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Should I get the Cinematic Studio Brass and Strings?

T

tcdlim

Member
Hey guys,

I've been observing some very well known film composers using Cinematic Studio Brass and Strings in their arsenal. Coming from someone who has been using Spitfire, Eastwest, Cinesamples and Orchestral Tools, would it be worth it to having Cinematic Studio Strings and Brass? To me, their samples may cut through the mix more, especially strings. Do you guys feel the same or have another opinion? Looking forward to hearing from everyone.
Click to read more...
 
I understand the appeal of Cinematic Studio Brass and Strings but before diving into another library, consider focusing on the arrangement and mixing first, especially because you said that your current libraries (Spitfire, Eastwest, etc.) aren't "cutting through"

Maybe you have too many instruments playing similar roles in the same frequency range. This creates muddiness and masks individual elements.

or maybe it can be a mixing issue. Focusing on EQ, panning, and compression techniques can significantly improve how your strings and brass sit in the mix.

Many composers collect libraries but struggle to make them shine. Prioritize your skills can breathe new life into your existing libraries before needing a new one. You might be surprised how much better your existing libraries sound with some focused attention on those areas.

I've worked with too many composers with a sample graveyard with excellent libraries (and often my job has been to reanimate those libraries)

However, if you're looking to explore and experiment with different sounds, Cinematic Studios libraries are excellent.
 
I personally liked the spicc strings. To me they just sound like many of the scores/tv scores I like.
I have the chamber string (or however it was called before). The symphonic string, Hollywood etc etc. but somehow I never got the tone I wanted until I heard css. It's the string in general but loved the spicc.

At the same time, all the other libraries sound amazing as well. It’s just a specific tone I was after. Like what I hear in movies scores even if it’s different orchestras/stages. Or tv scores, even before it was being widely used. Or maybe they’ve been used in so many scores that became the sound I looking for ;)

Imo They are a bit limited and has some issues like track delay/sample start, not that
Many articulations, the mod wheel and keyswitch implementation.
So ccs is more of a bread and butter tone and then I use symphonic string or Hollywood string for the more odd articulations.

The brass and winds are ok. Nothing too different or specific vs the others.
i use them to a get cohesive sound but I doubt it matters that much in context.
The other libraries have a crap tone or more articulations.
 
If you like the sound and think it will fit your workflow, go for it.

Most around here are head over heels for the over the top vibrato and syrupy legato of the strings. If that matches your aesthetic, then you’ll probably enjoy it. Plenty of others will tell you all the great things about the range of libraries that you will also hear in the copious amounts of YouTube videos.

The weaknesses don’t get talked about much, but there are a few in the series. Consider how much these things mean to you in your purchasing decision.

All of the libraries are lacking in low end energy. I don’t know if it's a product of Trackdown’s acoustics or the microphone choices, but it’s very mid heavy across the series. Some have made commercial templates to address this (Project Colossal and Cinesaga).

The brass and solo strings still have a hiss that cannot be unheard once you hear it. If you don’t hear it, count yourself lucky. The brass is heavy on the cuivre as you go up in dynamics, which is great if you like brassy sounding brass. The shorts have a soft attack and always play out for the full duration of the articulation, even if the note ends before the sample finishes, so it's very easy to get an 80s brass synth sound if you're not careful, especially with the sforzando and staccato articulations.

The solo woodwind instruments have phasing issues between dynamic layers, so you’ll hear either volume bumps or what sounds like a chorusing effect when you’re in the crossover point. You can work around them, but it’s a valid issue if you do a lot of exposed solo woodwind work.

You're only getting 3 dynamic layers across the libraries, so bear that in mind if what you're writing needs more than that for your tastes.

Finally, the legato is a love it or hate it affair. You either love the different legato delay timings and learn to adjust to it (or find a script to adjust it for you) or you hate it and find it unusable. There does not seem to be a lot of folks who land in between these extremes.

Oh yeah, the piano sucks. You can skip it unless you have no other options or just have an extreme fetish for everything (except percussion) being in the same room. :laugh:
 
Trash Panda said:
If you like the sound and think it will fit your workflow, go for it.

Most around here are head over heels for the over the top vibrato and syrupy legato of the strings. If that matches your aesthetic, then you’ll probably enjoy it. Plenty of others will tell you all the great things about the range of libraries that you will also hear in the copious amounts of YouTube videos.

The weaknesses don’t get talked about much, but there are a few in the series. Consider how much these things mean to you in your purchasing decision.

All of the libraries are lacking in low end energy. I don’t know if it's a product of Trackdown’s acoustics or the microphone choices, but it’s very mid heavy across the series. Some have made commercial templates to address this (Project Colossal and Cinesaga).

