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Intimate String, Woodwinds and Brass Libraries

Fysik

New Member
Hello,

I've been searching for a while now here on vi-control and YouTube but couldn't find anyone who could possibly give me an answer to this.
The only thread I could find some information was too old to consider all the choices one has now.

I think the most important detail I have to provide is what I am aiming for when I speak of "intimate" sample libraries.
Most compositions I create are a combination of piano, strings, sometimes woodwinds and rarely brass. Most of the time they are very calm and romantic pieces.

I am very fortunate to have friends that play cello, violin and flute, which come over to my apartment where we record their lines. Also, I usually record the piano part with the upright I own.

Often I want to embed the violinist and cellist into a quartet, so I also have a viola and a 2nd violin at my hands, when performing those songs. Though, the only "complete" string library I own is CSS, which hardly every fit into the piece, probably because CSS is meant as a symphonic library afaik.

So I am looking for libraries - especially string and woodwind - that fit to this sound.

For strings, I was thinking of Spitfire's Chamber Strings.
For woodwinds, I was thinking Spitfire's Studio Woodwinds.

I hope someone might help me with some advice or could tell me if these are good choices.
Thank you :)
 
I think you should not pass by Cinematic Studio Solo Strings(CSSS)!

I had the luck to demo it at a friend, who owns CSS and CSSS and I somehow didn't get warm with the sound of it, especially when I layered it with a cello and violin part I recorded a day ago before testing them. It sounded too sharp on the higher registers. Very sad, since the price is almost unbeatable when you own CSS already
 
Pls stay away from spitfire studio woodwinds. Lifeless samples...
Oh, that is very sad to hear. Is there any sort of comparison demo available, where I could hear this? Also do you have any recommendations? :)
 
It's lucky that you are covered for solo strings. Samples just don't cut it there. For woodwinds VSL Woodwinds (even the special edition woodwinds with the special edition + for more articulations could be enough) or Orchestral Tools Berlin Soloist Expansions would be good options.

For strings, there are a few options. Spitfire Chamber Strings is maybe not the first one. It's small groups of players, yes, but they have been recorded in a huge room. Even with the close mics only there is still quite a bit of ambience in the recordings. If you want intimate strings I would look for chamber strings that were recorded in a smaller space.

Light & Sound is an affordable option. Great library. I love the sound/timbre. The downside is that they don't have as many articulations as other libraries.

Another option could be VSL Dimension Strings. Extremely flexible, extremely playable, huge set of articulations. Listen to the demos closely, as the sound signature is very unique due to all the players having been recorded with close mics in a very dry room. You may like the sound or you may not.
 
Light and sound chamber string is worth a look at along side SCS. It's not as deeply sampled as SCS and a lot dryer - and you have a completely different sonic space to work with over the 7 mics.

Also, the close mics on Spitfire Symphonic winds are dryer than you might think. Not sure how intimate it can go, but more that it generally though I suspect. The Spitfire Studio Winds are a lot less lyrical than SSW, and my sense is that you absolutely need the close mics, so I wouldn't go for the core version.


Also, the Berlin exp B winds are fun. And recorded quite dry.


8dio has intimate strings and winds, but I don't rate them for orchestral work (good for other things though I hear).
 
Berlin WWs sounds the best to me out of the current choices available.
I absolutely didn't think of them. Always connected Orchestral Tools with epic. Wow. Thank you. I will listen closely to their demos
 
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