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Review : Berlin Inspire by Orchestral Tools

RogiervG

RogiervG

Active Member
tip: When doing these videos, i would take into consideration driving dynamics and such more real time. It gives a better understanding about the livelyness of the instruments. Playing mostly on one dynamic making it sound stiff.
 
OP
bfreepro

bfreepro

Infinite Musical Possibilites
kelexys said:
Nice review! I bought Inspire 1 and 2 during a Native sale. Great value, great sound. Would recommend to anyone :)
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For sure! This, in my opinion, is the best “all in one” library on the market today, along with possibly Audio Imperia’s Nucleus (don’t have that one but heard great things...)
 
river angler

river angler

Active Member
bfreepro said:
For sure! This, in my opinion, is the best “all in one” library on the market today, along with possibly Audio Imperia’s Nucleus (don’t have that one but heard great things...)
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Absolutely! I've had the Inspire series a year now and I have yet to find it weak in any areas for my core orchestral tools (pun completely intended!) for professional work! And it is indeed musically and ergonomically "Inspiring" to work with to boot!

I was about to spend thousands last year on vast sectional libraries but the Berlin Orchestra Inspire 1 & 2 has such intelligently organised instrumentation and just the right balance of articulations to make pro mockups and high fidelity realistic finished productions a breeze to arrange in classical, film score, trailer, pop music and even electronica requiring orchestral flavour!

BOI is the most overlooked orchestral library series IMO by those who think they need every instrument and articulation under the sun contained in libraries 10 x the gb size of Inspire!

There's more libraries out there to distract a composer from using his original imagination than to truly enhance it! Having too much choice of instruments is detrimental to workflow and actually steers the composer away from the possibility of stretching that imagination to make the best of the tools he already has in front of him!

For main symphonic and chamber orchestral production I believe Orchestral Tools Berlin Orchestra Inspire series is the only orchestral library you'll ever really need!
 
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2chris

Member
Inspire 2 is great, and I think it sounds better than 1. It has this fantastic character that is more emotional, and it permeates each instrument. The soft piano included in inspire 2 is phenomenal and warm. I thought I would just skip past that, I mean who really cares when you’re buying a sketching type library, but I cant get over the fact that it’s fantastic. I only wish they had less overlap between 1 and 2. I need to spend more time with both, and so far my only complaint is that I wish it had more velocity layers and variety. I wish it had more patches because what is there is so good. It’s efficient in what it is, and I’m a big fan of both, but much prefer Inspire 2.
 
river angler

river angler

Active Member
2chris said:
Inspire 2 is great, and I think it sounds better than 1. It has this fantastic character that is more emotional, and it permeates each instrument. The soft piano included in inspire 2 is phenomenal and warm. I thought I would just skip past that, I mean who really cares when you’re buying a sketching type library, but I cant get over the fact that it’s fantastic. I only wish they had less overlap between 1 and 2. I need to spend more time with both, and so far my only complaint is that I wish it had more velocity layers and variety. I wish it had more patches because what is there is so good. It’s efficient in what it is, and I’m a big fan of both, but much prefer Inspire 2.
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Fidelity wise I think both libraries are of the same excellent quality.

Overlap...? I don't see this actually. You've kind of said it yourself: 2 is indeed more gentle- its flautando strings being an absolute highlight of this! But there is where the difference is at least between the string libraries where Inspire 1 has a more standard straight forward bowing style of strings Inspire 2 has that more subtle lulling flavour. Both have their uses... and lets not forget the other individual gems in each library!

More velocity layers? sure! one could always do with more v layers and RRs for that matter! But are Inspires tally of these really limiting for any compositional style? I don't think so.. and that's coming from a composer who plays Inspire live on stage too! In fact one of the main reasons I went for the Inspire series as opposed to any Spitfireaudio main orchestral libraries is because OT allow dynamics to be played in with key velocity even on their long sustain samples- in fact every instrument in Inspire gives you this option which is fundamental for the live performer let alone when playing in parts while composing.
 
2

2chris

Member
river angler said:
Fidelity wise I think both libraries are of the same excellent quality.

Overlap...? I don't see this actually. You've kind of said it yourself: 2 is indeed more gentle- its flautando strings being an absolute highlight of this! But there is where the difference is at least between the string libraries where Inspire 1 has a more standard straight forward bowing style of strings Inspire 2 has that more subtle lulling flavour. Both have their uses... and lets not forget the other individual gems in each library!

More velocity layers? sure! one could always do with more v layers and RRs for that matter! But are Inspires tally of these really limiting for any compositional style? I don't think so.. and that's coming from a composer who plays Inspire live on stage too! In fact one of the main reasons I went for the Inspire series as opposed to any Spitfireaudio main orchestral libraries is because OT allow dynamics to be played in with key velocity even on their long sustain samples- in fact every instrument in Inspire gives you this option which is fundamental for the live performer let alone when playing in parts while composing.
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You make good points, but I’m a believer already. The flautando strings are indeed the show stopper. My first play of those went on for 40 minutes because I was so blown away. I could get away with only inspire 2, so I’m wondering what your favorite patches are for inspire 1. I’m serious, because I will give your suggestions extra playing time if you can point me toward your favorites. I fully admit I need more time with it, and I loved Inspire 2 so much it’s monopolized my time.

OT made great choices for ensembles. When I mentioned velocity layers it’s because of exactly what you said, you can play this library without elaborate key switches. The overall package of great ensembles, a few truly amazing sounds, playability out of the box for expression (top shelf scripting), and a wonderful hall sound - any gripes are minimal compared to what you’re getting.
 
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