The brass and solo strings still have a hiss that cannot be unheard once you hear it. If you don’t hear it, count yourself lucky. The brass is heavy on the cuivre as you go up in dynamics, which is great if you like brassy sounding brass. The shorts have a soft attack and always play out for the full duration of the articulation, even if the note ends before the sample finishes, so it's very easy to get an 80s brass synth sound if you're not careful, especially with the sforzando and staccato articulations.

The solo woodwind instruments have phasing issues between dynamic layers, so you’ll hear either volume bumps or what sounds like a chorusing effect when you’re in the crossover point. You can work around them, but it’s a valid issue if you do a lot of exposed solo woodwind work.

You're only getting 3 dynamic layers across the libraries, so bear that in mind if what you're writing needs more than that for your tastes.

Finally, the legato is a love it or hate it affair. You either love the different legato delay timings and learn to adjust to it (or find a script to adjust it for you) or you hate it and find it unusable. There does not seem to be a lot of folks who land in between these extremes.

Oh yeah, the piano sucks. You can skip it unless you have no other options or just have an extreme fetish for everything (except percussion) being in the same room. :laugh:
Click to expand...
CSS Sustains have 4 dynamic layers, from pp to ff.

Dunno about the other libraries in the series, however I would expect them to have 4 layers for Sustains as well.
 
Henrik B. Jensen said:
CSS Sustains have 4 dynamic layers, from pp to ff.

Dunno about the other libraries in the series, however I would expect them to have 4 layers for Sustains as well.
Click to expand...
I’m going off the voice count on the sustains. CSS you get 7, which is 3 plus some random layer when you factor in senza vibrato and all the vibrato. All the brass and woodwinds are 3 dynamic layers according to Kontakt.
 
tcdlim said:
Hey guys,

I've been observing some very well known film composers using Cinematic Studio Brass and Strings in their arsenal. Coming from someone who has been using Spitfire, Eastwest, Cinesamples and Orchestral Tools, would it be worth it to having Cinematic Studio Strings and Brass? To me, their samples may cut through the mix more, especially strings. Do you guys feel the same or have another opinion? Looking forward to hearing from everyone.
Click to expand...
Ok i own them all. And i am semi retired film/tv composer orchestrator, union keyboard player etc. i still do tons of ghost writing, and now just helping other hollywood composers meet deadlines. No ego here! Made my money and life all-ready. Now just
Enjoying my toys, kids in college.

Heres what i say. CSB is good because it is FFF on dynamics. BUT it is all faders so you will need to learn to play with one hand.

Cinematic strings is in my template. The Solo strings are great too. Woodwinds amazing. I use them all in cues.

I have to say, the library i use all the time, and if i did it over would have purchased first is old Vienna Library,
Appassionata Strings , Vi Special addition volume 1, 2 will get you more pro sounding orchestral instruments that WILL NOT SLOW your computer CPU running in Vienna Ensemble Pro on Vienna server .

Purchase vienna suite, and Vienna ensemble Pro and server Ver 7. All of us working major composers use it. We dont have you tube channels and get free spitfire library's and OT library’s for doing reviews. We are all working and have zero time for you tube. You dont see Thomas Newman, or Randy making you tube videos about librarys!! Why? Because they are busy composing music for films, tv.

I use Cinesamples, Own every library they made. I use and like Project Sam and Swing, swing more for jazz cartoon stuff, Orchestral essentials 1, 2 sone solo instruments, etc. I Like Strings in symphobia one and two. The Flauntando , con ponte cello, and sordino.

My favorite horn is Orchestral tools “Majestic horn” and Vienna solo fhorn(s). I always use Cinesamples Timp and Celeste, glock
Vibes with motor on.

I use recorders and ulian pipes and penny whistle in Cinesamples. I LOVE and use Vienna Vocals bundle daily. And Vienna Boys choir. (Full Library) Boys, SATB solos and mixed. Mostly boys legato and Sop legato.

I use Audio bro Genisus for all my Christmas bumpers and specials mixed with Vienna Vocal or choir bundle (NOT synchronized I dont like that modern sound)

I love Audio Bro Modern Scoring Brass and Modern Scoring Strings. A must! They do divisi’s automatically. It also does poly legato. All other library's if you play a 4 note cord you get 120 piece string section that sounds fake. Audio Bro Modern Scoring products work great for one pass entry as mod wheel, auto divisi, etc =1 track for all trumpets, 1 track for all horns etc. SPEED, ease of use playability.

i use EW timps, brass, Strings percussion on trailers. Pip brass on songs, Word builder and EW choirs on horror and evil stuff with PLAY NOT opus as none of the opus instruments have Velocity patches, its all CC and faders requiring multiple passes and hrs of time which is not available on a real gig they only need mockups as you use real players)

I use a breath controller, TEC with bite and head tilt. I use Sample Modeling for brass solo’s “The Trumpet” Trombone, Fhorns, Saxes. Most realistic sound that fools the best.

