSS? Not sure on either of them...
5 Still think it is Hans Zimmer Strings
6 Could be Cinematic Studio Strings; because I think they have a great balance in their tone and dynamic range
 
1 Might be Cinestrings (from the Legato sounds)
2 Can't really say...thought about Symphonic Essentials or VSL but might as well be 8Dio...
3 Have to go with you probably
4 Berlin or SSS? Not sure on either of them...
5 Still think it is Hans Zimmer Strings
6 Could be Cinematic Studio Strings; because I think they have a great balance in their tone and dynamic range
Sorry, mate. No correct answers. :)
 
OK, Noam. :) I'll just upload a more fair version first - this one is with a better legato preset for #1 and better mic setup... and without a legato example for #2, for the simple reason that I'm starting to believe that some problems I had with that library (will get a new build from the developer) which caused hanging notes etc also may have affected the legato scripting, because it only - or at least mainly - seem to have affected the legato presets.
 
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I’ll guess as well!

1 - no idea, maybe 8dio cause I haven’t used or listened to their stuff

2 - no idea either, but it’s not good

3 - CSS

4 - Spitfire chamber strings

5 - SSS

6 - Berlin strings


;)
 
The new version is up. Instead of a legato example as #2 (or nothing, which would be confusing regarding what would be #2 etc), I posted a different kind of example for this library: long notes played together in the low register. I'll post something similar for the other libs as well. IMO such an example can be useful - in order to get an impression of the room they're recorded in - and tell something about how these libraries sound in a context (as opposed to just solo examples).

Check the first post in this thread to see the new version. I guess that some of you may want to edit your comments - and even votes - for #1 (and #2) after this. I also played #1 with less intense dynamics btw.

Again, remember to turn up the volume for #5.

Edit: #3 has ended up a little louder than the others, btw. #4 and #5 has also been adjust a little in the current version.
 
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In the Ver. 2 demos, #2 is a very different performance from the others, so kind of hard to compare to the others, and I still don't like the way it sounds.

My favorite is #3, then #6. So no change from my initial votes.
 
Ok, I'm discounting 2, as it's a different performance to the rest, so hard to compare. I rate them:

4,3,6,5,1.

1 is the only sample I dislike - the others are very close.
 
Damn it;); tbh I'd already find it hard enough to select if I had a list; but not even knowing what libraries were used at all...just impossible for me:whistling:
This is such an interesting observation in itself though isn't it? Given all the strong preferences expressed on this forum, for 1 library over another, not to mention the difference in cost, it's extremely revealing that we can't pick them out in a shoot out. That's extremely telling, and useful info about these libraries (and our tendency to fall for marketing!).
 
Sorry, Garry. :)
So #2 is HZS because you talked about the legato not being 100% perfect (yet)?:rolleyes:
Actually: was HZS even used in one of them?

This is such an interesting observation in itself though isn't it? Given all the strong preferences expressed on this forum, for 1 library over another, not to mention the difference in cost, it's extremely revealing that we can't pick them out in a shoot out. That's extremely telling, and useful info about these libraries (and our tendency to fall for marketing!).
Absolutely! Now I am all the more eager to know what is what...maybe it is that I find a library the best of wich I never thought of owning before.
Actually a brilliant "experiment", so thanks to @Vik for doing this:)
 
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