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Most Disappointing Library Purchase?

Spitfire Chamber Strings is kind of my own fault because it was the first string library I purchased, before I knew what sound I was looking for, and I saw so many recommendations and good things about it I thought I'd go for it. The small ensemble tone doesn't suit me, I prefer a much larger symphonic tone, like SSS, or even a medium like CSS. The longs and shorts are nice in SCS but I find legato is severely lacking. I also upgraded to the pro version hoping extra mics and mixes would make me enjoy the library and it's tone a bit more, but it's still just collecting dust and being used to layer every now and then for longs and shorts. Wish I could swap SCS for SSS...
When I bought SCS and at the same time upgraded Mural to SSS, I felt that the clearly best of these libraries was SCS. The sections are small; 5 V1s sound really good, but sections of 3 players won't sound 'large' unless you layer them with something, but that's doable from within SCS. One can layer articulations within one SCS instance (normal sustains + con sords, for instance), one can layer several SCS instances, layer SCS with something else - and so on. If you layer three long notes in SCS, you get 9 players instead of 3 for all the instruments except the V1s, with those you'll get 12.
 
When I bought SCS and at the same time upgraded Mural to SSS, I felt that the clearly best of these libraries was SCS. The sections are small; 5 V1s sound really good, but sections of 3 players won't sound 'large' unless you layer them with something, but that's doable from within SCS. One can layer articulations within one SCS instance (normal sustains + con sords, for instance), one can layer several SCS instances, layer SCS with something else - and so on. If you layer three long notes in SCS, you get 9 players instead of 3 for all the instruments except the V1s, with those you'll get 12.
Yeah I've had some luck layering SCS with CSS and Albion One longs, but not so much with SCS on its own, which just has a very brittle, harsh and bright quality to it. Stacking the instances of SCS just doesn't seem to have the same effect and sound as SSS, which is simply just gorgeous.
 
From a hifi point of view SSS sounds great - I was even disappointed, at first, when I bought Berlin Strings due to the shortcomings in Mural. But after I knew both libraries better, I ended up using BS a lot and SSS mainly for the special longs (true con sords, flautando, sul tasto etc).

I doubt that most SCS users will agree that SCS has a 'very brittle'/'harsh' quality to it, but of course that doesn't matter (for you) if you think it sounds that way! :) If I should point to one single library that ended up being disappointing in spite of great sounding demos and walkthroughs, it's probably Mural - but things got a lot better when they updated Mural to SSS. SSS is very good at what it does, and the the legatos have improved since Mural, but I often end up with too much vibrato with SSS (no crossfade), and the swells in the samples can be a blessing or a curse, all depending on what I want to do.

Mural has also become a semi-old library, and there are other libs from Spitfire and others which IMO sounds better than SSS today. I still recommend it wholeheartedly to this who look for exactly what SSS does, especially if they don't plan to use it as a their only library - both SCS, Berlin Strings, CSS (and some of the instruments in the Afflatus/Soaring Strings/PS Con Moto and felt like an upgrade from Mural/SSS to me (if not listening from a hi-fi point of view, but from a playability-in-many-different-tempi and and expressivity point of view). SF BBC also sounds, in many ways, more impressive to me (or: sounds closer to what I look for in string libraries than SSS), but I have yet to hear something from BBC demos which convince me that the legatos sounds as good as they do in the IMHO best legatos in the VI world.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I have SSS now! :)
 
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Always interesting to see what people dislike.

I literally bought SCS because of how it sounds. Not in spite of it. I also think SSS sounds great at what it does and will probably add it to the arsenal at some point.

Granted, I'm a programmer, not a performer. 90% of what I write is programmed in. So it matters very little to me how performance oriented a library is. All that matters to me is how engaging I can make it sound.

I actually have to go back and say that the more I dug into Cinebrass, the more I appreciated it. I still wish it did some things more easily, but I'm slowly becoming a power user and it's paying off.

At this point the only regret purchase I have is Heavyocity Master Sessions. It has its place but the overall sound of most of the instruments are a huge turnoff for me. Probably the least used of any library I'll ever own.
 
NI/Soundiron Symphony series woodwind solo... Hate it. Ensemble too. Just working on something, at this moment, and getting extremelly frustrated and remembered this thread. Had to get it out. Got the libs with a good discount, but still bad money to value ratio, if you ask me. I don't know, maybe that's how libs generally are these days, but still I've heard better.
 