If gig has no real players, my favorite is using Roland Integra-7 with Adagio Strings, Big epic strings. Doubled with Vienna Appassionata, or CSB, or MSS.
It sounds so full and real. Dont knock until you try it!

Best Clarinet is in Vienna wood winds! No flanging as in Cine, OT, and others. Total BS to have Clarinets in those Lib have double flanging notes. Dead epic failure for usage in professional scenario. Best Bass Flute and full range is Vienna bass flute. Others have bass flute but lack knowledge of actual range.

EW gongs, Cinesamples Gongs. I use
I have vienna and cinesamples mallet roll cymbals but use my own samples on one of my 4 E-Mu E4XT Ultras. It just sounds better then any out their.
My E4XT Ultras all have 32 Bit efx cards with output option cards.

I sometimes use Spitfire Chamber strings or fast moving lines and cartoons. I really wanted to like spitfire but they have so many bad out of tune banks in brass, woodwinds. So i stay away. They get some stuff right though.

I use Best Accordions 1,2
I also Use Roland Integra -7 for accordions. As no limit on cpu or voices on midi gear!

I use two Korg Wavestations SR rack units for pads, long lush sparkiling stuff

I use E-MU Proteus 1xr with Protologic for Jaco bass, Moog bass, pick mute guitar, Leslie B3 i run it through a Summit Audio Tube amp to make it warm, smooth.

I use Roland Fantom XR fully loaded with “Ultimate Piano” for piano.
If its a piano solo in cue i use EW Boysendorfer.

For harps i use Vienna AND Cineharp from cinesamples ( i like it because it has pedals like real harp) sounds great too.

I use E-MU Proteus 2xr for Xylophone, pizz, glock hits, pic for runs with xylophone. People can say what? Well watch 40 ep of Goofyroop, bonkers, marsupialami, thats all proteus 2xr (for those above snds)

I use Cinesamples Marimba.

I use Cinesamples Orchestra Low brass chords, and Tuti brass. On brass hits and out to commercials,
(FTB = Fade to black or end of scene)

bass clarinet Vienna and contra bass clarinet in Cinesamples

Bassoon Vienna, oboe di’Amore in vienna, as English horn, contra bassoon Vienna.

Project Sam solo trumpet, along with Vienna solo trumpet, and CSB.

I use Trailer Brass fir trailers.
I use men of war vocals ? At cinesamples for dragons, viking stuff.

I use cinesamples Voxis for boys choirs on simple solo lines with Vienna Flute.

I use Cinesamples Gran Cassa, Wood blocks, bell-tree, marktree, triangle, snares (military) shakers, rain stick, toms, piatti, i use my own sampled supper ball on gran cassa, and waterphones.

I use Kontakts picked Ac steel guitar and nylon guitar

For cartoons i use Project Sam's Swing, Swing More Rhythm uke, guitar strums.

I also play my taylor guitar on parts.

I play my EVI and accordion when needed. My grown daughter plays Violin so when she is visiting she plays over my stuff.

I use:
1. Bricasti for reverb
2. Summit audio tube eq
3. Neve portico 5012 pre amp
4. Neve portico 5043 compressors
5. Neve portico II MBP
6. Avalon Tube dual EQ
7. Pultec EQ (2 R/L)
8. Eventide DSP 4500
9. Vintech 273
10. Neve 5014 Stereo Field Editor

( my signal path)

i use Kurzweil PC2R with poly expansion and orchestral and keyboard expansion for DB upright bass and potluck ( strings, brass, orch percussion, harp, celeste, vibes, timps)

I use my Yamaha TX816 for el piano parts and ballads.

I use my midi moog for basses, solo lines

I use Vienna whistler gor whistlig parts.

Thats a real time hollywood semi retired composers setup. I made enough money to be comfortable, and put 3 kids through college, and own 3 homes with no mortgages.

So everyone that has their likes cool. Mine has made me millions of dollars over the years. Allot of mockups! Netflix, Showtime, Paramount, MGM will use all synth scores if low enough budget.

