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SF Studio Strings V CSS??? - Opinions

I seem to like this new library although I don't know what string library to purchase now :D there are soo many good libs out there today.. which really is a great thing.

And I like that they are doing modern demos. I mean it's like the Spitfire sound and they should continue that direction imo. You have other libraries for the more classical playability.
 
I simply can't understand why the divisi sections only have the basic articulations. Makes no sense offering them, isn't it?

I don't have any Spitfire products, but the drier recordings and the price are very tempting. I prefer and stay with LASS. For me, a better sound and the same articulations for all of the divisi groups. :)
Yeah, it's pretty amazing that a library done almost 10 years ago can still hold it's own this well. When LASS was introduced it really was revolutionary and the version 2 made it even better. I am sure LASS 3 will be great. And by the way...where is my LASW and LASB Audiobro??? :)

-Hannes
 
I really like layering Spitfire Symphonic Strings with CSS though. This mix:
How do you deal with overcoming the difference in response (mainly) to cc1 dynamics.
CSS especialy rising from p up into mf which happens in the lower ranges of cc1 needs careful adjustments , whilst SCS ( which I have, not SSS) has a different response to cc1.
Long question short: doesn’t it create double the work layering?
Or have you also done some scripting magic in your Thane ( or what is the name currently??) that conpensates for this?
I.o.w. Just one cc1 ride that covers both cc curves well for each lib?
 
I don’t expect this anymore ....not in this lifetime.....


......and I am not old ;D

I'm probably older than Andrew, and surely you are correct … :crying:

I still hold out hope tho for LASS Full 3 and trust that it will be a benchmark Strings Lib.
If Cinesamples Brass & WW doesn't fulfill that need, then so be it …...
 
Perhaps this explains it a bit:
SF Studio Strings
210 GB
12 Mics (6 mics x 2 mixes)
10 instruments (different sizes)

GB/ Mic/ Instrument = 1.76

Cinematic Studio Strings
34 GB
3 Mics
5 instruments

GB/ Mic/ Instrument = 2.26


Or maybe this is just junk math...

This is junk. The number of SF "microphones" should be 8 (a "mix" is equivalent to a microphone), the number of "instruments" should be 17. However, there are a lot fewer articulations in some "instruments" (divis and large band have just a few), so effectively the plausibly representative number of instruments (for comparison purposes) is significantly greater than 5, but significantly less than 17.

I think it's fairly reasonable to reject the premise of GB/mic/instrument as an index of quality in any case.
 
I have to say after listening to all the demos and walkthroughs, I'm definitely skipping this one.
Feels kinda lifeless to me. Not a big fan of the sound and the way it was performed.
It still has that spitfire imprint to it. Just a taste thing I guess
 
This is a direct CSS competitor. There's 30 musicians here, compared to 35 in CSS (and 28 in Berlin). The intro price is also exactly the same as CSS's price so... y'know... doesn't seem like coincidence... ;)


The size flexibility is killer. You have a 30-piece string orchestra with divisi in every section (except basses). You have two choices for 17-piece ensembles, which competes with SCS and Light&Sound (and the upcoming Hyperion I suppose). And you can combine the half and full size sections to get a 60 piece orchestra that weighs in with Hollywood Strings, Spitfire Symphonic Strings, and LASS. So while sticking with the studio sound, it competes in the chamber sized, studio sized and Hollywood sized arenas. What really made my day is seeing that Spitfire have prepared NKIs at each section size that already "bake together" the sample content. You don't have to load 3 sets of patches to get the divisi+divisi+full sound. That is a huge usability feature & RAM saver.

I don't think adding strings together creates the lush sound of a large orchestra playing at the same time. The sections were recorded separately. it might sound bigger, but you don't get that blur and smoothness...it's the same sound just louder which is not real.
 
I wanted to love Spitfire Strings as I'm looking for my future go-to strings library but... something sounds wrong here. Some presets sound sonically completely different to me, the violins aren't pretty at all in the upper register, and I didn't feel any real power or emotion while listening to the demos. Maybe some new demos will help ? We'll see...
 
I wanted to love Spitfire Strings as I'm looking for my future go-to strings library but... something sounds wrong here. Some presets sound sonically completely different to me, the violins aren't pretty at all in the upper register, and I didn't feel any real power or emotion while listening to the demos. Maybe some new demos will help ? We'll see...

You can always consider Spitfire Chamber Strings With Expanded Mics, or Orch. Tools Berlin Strings.
 
I'm not impressed by the current demos of SstS , maybe more demos will help decide if they are really good. I love the sound of Spitfire Chamber Strings, and OT's Berlin Strings, Cinematic Studio Strings, also 8Dio's Century Strings sound great.
 
Wait the divisis don't have the same sweet if articulations? No wonder the price was so low. I guess never mind.
 
You can always consider Spitfire Chamber Strings With Expanded Mics, or Orch. Tools Berlin Strings.
Are the expanded mics still available? I thought they were out of commission til Pro series is released, probably 2019.
edit - Just looked at SF site and says they were removed from sale on 23 August.
 
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How do you deal with overcoming the difference in response (mainly) to cc1 dynamics.
CSS especialy rising from p up into mf which happens in the lower ranges of cc1 needs careful adjustments , whilst SCS ( which I have, not SSS) has a different response to cc1.
Long question short: doesn’t it create double the work layering?
Or have you also done some scripting magic in your Thane ( or what is the name currently??) that conpensates for this?
I.o.w. Just one cc1 ride that covers both cc curves well for each lib?
Yes, layering isn't meant to just be a simple copy and paste from one to another. This only works if the libraries in question were designed to do so (ie; Cinematic Studio Strings with Cinematic Strings 2). Each developer does their own thing.

You could adjust the CC curve from one library to match another but that will take some patience and a lot of testing. @NoamL created a thread that covers this process but applying it to Berlin Brass's inconsistencies with how dynamics are mapped between the individual instruments. You can read that here.

In terms of layering, if you are already proficient on editing/programming midi data in your DAW of choice, it doesn't take too much time to copy and paste from one library and re-edit/program the midi data on the layering library of choice. I do this all the time.
 
yes :)

also the code reads incoming velocity and uses it to move the speed controller for Mural so that it keeps pace with the different speed legatos of CSS.
Impressive work.

And you are still considering selling it?
Or is that a current version that you presented as donationware some time ago?

(You are building a serious piece of software for this niche market)
 
In terms of layering, if you are already proficient on editing/programming midi data in your DAW of choice, it doesn't take too much time to copy and paste from one library and re-edit/program the midi data on the layering library of choice. I do this all the time.
Thanks Darris, for your post.

I don’t know where I am on the proficiency ladder benchmark :D but I do a lot of it.
My question was specifically regarding matching CSS with others, because in my experience small cc1 adjustments in the lower dynamic ranges of CSS have more effect then compared to other libs.

As of yet I have not done the layering thing mostly to keep my focus on getting to know one lib well enough, especialy in as many different musical contexts as possible( allthough I am not in the epic trailer business)
 
Are the expanded mics still available? I thought they were out of commission til Pro series is released, probably 2019.
edit - Just looked at SF site and says they were removed from sale on 23 August.

You can get the SCS Pro already now which is pretty much the main library + expansion.
 
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