Hans Zimmer Piano and Spitfire Chamber Strings

HZPiano has always been a bit dodgy with playability, I've struggled endlessly to get the right tone with the mics, but it can be quite heavy on RAM when using multiple mics. Noire has replaced it completely for me and it's just a £200 odd spend that I'd love to be able to sell as a license transfer because it's of no use to me anymore.

Spitfire Chamber Strings is kind of my own fault because it was the first string library I purchased, before I knew what sound I was looking for, and I saw so many recommendations and good things about it I thought I'd go for it. The small ensemble tone doesn't suit me, I prefer a much larger symphonic tone, like SSS, or even a medium like CSS. The longs and shorts are nice in SCS but I find legato is severely lacking. I also upgraded to the pro version hoping extra mics and mixes would make me enjoy the library and it's tone a bit more, but it's still just collecting dust and being used to layer every now and then for longs and shorts. Wish I could swap SCS for SSS...

Totally get where you're coming from with HZ Piano... Playability is not optimal... and the worst sin of all - The MICROSCOPIC velocity curve that you can ONLY control by drawing it manually with the mouse cursor (The 4-5 preset curves do not help when fine tuning the velocity curve). Rant over. lol I've been happy with Embertone's Walker as of late...
 
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Totally get where you're coming from with HZ Piano... Playability is not optimal... and the worst sin of all - The MICROSCOPIC velocity curve that you can ONLY control by drawing it manually with the mouse cursor (The 4-5 preset curves are do not help when fine tuning the velocity curve). Rant over. lol I've been happy with Embertone's Walker as of late...
Honestly, I can't believe the massive price tag and insanely huge sample size, yet tiny Noire on a sale at 60 quid is the best piano I've ever played/owned....
 
Probably my own fault, but at the moment I'm too happy with my recent purchase of Hollywood Strings Gold.

I guess I like more of a pristine - clean-smooth-emotional string sound (whatever that means). HS has more of a chorused-phasey sound to my ears.

Maybe it will grow on me. I haven't actually used in a mix yet. And I'm sure I'll find some uses for layered in.
 
Bought Komplete Ultimate a little over 2 years ago. A complete waste of €600. Having Kontakt is good of course. But other than that the only things I actually use are the pianos and a couple of the effects. All of which are also included in Komplete (non-UlTimAte). That would've saved me €600. Pretty much the biggest waste of money I've ever committed.

And I can't even say, all snarky, that I haven't bought a Native Instrument library since because I already have to whole bloody lot of them now.
 
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I regret EVERYTHING I have ever purchased that has an activation protocol that depends in any way on a remote server, and does not allow for 100% local control over when and where I choose to install it. I used to be ok with offline challenge/response, but since this requires that one trust the developer to hold up their end by both maintaining their servers and honoring their agreements, it is no longer acceptable.

I will never, ever again consider purchasing a piece of software unless it offers 100% local control via a key file or simple license number that can be activated offline. If I could do it all over again I would use the money I've spent on sample libraries to buy the best hardware workstation money can buy. The library/VI approach, obviously, offers much more in terms of sonic possibilities, options and flexibility, but coprorofascist control-freak copy protection bullshit has utterly ruined what would otherwise be a wonderful thing.
 
Not sampled, but modeled, Samplemodeling Brass. Some have produced really nice music with it, but I hated working with those instruments and sold them.
 
Spitfire Epic Brass. Thought the string version was ok (especially for the price) but the brass version has a couple of notes that are way out of tune in the decay. I have been in toch with support and although very friendly, there isn’t a fix (so that’s 4 months since reporting it). I get that it’s a very cheap taster, but to me it reflects poorly on the brand. If you compare that to say Audio Imperia Nucleus Lite, then Nucleus definitely has the upper hand there especially with the brass.
 
It's not intuitive, seems like a beta project..sounds are just not that inspiring and usable and they seem to have abandoned it..similar to Hexeract which is equally underwhelming..

Thanks for the info. It has been on my wishlist for ages, but comments like these have kept me from buying it. In theory it should be my cup of tea, but I guess I have read too many critical comments.
 
Spitfire Epic Brass. Thought the string version was ok (especially for the price) but the brass version has a couple of notes that are way out of tune in the decay. I have been in toch with support and although very friendly, there isn’t a fix (so that’s 4 months since reporting it). I get that it’s a very cheap taster, but to me it reflects poorly on the brand. If you compare that to say Audio Imperia Nucleus Lite, then Nucleus definitely has the upper hand there especially with the brass.
That brass has had tuning issues since it was released many years ago in Albion 1 (legacy). That library went through many updates over the years with no fix, so it's no surprise to me that it's still an issue.
 
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