Buy that library! Or better yet go buy VI vienna original library. Not entire library. Just the Epic volume 1,2
That will wake you up!
Danny uses it all the time on his scores, this do most big names.
Be very weary of Youtube review guys. Their gig is you tube NOT full time composing. If they were real film/Tv composers there would be zero time for you tube!
 
GoofyTroop said:
Ok i own them all. And i am semi retired film/tv composer orchestrator, union keyboard player etc. i still do tons of ghost writing, and now just helping other hollywood composers meet deadlines. No ego here! Made my money and life all-ready. Now just
Enjoying my toys, kids in college.

Heres what i say. CSB is good because it is FFF on dynamics. BUT it is all faders so you will need to learn to play with one hand.

Cinematic strings is in my template. The Solo strings are great too. Woodwinds amazing. I use them all in cues.

I have to say, the library i use all the time, and if i did it over would have purchased first is old Vienna Library,
Appassionata Strings , Vi Special addition volume 1, 2 will get you more pro sounding orchestral instruments that WILL NOT SLOW your computer CPU running in Vienna Ensemble Pro on Vienna server .

Purchase vienna suite, and Vienna ensemble Pro and server Ver 7. All of us working major composers use it. We dont have you tube channels and get free spitfire library's and OT library’s for doing reviews. We are all working and have zero time for you tube. You dont see Thomas Newman, or Randy making you tube videos about librarys!! Why? Because they are busy composing music for films, tv.

I use Cinesamples, Own every library they made. I use and like Project Sam and Swing, swing more for jazz cartoon stuff, Orchestral essentials 1, 2 sone solo instruments, etc. I Like Strings in symphobia one and two. The Flauntando , con ponte cello, and sordino.

My favorite horn is Orchestral tools “Majestic horn” and Vienna solo fhorn(s). I always use Cinesamples Timp and Celeste, glock
Vibes with motor on.

I use recorders and ulian pipes and penny whistle in Cinesamples. I LOVE and use Vienna Vocals bundle daily. And Vienna Boys choir. (Full Library) Boys, SATB solos and mixed. Mostly boys legato and Sop legato.

I use Audio bro Genisus for all my Christmas bumpers and specials mixed with Vienna Vocal or choir bundle (NOT synchronized I dont like that modern sound)

I love Audio Bro Modern Scoring Brass and Modern Scoring Strings. A must! They do divisi’s automatically. It also does poly legato. All other library's if you play a 4 note cord you get 120 piece string section that sounds fake. Audio Bro Modern Scoring products work great for one pass entry as mod wheel, auto divisi, etc =1 track for all trumpets, 1 track for all horns etc. SPEED, ease of use playability.

i use EW timps, brass, Strings percussion on trailers. Pip brass on songs, Word builder and EW choirs on horror and evil stuff with PLAY NOT opus as none of the opus instruments have Velocity patches, its all CC and faders requiring multiple passes and hrs of time which is not available on a real gig they only need mockups as you use real players)

I use a breath controller, TEC with bite and head tilt. I use Sample Modeling for brass solo’s “The Trumpet” Trombone, Fhorns, Saxes. Most realistic sound that fools the best.

If gig has no real players, my favorite is using Roland Integra-7 with Adagio Strings, Big epic strings. Doubled with Vienna Appassionata, or CSB, or MSS.
It sounds so full and real. Dont knock until you try it!

Best Clarinet is in Vienna wood winds! No flanging as in Cine, OT, and others. Total BS to have Clarinets in those Lib have double flanging notes. Dead epic failure for usage in professional scenario. Best Bass Flute and full range is Vienna bass flute. Others have bass flute but lack knowledge of actual range.

EW gongs, Cinesamples Gongs. I use
I have vienna and cinesamples mallet roll cymbals but use my own samples on one of my 4 E-Mu E4XT Ultras. It just sounds better then any out their.
My E4XT Ultras all have 32 Bit efx cards with output option cards.

I sometimes use Spitfire Chamber strings or fast moving lines and cartoons. I really wanted to like spitfire but they have so many bad out of tune banks in brass, woodwinds. So i stay away. They get some stuff right though.

I use Best Accordions 1,2
I also Use Roland Integra -7 for accordions. As no limit on cpu or voices on midi gear!

I use two Korg Wavestations SR rack units for pads, long lush sparkiling stuff

I use E-MU Proteus 1xr with Protologic for Jaco bass, Moog bass, pick mute guitar, Leslie B3 i run it through a Summit Audio Tube amp to make it warm, smooth.

I use Roland Fantom XR fully loaded with “Ultimate Piano” for piano.
If its a piano solo in cue i use EW Boysendorfer.

For harps i use Vienna AND Cineharp from cinesamples ( i like it because it has pedals like real harp) sounds great too.

I use E-MU Proteus 2xr for Xylophone, pizz, glock hits, pic for runs with xylophone. People can say what? Well watch 40 ep of Goofyroop, bonkers, marsupialami, thats all proteus 2xr (for those above snds)

I use Cinesamples Marimba.

I use Cinesamples Orchestra Low brass chords, and Tuti brass. On brass hits and out to commercials,
(FTB = Fade to black or end of scene)

bass clarinet Vienna and contra bass clarinet in Cinesamples

Bassoon Vienna, oboe di’Amore in vienna, as English horn, contra bassoon Vienna.

Project Sam solo trumpet, along with Vienna solo trumpet, and CSB.

I use Trailer Brass fir trailers.
I use men of war vocals ? At cinesamples for dragons, viking stuff.

I use cinesamples Voxis for boys choirs on simple solo lines with Vienna Flute.

I use Cinesamples Gran Cassa, Wood blocks, bell-tree, marktree, triangle, snares (military) shakers, rain stick, toms, piatti, i use my own sampled supper ball on gran cassa, and waterphones.

I use Kontakts picked Ac steel guitar and nylon guitar

For cartoons i use Project Sam's Swing, Swing More Rhythm uke, guitar strums.

I also play my taylor guitar on parts.

I play my EVI and accordion when needed. My grown daughter plays Violin so when she is visiting she plays over my stuff.

I use:
1. Bricasti for reverb
2. Summit audio tube eq
3. Neve portico 5012 pre amp
4. Neve portico 5043 compressors
5. Neve portico II MBP
6. Avalon Tube dual EQ
7. Pultec EQ (2 R/L)
8. Eventide DSP 4500
9. Vintech 273
10. Neve 5014 Stereo Field Editor

( my signal path)

i use Kurzweil PC2R with poly expansion and orchestral and keyboard expansion for DB upright bass and potluck ( strings, brass, orch percussion, harp, celeste, vibes, timps)

I use my Yamaha TX816 for el piano parts and ballads.

I use my midi moog for basses, solo lines

I use Vienna whistler gor whistlig parts.

Thats a real time hollywood semi retired composers setup. I made enough money to be comfortable, and put 3 kids through college, and own 3 homes with no mortgages.

So everyone that has their likes cool. Mine has made me millions of dollars over the years. Allot of mockups! Netflix, Showtime, Paramount, MGM will use all synth scores if low enough budget.

Buy that library! Or better yet go buy VI vienna original library. Not entire library. Just the Epic volume 1,2
That will wake you up!
Danny uses it all the time on his scores, this do most big names.
Be very weary of Youtube review guys. Their gig is you tube NOT full time composing. If they were real film/Tv composers there would be zero time for you tube!
Click to expand...
Love your wisdom! thank you for sharing!

P.S love to get your ears on this mock up if ever!
 
GoofyTroop said:
Ok i own them all. And i am semi retired film/tv composer orchestrator, union keyboard player etc. i still do tons of ghost writing, and now just helping other hollywood composers meet deadlines. No ego here! Made my money and life all-ready. Now just
Enjoying my toys, kids in college.

Heres what i say. CSB is good because it is FFF on dynamics. BUT it is all faders so you will need to learn to play with one hand.

Cinematic strings is in my template. The Solo strings are great too. Woodwinds amazing. I use them all in cues.

I have to say, the library i use all the time, and if i did it over would have purchased first is old Vienna Library,
Appassionata Strings , Vi Special addition volume 1, 2 will get you more pro sounding orchestral instruments that WILL NOT SLOW your computer CPU running in Vienna Ensemble Pro on Vienna server .

Purchase vienna suite, and Vienna ensemble Pro and server Ver 7. All of us working major composers use it. We dont have you tube channels and get free spitfire library's and OT library’s for doing reviews. We are all working and have zero time for you tube. You dont see Thomas Newman, or Randy making you tube videos about librarys!! Why? Because they are busy composing music for films, tv.

I use Cinesamples, Own every library they made. I use and like Project Sam and Swing, swing more for jazz cartoon stuff, Orchestral essentials 1, 2 sone solo instruments, etc. I Like Strings in symphobia one and two. The Flauntando , con ponte cello, and sordino.

My favorite horn is Orchestral tools “Majestic horn” and Vienna solo fhorn(s). I always use Cinesamples Timp and Celeste, glock
Vibes with motor on.

I use recorders and ulian pipes and penny whistle in Cinesamples. I LOVE and use Vienna Vocals bundle daily. And Vienna Boys choir. (Full Library) Boys, SATB solos and mixed. Mostly boys legato and Sop legato.

I use Audio bro Genisus for all my Christmas bumpers and specials mixed with Vienna Vocal or choir bundle (NOT synchronized I dont like that modern sound)

I love Audio Bro Modern Scoring Brass and Modern Scoring Strings. A must! They do divisi’s automatically. It also does poly legato. All other library's if you play a 4 note cord you get 120 piece string section that sounds fake. Audio Bro Modern Scoring products work great for one pass entry as mod wheel, auto divisi, etc =1 track for all trumpets, 1 track for all horns etc. SPEED, ease of use playability.

i use EW timps, brass, Strings percussion on trailers. Pip brass on songs, Word builder and EW choirs on horror and evil stuff with PLAY NOT opus as none of the opus instruments have Velocity patches, its all CC and faders requiring multiple passes and hrs of time which is not available on a real gig they only need mockups as you use real players)

I use a breath controller, TEC with bite and head tilt. I use Sample Modeling for brass solo’s “The Trumpet” Trombone, Fhorns, Saxes. Most realistic sound that fools the best.

If gig has no real players, my favorite is using Roland Integra-7 with Adagio Strings, Big epic strings. Doubled with Vienna Appassionata, or CSB, or MSS.
It sounds so full and real. Dont knock until you try it!

Best Clarinet is in Vienna wood winds! No flanging as in Cine, OT, and others. Total BS to have Clarinets in those Lib have double flanging notes. Dead epic failure for usage in professional scenario. Best Bass Flute and full range is Vienna bass flute. Others have bass flute but lack knowledge of actual range.

EW gongs, Cinesamples Gongs. I use
I have vienna and cinesamples mallet roll cymbals but use my own samples on one of my 4 E-Mu E4XT Ultras. It just sounds better then any out their.
My E4XT Ultras all have 32 Bit efx cards with output option cards.

I sometimes use Spitfire Chamber strings or fast moving lines and cartoons. I really wanted to like spitfire but they have so many bad out of tune banks in brass, woodwinds. So i stay away. They get some stuff right though.

I use Best Accordions 1,2
I also Use Roland Integra -7 for accordions. As no limit on cpu or voices on midi gear!

I use two Korg Wavestations SR rack units for pads, long lush sparkiling stuff

I use E-MU Proteus 1xr with Protologic for Jaco bass, Moog bass, pick mute guitar, Leslie B3 i run it through a Summit Audio Tube amp to make it warm, smooth.

I use Roland Fantom XR fully loaded with “Ultimate Piano” for piano.
If its a piano solo in cue i use EW Boysendorfer.

For harps i use Vienna AND Cineharp from cinesamples ( i like it because it has pedals like real harp) sounds great too.

I use E-MU Proteus 2xr for Xylophone, pizz, glock hits, pic for runs with xylophone. People can say what? Well watch 40 ep of Goofyroop, bonkers, marsupialami, thats all proteus 2xr (for those above snds)

I use Cinesamples Marimba.

I use Cinesamples Orchestra Low brass chords, and Tuti brass. On brass hits and out to commercials,
(FTB = Fade to black or end of scene)

bass clarinet Vienna and contra bass clarinet in Cinesamples

Bassoon Vienna, oboe di’Amore in vienna, as English horn, contra bassoon Vienna.

Project Sam solo trumpet, along with Vienna solo trumpet, and CSB.

I use Trailer Brass fir trailers.
I use men of war vocals ? At cinesamples for dragons, viking stuff.

I use cinesamples Voxis for boys choirs on simple solo lines with Vienna Flute.

I use Cinesamples Gran Cassa, Wood blocks, bell-tree, marktree, triangle, snares (military) shakers, rain stick, toms, piatti, i use my own sampled supper ball on gran cassa, and waterphones.

I use Kontakts picked Ac steel guitar and nylon guitar

For cartoons i use Project Sam's Swing, Swing More Rhythm uke, guitar strums.

I also play my taylor guitar on parts.

I play my EVI and accordion when needed. My grown daughter plays Violin so when she is visiting she plays over my stuff.

I use:
1. Bricasti for reverb
2. Summit audio tube eq
3. Neve portico 5012 pre amp
4. Neve portico 5043 compressors
5. Neve portico II MBP
6. Avalon Tube dual EQ
7. Pultec EQ (2 R/L)
8. Eventide DSP 4500
9. Vintech 273
10. Neve 5014 Stereo Field Editor

( my signal path)

i use Kurzweil PC2R with poly expansion and orchestral and keyboard expansion for DB upright bass and potluck ( strings, brass, orch percussion, harp, celeste, vibes, timps)

I use my Yamaha TX816 for el piano parts and ballads.

I use my midi moog for basses, solo lines

I use Vienna whistler gor whistlig parts.

Thats a real time hollywood semi retired composers setup. I made enough money to be comfortable, and put 3 kids through college, and own 3 homes with no mortgages.

So everyone that has their likes cool. Mine has made me millions of dollars over the years. Allot of mockups! Netflix, Showtime, Paramount, MGM will use all synth scores if low enough budget.

Buy that library! Or better yet go buy VI vienna original library. Not entire library. Just the Epic volume 1,2
That will wake you up!
Danny uses it all the time on his scores, this do most big names.
Be very weary of Youtube review guys. Their gig is you tube NOT full time composing. If they were real film/Tv composers there would be zero time for you tube!
Click to expand...
Liar. There's no way your kids are in college. You used up all their tuition money on gear didn't you? Haha.

Very interesting post though. Point understood!
 
Thats great! I would focus in dynamics. Really make is crescendo, composing is awesome. Just we want hear those brass just more CC11 and CC1 make those sfz, and build really jump out. Then when dust settles, there is contrast. You can do any score you want. I new Steve. And John Williams. You need to join SCL.
Just fill out paperwork. Then go to their parts. Meet other composers. And ask to go to there “dates” sciring sessions with orch. Tell them you will help them in booth reading score and solving issues. Its the inly way to really learn the lingo and learn to feel at ease in the environment. Keep a Rolodex, and get engineers names, shake hands with copyist. Get business cards or bump iphones and exchange contact info. See your building your crew! Your posse that when you get your first break your not a fish out if water.
Offer to do mockups of composers scores for them. You build trust and friendships. And you get to read their scores and see how they say “chases scene” “ love scene” “action” etc. Its a musical vocabulary translated to notes on players parts! You will see how it looks notation wise, what was stated on parts to get players to make a certain technique or sound.

Go join SCL! Its a must. Then pay for the membership. Fill out the application. Dont freak out about requirements on application. Student films, plays, bands, games all count to qualify. Then again us retired composers might just be on the application review group.

Memorize the orchestra instruments transpositions. A French horn is usually played in the keys of F or B♭. If you have an F horn, they are regularly tuned to E♭ whereas a B♭ horn is tuned to the A key. This is done by using a valve. You’ll know which key your French horn is in by the length. Ranges is A1-F5 where its pinched up high. Know where “Sweet spots” for each instrument is. Then learn to write for the sweet spot of that instrument. Players play better and love it when a composer writes for them to be comfortable and easy to read.

For mockups get those dynamics exaggerated they need to zip! It brings vst’s to life. Buy a wind controller goole TEC. Get the one with bite and usb. Then create patches in kontackt and EW for breath CC doing dynamics, WAY better then mod and foot pedal. I bite for either pitch bend or vibrato. You can show off and assign trills, or key switch to head tilts. It will change you mockups! Put you in the hire me pile.

Practice perfection. Pick twelve bars of your mockup. Go to each instrument. Every note. Can i add dynamics, vibrato, does it sound perfect. Do this for every instrument. Solo it. Part should stand alone solo. Then when played together you have a pro mockup. Most places take stems. No reverb or eq. The post guys do that. So set up your daw with stems. Brass, WW, Strings, Percussion, Vocals, synth, drums etc.

i mix live in daw with plugins and buss my stems out if daw, thru external Neve, tube, EQ’s then back into daw. That way its fat smooth and not amateur brittle. Tube pre’s, Transformer class-A circuits really separate the pro’s. I am not goid with mixing. No patience. So i hire people to do that while i compose. Thats why my mixes are so bad on here Ha! I also am under contract and cant release cues until movie or films out. So i tweak it to make it fresh. I got a tubbiness problem going on. I think my summit audio tube eq or pultec has a tube going bad. But i will get it figured out.

Anyhow your mockup is awesome!
If i was staring out again i would take iphone or go pro. Shoot a bunch of footage if nature, or beach, mtns, rivers, then patch it together in Finalcut with transitions then expirt and import in daw. Practice and “spot” it with hit markers. Then find tempo map. Then score it. Mix it. And make it a demo. I still do that for fun. Mu daughter is in med school in AU for a temporary biology study. She sends me gopro of scuba and riding tram, hiking in jungle. I made short movie with title's and scored it.
I used harp and repeating arpeggio’s with string chords for water. So fun as no deadline and i can try new ideas before doing it for real in others films and tv shows.

1. Never give Up! I had three jobs in Westwood in my 20’s and struggled for any gig. I made it, others gave up. Took me years.

2. Every free minute study counterpoint, modulations, closed voicing. 4part harmony. Study scores while playing it on cd or itunes. Note how they got and spelled the textures or colors, how its notated and what orchestration

3. Love what you do, you will end up doing what you love to make money!

Kind Regards
B
 
Trash Panda said:
I’m going off the voice count on the sustains. CSS you get 7, which is 3 plus some random layer when you factor in senza vibrato and all the vibrato. All the brass and woodwinds are 3 dynamic layers according to Kontakt.
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Horns a4, solo Horn, Trumpets a2, solo Trumpet and solo Tb all have 4 dynamic layers in longs and shorts (except Sfz which I believe is just one). The other brass (solo Bass Tb, Tuba and Tb a2) have 3 in the longs.
The woods have 3 for the most of them and alto fl have 2. The way the vibrato works for the woods, unlike the strings, is by having the crossfade separate. So is only when you crossfade between vib and no vib is when the voice count goes up, and then it goes down. If I recall the non-vib has like two layers.

And honestly, you don't really need much dyn layers. Both Strings and Brass work fine as it is (and the crossfade between dynamics are really good, wich is an issue in a lot of brass libs). Yeah the woods have the issue of the phasing, but you don't really need more dyn for the woods.
 
Honestly, the best thing that the CSS family has is the consistency between articulations and instruments, as well as the excellent programming. But it needs some work on the sound itself. And if you already have a lot of libs (which you do) I wouldn't wother buying another orchestral lib just because some people praise it.

The sound itself is the only thing that you may not have, as the libs that you listed are recorded in really wet stages. CSS on the other hand, has a mid sound, almost dry/small studio but not entirely. You can hear that it sound really close to you, specially the brass if you compared it with Spitfire or OT.
 
I love CSS and all heir products. Real easy to use. I still use CSS legacy! It lays nice with new CSS.
Th CSB is great too.

For the money Vienna VSL special edition volume 1 $295 more bang for you buck. As you get all woodwinds, harp, perc, tuba trombone trumpet in C etc. Vienna Special addition Volume 2 gets you appsionata strings and more brass etc. If you call Vienna sometimes has single instrument downloads! Cheap. Best way to buy try. I have yet to meet anyone who did not Vienna anything. Its like a drug. Once you Vienna you are hooked! Vienna has specials on mothers day and fathers day two.
 
Trash Panda said:
If you like the sound and think it will fit your workflow, go for it.
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This is the way to go.

I would also like to add my 2 cents, that even if you do not like the sound in the first place, you may still check more walkthroughs and demo tracks to have an idea of its possibility. I believe there is a certain "decision making process" that one uses to decide to buy a library or not. The libraries you already have, the budget, and the use cases are all factors. Here I'd elaborate some factors that makes me think my purchase of CSS (the strings) is an absolutely right one, and why I think if you are not sure to buy it you may need to research a bit more to decide.

Sound-wise, the first thing comes to my mind is that CSS has been commented a lot about its "dark" tone. However this is not the only possibility of the library. If you do not like this tone, you have many ways to deal with it, such as dialing EQs. I have learned a lot from the template Project Colossal to shape the tone of CSS. (Actually the original "dark tone" is not a problem to me, and I also don't think it is "dark"). This is to say, certain features of the sound other than the tones significantly affects the library's characteristics. For instance, the legato behaviors of CSS (which is vastly complimented), the vibrato of the notes, the crossfade of dynamic layers, the size of the sound, those are the ones in my bias that makes it more characterized. In this regard, CSS to me is quite expressive in romantic phrases, powerful and sentimental in the sense to express the emotion. And the sound is not as huge as punching someone in the face and I somehow doubt the effective range of genres it is able to carry out. However I won't make a conclusion without trying it more.

The workflow aspect is pretty important and it also consists of many aspects. CSS indeed comes with a relatively small articulation sets, but it covers the ones that one might use most frequently. The UI of CSS is also user friendly and straightforward. The legato delay is a big problem like Panda said. I belong to the first kind of users who just get used to it and treat it as a trade-off of the sound-wise quality. (Though I really hope that one day we don't need to do this trade-off anymore! Come on, technology..) And I do not do live, so I am not sure how people tackle it for live playing.

Finally, I would like to quote a phrase I read in VI-C somewhere but for now cannot recall who said it. Basically it is to say, "some libraries are quite inspiring to play with. Regardless how many libraries you already have, you won't feel like to miss it." Although I need to admit that you only know once you have it, I still think walkthroughs and demo tracks can help you a lot. :)
 
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